AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2007 > February
February 2007
Can’t let UNC have the big run
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If North Carolina has a discernible weakness, it may be that the Tar Heels are inconsistent defensively, but I wonder if the Jackets wouldn’t be better off Thursday night facing a team that’s struggling on offense.
North Carolina, though, has plenty of people who can score. Tech’s been hitting the boards very well over the past seven games, winning five. In the two losses, they outplayed Duke for most of the game save the final 8:10 of the first half, and outplayed Virginia except for the final 3:41 in the game (even after spotting the Cavs 22-6).
Duke outscored Tech 22-7 in that stretch and won by nine points. Virginia outscored Tech 13-0 in the final 3:41 to win by six.
Streaks happen in every game, and there’s probably no way around that. But when an artery breaks, Tech needs to staunch the bleeding in these runs before they bleed out and leave themselves with more mess than they can clean up. Being on the wrong end of a 9-2 run is one thing, but to get gouged by double digits is another matter.
Tonight, look out for the really big runs.
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Depth chart takes shape
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I blogged yesterday before learning that Jonathan Garner had decided to transfer away from Tech.
Chan Gailey also made it pretty clear that he has a pretty good read already on Kyle Manley so quarterbacks Taylor Bennett, Steven Threet and Jonathan Ingram will get more snaps in spring practice by a considerable margin than Manley. He said Calvin Booker figures to get roughly the same number of snaps as Manley even though they know less about the Auburn transfer. He said it will be up to Booker to make his impression largely in drill work. If he makes the right kind of impression, then perhaps he can graduate into more 7 on 7 and 11 on 11 work.
As for the early depth chart, I guess only one thing surprised me, and not very much at that.
Looking at the spots vacated by seniors and junior WR Calvin Johnson, the one that caught my eye was the CB spot held previously by Kenny Scott. I was a little surprised not to see Avery Roberson listed there but rather he’s at a backup safety spot.
At that corner sport, though, is Laurence Marius, who played specials teams (and very sparingly at CB in a couple blowouts) as a freshman last year. It shouldn’t be a complete shock because he was probably Tech’s most highly regarded recruit last year, but Roberson seemed to play well there for the most part although he went back and forth to safety. Marius is listed ahead of Pat Clark
The other starting cornerback is Jahi Word-Daniels, who is listed ahead of Tony Clark and Dominque Reese.
It doesn’t mean the world at this early juncture, but I found the CB position interesting.
Elsewhere, redshirt sophomore Greg Smith is listed in Calvin’s spot. Colin Peek is listed as the No. 1 tight end, although he’ll miss spring practice after undergoing some sort of surgery.
A.J. Smith will open at right tackle, but he and Cord Howard, who’ll miss spring practice after shoulder surgery, will compete for that spot - although Gailey said they might switch Andrew Gardner from LT to RT (Bennett’s blindside) in part because of the nature of Howard’s shoulder injury and the fact it receives less torque on the left side.
The backup WRs are sophomores Correy Earls and Demaryius Thomas, and Gailey admits this position is one where incoming freshman have a very good chance to make hay.
Vance Walker is listed in Joe Anoai’s DT spot, though Adamm Oliver will move inside in nickel situations (Tech plays a ton of them obviously).
Gary Guyton is likely to move from strongside linebacker into KaMichael Hall’s weakside spot. Shane Bowen, who enrolled early last year, is listed No. 1 at WLB but when I asked about Anthony Barnes, Gailey said they will compete.
Rashaun Grant will be utilized often as an H-back, perhaps making it possible both freshmen RBs, Dwyer and Jones, will not redshirt although it’s too early to read much into that.
Other players injured or coming off surgery who will miss spring practice: OL Jacob Lonowski (shoulder), fullback Mike Cox (don’t know), LB Sedric Griffin (broken leg in Gator Bowl) and safety Djay Jones (don’t know). Roberson will work in his spot in the spring so this may be about getting him more work than knowing Marius will start at CB. Or maybe they want to see a lot of Marius, or both.
Quincy Kelly is moving back from LB to FB, and Martin Frierson, former WR, is listed as a third-string safety behind Joe Gaston.
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Left, right and center
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two days removed from the Virginia game, and it’s still on my mind. Tech was drilled 22-6 in the first 7:31 and blanked 13-0 in the final 3:41 and crushed the Cavs 63-40 in between. Seriously, with the exception of a mini-spurt or two, Virginia was completely out-muscled and defended for roughly 29 minutes.
I haven’t been in the mood for much deep thinking lately, but on the flight home — which was delayed as we spent an extra 45 minutes or so in the air because of weather problems in Atlanta Sunday morning — I had time to kill so:
Viewed through a political prism, the final 3:41 of that game might split conservatives and liberals right down the middle.
Conservatives, who have been known to align themselves with winners no matter what, might suggest Tech got what it deserved, that the Jackets stood down in crunch time.
Liberals, who tend to be sympathetic with those who underfoot, would be hard-pressed to argue that the Jackets let off the gas a little, but might also contend that the visitors got hosed a bit.
Reality probably falls somewhere in the middle.
Leading 69-62 in that final 3:41, Tech missed its last five shots, was called for five fouls (two in attempts to send the Cavs to the free throw line) and had four turnovers (one on a charge). Virginia was called for one foul, which did not send Tech to the line as it was offensive, hit 3 of 7 shots and 7 of 7 free throws.
There’s little doubt Tech’s defense was not as solid as it had been in much of the game, particularly in allowing J.R. Reynolds to blow down the lane for a layup with 2:45 left. At least one Tech defender had a chance to get in Reynolds’ way before he got deep in the lane, but slid to a shooter whom Hewitt said the scouting report said to leave alone in that situation. “We just inexplicably got out of his way,” Hewitt said.
Then, Reynolds makes the shot, and Ra’Sean Dickey was called for a foul. Was it? I’m not going there, but I’ll say this: if you’re banking on drawing a charge when Reynolds or Singletary are taking it to the basket in the final few minutes AT VIRGINIA, that’s probably not a good idea. Better to make sure he doesn’t score — get hands up and hammer. Better for him to take, and probably make, two free throws than allow for a 3-point play possibility (which he got).
Which brings me to this side note: Virginia hit nine 3-pointers (but had to take 28 of them to get that number), and had five 3-point plays in the second half. That’s 14 shots leading to 42 points. That hurts.
Some folks have griped about play calls in the waning minutes, but I find that hard to agree with. Yes, Young stepped out of bounds on one (which had nothing to do with the play call), but he was fairly hot late in the game, hitting two 3-pointers and a jumper between the 9:34 and 4:51 marks as Virginia was finally putting up a fight after 20-plus minutes of flopping around. As for Morrow’s missed jumper, hey, it was a good clean shot; the play worked. He missed.
Tech got the ball in the hands of its top three scorers plenty in the last three-plus minutes, but Crittenton, Young (who was definitely fouled on the baseline drive with about a minute left), and Morrow didn’t connect. Crittenton was called for a charge that probably was, although it might not have been called in Atlanta.
The end result was that although Jason Cain (6.8 ppg) tied the game with a layup, and Tunji Soroye (1.7 ppg) gave the Cavs a lead with a stickback (crawling over Crittenton’s back), Reynolds and Singletary were the difference and not just in scoring 25 and 24 points.
In the final 3:41 they didn’t score as much, combining for 7 points, but Singletary had two rebounds (or as many as Tech, which was out-rebounded 7-2 in that stretch after out-rebounding Virginia 33-20 before that), and they each had a steal. In the game, they combined for 49 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, seven turnovers, a block and five steals. That’s a pretty nice night from the backcourt.
As for why Hewitt called off the press, which was so effective, he said it frustrated Virginia to the point where Singletary decided he wasn’t going to give the ball up. “He became a one-man press break,” Hewitt said. That can be a problem for the defense because then somebody goes unguarded, and once he gets into the offensive zone with the ball that spells trouble for the defense.
Positive signs: Tech moved the ball very well for 30-plus minutes, and played great defense for that span. The comeback from 22-6 down was keyed by almost everybody but Crittenton (out much of it with two fouls) and Young. A team effort.
Downside: Gotta close down a game like that, on the road or not. That woulda been a huge get for NCAA purposes. My take is that so long as you do what you’re supposed to at home, winning many more than you lose, you make your hay on the road. It’s a goofy example, but in the Big 10, Wisconsin was undefeated at home, and so was Ohio State. But Ohio State lost just one road game, at Wisconsin. Wisconsin lost at Ohio State, Michigan State and Indiana. Who’s the Big 10 champ? The team that won more on the road.
I can’t help but think that there’s a related principle involved in picking NCAA teams, although Hewitt disagreed with me. “People are making too much of this road business,” he said. “Neutral games now count as home games (?), and we’ve won our share away from Alexander (Memorial Coliseum).”
Wins in Maui over Purdue and Memphis, at the Georgia Dome over UConn (a home game for Tech season ticket holders, by the way), and one road win — at Florida State, which was missing its point guard … means what?
Too late to do anything about that now.
I don’t know much, but I bet selection committee members are paying attention to Thursday’s game against North Carolina AND Sunday’s against BC. A win Thursday would give Tech victories over Duke and UNC at home. But then a loss to BC would leave Tech 2-6 against the teams ahead of the Jackets in the ACC, and 5-3 against teams behind them.
That’s dicey. We could view this through a different prism if Tech hadn’t lost to bottom feeders Wake and Miami on the ROAD.
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How can Tech get in?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Pretty good stuff Saturday in Charlottesville, Va. Javaris Crittenton, who’s emerging like a rocket, and perhaps the No. 1 backcourt in the nation in Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds.
Tech can win this game, and I have a hunch somebody other than Crittenton could be the main reason why.
But if Tech loses to finish the season with just one road win, would the Jackets need to beat both North Carolina and Boston College at home AND win at least one game in the ACC tournament to get into the NCAA tournament? Or would beating UNC and BC be enough?
If Tech wins just one of its final three, what would the Jackets need to do in the ACC tournament?
Hmm.
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Basketball, baseball and juvenile justice
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It was only Wake Forest, you say. I’m not buying that.
Tech played very, very well in the first half last night on both ends of the court, but the best part of that game, I thought, came after Wake cut the margin to four points.
Not only did Tech respond, but several players pitched in. Dickey had a couple big rebounds, a nice jumper from the baseline, made a great no-look pass to West for a dunk. Morrow hustled back on a break, disrupted a point-blank shot, Alade blocked the putback attempt (at least I think it was Alade), Young made a few nice passes, Crittenton made shots and passes, Smith was all over the place.
If Critt keeps playing as he has over the past six games, if the Jackets keep defending, and Young finds a way to play the way he did in the first half more often, Tech’s a pretty good team. Crittenton is the engine, but Young can jack up the horsepower.
Talked to Hewitt today, and he said the fact Virginia has the best backcourt in the ACC with Reynolds and Singletary doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going to change playing time, i.e. put defenders West and Bell out there more.
So what’s going on with the baseball team? Is it as simple as a pitching dropoff? I don’t think so. Tech lost a ton of talent from last year’s team, and not just in pitching. A ton of talent. Still way to early to draw conclusions, but I wonder if Payne and Wieters are going to be called upon to pitch more than Danny Hall had in mind?
Was going to go out of bounds and blog about my trip to juvenile justice yesterday, where I had to sit in on a ‘mediation’ with one of the eight to 10 young men who jumped me in Centennial Park in December when I took my kids ice-skating. They were clobbering a guy on the ground, and I made the mistake of trying to stop it.
Some have given me a hard time for “ratting” on the kids, which I find ludicrous. Others have suggested I’m crazy for another reason, that they’ll find my address and come after me or my family. Deep, depressing thoughts. I feel terrible today, though, so maybe tomorrow. Not a warm and fuzzy story no matter how you slice it.
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Attacking the basket
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thanks for the responses to Tech needing more muscle in the middle.
Tech’s offense is designed differently than North Carolina’s, but when you consider that UNC center Tyler Hansbrough is averaging 9.7 free throw attempts per game and Tech center Ra’Sean Dickey is averaging 3.25 (in ACC play), it’s not hard to see that there’s a difference in the way these teams — particularly these players — are attacking the basket.
You have to take a lot of shots to get fouled a lot, and Hansbrough does. Rightfully so; he’s very good. But I find it hard to believe anyone could argue that Tech needs to get more shots off by its big men. In 12 ACC games, Dickey’s attempted 63 field goals (5.3 per game), and Jeremis Smith 65 (5.4). That’s less combined than Hansbrough by himself, and kind of hard to believe.
Hansbrough averages 13.0 shots per game (a lot more when you look at the times he’s fouled and the FG attempt doesn’t count).
North Carolina attempts 25.6 free throws per ACC game, Tech 20.2 (despite a paltry four attempts at Duke Sunday). Some other numbers are a little surprising. Duke attempts 18 free throws per game, Clemson 15.9.
Not saying Dickey needs to shoot 13 times a game, but he does lead Tech starters with a 61.9 percent mark from the field in ACC games. Smith is at 53.8 Only reserve Alade Aminu is better than these two, at 65.0 Shouldn’t the big guys shoot more?
On to tonight’s game against Wake. Tech needs to do a better job defending Wake center Kyle Visser, who killed the Jackets last month at their place. In the first half in particular, he was just whipping Tech defenders into position, and when he shot, rarely did hands even go up. He must have had three, maybe four dunks.
Wake’s other threat is that point guard, Ishmael Smith. He’s as fast as any player I’ve seen this year, faster than Ty Lawson. Not a great shooter or anything, but ridiculously fast with a bizarre habit of looking all over the place rather than at his target or defender. Watch his head tonight. Strange.
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Tech needs more low-post points
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As I suggested in today’s story, and will again in greater detail in Wednesday’s paper, for my two cents if Tech’s going to get where it wants to go, the Jackets need more consistent offense from their frontcourt.
Thad Young’s combined for 10 points in the past two games, Ra’Sean Dickey for 11.
At Duke, the starting frontcourt of Young, Dickey and Jeremis Smith combined for 17 points, 12 rebounds and shot 7 of 19. Not good enough.
Yes, it may be easier for opposing defenses to sag on Tech with Lewis Clinch out of the mix, but for Tech to consistently score 70-plus — which is not quite a magic number but darned close if the Jackets are to be in position to win more than they lose — there needs to be more muscle in the middle.
But here’s the kicker: defenses aren’t sagging that much.
When the inside guys get busy, as Dickey did when he scored a season-high 21 against Duke when Tech beat the Blue Devils in January, then defenses have to react for sure. And the 3-pointer is more readily available from kickout passes.
Tech’s not a great 3-point shooting team without Clinch (ranking 10th in the ACC in 3-pointers made and percentage in ACC games), but with a little bit of spacing, they can make enough to hurt opponents. Teams, though, are defending the Jackets straight up, man to man, and rarely doubling down with a perimeter player when Tech does work it inside. Why? The inside guys are not making people pay.
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Ya’ gotta move, fellas
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I know it was cold Sunday (although there were quite a few white and blue humans with nothing more than socks, shoes and shorts standing outside Cameron Indoor Stadium), and that promotes sedentary behavior among some folks, but what were Georgia Tech players doing standing around in the first half?
That four-game losing streak is over, but the Yellow Jackets looked familiar in the first half at Duke. MOVE, fellas! I thought that streak, when Tech players were frozen solid, was over.
And there’s your ballgame. Period.
Tech pulled within 19-17, and then watched — on offense and defense — as Duke blew to a 41-26 halftime lead — all in 8:10.
The coach K’sters are not offensively gifted. But when you hand them the ball, especially in the open court or something close to it, hey, six of those dudes were McDonald’s All-Americans and while they may not be especially athletic ,they’re not clowns, either.
OK, so Tech didn’t literally hand the ball over, but might as well have. Everybody all but stopped cutting, weaving, etc., leaving precious few options for ballhandlers (who were harassed well). The end result was like a reaction: gotta pass somewhere; the targets are standing still or barely moving; and therefore covered; but gotta pass eventually; and TURNOVER!
You get outscored 35-10 in points off turnovers, and you’re not moving much, at least not at the right times.
Similar on defense. Duke averages about 5.5 made 3-pointers per ACC game, 11th in the league. The K’sters made six in the first half, nine overall. And a bunch of them were wide open. They moved the ball around OK, Tech defended fairly well in the paint, but the Jackets got lost making switches on screens and - resorted to ball-watching. That usually leaves somebody open.
Tech was competitive down the stretch against Duke, but this is not almighty Duke. In some ways, the Jackets looked as bad as during the losing streak.
Coach K gave credit, saying Tech is better now than when it beat Duke in Atlanta, which by process of some convoluted process means Duke is better than it was, but you don’t very often shoot 47 percent, out-rebound the other team by 10 or 12, and still lose only to inspire the people who beat you.
We’re at the point in the season where ACC coaches are pumping each other too hard. Hewitt spoke after the win at FSU of how the ‘Noles should be in the NCAA Tournament. K did it Sunday, even said nine ACC teams should get in.
I think six, maybe seven depending on the final four games and the ACC Tournament. If Tech’s going to make it through that funnel, the Jackets better get back on the move.
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For AD, back to the future?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dan Radakovich said today that he has not been contacted by LSU, but outgoing LSU athletics director Skip Bertman said that when he retired on June 30, 2008, Radakovich would be an “excellent” candidate to succeed him.
He has a lot on his plate at Tech. Wonder what will happen in the next year?
Tech will miss football director of player personnel Geoff Collins, who went to Alabama. He really helped modernize Tech’s approach to recruiting.
Basketball team doesn’t have to win at Duke Sunday, but if the hoopsters pull it off, they’re in great shape. I think they’d be up to fifth in the ACC, with Wake coming up at home next week.
I think I’ll blog from Durham after the game Sunday since it’s a 1 p.m. start.
I’ve got to get back to a couple stories right now.
Comparing Young and Durant
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Not to dive too deeply into a story I’m working on for Sunday, when Tech will play at Duke, but is Thaddeus Young ahead of, or behind, projections? Or, is it crazy to ascribe certain expectations to freshmen?
Paul Hewitt said Young’s fine. He said he’ll be surprised if Young doesn’t make the ACC All-Rookie team, given that he’s been 1 or 2 in scoring all season.
Yet, Young and Texas’ Kevin Durant were viewed by some folks somewhat as equals coming out of high school, and Durant has gone nuts. “A once-in-a-generation player,” Hewitt said.
Hewitt said he’s been surprised by Durant (but absolutely not Duke’s Jon Scheyer), yet he’s far from disappointed and, in fact, quite pleased with Young, even though he’s averaging about half the points, and less than half the rebounds, of Durant.
We spoke some about the fact that Young’s playing on the perimeter now (one of the reasons he chose not to attend his hometown Memphis; because he pretty much figured out that Calipari was going to play him mostly inside and he didn’t want to) as opposed to playing with his back to the basket most of the time during his last season or so in high school. That’s a big change, obviously.
Durant’s playing a position more similar to what he did in high school, Hewitt noted, although Durant was a center-power forward in high school and, from the Texas games I’ve seen, he sure seems to spend a lot of time facing the basket now.
What do I know, though? What does anyone know?
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Crittenton ‘unreal’ in win at FSU
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sorry I didn’t blog yesterday. Travel nightmares (four delays, eventual flight change) — although at least nothing hit my plane.
If you didn’t get to see Tech’s game at Florida State, you missed something special. Javaris Crittenton was unreal with 10 of 17 shooting, 6 of 7 from the free throw line, a few of his shots going just before the shot clock. Quite a bit of that’s in the paper, though, and I have to catch another plane (I hope) so I’ll hit some other stuff.
• Whether it’s coaching adjustments or something else (or both), Tech’s second-half defense has been fantastic in the past four game (all wins). FSU hit 6 of 23 shots last night. UConn hit 10 of 35. N.C. State hit 6 of 18 (going 14 minutes without a field goal), and Clemson hit 12 of 33. That’s a combined 34 of 109 (31.2 percent). That’ll help.
• Last night’s plan with FSU point guard Toney Douglas injured, was to keep the ball out of senior forward Al Thornton’s hands. And why not? His average of 22.3 points per ACC game leads the league. It worked. He hit 1 of 2 shots in the first half, picked up his third and fourth fouls in the first 2:53 of the second (there were 44 fouls called in this game), and got hot very late to hit 4 of 7 in the second half.
“I think he and [BC’s Jared] Dudley are the two best players in the league, and I told our guys we just can’t allow him to get a touch because a double team just doesn’t matter to him right now; he’s blowing right through double teams and scoring,” coach Paul Hewitt said. “Our whole thing was to do anything we can to stop him from touching the ball.
“[Isiah] Swann got us with [23], but you’ve got to give something to get something. We gambled, I just feel a lot better not seeing the ball in Al Thornton’s hands. He’s a great player, one of the best players I’ve seen in my seven years here.”
• In the spirit of everybody pitching in, there may not have been any obvious efforts Tuesday night like D’Andre Bell and Alade Aminu of late, but while Anthony Morrow was making just 1 of 10 shots, he also was pulling seven rebounds.
• Also, while center Ra’Sean Dickey made a couple bad plays (that foul in the backcourt very late when the last thing Tech wanted to do was foul a team that leads the league with an 80.8 FT percentage), he scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds in 25 minutes despite being sick. “He had some stomach problems,” Hewitt said. “He was in and out of the game. There were a couple times he asked out. We tried to get him in there offensively.”
• Hewitt subbed as madly as ever. It was hard to keep track.
• The foul trouble hurt FSU more than Tech, what with Thornton’s problems. Plus, FSU’s other starting big, Uche Echefu, had four, and scored just 2 points with four rebounds in a mere 15 minutes.
• After Thornton’s rebound and stickback pulled FSU within 52-50 with 1:39 left, Tech made a lot of very solid plays (other than that foul). Crittenton made 5 of 6 free throws after that, Morrow 4 of 4. But what about Jeremis Smith hitting a shot clock-beating 3 pointer with 31 seconds left for a 57-50 lead?
• Although Mario West pumped his fist hard on the court when Crittenton rebounded FSU’s last miss, there was little or no obvious celebration. It was like they’d planned on winning this, whether that reaction was coached or not. “The environment is different,” in road games, West said. “I really think it’s just a mental block, nothing physical. We’ve always had a wonderful game plan, but we just don’t go out there and execute all the time.”
• Crittenton, in a four-game ACC losing streak that preceded this four-game winning streak, averaged 8.0 points on 23.9 percent shooting (11 of 46) with 2.5 rebounds, four assists, 4.3 turnovers, and 1.8 steals per game. In the win streak, he’s averaged 22.3 points on 55.5 percent shooting (30 of 54) with 5.5 rebounds
“The big thing for me now is to remind him to talk to his teammates because he’s the guy they are going to look to. I think they’re realizing he’s good enough to lead us,” Hewitt said. “He’s a freshman point guard. People talk about the great rookies in this league, and there are some, but I’m not sure anybody is in a tougher spot because of all he has to do for our team statistically but also as a point guard.”
Thaddeus Young (1 of 10 shooting) said, “He’s doing a much better job telling us what to do. Tonight was his night. He was making shots, and we told him to keep making them and he did.”
Tech’s off today so no news unless I can find something when I get back to Atlanta.
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Defense can end road skid
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s hard not to belabor an obvious point, but when it’s so blatant …
If Georgia Tech is going to end its 17-game road losing streak Tuesday night in Tallahassee, the Jackets are probably going to do it with defense. Maybe I’m wrong, as Tech’s best offensive game in ACC play came in an 88-80 win over FSU in Atlanta last month, but if I had to bet, defense will matter more Tuesday.
There are plenty of shooting percentage numbers to support the importance of defense in Tech’s three-game winning streak, and many are in the story that will be in tomorrow’s paper (and online this evening).
I didn’t include this one: In the three game winning streak, Tech has outscored Clemson 27-15, N.C. State 23-11 and UConn 20-12 in points off turnovers.
The two most important aspects of this winning streak in my mind are defense, and the fact different players are stepping up nightly to support Crittenton and Young on offense.
Yes, Paul Hewitt would rest easier if he could count on Ra’Sean Dickey showing up every game to score 14 points and grab eight rebounds, but that’s not happening. Other than Crittenton and Young, who knows who’s going to get it done on offense from one game to the next.
But somebody is getting it done in each game, and two players buried on the bench for the longest time, D’Andre Bell and Alade Aminu are part of that push. Bell’s scored 13 points in the past two games to match his total from the first 22 games. Aminu, as most surely know, did not play in the first eight ACC games and then scored 10 against Clemson and 10 against N.C. State.
These are good ingredients. But the stock of this stew will be defense, good or bad.
Tech has to win on the road to get in the NCAA tournament, and after this they’re at Duke on Sunday and at Virginia next week. FSU will be without PG Toney Douglas (broken hand), and forward Al Thornton (18.8 ppg) has a sore back.
The time is right.
Jackets turn to youth
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, back to full-time basketball …
Methinks this week we’ve witnessed the complete handoff of Georgia Tech’s basketball team. By that, I mean this team belongs to its youngsters. The Jackets in the last two games appear to be growing up, yet getting younger at the same time.
It goes beyond the fact that Jeremis Smith (10 points) was the only upper classman to score in the N.C. State game, when two starters (juniors Ra’Sean Dickey and Anthony Morrow) didn’t score a point.
Paul Hewitt’s been saying since time immemorial that, for as ballyhooed as freshmen Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton are, the Jackets were going to go as far as their upperclassmen take them. Well, since no member of the upper class has been consistent (save the fact that senior Mario West gives great effort in every game), plus Crittenton and Young seem to finally be playing with authority at the same time for the first time, it’s time to move different dogs out in front of the sled (no slight intended toward anyone; just a saying).
Counting on Dickey to give you 15 and eight a night (he has the talent, dunno about the drive), or Morrow to stroke it every game (it’s beautiful when he does, confounding when he doesn’t) is like counting on the weather forecast; it’s wrong half the time. Smith’s going to bust tail, but do widely different results from game-to-game (stop faking so much, J, and just shoot).
So turn to youth.
D’Andre Bell’s about effort, and defense. Zach Peacock is about effort, and the occasional bucket. Mouhammad Faye, when he’s into the game plan, can be very disruptive on defense and sometimes — when he’s stroking — can boost the offense. Alade Aminu, as we’ve seen in the past two games, can get up and down the floor, be long, and has great offensive instincts.
For Crittenton, it’s never about effort. He busts it all the time, although not with the same level of ferocity as West on defense. Then again, West can interrupt the offense at times whether he’s “in sync” or not. Crittenton had a poor stretch during the four-game losing streak, but it was about trying too hard, obsessing about everything that went wrong, and not getting enough help from teammates (move, fellas!).
Hewitt said he thinks Crittenton’s starting to get more help from his teammates, and added, “I said to Javaris after the game, ‘There’s no reason why you can’t lead this team. I’ve been talking about the upperclassmen, but he’s starting to get comfortable with the leadership role.”
So if Crittenton is taking over as the heart of the Jackets, what about the soul? It needs to be Young, pardon the word play. Folks, we’ve seen only glimpses of what Thad’s capable of, although he’s obviously improved dramatically on defense from the first game to this one. He got by on length and athleticism on that side of the ball in high school. He’s learning that won’t get it done in the ACC. He even said that at times, “I’ve been going through the motions.”
But the other night against N.C. State, he was all over the place, especially in the second half. He was calling for the ball, which it’s easy to argue he should do more frequently. He was diving out of bounds for loose balls, making assists, scoring.
I love Brandan Wright of UNC, and Brandon Costner (a redshirt) of N.C. State is a matchup nightmare because of his size and the way he can shoot. Ty Lawson of North Carolina’s a pain, too, because he’s so fast - and it helps to be surrounded by talent. You think Wright’s numbers would look so good if he didn’t have Hansbrough drawing double teams?
Anyway, I don’t think there’s a freshman in the league with more game than Young, but there are at least four and perhaps five who’ve outplayed him to date. There’s enough schedule left to change perceptions. Changing perceptions about Young is not as important as changing the NCAA Tournament selection committee’s take on Tech. Young has the talent to blow people away. I’m not saying he’s Kevin Durant (nobody is, nor has there been a freshman like him in a long time), but there wasn’t much separation in high school last year, if any.
Getting the ball in Young’s hands on nearly every possession (he’s a fine passer, too) is second-most important to Crittenton staying on an even keel. And not by much. Attack! Thad, and many good things will happen.
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Which recruits will see early action?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Every year at this time we try to figure out who among Georgia Tech’s signees will make an immediate impact in the fall. That’s a challenge this year because many of the most highly regarded signees play positions where Tech has a lot of depth.
The one place a star player could have made the most impact was tight end (Tech is very thin there behind Colin Peek), but the Yellow Jackets didn’t sign any of them. Receiver is the second biggest area of need, with Calvin Johnson, Chris Dunlap and Xavier McGuire gone off last season’s team.
Tech coach Chan Gailey warned against assuming freshmen would play only where there are obvious gaps and no established players to fill them. “It’s my responsibility to put the best players on the field, no matter what year they are,” Gailey said.
So, for example, consider the defensive line, which already looks strong with Adamm Oliver, Darrell Robertson and Michael Johnson at end, and Darryl Richard, Vance Walker, Elris Anyaibe and Robert Hall at tackle. But with big-time defensive ends Derrick Morgan and Jason Peters signing, maybe Tech looks at moving Oliver inside to tackle (as it has done in the past), or maybe Tech just rotates even more linemen.
“I know Derrick Morgan being in here this spring will really help him,” Gailey said.
Maybe Jonathan Dwyer or Roddy Jones bumps past one of Tashard Choice’s backups at running back. Maybe a freshman defensive back plays, too, if only because so many of the returning defensive backs (five of the top seven, perhaps) will be seniors. Maybe Nick Claytor or Clyde Yandell gets some time at offensive tackle, though Yandell has just one season of experience on offense. Maybe one of the linebackers fills the role Shane Bowen filled in 2006, though Philip Wheeler, Gary Guyton and Anthony Barnes would be my bet to play the vast majority of the snaps.
Don’t believe anyone who tells you he knows for sure who will play and how much. Injuries and other forms of attrition can change everything, and sometimes players look a lot different in August than they did on film and paper in February.
Still, it’s fun to guess. Which of Tech’s 20 newcomers do you expect to see on the field in the fall?
Youth, bench come through for Jackets
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Tech redshirt freshman Mouhammad Faye missed Tuesday night’s game against N.C. State with a low-grade fever, but does not have mononucleosis as was once feared.
He wasn’t the only Yellow Jackets player whose minutes were dramatically reduced as junior starting center Ra’Sean Dickey did not play after the first three minutes because coach Paul Hewitt felt he was getting more production from younger players.
Tech rallied from a 15-point deficit to beat N.C. State as Jackets both teams were short-handed and two Tech starters went scoreless.
That mattered much less for the Jackets as Tech reserves combined for 84 minutes, 28 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, three turnovers and four steals.
The Wolfpack got a combined 17 minutes from reserve players - and no points or rebounds, one assist and a turnover.
The player who replaced Faye in the starting lineup the past two games, junior Anthony Morrow, did not score. Dickey also missed both his shots in the first three minutes and did not play after that as Hewitt stuck chiefly with freshman Zack Peacock, who started the first nine games of the season.
He pitched in 11 points, four rebounds, an assists and a blocked shot.
With sophomore post man Alade Aminu coming off the bench to add 10 points, three rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal, the Jackets’ bench made a huge difference.
All five N.C. State starters played at least 33 minutes, and four played 37 or more.
Faye, who started eight of the previous 10 games, was not at the game. He was back in his dorm, with a low-grade fever although Tech officials said he did not test positive for mono.
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Tech’s bench merits praise
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Tech redshirt freshman Mouhammad Faye missed Tuesday night’s game against N.C. State with a low-grade fever, but does not have mononucleosis as was once feared.
He wasn’t the only Yellow Jackets player whose minutes were dramatically reduced as junior starting center Ra’Sean Dickey did not play after the first three minutes because coach Paul Hewitt felt he was getting more production from younger players.
Tech rallied from a 15-point deficit to beat N.C. State as Jackets both teams were short-handed and two Tech starters went scoreless.
That mattered much less for the Jackets as Tech reserves combined for 84 minutes, 28 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, three turnovers and four steals.
The Wolfpack got a combined 17 minutes from reserve players - and no points or rebounds, one assist and a turnover.
The player who replaced Faye in the starting lineup the past two games, junior Anthony Morrow, did not score. Dickey also missed both his shots in the first three minutes and did not play after that as Hewitt stuck chiefly with freshman Zack Peacock, who started the first nine games of the season.
He pitched in 11 points, four rebounds, an assists and a blocked shot.
With sophomore post man Alade Aminu coming off the bench to add 10 points, three rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal, the Jackets’ bench made a huge difference.
All five N.C. State starters played at least 33 minutes, and four played 37 or more.
Faye, who started eight of the previous 10 games, was not at the game. He was back in his dorm, with a low-grade fever although Tech officials said he did not test positive for mono.
That’s not unsportsmanlike conduct?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Not so much on Tech today as the Jackets have a game in a few hours, and I’ll write about that, and we have a slew of coverage on signing day coming up. So, a change of pace …
If you saw N.C. State’s upset of North Carolina Saturday, and you’re still trying to figure out why Tar Heels All-America center Tyler Hansbrough wasn’t ejected with 7:04 remaining when he appeared to throw a punch at N.C. State’s Brandon Costner, keep guessing.
I tried to reach ACC director of officiating John Clougherty Monday by phone, and e-mail. I was looking for some clarification and help in writing a story for the paper, but he didn’t respond to either form of query. I remain confounded by the application, or lack thereof, of some rules regarding “fighting acts.”
If Hansbrough had been ejected for what the NCAA rule book deems “a fighting act” he also would have been suspended for the Tar Heels’ next game, Wednesday at archrival Duke. Instead, he’ll play.
Hansbrough did not make contact with Costner, although article 2 of rule 4, section 23 - regarding fighting - says: “When during a confrontation, an individual attempts to strike another individual … whether there is contact is irrelevant. The perpetrator shall be deemed to have been involved in a fight.”
Costner grabbed a rebound after defending Hansbrough’s shot close to the goal. After failing to secure the ball, Hansbrough whirled around with his right hand closed into a fist at the heighth of Costner’s head.
Officials stopped the game, reviewed the play (as they did last month when Tech’s Zach Peacock threw, and made contact with, an elbow at Clemson’s Trevor Booker), and called a technical foul against Hansbrough.
So what was the technical for? Unsportsmanlike conduct? If officials deemed the punch as the unsportsmanlike act, why was he not ejected?
Or, if they ruled that was not the unsportsmanlike conduct, what was? Did Hansbrough say something to draw the technical?
North Carolina coach Roy Williams said after the game that Hansbrough did not throw a punch or confront Costner. Williams said Hansbrough was trying to “rake” the ball back.
Yet the rule book seems to indicate that the use of a closed fist in any way is grounds for ejection, and several video angles made it clear that Hansbrough’s right fist was closed as he swung it around within inches of Costner’s face.
Why, then, did officials not apply article 7? It says: “Anytime an individual uses a closed fist in a non-confrontational manner, it shall be deemed that the individual has initiated a fighting act and shall be penalized accordingly.”
Ejection for a fighting act mandates suspension from the next game, at minimum.
Can anybody help straighten me out on this because I don’t understand?
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Moving smartly is key for Jackets
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Perhaps it won’t make a big difference, but coach Paul Hewitt said today that guard Mohammad Faye probably won’t play Tuesday night against N.C. State. He has a fever, and Sunday Hewitt said Faye might have mononucleosis. I haven’t heard more details on that.
This isn’t the best team to have a shortage of guards against because N.C. State has a great one back in PG Engun Atsur. He makes a big, big difference for the Wolfpack, and not just because he runs the offense so smartly. His presence allows multiple N.C. State players to stay in their natural positions so everybody’s comfort level grows.
N.C. State may be 30 percent better with Atsur in the picture, as back-to-back wins over first place teams (Virginia Tech and North Carolina) suggest.
That said, if Tech plays with energy and awareness similar to what we saw Saturday against Clemson, they’ve got a shot against nearly anybody. In that game, we saw what Tech can be if they move, move, move — and smartly — without the ball. That makes it easier for Javaris Crittenton to play PG wisely. That makes a big difference.
Football signing day
In football recruiting, Tech is aiming for a huge day Wednesday. I wonder what the turnout will be like on campus for the “official” gathering, and also for the “unofficial” gathering at the ESPN Zone.
It’ll be interesting.
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Defense key to turnaround
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Paul Hewitt said he might start Anthony Morrow in place of Mouhammad Faye Saturday against Clemson yet also said he thinks the key to Tech turning it around will be defense.
Can’t argue that defense has been an issue, as the Jackets during their four-game losing streak have allowed shooting percentages of 47.3, 50.0, 59.5 and 54.3 percent. FSU hit them for better than 50 percent in the game before that too.
What astounds me most is the frequency with which opponents are getting to the basket. Against VT, it was everybody, including guards driving, but against Wake it was mostly the Deacons’ bigs, either Visser, Weaver or somebody else. Tech has been whipped on the defensive glass, too.
Wake missed just 21 shots Tuesday (out of 46), and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds or better than 50 percent of their missed shots. That’s a two-part ratio/recipe for disaster.
Tech’s had nine turnovers in each of the last two games so they’re not wasting as many possessions without at least getting up a shot, but they’re still not taking as many good shots as a team - any team - needs. In the second half against Wake, the Jackets were as good as in three weeks at attacking the basket. The results were big halves by Dickey and Smith, and Tech got to the free-throw line 22 times (as opposed to once in the first half). That HAS TO continue, especially since the absence of Clinch means this team can less often count on stroking jumpers for the bulk of its points.
Must win? I’d say so. Same with Tuesday against N.C. State, and next Sunday against UConn. All winnable if the Jackets show up and play with passion and purpose intertwined. Passion’s not going to get it done alone. Even if they play hard, but too loose, it won’t work. Clemson’s the league’s worst rebounding and free-throw shooting team. But then Wake is the league’s second-worst free-throw shooting team and they outscored the Jackets by 13 at the line Tuesday.
‘Youth’ is no excuse
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I read on a previous blog that nobody should be surprised Tech is struggling because while the freshmen are gifted, they’re just freshman. That’s hooey.
The ACC is littered with freshmen making major impacts, and in some cases being heavily depended upon.
Thaddeus Young was the preseason pick as ACC rookie of the year. If voting were today, UNC’s Wright (who trailed Young among Tennessee prep players), perhaps Lawson, Duke’s Scheyer, and N.C. State’s Brandon Costner (a medical redshirt last season) likely would finish higher in voting. There may be others I can’t think of.
There are nine regular-season games left, though, plus the ACC Tourney to change perceptions and reality.
Tech doesn’t need to worry only about getting Young un-tracked. The Jackets need freshman PG Javaris Crittenton to straighten up. The offense starts there, and he more than any player on the team is by virtue of position and personality stationed to affect a makeover. He’s very gifted, but not playing with confidence, or well. That’s as much a surprise to me as Tech struggling the way it is.
He came in head-strong yet very, very receptive to coaching. But this four-game stretch has sunk him. He’s forcing his shots and his passes (five straight failed alley-oop attempts by my unofficial count), and worse, it appears to be bothering him to the point where it’s affecting the way he plays.
Freshmen can get it done, period. Again, if voting were today, the national player of the year would probably be Kevin Durant, of Texas. He killed Texas Tech last night (37 points, 23 rebounds), and this time a year ago, he and Young were ranked neck-and-neck nationally by many. And he’s been doing this all season, not quite to the extent of last night, mind you.
Young, by his nature, is not aggressive. He needs to be moreso, and Hewitt and the staff were on him about that from before Tech’s very first game. He went through a stretch in December where he played with more purpose, and he was the only Tech player who pushed that way at North Carolina, albeit late in the game. Ditto at Maryland. And he was ill at the time, and coming off a root canal against Maryland.
Then he vanished against Virginia Tech while still sick, but feeling better he said. And after his very nice start at Wake Forest, he and Javaris faded into the woodwork.
I know Hewitt has said all along that for this team to do anything significant, it couldn’t depend on its freshman past a point, that upperclassmen would have more say in it. Nobody can disagree that the upperclassmen have to get busier than they have been.
But there is three year’s worth of evidence to suggest that Tech’s upperclassmen cannot be prudently counted upon to perform past a point. It’s a bonus when they do.
It’s too early, isn’t it, for Young and Crittenton to be programmed that way?
Because of their positions, especially Crittenton’s, and their talent, they have the ability far more than any other two players to change this team’s lot. Maybe it’s time to turn them loose, although I admit I don’t know exactly what
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