AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2007 > November > 08 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USReady to put ball in hoop
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Tech probably won’t have to worry as much this year as some others about perimeter distractions around the basketball program because there are no one-and-done prospects (Gani Lawal’s not in that category, unless he shocks a lot of people and plays out of his mind), and there are no players over whom pro scouts are salivating.
That’s a good thing, although I don’t mean to suggest that those were issues last season. The fuss about Javaris Crittenton and Thaddeus Young was limited, for the most part, to the preseason and after the season.
But I think it’s possible the Jackets will be better this year as long as one very critical issue is addressed sufficiently. They have to figure out what’s going on at point guard, and that news has to be good. Not great, but good. Whatever combination of minutes are given to Miller-Causey and even Bell, they have to produce on both ends of the floor.
Defense will be the biggest end of the floor with these guys, I think. Causey and Miller do not remind anyone of West and Crittenton, who are both in the NBA now, but I think Tech can be as good, maybe better than last year.
I’m not suggesting an addition by subtraction situation. But Tech has six new players if you count redshirt Brad Sheehan, the return of Lewis Clinch from purgatory, and Causey, a transfer. Add them to freshmen Lawal, Lance Storrs and Miller, plus a passel of returning players with experience and the Jackets are going to be able to go up-tempo as long as their point guard play permits. Tech should be especially pain-in-the-buttish on defense, and I think — finally — the Jackets are going to get big contributions from the recruiting class that brought Jeremis Smith and Morrow.
Dickey will be back in the second semester, presumably, but Smith and Morrow have both improved physically and in the scope of their games. It’s noticeable. Morrow’s going to put the ball on the floor some this year, his defense is said to be notably improved, and Smith is not only in the best shape of his life, he’s far healthier than he’s been since arriving at Tech. Supposedly, although I haven’t seen this, he’s pushed his jumper out a few feet, too.
If Crittenton and Young had returned, Tech wouldn’t have been able to bring on three freshmen, at least not without sending more players away than Paco Diaw (still haven’t remembered to ask where he landed). Too many scholarships. The Jackets would have been ranked about No. 10 or No. 12 right now.
But they’re not ranked at all because their point guard situation remains unsettled, and they do not have a superstar at any one position.
They have numbers everywhere, though, and it’s going to be interesting to try to keep track of all the rotations. Better get your score cards. Hewitt’s hard to keep track of anyway. With all these viable players? Holy smokes! Buckle down, folks, it all starts Friday night against UNC-Greensboro, which was a decent team last season.
Matt
Permalink | Comments (30) | Post your comment | Categories: Basketball
Comments
By Brent
November 8, 2007 2:21 PM | Link to this
Paco Diaw is at Lee: http://www.goleeflames.com/info/miscellaneous/roster.asp?rosterid=1250&sportid=1
By Brent
November 8, 2007 2:21 PM | Link to this
Paco Diaw is at Lee University
By Brent
November 8, 2007 2:22 PM | Link to this
Paco Diaw is at Lee University
By Jim Grogan
November 8, 2007 2:30 PM | Link to this
Hope every Jacket on the floor goes all out every second and runs the opposition into the floor. We’ve got the athletes and the depth to do it!
By TTech
November 8, 2007 3:07 PM | Link to this
Hey Brent, Do you happen to know where Paco Diaw ended up at?
By Paco
November 8, 2007 3:52 PM | Link to this
I am at Lee University.
By Bob
November 8, 2007 4:13 PM | Link to this
Where is Paco?
By HelluvaEngineer
November 8, 2007 5:08 PM | Link to this
hmmm… where have we heard this before “despite the loss of a significant player last year, we will be better”?
let’s hope that statement does not hold true to hoops.
tough OOC schedule: @Indiana, @Vandy, Kansas, @”U”GA, @UConn. Favorable ACC schedule. The following teams we play 2x: Wake, VT, Miami (bad teams) Clemson, UVA (good - but not unbeatable - teams). => we only play UNC, NCST, Duke, Maryland once.
Last team could not (a) defend or (b) win on the road (sans the game @FSU). I hope Hewitt & Co. will be able to play a little smarter and more aggressively on defense. They surrendered a preposterous 3pt FG %. As for their road woes, they will have ample opportunities to reverse what they have been doing on the road the last two years.
I’m not so worried about PG play. Of course losing Critt was a tough loss, but our strong post presence should make things easier for the PGs.
By Hewitt
November 8, 2007 5:09 PM | Link to this
I shipped his butt to Lee University.
By Blue Fox
November 8, 2007 5:37 PM | Link to this
No team ever wins big in the ACC without an experienced, talented point guard (including GIT with Crittenton and Jack in their Freshman years), regardless of the players around them. I didn’t see any evidence in the first game of either Causey or Miller filling the bill this year, and as I result, I’m afraid the season is going to be brutal, especially the ACC schedule.
By jay jarrell
November 8, 2007 6:37 PM | Link to this
Sweet 16 or Bust! they are very capable of more!
By swatguy
November 8, 2007 7:12 PM | Link to this
How about a GEORGIA STATE Blog? Come on, they have a D1 team and they have 30,000+ students in ATLANTA. Isn’t this the AtlantaJC ?
By Who??
November 8, 2007 7:25 PM | Link to this
Who cares about Georgia State? You are kidding, aren’t you? You were a blip with Lefty (and not much of one), and now you suck to the same extent that you have always sucked. Who cares????
By Yellowblood
November 8, 2007 7:25 PM | Link to this
The greatest contribution the basketball team can make to our campus is to change the attitude by winning. Then more Tickle Piles will be held and everyone will be in a better frame of mind. A release of all these pent up emotions will be a very good thing.
By pwusser8
November 8, 2007 7:43 PM | Link to this
Yellowwood, oops freudian slip, I mean Yellowblood, you are making me all tingly.
By Baseline Jumpa
November 8, 2007 7:53 PM | Link to this
write down this statement and put it away until March. Tech finishes 3rd in the ACC and gets a 3 seed in the tourney. The point guard play isn’t the best but it holds serve w/ a good turnover to assist ratio. Morrow and Clinch are among the leaders in scoring in ACC and Smith in rebounds. This team is LOADED w/ good talent (not superstars) but good talent that is capable of winning a bunch of games. Florida wasn’t loaded w/ superstars when it first started to run the table. Granted it was a different dynamic but the point remains the same. Teams win games…not superstars. Just ask Crittenton and Young about that. SO, 3rd in ACC and a #3 or #4 seed. MARK MY WORDS….
By Baseline Jumpa
November 8, 2007 7:55 PM | Link to this
By the way…The Blue Ribbon Report:
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: B+ BENCH/DEPTH: A FRONTCOURT: B+ INTANGIBLES: A-
By Braves Fan 79
November 8, 2007 9:51 PM | Link to this
Go GT! Nice to see were once again talking about a college sport that actually matters and dosent “vote” on a champion!
By cltgtfan
November 9, 2007 10:39 AM | Link to this
This team needs something on the offensive end. I want to see much more movement. Last year it was painful to watch the team stand around for long periods of time on the offensive end.
I am hopeful we will finally see the Smith/Morrow/Dickey class finally meet up to hype, but I have been hopeful for 3 years now and not seen it. We will see once ACC play starts.
I am hopeful things go well this year, but will remain guarded until it shows up in ACC play.
By ben
November 9, 2007 12:48 PM | Link to this
There was absolutely no chemistry with last year’s team. Maybe those two guys deserved to go to the pros, but I don’t think they elevated the performance of the team at all. Good riddance. I hope Hewitt can get off his once a minute substitutions long enough to remember that chemistry is the key for a program without 10 McDonald’s All-Americans.
By good point
November 9, 2007 2:35 PM | Link to this
We have talent, but we need a PG and chemistry. We haven’t been able to win big with superstars (Bosh, Critt, Young) but we did win big with talent, chemistry, and a PG (Jack, Bynum, Elder, etc.) If Causey can run the point and not be a liability defensively, I like our chances with Causey, Morrow, Clinch, Smith, and Aminu, with Lawal, Bell, and Peacock along with the other freshman providing some depth. We are deep and talented, we just need chemistry.
By Tickles the Tech Fan
November 9, 2007 2:50 PM | Link to this
Thank goodness that football season is almost over.
By North Atl guy
November 9, 2007 3:27 PM | Link to this
Im already tickling my balls, all giddy, with tonight game was on TV dagnabit!!
By YeOldeMtnWuss
November 9, 2007 6:16 PM | Link to this
Go Jackeths, tickle, tickle
By newguy_5555
November 9, 2007 7:57 PM | Link to this
THIS IS EMBARRASSING
By John
November 9, 2007 8:23 PM | Link to this
WE SUCK ONCE AGAIN. HEWITT’S 15 MINUTES OF FAME LONG EXPIRED. AARGH!!
By Fall Jacket
November 9, 2007 8:42 PM | Link to this
Mark My Words….WE SUCK! Hewitt over coaches these teams. If we would relax and let them play, we’d be okay. Plus, he needs to stop recruiting athletes and recruit some fawking shooters!!!!!!!!!! Making me fawking, matha fawking sick. Ban me from this blog. Then I won’t have to put up with the constant losing and b-tching and complaining and negativity associated with GT sports. PERIOD!!
By John
November 9, 2007 8:56 PM | Link to this
I agree 100%. He recruits no players that understand the fundamentals of basketball. All track athletes - running and playing defense. He won’t recruit a white Mark Price-type. Not his preferred race. And race they do - up and down the court while shooting 10-30 (our 2 best players) - what a joke. I thought I’d never say this - but we need Bobby Knight! A team full of white players that understand the fundamentals of basketball and can win!
By GT2002
November 9, 2007 9:26 PM | Link to this
I just watched an AUU team play tonight. No defense, no offensive strategy and nobody coaching. Can someone please tell me why we cannot run an inbounds play, make more than 3 passes on offense or keep the same group of 5 players on the floor for more than one possession? It is glaringly obvious that we have no halfcourt set and the fact that we don’t practice against a half-court offense means we sure as heck can’t guard one on defense. There is no excuse for putting a team on the floor that is not taught how to play fundamental basketball. I thought I was ready for football to be over but maybe Chan is not the biggest problem we have here. Maybe UNCG will win their conference but one thing is for certain, their coaching staff out-coached ours.
By puppydawg
November 10, 2007 9:43 AM | Link to this
And the beat goes on. Is Chan coaching basketball now?