Tech

By CheWreck

January 14, 2008 4:30 PM | Link to this

No, it wouldn’t be worse than what’s happening now. Right now we have a very poorly coached team that has not improved. We have a team that has trouble in-bounding the ball, running set offensive plays, passing the ball, dribbling the ball, etc. etc. We, as Tech fans, are not expecting the 2nd coming of Wooden’s UCLA teams, we’re just looking for a solid product on the court. Other than the lone year for the title game run, what have we accomplished under Hewitt? Anything? We have squandered any goodwill that the title game appearance garnered for us with any recruits. Our performance in the ACC has been very poor considering the ACC as a conference has been down the last couple of years. Our experiments with Faye and Diaw were complete and total busts (just not cut out for ACC basketball). It’s about time that the program showed some improvement.

By GT

January 14, 2008 4:43 PM | Link to this

I always hated prevent defenses or prevent recruiting or whatever anyone does half way. It never gets you where you want to go. You recruit the best players you can and eventually you will be better off. Never believed if you want to be happy for the rest of your life then you marry a ugly wife.

By Richard

January 14, 2008 4:48 PM | Link to this

Here’s a better question for you:

Last year there were 3 teams in the country with at least two NBA first round draft picks: Florida, Ohio State and Georgia Tech.

Two of them played for the national championship and the other got demolished in the first round by an outmatched UNLV team.

Why the disparity?

In years following losing a truckload of players to the NBA, some teams don’t go into the tank. Florida, UNC, Texas…I dont see them having terrible seasons.

But Georgia Tech? Lose players = write off the season. The team is currently an embarassment. The offense has been anemic since the Final Four run, and lately the defense has been awful as well.

By RAMBLE ON!

January 14, 2008 4:56 PM | Link to this

Based on the title of the blog, I thought you were referring to Hewitt’s Post season performances (2004 excluded).

Matt I wonder why the people who ask the “one and done questions” don’t reply back to Hewitt, could you please name one player from Duke, UNC, and Wake who went pro after their freshman year?

…duh!

Somehow those teams seem to make the Sweet sixteen every year, usually the final four.

All I can say is Roy Williams if you’re reading this, please, please show us some mercy tomorrow night!!!!!!!

By Rambler

January 14, 2008 5:10 PM | Link to this

Is the paper gonna cover any women’s basketball games in the near future Matt? Another exciting win yesterday….

By early from UNC

January 14, 2008 5:24 PM | Link to this

Wright

By Realist

January 14, 2008 5:36 PM | Link to this

I can name two from Duke: Luol Deng and Corey Magette. But the fact is, Krzyzewski tries not to recruit one-and-done guys. It’s too much of a disruption to your program to have to replace a star every single year after just one year. You have to go for the 2- to 3-year guys if you want prolonged success. A one-and-done can help for one season, but it won’t build a program. Ask Ohio State.

By HIAWASSEE

January 14, 2008 5:43 PM | Link to this

THE ADDITION OF SOME BIG OLE SLOW-FOOTED WHITE BOYS WOULD BE A GREAT IMPROVEMENT. THAT IS ASSUMING THAT THEY WOULD BE LEFT ON THE FLOOR LONG ENOUGH TO BE PART OF A COHESIVE GROUP CALLED A TEAM AND NOT A DISORGANIZED CLUMP OF INDIVIDUAL STREET BALLERS.

WE HAVE THE TALENT TO DO BETTER, HOWEVER, COACH’S STYLE OF RUNNING PLAYERS IN AND OUT DOES NOT WORK. SUPPOSEDLY WHEN COACH CAME ON BOARD HE STATED HE WANTED TO RUN THE OPPOSING TEAM INTO THE GROUND. IT AIN’T WORKING.

THE A/D NEEDS TO STEP UP AND UPGRADE THE ENTIRE COACHING STAFF. ALL SEASON TICKETS WERE NOT SOLD OUT BY SEASON START, AND IT WILL GET WORSE.

By RAMBLE ON!

January 14, 2008 7:13 PM | Link to this

AMEN BROTHER HIAWASSEE

By Buzz

January 14, 2008 7:20 PM | Link to this

Agree with several comments from above. We have a badly coached team. This was exposed badly against Kansas and will probably be exposed again this Wednesday.

By John

January 14, 2008 9:01 PM | Link to this

Don’t buy that one and done stuff - none of us do. Every other college in the country could have the same thing happen to them. I don’t see every school suffering like GT. Actually, I see many teams flourishing - year after year - just not GT.

By John

January 14, 2008 9:06 PM | Link to this

When does Women’s Tennis Start??????????????

By RAMBLE ON!

January 14, 2008 9:51 PM | Link to this

I’M ALL IN FOR WOMENS TENNIS, TELL US ABOUT KRISTI MILLER MATT!!!

BASKETBALL is to depressing, and it’s about to get ugly.

What was that noise?…we missed another free throw.

By ga_tech_92

January 14, 2008 10:02 PM | Link to this

Go Jackets!

By Navigator

January 14, 2008 10:42 PM | Link to this

Matt, the point wasn’t just that Hewitt was laying his future on 1 and outs, but that he was bringing in players that don’t want to play together. Play ground style doesn’t get it in the ACC, and Tech is looking just like a bunch of play ground players. Go back and look at the total team that made it to the finals, and you see a team that was better than the individuals. Jarett Jack was the only star on that team, and even he was willing to play three years, and develop his leadership skills. Look at this bunch he has now, and I see no team, no leaders, no defense, no passing to the open man, no team. The only one you can hold accountable for bringing this type player in is Hewitt.

By GT FAN

January 15, 2008 8:21 AM | Link to this

Fire Hewitt. I only go to the girls Basketball game now. More Fire, better coached team. ajc should give them more press.

By billgt

January 15, 2008 9:13 AM | Link to this

If a bull frog had wings, he would not bump his butt. If,if,if,…ain’t going to “gitter done”. Navigator hit the nail on the head. No desire = no win. That’s good ole GT arithmetic

By GT80

January 15, 2008 9:36 AM | Link to this

Ramble On, I hope you are not agreeing with Hiawassee on the “slow footed white guys” idea but just on the desire to see Hewitt go. We’ve got Causey and Sheehan on the team and see how well they are doing? Get real.

I agree that UNC, Duke and Wake (or Maryland or any ACC team) haven’t had very many 1 and done guys, they’ve had a few but not many. And they’ve never lost both of their top recruits in the same year. That will kill you.

Coach is sucking right now and this is a very ugly season. But guess what, Hewitt is not going to get fired now, and probably not at the end of the season. If we go 0-16 in ACC and follow up with crap next year he is gone. But he’s got too much cache to be gone before then. So support the team and hope for the best.

By Observer

January 15, 2008 9:39 AM | Link to this

“One-and-dones” are a fact of life in college basketball today and they are not the problem at Georgia Tech. Yes, the quality of this year’s team is hurt by the absence of Crittendon and Young but it shouldn’t be as bad as it is.

Our problem is that Hewitt’s teams are VERY poorly coached on the fundamentals. They don’t box out well on rebounds. The don’t play defense with their feet which results in taking stupid fouls. They don’t protect the ball while running their offense which results in stupid turnovers. They don’t move well without the ball which results in stagnant offensive sets.

When you look a the Dukes and UNCs of the world, you see teams that are fundamentally sound even on their bad nights. They don’t make stupid mistakes because they have been coached to do the little things properly.

In most facets of life - and basketball in particular - if you take care of the little things, the big things usually take care of themselves.

By GT80

January 15, 2008 9:48 AM | Link to this

Oh, and if you’ve actually been to or watched a game you would realize that coach has shortened his rotation dramatically. But he is not going to go to the “thin gold line” routine of Bobby C, ever.

By the way, just one more thing - thank goodness most everyone who posts here (except yellowblood) has a brain and can write complete sentences. I just read some of the Falcons blog and half of those morons can’t put a cogent thought together, much less type it on a blog.

Go TECH. And yes, let’s support the Lady Jackets. They are playing some good ball.

By kshizzle

January 15, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this

You can’t fault guys for leaving early because of the money. However, I wonder if Young or Crit wish they would have forgone the loot for one more year so that they can actually “play” in games as opposed to getting all dressed up and riding the pine? We got hit hard with those guys leaving. Put them back on the team and we would be a top 5 team.

By TH

January 15, 2008 9:59 AM | Link to this

Let’s not forget that Hewitt has turned over most of his assistants, who have gone on to get head coaching jobs…that has an effect. Hewitt deserves more time. If Critt is on our roster this year, we have 4 or 5 more wins…

By RAMBLE ON!

January 15, 2008 10:21 AM | Link to this

GT80 you are right. Coach is sucking right now, he sucked last year (one and done ACC/NCAA tourney). He sucked the year before (team admits to QUITTING. He sucked the year before that (Elder, Jack, Mohammad, Luke, Bynum,) early exits. Chris Bosh #4 pick in NBA draft and now regular All-Star (NIT bust)..COME ON!!! I thought he might have been the man to elevate the program, but, we are now the team the others in the ACC chalk up as a sure win. My friend, get use to the cellar, because that’s where he’s taking us. 9-7 ACC Record is the best season in 8 years? Did you see that game against UGA, pathetic? The only thing that keeps me awake during these terrible games is my anger!!!

But hey, tell me one team that can dunk like we can?

…and no I don’t agree the the slow footed white guys comment

By GT66

January 15, 2008 10:23 AM | Link to this

I have written this before and not many people picked up on it. Several alums close to the program have told me that Hewitt simply does not want to recruit white kids. Look at all the top programs from NC, Kansas, Duke, Stanford, all the Big Ten schools, etc and they all have outstanding white and black players. Why people do not get upset about this bias astounds me. The last good white player Nelson was run off and Matt Geiger and Matt Harpring were not recruited by Hewitt. Hewitt needs to go for other reasons besides this obvious bias.

By HelluvaEngineer

January 15, 2008 10:26 AM | Link to this

Hewitt seems like a very nice guy; the kind of guy you want to have a beer with or play golf with. But the guy is so preposterously over his head in terms of X’s & O’s it is sad to watch.

The point is not whether or not to recruit one and done guys (I fully support getting the best talent you can; see Richard’s excellent post above). Rather, the point is shear competence.

Hewitt had three NBA players on his roster last year and could not win a game in the post season (and barely got in). Watch his offensive sets. There is zero off-ball motion. There is generally one pass, and NBAesque move, and that’s all. Watch Bob Knight’s teams on offense; it is simply a thing of beauty how everyone is involved in his offense every second. Hewitt is clueless how to handle a zone defense; his only method is to give that befuddled dear in the headlights gaze.

Defensively is worse; it is an abomination beyond words. Interior defense is completely lax. Other teams penetrate Tech’s interior like a knife through warm butter (or subsitute any Britney Spears joke here). I don’t have the data in front of me, but does anyone know opponents’ FG %? It is well above 50%; watch the shot selection Tech takes vs. their opponents. It’s baffling Hewitt still is employed.

Conclusion: Fire Paul Hewitt.

Q.E.D.

By GtRob

January 15, 2008 10:33 AM | Link to this

Did you seriously take the time to print that Andrew Gardner is coming back next year? I spit coffee all over my computer when I saw the headline.

By ben

January 15, 2008 10:52 AM | Link to this

You guys need to get a life, Hewitt recruits ball players not a race. He is a good coach, & your crazy if you think anyone else can come to tech and recruit like he has.

By gtlinz

January 15, 2008 11:41 AM | Link to this

I believe that Hewitt will work himself out of this job, and it will take thru next year because of financials. It is painfull to watch this “team”. We have talent and they can not play together. I hope they try and get someone who can coach (i.e Mark Few from Gonzaga). I believe Tech has some challenges with ACC football but GT is in a great city and has a great product with ACC basketball and should be VERY successfull with the right coach.

By Observer

January 15, 2008 12:07 PM | Link to this

GT66 - Your comments are WAY off the mark. Hewitt did not run Ed Nelson off the team. Nelson requested a transfer to Connecticut due to a medical hardship. He applied for, and was granted an exception from the NCAA so he wouldn’t have to sit out a year.

I believe Paul Hewitt is a lot of things and unfortunately a good basketball coach is not one of them but I don’t think he is a racist or a bigot and there is no place for that type of slanderous speculation here.

If you don’t know what you are talking about, please be quiet.

By John

January 15, 2008 12:21 PM | Link to this

The fundamentals of the game of basketball are lost on Hewitt - always have been. He recruits mostly black track athletes. Time to become more diverse!! If the team was all white, we wouldn’t hear the end of it. Let’s get some slower white players that know how to dribble, pass, shoot free throws and make baskets! I mean, the team with the most points win!! How hard is that to comprehend!? We need players …ah…duh…that can shoot the orange ball through the hoop!!

By Larry

January 15, 2008 12:22 PM | Link to this

A lot of interesting and accurate points about our men’s basketball program. It is the program which needs to be addressed, not just one year. What are we building? What is our playing style, or personality? Are our players progressing their skills as players, improving? I love Coach Hewitt’s image, personable demeanor, and integrity. I do not love the product we have been seeing on the floor. We should competetive, as all of the teams in our league are academic based, so an even playing field. But, we are not putting a competetive team on the floor every year. We are fundamentally, inferior to our league, and it is showing it’s ugly head. You can win with fundamentals, smarts, and toughness. You do not need the stars every year…. Let’s support our team, our coach, and players, while we strive for getting better, not just more athletic. Go GT, and by the way let’s beat the dawgs every year!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Barry

January 15, 2008 12:43 PM | Link to this

Coach Hewitt’s made his bed and now he has to live with it. He’s excuse is if he doesn’t do it other ACC schools will get them. Well look at the other schools and their records. Now Coach Hewitt look at the program you’ve assembled. See a problem. Your firing yourself!

By ben

January 15, 2008 12:49 PM | Link to this

Our team must really suck when bloggers are writing in suggesting that “more slow white guys” would turn things around. I’m as baffled as everyone why Hewitt has appeared to be a bad coach every year except for the year he appeared to be the best coach in the NCAA. And he got the same team back the following year and seemed to suck that year too. I would blame it on the ACC, but he can’t even beat UGA.

By GT Fan Jeff

January 15, 2008 1:08 PM | Link to this

Ben…

With all due respect, I have to disagree with your contention that no one else can recruit like Hewitt has at GT. I think I can make a pretty strong case that Bobby Cremins recruited just as well as Hewitt, if not better. For my money, Cremins accomplished much more when he had top talent than Hewitt has. While I would agree that the ACC, top to bottom, was not as strong during some of those Cremins seasons, Coach K and Dean Smith were both there just about Cremins entire career. In short, I now believe that Bobby Cremins was a BETTER basketball coach at GT than Paul Hewitt will ever be, and I am just as ready for Radakovich to remove Hewitt as I was for him to “Can Chan”.

By JustMe

January 15, 2008 2:04 PM | Link to this

Another problem with one-and-done players is the recruiting of other players for that position. Because no one is certain that the ‘star’ player will definitely leave after their freshman year, many players are reluctant to commit to Tech because they don’t want to sit on the bench while the star gets all of the PT.

By Hal

January 15, 2008 2:08 PM | Link to this

Bobby Cremmins had the same problem with players leaving early. I think I would call it bad luck. JC transfers are a possibility but that’s hard to do at Tech.

By Dadgum

January 15, 2008 3:10 PM | Link to this

Every post above has missed the point entirely. Hewitt is absolutely right. You dance the dance so to speak. A one year player is the total fault of the NCAA rules in college basketball. Baseball and football players are required by the NCAA in Division 1 to stay through their junior year or go pro after high school. Why is basketball different? That is the question to ask.

And to those that think Hewitt can’t coach well you may be right but I seriously doubt you are going to find anyone better. Without a top teir point guard there is virtually no hope of having a team capable of winning at any type of clip. Throw in average players to boot and well…you know the rest. We are seeing it.

Don’t be so quick to pass judgment on Hewitt. I’m not saying he is a great coach but he gets a pass this year for certain.

Oh and one last thing while I am at it. Don’t go thinking Coach K at Duke is such a great coach. He gets the blue chippers for sure but seldom do they get better. Name me one real good pro player that came out of Duke in the last thirty years. If Laettner is your answer you are in trouble. He was a flop. Ditto Hurley, Williams, Williams, Bilas, King, et al. My point is that GT has better players today in the pros than Duke and have had going all the way back to Mark Price and John Salley. The ACC is way down this year over last. Never seen so many teams lose to weak opponents out of conference. Duke is an overrated #5 and save UNC of course you can throw a blanket over the rest of the teams. I expect GT to hang tough at home against UNC much like Kansas. UNC will pull ahead at the end to win by 15 but it will be closer than the score indicates I bet.

By Blackdawg

January 15, 2008 3:36 PM | Link to this

dadgum I think that’s why Coach K is a GREAT COACH IF NOT THE BEST EVER!!

I see why you like Hewitt, It’s about a TEAM winning, NOT how your players do in the NBA!!! THAT’S WEAK

Who gives a crap what they do in the NBA? NOT ME, I WANT TO SEE GT IN THE SWEET SIXTEEN OR FINAL FOUR EVERY FREAKING YEAR…YOU KNOW LIKE DUKE and UNC ALWAYS ARE. Like when Cremins had us going to the big dance for 9 years in a row when only 48 not 64 teams were allowed

What they do after they leave GT, best of luck to them.

By GT66

January 15, 2008 4:29 PM | Link to this

Observer you are simply wrong. Nelson was run off by a simple method and that was not playing him the second half of the season. He was by far our best rebounder and should have been playing versus the duds that Hewitt played. On the white recruiting comment I do know what I stated and it was not slanderous because Hewitt told two different very prominent alumni that he just wanted to recruit black players. Also, the guy that talked about recruiting some slow white players was really talking about adding balance, discipline and shooting ability like Price, the Barry brothers and Harpring among others added. By the way they could all run very well also.

By RAMBLE ON!

January 15, 2008 5:16 PM | Link to this

I Know Hewitt turned down Drew Berry as an assistant coach.

By bill

January 15, 2008 5:28 PM | Link to this

Sorry, GT66, I don’t believe it when you say Hewitt won’t recruit white players. Think your sources are full of crap. Last time I checked a big white center from Australia led this team to the NC game. Granted the players at Tech are mostly black, but who cares as long as they represent the school with conviction and dignity. By your logic, I guess Hewitt should take a trip to China or South America, too! The problem at Tech is not color. It’s a lack of ACC caliber talent and sadly, coaching. Perhaps it is the staff and not Hewitt. But the problem is quite clear that these kids do not understand what to do way too often on the court. Coaching is not an absolute to winning, but this year, the kids are very confused on simple things like switching off on defense, using screens, pick and rolls, how to manage the shot clock with good selection, trying not to force passes on the break , blocking out….you name it. Smith plays his heart out, but the players that jump up and down , like Mario, McHenry, Ish, Jack…are not here. The upperclassman are not leaders and the future of Tech lies in Lawai, Peacock , Miller and Shumpert. What scares me is that unlike the year Tech started 0-7, there are few underclassmen that give you hope for the coming seasons. It really is time to give Storrs and Sheehan some PT because this season will be “officially’ lost about 9:30 Wednesday night. Though Hewitt would never say it, Clinch and Morrow are about out of time. Barring a second half miracle..in a down ACC…Tech is enroute to a 4-12 year. The future is not bright, but not because the team lacks white players. BTW…if Mark Price was black, would it have made a difference?? Seem to recall someone named Dalrymple being just as crucial to Bobby’s success. THEY WERE QUALITY PEOPLE WHOSE FAVORITE COLOR WAS GOLD!! Get over the color thing, please.

By LongBeachJacket

January 15, 2008 9:00 PM | Link to this

This may be somewhat milquetoast..but so be it.

I hope we can rally this season, but that is a very specious question.

I think Coach Hewitt is a fine character guy (so is Chan Gailey).

Thing is, there is a definite business aspect to big time college sports. It is what it is.

A sub or barely .500 winning percentage for Tech hoops in the ACC is not the standard that should be accepted. Too many resources for that…and, since 1980…too much tradition.

We have to see how this season plays out, but I think it may be a tough campaign.

Under any circumstance…GO JACKETS!

By Dennis

January 15, 2008 9:08 PM | Link to this

It seems that the bench players can never compete when put into a game. Other schools we play have several deep that always make a difference. In a different way we have never changed from the Cremins era.

By GT2002

January 15, 2008 9:44 PM | Link to this

The fact that the GT/UGA basketball game was not even broadcast locally shows the depth to which this program has fallen. The only good thing was that most of the UGA fans I know didn’t even realize they played, much less beat us again. Any bet on how many UNC fans will be in AMC tomorrow night? Dan, take note of all of the Carolina Blue in the stands and you will see the Alumni have spoken.

By gt fan

January 16, 2008 12:09 AM | Link to this

hey HIAWASSEE …. or should i call you racist.

if according to you white folks are slow than maybe black folks are dumb. same reasoning no? both are genetic traits!

those slow white guys on the vandy team sure made our elite black atletes look bad. since they were so slow i guess the only way they could have beat us is by ‘outsmarting’ our black team.

if paul hewitt knew how to coach id love to have some of those white guys from the vandy team on our team.

speaking of out smarting… the vandy coach is white and he sure took paul hewitt to school. of course… paul hewitt routinely gets taken to school by almost all of those white coaches he loses against. then again the black coaches take paul to school as well.

and lets not just stop there… last time i looked the predominantly black NBA is repeatedly getting its hat handed to them now by those predominantly white european teams. hmmm could it be that 1.) those white guys aint so slow and non athletic and 2.) those white guys play smarter than the black guys?

maybe… just maybe your preception is screwed up by your racist mentality.

your comment about big slow and white is like saying… black folks cant swim… white folks cant dance etc.

in the real world generalizations just dont work. unless your a racist that is. in that case your genetics have failed you. duh!

bottom line is there are big slow black guys and there are big slow white guys. there are big dumb black guys and there are big dumb white guys.

get it now????????

By gt fan

January 16, 2008 12:09 AM | Link to this

hey HIAWASSEE …. or should i call you racist.

if according to you white folks are slow than maybe black folks are dumb. same reasoning no? both are genetic traits!

those slow white guys on the vandy team sure made our elite black atletes look bad. since they were so slow i guess the only way they could have beat us is by ‘outsmarting’ our black team.

if paul hewitt knew how to coach id love to have some of those white guys from the vandy team on our team.

speaking of out smarting… the vandy coach is white and he sure took paul hewitt to school. of course… paul hewitt routinely gets taken to school by almost all of those white coaches he loses against. then again the black coaches take paul to school as well.

and lets not just stop there… last time i looked the predominantly black NBA is repeatedly getting its hat handed to them now by those predominantly white european teams. hmmm could it be that 1.) those white guys aint so slow and non athletic and 2.) those white guys play smarter than the black guys?

maybe… just maybe your preception is screwed up by your racist mentality.

your comment about big slow and white is like saying… black folks cant swim… white folks cant dance etc.

in the real world generalizations just dont work. unless your a racist that is. in that case your genetics have failed you. duh!

bottom line is there are big slow black guys and there are big slow white guys. there are big dumb black guys and there are big dumb white guys.

get it now????????

By gt fan

January 16, 2008 12:09 AM | Link to this

hey HIAWASSEE …. or should i call you racist.

if according to you white folks are slow than maybe black folks are dumb. same reasoning no? both are genetic traits!

those slow white guys on the vandy team sure made our elite black atletes look bad. since they were so slow i guess the only way they could have beat us is by ‘outsmarting’ our black team.

if paul hewitt knew how to coach id love to have some of those white guys from the vandy team on our team.

speaking of out smarting… the vandy coach is white and he sure took paul hewitt to school. of course… paul hewitt routinely gets taken to school by almost all of those white coaches he loses against. then again the black coaches take paul to school as well.

and lets not just stop there… last time i looked the predominantly black NBA is repeatedly getting its hat handed to them now by those predominantly white european teams. hmmm could it be that 1.) those white guys aint so slow and non athletic and 2.) those white guys play smarter than the black guys?

maybe… just maybe your preception is screwed up by your racist mentality.

your comment about big slow and white is like saying… black folks cant swim… white folks cant dance etc.

in the real world generalizations just dont work. unless your a racist that is. in that case your genetics have failed you. duh!

bottom line is there are big slow black guys and there are big slow white guys. there are big dumb black guys and there are big dumb white guys.

get it now????????

By gt fan

January 16, 2008 12:09 AM | Link to this

hey HIAWASSEE …. or should i call you racist.

if according to you white folks are slow than maybe black folks are dumb. same reasoning no? both are genetic traits!

those slow white guys on the vandy team sure made our elite black atletes look bad. since they were so slow i guess the only way they could have beat us is by ‘outsmarting’ our black team.

if paul hewitt knew how to coach id love to have some of those white guys from the vandy team on our team.

speaking of out smarting… the vandy coach is white and he sure took paul hewitt to school. of course… paul hewitt routinely gets taken to school by almost all of those white coaches he loses against. then again the black coaches take paul to school as well.

and lets not just stop there… last time i looked the predominantly black NBA is repeatedly getting its hat handed to them now by those predominantly white european teams. hmmm could it be that 1.) those white guys aint so slow and non athletic and 2.) those white guys play smarter than the black guys?

maybe… just maybe your preception is screwed up by your racist mentality.

your comment about big slow and white is like saying… black folks cant swim… white folks cant dance etc.

in the real world generalizations just dont work. unless your a racist that is. in that case your genetics have failed you. duh!

bottom line is there are big slow black guys and there are big slow white guys. there are big dumb black guys and there are big dumb white guys.

get it now????????

By gt fan

January 16, 2008 12:09 AM | Link to this

hey HIAWASSEE …. or should i call you racist.

if according to you white folks are slow than maybe black folks are dumb. same reasoning no? both are genetic traits!

those slow white guys on the vandy team sure made our elite black atletes look bad. since they were so slow i guess the only way they could have beat us is by ‘outsmarting’ our black team.

if paul hewitt knew how to coach id love to have some of those white guys from the vandy team on our team.

speaking of out smarting… the vandy coach is white and he sure took paul hewitt to school. of course… paul hewitt routinely gets taken to school by almost all of those white coaches he loses against. then again the black coaches take paul to school as well.

and lets not just stop there… last time i looked the predominantly black NBA is repeatedly getting its hat handed to them now by those predominantly white european teams. hmmm could it be that 1.) those white guys aint so slow and non athletic and 2.) those white guys play smarter than the black guys?

maybe… just maybe your preception is screwed up by your racist mentality.

your comment about big slow and white is like saying… black folks cant swim… white folks cant dance etc.

in the real world generalizations just dont work. unless your a racist that is. in that case your genetics have failed you. duh!

bottom line is there are big slow black guys and there are big slow white guys. there are big dumb black guys and there are big dumb white guys.

get it now????????

By osu fan

January 16, 2008 12:21 AM | Link to this

sorry realist but you need to check yur fact a bit more. osu is back in the polls and playing very well.

osu vs gt

osu won the big ten. gt finished 3d tier in the acc.

osu was a top seed in the ncaa gt was a bubble team at best

osu lost in the nc game. gt got ousted by a small non bcs school in the first round.

osu lost 2 players to the nba gt lost 2 players to the nba

osu is once again in the top 25 gt will finish at the bottom of the acc and will not make the ncaas.

osu has reloaded with out missing a beat. gt looks to be rebuilding.

next year….

osu will reload again. gt will be making more excuses and be rebuilding again.

its time to haul paul … to the coach dump.

By paul sucks

January 16, 2008 12:45 AM | Link to this

There is a reason why Paul Hewitt can’t keep one n dones like the Roy Williams and the coach k’s of college hoops.

He can’t coach.

Our team looks no different than any other team we have had under Hewitt. The same general lack of fundamentals the same general lack of bb skills the same general like of bb iq.

Our final four team was blessed with a few good individuals who melded their individual talents into a team. we were fortunate to have that group of players.

Remove Mo from that team and there would have been NO final 4. We would have accomplished no more than the same team did a year later.

We have not had a meld of players nor a leader like Mo since.

If I was an nba caliber player and I found out that the guy I played for couldn’t coach…. why would I stick around. I am not going to improve my game.

The guy I feel bad for now is Schumpert. He got suckered in by the ‘teflon suit’.

If somehow Shumpert can parlay his freshman year into a first round draft pick. He will jump at the chance.

And I don’t blame him.

Why? Because Paul Hewitt can’t coach a lick.

By gt fan

January 16, 2008 1:12 AM | Link to this

Bill and Observer paul hewitt recruits predominantly black athletes. Any white athletes he recruits are afterthougts.

case in point… Luke S was not a first choice recruit. he was 3d or 4th choice. the guy who we did sign first(sutherland) was black an later convicted of selling drugs.

case in point… paul hewitt is the president of the BLACK COACHES OF AMERICA (to bad he cant coach)

case in point… when paul hewitt first came to gt he was often quoted as saying that the ncaa is racist.

case in point… paul hewitt was quoted as saying that his goal was to graduate or get to the nba as many black players as he could (because the ncaa is racist). why did he specifically say ‘black’ rather than all of his players????

Case in point… paul hewitt went all the way to africa to ‘find’ faye. you know. the guy who cant dribble shoot or play bb. Meanwhile our white center sits. from my seat it sure looked like our white player played better than faye.

you cant tell me that there are no talented athletic white players in america such that paul hewitt has to go all the way to africa?

funny though we keep getting beat by these same slow unathletic white players that paul hewitt ‘overlooked’.

want another case in point?

the center from vandy that cleaned our clock? the slow white guy from australia? paul hewitt knew about him and he said ‘we did not recruit him’.

yes paul hewitt is a nice guy but he is a closet racist.

AND karma is now biting paul hewitt in the a*.

By WFC

January 16, 2008 6:02 AM | Link to this

Observations on GT basketball:

• Dadgum hit the nail on the head with his opening remark about the NBA. Crit and Young, though potentially stellar players, are in no way impact players in the NBA… yet. Sure, after their JUNIOR seasons in college. Why can’t the NBA go too the baseball model? You can go to the NBA straight out of high school (Oden and Durant) but if you go to college, you stay until after your junior year. The weak nature of the NBA is evident.

• Guys with “one foot in the NBA” are death to college team chemiistry. GT should have achieved a lot more LAST YEAR.

• Paul Hewitt’s weakness as a coach is his “long and lean” recruiting philosophy. This retired high school coach could have told him that Faye and Diaw weren’t ACC level players. As Vitale would have put it: they were “all airport.”

• GT should not be a “farm team” for the NBA. It gives me no pleasure that Crit’s “single mom” now has a nice house.

• A team can survive the loss of a single “one and done hired gun” (Thad Young at GT or Brandon Wright at UNC) BUT two? Does anyone seriously think that UNC would be #1 right now if Lawson had gone pro?

• I love Bobby Cremmins and what he did for GT basketball. Always will. But, he was run out of town when his “thin gold line” recruiting strategy no longer fit the realities of modern basketball. I see Hewitt going down that same road. He has to recuit guys (black or white) who ALREADY KNOW how to play the game. He simply won’t have the time to “coach them up” AND develop team offense.

*I wish Coach Hewitt well, hopefully at GT.

By GT66

January 16, 2008 10:38 AM | Link to this

In reponse to Bill. My two friends are honest honorable life long Tech guys who personally were told by Hewitt what I said about only wanting to recruit black players. Why would you say my sources are full of crap when you do not even know them or their character. For additional evidence see GT Fan’s comments posted 1/16 at 1:12 AM. All of us want Tech to get the best players possible whether they be black or white. What we do not want is to have a bias against good white players. You cannot name one true ACC caliber white player that Hewitt has recruited. Please don’t give me Luke as an example. Tech has at least if not more going for it to be able to attract good white players as does Duke and North Carolina. You do not need what I say or what GT Fan says or the quotes GT Fan attributes to Hewitt to make the case. Just look at who he has recruited since he has been here. Case closed.

By RAMBLE ON!

January 16, 2008 10:58 AM | Link to this

WFC what planet are you on?

After your Freshmen year you can go to the NBA, instead of 2 years ago, you go straight out of high school (Just like Baseball).

Bobby Cremins wasn’t “run out of town”. He retired stating “burnout”

Speaking of burnout, put down what ever it is you’re burning before you blog.

By Pitbull

January 16, 2008 11:49 AM | Link to this

Leave Paul Hewitt alone. I love this guy coaching at Tech.

By GT66

January 16, 2008 1:16 PM | Link to this

Ramble On Bobby Cremins sadly was fired by Clough and did not resign. Clough is a big problem. He wants to be number one at Tech and constantly hurts our football and basketball programs. Bobby would be glad to tell you the truth if you ever run into him. Also, if you ever run into Bill Curry just ask him how Clough treated him after having him fly back from Hawaii and stiff a speaking engagement under the impression that he only wanted to talk one more time before offering him the AD job. Clough is the worst Georgia Tech president as far as athletics goes ever.

By RAMBLE ON!

January 16, 2008 2:15 PM | Link to this

GT66, I was glad when Bobby quit/fired, he had burned out, and I love Bobby.

You got a lot of serious and huge allegations you’ve been dropping. I’m not saying I don’t believe you, but being objective it is very hard.

Hewitt is a terrible coach and needs to go, but he’s not stupid or should a complete and total idiot. It would take that for someone to admit something like that to some big time alumni. If he did, then we’re getting what we deserve for not having fired him a long time ago.

By gt fan

January 16, 2008 4:20 PM | Link to this

some proof…

a quote by Paul Hewitt

A Vandy writer asked Hewitt if Tech recruited him (he’s from Canberra, Australia, same country as Luke Schenscher). Paul said, “We knew about him. I will say that he’s a little bit better than advertised.”

white players are afterthoughts in Paul’s world.

By Bill

January 16, 2008 5:27 PM | Link to this

GT66 and GT fan…I can’t believe Hewitt would admit to an alumni that he doesn’t recruit white players. Sorry, but I still believe that these comments come from someone who is still fighting the Civil War. Luke was recruited by Hewitt. You can’t say he doesn’t recruit white players.Could it just be that Hewitt prefers a mold of player that is thin- framed or sleek??? How do you know Hewitt didn’t try and recruit other white players that didn’t come to Tech?? Tell me..when Tech reached the Final 4 , did you come out and say this about his recruiting??? look, if you don’t want him as coach, be a man and say it. Don’t hide behind some pretense of a third party who you won’t say his name to “protect” them. When you make accusations like this, give sources. Otherwise, you have the credibilty of a Morton Downey or Jerry Springer. Hewitt’s coaching does leave some serious questions in some regards. But give up the “he went To africa to recruit Faye”. Just because he is the president of the BCA doesn’t mean he is a closet racist.That is sort like saying you must be a card carrying member of the KKK for accusing Hewitt of avoiding white players. These are deductions based on innuendo and not facts.Ever heard of “guilt by association”?? This is what it seems to be in your eyes. How many major programs have 80 % black players??? Quite a few. Are those coaches racists ??? Look, if Tech fielded a bunch of Eskimos and they were good players who represented the university with class, would you care? Hewitt ran off one of my favorite players, Halston Lane, not because he was white, but because he didn’t fit his system. He also didn’t use a very good player in Robert Brooks ( who is BLACK) because he didn’t fit his system either. Hewitt’s system and ability to reach his kids are the important things here…not his choice of melanin. Nelson left because he wanted to go closer to home and play for a “winning” program. Michael SOUTHALL was recruited by Hewitt after another program released him because of similar issues. Once he got into trouble a second time, Hewitt released him from his scholarship….last thing…Jarrett Jack is a special kid. Should Hewitt have recruited him because he was black??? If you have to even answer that question, you don’t get it and you never will.

By gt fan

January 16, 2008 8:09 PM | Link to this

Bill your clueless… sorry.

Anybody who believes in quota’s in a racist. Paul Hewitt is a quota guy. I ran across a quote by PH that affirms that stance. He is quoted as saying that players should demand more diversity wrt coaches. That would be like me demanding that I work for a white man or a black man or a women. HUH?

The right thing to do is to hire the best person for the job “regardless of skin color” not because of it.

Yes he recruits white players but they are few an far between. I can look at our prospect list for the last 6 years and find maybe 5 white players that were on PH’s A list. Maybe. MY guess is 3. Hell, even Felton brought in an experienced white player from europe in next years class. Meanwhile our coach is scouring the african continent.

Put your money where your mouth is. if you can find MORE than 5 white players PH has recruited on his A list over 6 years ill apologize and say I’m wrong.

I found the quote re the Vandy player. Your turn now. Look at the prospect list over the last 7 years and tell me which white players PH offered schollies to that were first targets. I’ll even give you a HEAD start. The most recent one is on NC’s team tonite and I dont think he was on the A list.

As far as Southland goes…. I do believe he was 3d on the list with the first two being black players. Luke was a white afterthought at no 4.

We have one white ‘afterthought’ on our team right now. And Faye recieved many more minutes an opportunites than he did. Causey was NOT recruited. The walkons were NOT recruited.

As far as JJ goes. I love the guy. I don’t have any issues with any of our players for that matter. Its the coach who has issues that I have problems with. So I dont have a clue as to what your point is bringing that up??????

Look….. PH is supposed to be the coach of gt. He is responible for putting a winning TEAM on the floor.

He is not the next coming of J Jackson nor A Sharpton… both closet racists in my book whose time has passed.

His job is to put the best college bb team on the floor regardless of color. His job is NOT to graduate or place as many BLACK players in the nba as he can as he publicly stated a few years back.

Karma has a way of biting those in the a$$ who don’t do the right thing.

Look out Paul karma is after ya.

By roddy

January 16, 2008 11:52 PM | Link to this

it was good to see the “fire” lit for the entire game. It is coming along but much slower than anticipated. We played w/ fire and purpose in the first half of the Miami game and did so for most of the Kansas game. Discount the UGA Game (wierd night for both teams) and we are gradually improving. To lose to the #1 team by one is definately improving.

By GT66

January 17, 2008 7:04 AM | Link to this

Bill GT Fan is so correct. I never said Hewitt refuses to recruit white players, but when he does its an after thought and effectively tokenism. By the way Nelson was from Ft. Lauderdale I believe and not Connecticut.

By Reggie

January 18, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this

OK Guys,

Your are starting to sound like the necks in athens.