AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2008 > January > 17 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USJust when you thought Tech = flat-lining
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
No room in my room for griping about North Carolina getting 26 free throws last night. Maybe a little room to fuss about Tech taking just 10.
The Jackets were physical, and needed to play that way. Overall, I thought the officials let ‘em play. Tech entered with an average of 22.7 fouls committed per game, ranking 319 out of 328 in the nation. That is to say they commit more fouls on average than all but nine teams. So, no real shock there. They were called for 18 last night even though they were very physical. UNC was called for 14, but far fewer that created shooting opportunities.
Peacock said he was fouled on his next to last shot. I didn’t see it that way, at least not definitively, but the two calls I thought Tech definitely got pickled on were with with 1:57 left, when Clinch’s 3-pointer air-balled, and after Morrow’s last shot.
Peacock was reaching out to grab the Clinch miss before it landed out of bounds, but UNC’s Marcus Ginyard bumped him out. That looked clear to me. No call.
And after Morrow’s shot in the final 30 seconds, Peacock — he was in the middle of everything last night — and Green went up for the rebound. Foul called against Peacock. I was a long way away, but that looked like a dual possession to me, or a play that officials should’ve let play out another second or so to see if the ball ended up in the hands of either/or.
Instead, Green makes a free throw that proves to be the game winner.
And that was that.
Tech got major production from paint players, and that’s not just because Lawal, Smith, Peacock were jacked up and attentive. That was largely because the perimeter players did a much better than usual job of getting the ball inside when teammates were in scoring position, or in positions where they could create their own scoring opps.
Causey had some serious moments. Moe Miller even more.
Tech has 14 games left. I think the Jackets can go 9-5 if two things happen with consistency: Those two PGs continue to play as they did last night, and have for the most part over the past five games or so (despite notable lapses by each in some of those games), and if the Jackets keep not just their passion up, but their attention to detail remains high.
Just 12 turnovers last night, against a super-athletic team like that? If Tech had been similarly protective of the ball all season, the Jackets would be about 11-5 now. A couple open-court turnovers hurt. I remember one cross-court pass by Peacock that was terrible in the second half; it was picked off and dunked.
But overall, there was a great deal to be encouraged by last night. Like Hewitt said, though, it’s for naught if the Jackets don’t play with the same verve Saturday against Virginia Tech. The Jackets have zero room for complacency.
P.S. Hansbrough is a monster, and I love watching him play. But I’d hate to play against him not only because he plays so hard, but because he gets so many calls. He earns most, but not all. No way. I’d say up to one-third of his free throws come on plays where he initiates contact beyond what should be an allowable threshold. Still, for Tech to only be called for 18 fouls last night given how hard the Jackets complained, tough to complain overall on that front. My two cents.
Comments
By Eric Roberts
January 17, 2008 9:45 AM | Link to this
Hansbrough is the biggest turd and he looks like E.T. Because of the media’s overhyping, everyone thinks he’s this incredible player. but it’s like you said, he gets the majority of his points (you said 1/3) off of free throws on calls that should be going the other way. Kevin McHale would’ve schooled that guy.
By RAMBLE ON!
January 17, 2008 9:54 AM | Link to this
Let’s give him 8 more years, the program is headed in the right direction.
But the GT fans need to wear Gold instead of Carolina Blue. Otherwise, you wouldn’t know it.
By Jim
January 17, 2008 9:57 AM | Link to this
As a Tech fan at the game last night, my probably biased eye picked up a hundred times I thought Tech got screwed on calls, but the officials missed some calls on us, too. What I hate about playing Hansbrough is not only does it seem like he gets to bump around and get away with it, he’s a theatrical star. Lawal was fighting for position once, not doing anything Hansbrough hadn’t been doing the whole game, and gets whistled for a foul. His face has a classic “Are you kidding me? What’s this big goofy looking guy been doing all night?”
I hate the loss, but love the way we played (with the exception of some matador defense in the first half, which I thought they clamped down on in the second). If we can bring our A-game like this for the rest of the season… Hey, we’ll see what happens.
By GT80
January 17, 2008 10:31 AM | Link to this
Matt, the last foul on Peacock was legit, he came crashing over the back. Hansborough gets the calls because he has the knack of getting his hands on the ball first when both players are battling. But he does get the benefit of the doubt more than his opponent. Perfect example was the foul on Smith late when it looked like it was a held ball (i thought one ref called it a jump first but wasn’t sure).
Ramble and others that are complaining about Hewitt, you can’t blame last nights loss on the coach. He set up a play that got the ball in our best scorers hands (Morrow) with 12 seconds on the shot clock (about 20 in the game) and Morrow just couldn’t make a play to get a decent shot up. (Did others think he looked really tired then?) Then, we had two good looks in the last 10 seconds and couldn’t make a shot.
That loss sucked because the team played with enough desire to win. But you’ve got to have players make a shot. Also, they have to realize that you must play all out every possession. Can’t have stupid plays like Peacocks cross court pass that Matt mentioned, or Clinch not coming off a screen hard and getting beat to the ball by his defender, which resulted in another dunk.
We’ve taken the #1 & #3 teams to the wire and guess who’s been involved in the last unsuccessful plays at the end both times…Causey and Peacock. OK, maybe coach needs to get them off the court at the end of a close game next time. I’ll fault him for that.
By Reasonable fan
January 17, 2008 10:35 AM | Link to this
Just once I want to see Tech lose a game and not blame it on the Refs. Tech ranking behind all but 9 teams out of 319 in total fouls per game is not new. Its been going on since Hewitt came so obviously he teaches the team to be overly aggressive. Nothing wrong there except they make so many dumb fouls. And Tech got a real break at the end when an NC player drove to the basket and the Tech guy jumped in front of him and got a charging call. Clear foul on the Tech guy which went against NC and was crucial, almost. Tech played well but needs to do it against lesser teams. Otherwise this one means nothing.
By fes
January 17, 2008 10:39 AM | Link to this
Eric, Tyler gets so much production from the free throw line due largely because he gets mugged on every other play. McHale would love his work ethic and could only dream of schooling him. Stop being a homer and you will see that he IS an incredible player. Tech had just as many no calls, if not more, as UNC. Get over it. Be happy and impressed with the overall play of your team despite not having a point guard. There are good days coming for your squad. Go Heels.
By yellowblood
January 17, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this
We were so happy last night. The team put up a gallant fight. Tickle Piles were held all over campus with alumni joing in. All in all a very good night.
By Jac Sprat
January 17, 2008 11:41 AM | Link to this
Valiant effort by the Bungle Bugs but in the great scheme of life it was just another loss. Hewitt still should be fired and you all should quit whining about Hansbrough getting all the calls. When a player works as hard as he does and goes all out in every game he deserves the benefit of close calls. I suppose it shouldn’t have been called when he got slugged in the mouth because that proved the officials are biased against the Institute.
By Moral Victory Man
January 17, 2008 12:05 PM | Link to this
Ah yes, the moral victory. I can no longer spport a school that loves the “almost” as much as the Institute does. Last night was yet another eample. Forget all the embarassing losses, we ALMOST beat a good team! Yay!
By John
January 17, 2008 12:19 PM | Link to this
Hey Eric it would be nice if you knew what you were talking about. I saw Tyler getting hit at every opportunity last night. Notice any blood at all? He gets fouled hard and anyone who has his average in the ACC is not overrated. Stay jealous there whiner.
By Carl Leazer
January 17, 2008 12:43 PM | Link to this
Hansbrough does not get nearly all the calls he deserves. He is hacked and pushed more than Joan Rivers skin.
By gt45
January 17, 2008 1:07 PM | Link to this
You guys chill. Hewitt will have us back in the national title hunt before long. There are a pile of schools out there in a whole lots worse shape than we are. Tech is still looked at as a premier basketball school, even though we’re a liitle down this year. Last nights game was posted all over ESPN and every other sports outlet I’ve looked at-great for recruiting.
By touch me not
January 17, 2008 1:44 PM | Link to this
Hi, I’m Tyler Hansbro! And if you touch me, I shoot!
By shane #1
January 17, 2008 1:44 PM | Link to this
congrats tech on a great effort.if you guys can continue to leave it all on the court i have no doubt that you will be invited to the big dance.as to the”bad”calls,carolina is rated # 1,in basketball # 1 always gets the benefit of the doubt.i watched duke-fsu and tech- carolina last night,what gives?i thought the big 10 was supposed to be the physical conference.anymore physical than last night and the guys will have to wear pads!
By joe
January 17, 2008 1:52 PM | Link to this
UNC got mugged most of the night. There should have been more fouls called against both teams but had that been the case Tech would have ended the game with walkons.
In today’s ACC, I am not sure Tech can be a top tier team. If they get really super players they are off to the NBA after a season with no one coming in the next year to take their place. This is not a Tech only problem it just seems to affect Tech more.
Programs like Duke, UNC, BC and others can lose a player an they will still win 20 games and go to the NCAA. The same cannot be said of Tech. This year Tech is all but going to have to win the ACC tourn to get an invitation.
By GT
January 17, 2008 2:01 PM | Link to this
A poor coach can’t make his team play like that. That was probably the ACC game of the year so far.
By joe
January 17, 2008 2:19 PM | Link to this
GT,
It sure was the best effort so this year by Tech. Then again Tech has always gotten up for UNC. Just look at the history of the series for the last 10 years in Atlanta. Then again everyone seems to bring their “A” game against UNC even more so than against duke.
There is nothing finer than beating Carolina because in most cases they come into your gym in front of your fans struggle like hell and then get on the bus with a win. It makes hating them year in and year out so much easier.
As to all the talk about Paul, I hope it is only talk. He is a good coach. I am not sure who you could get that is better. At then end of the day it still comes down to getting players and keeping them in the program. If there is anything he could do better it would be keeping the players he brings in. That said he is fighting a losing battle most times when these kids see themselves as NBA stars making million as opposed to going to class and playing for meal money.
I guess this is why the so called mid majors are such a danger. Their plays stay for 3 or 4 years and get better both as individuals and as a team each year.
By GT
January 17, 2008 2:59 PM | Link to this
Joe is right but no mid major has won the Final Four in the last few years that I am aware of. A player has to be mighty good to turn pro; I do think it takes a half season to get a freshman playing like a college player no matter how good they are. They ,like last night, start playing and upsetting people who were counting on the immature team to show up. A mid level team couldn’t have played the level we saw last night. I for one think it is worth every dime of trouble to see a team come together like that.
By shane #1
January 17, 2008 3:22 PM | Link to this
joe,coach bobby knight saw this coming when the nba put an age limit on their players and stopped signing players right out of high school.i don’t know you opinion of knight but he is certainly nobody’s fool and he does care about educating his players.anyway the nba said they wanted to improve the college game and help the educational system.well when you here the words”help improve academics”,look out!knight said it would actually hurt academics and college basketball because you would have players staying for one year who cared nothing about grades or being part of a college team.they are just marking time waiting for their big payday.now this has come to pass.coach felton at uga just kicked a bunch of players off his team because they didn’t think they actually had to go to class!what cph needs is a couple of”four year men”.guys that know they will never be in the nba but want an education.they stay,get their degree,work their tails off making the team better in practice,and don’t complain about limited playing time.they are around long enough to learn the coach’s system and help him teach it to the new guys.they also come off the bench,play whatever role the coach has given them,and help the team win.coach k always has a few of these guys.
By GT fanatic
January 17, 2008 3:39 PM | Link to this
Funny comment about it not being the Coach Hewitt’s fault. It’s not coincidental that UNC almost always gets a good shot out of a timeout and Tech rarely does. It’s not coincidental that UNC has timeouts left at the end and Tech doesn’t. It’s not coincidental that UNC’s substitutions have some reasoning behind them while Tech’s are random “I should probably do somehting now” decisions. Coach Paulie’s pressure defense may hold up OK just on effort and desire, but I’m afraid his unstructured “do something good out there” offense clearly breaks down in late-game halfcourt situations. Switch coaches last nite and Tech wins by 10 easy.
By gtforever
January 17, 2008 3:53 PM | Link to this
To all the fans who relish in the thought that we ALMOST won this basketball game! Lose by 1 point or by 30 points, ITS STILL LOSING! Nobody should except it as anything but another losing cause!
By Yellow Jacket 56
January 17, 2008 4:09 PM | Link to this
I was a huge Paul Hewitt supporter in the past but now I’m not sure. He seems to be at least a decent coach and pretty good recruiter. I hear every year how we are signing this top notch talent but we continue to lose 10 plus games a year. Players seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time more times than not. Clinch is your best scorer, why does he not get the last shot. At least drive the lane and either get a layup or you draw the foul. I’m afraid Hewitt may be another part of the mess that Dave Braine made that needs to be cleaned up. Tech could easily get a top notch coach. Look at the history, the conference, the city.
By Apaul404
January 17, 2008 4:11 PM | Link to this
My hatred of UNC overwhelmed my disdain for Tech last night. You guys won that game. The refs sucked. The good news is if your kids give the same effort every game they will turn this season around. GO DAWGS!
By Don
January 17, 2008 4:49 PM | Link to this
Smart coaching if you ask me!!! If you don’t have the talent of NC —make the touch me not basketball players earn their victory—-we were within a nats butt of pulling it off too!!
By bh
January 17, 2008 4:57 PM | Link to this
don’t count on that. that performance only happened once every one thousand years.
By bh
January 17, 2008 4:57 PM | Link to this
don’t count on that. that performance only happened once every one thousand years.
By 1980Jacket
January 17, 2008 5:31 PM | Link to this
Yes, the team played great for one game. Turnovers were down, assists were up, the guards found the big men in the post and the big men knew what to do with the ball last night. However, now we need to see if the effort carries over. How many times in the last few years have we seen the same scenario, where Tech plays a great game against Carolina or Duke then flops in the next game against a lesser team. It takes a good coach to keep the team motivated and ready to play game after game. If the players had put the same effort they showed against Carolina and Kansas in games against lesser teams (Georgia, UNC-Greensboro, Winthrop, Fla. State, Miama) what would the teams record be. Now, they are going to have to have play exceptional the rest of the season to have even the slightest chance of making the NCAA tournament. At some point, the coach has to make sure the team is ready to play at the beginning of the season, not go back to basics in December to get the team ready to play.
By GT FAN
January 17, 2008 7:55 PM | Link to this
Great effort by players, but put the blame where it belongs on the Coach. Paul Hewett needs to go. Same song and dance for 8 years. GT will not improve with PH running the show. Same as football Mr. Rads. Paul fits Braine’s mood ( just win 50% its Ok.)Time for Rads to hire his on man to win. WIN! FIRE HEWETT!!!!!!!!!!!
By BIE93
January 17, 2008 7:56 PM | Link to this
It shows how far down the program has gone when people are so happy about a loss. While losing to #1 UNC is not shameful, everyone in the Thrillerdome used to expect Tech to win every game at home. Now, we seem to be happy with a good showing.
I’m not saying Hewitt must be fired, but the coaching and recruiting must improve.
By Dylan
January 17, 2008 8:10 PM | Link to this
Same BS over and over. How much can the fans take. Please get a new Coach.
By gt fan
January 17, 2008 8:15 PM | Link to this
the one reason we looked so much better out their last nite?
TEMPO!
we are a team that is suited to an up tempo game. unfortunately we do not have playes that can thrive at a slower tempo. blame the coach on two fronts wrt that issue. the coach can help set the tempo. the coach recruits the players.
we need a coach that can adjust his system to the players he has. ph has shown over almost 7 years that he is unable or unwilling to do that.
he is always trying to fit the square peg in the round hole.
er ah paul, it aint working. tap tap tap excuse me paul but IT AINT WORKING!
why is it that while ph is doing his thing with the BCA we have argueably the best coach in the country (coach k) tryin to learn a new offensive scheme… trying to better himself as a coach.
take that in for a second….. cph stands pat and coach k does not.
maybe its time for our coach to get some ‘individual instruction’.
By SamGT96
January 17, 2008 9:08 PM | Link to this
There are Ws and Ls, and no matter how exciting, this was another L. This team seems to not have a need to win. Hewitt needs to coach ‘em up.
That said, I can’t think of who I’d rather have as coach. There are a lot of bat$hit crazy basketball coaches out there. Hewitt at least seems to be sane.
By Westcoast Steve
January 17, 2008 9:15 PM | Link to this
I’ve been on Tech’s case all season and especially on Hewitt. Last night I was proud to say I’m an alum. Last night I saw a Tech team play with drive and enthusiasm for about 95% of the game, and I saw coach Hewitt really get into the game. Let’s face it, this year we don’t have the best team or coach in the ACC. With that said, I just want us to play smart and hard every game. That has not been the case in games this season.
To me, the refs called a good game and let the teams play. Of course there were missed calls, but they went both ways. As for Hansborough, he is a talented, tough guy who never complains. He just puts his nose to the grindstone and puts out 100% all the time. We techies should get off his back. I wish we had his type of character in all of our players.
This has not been a good season for us. However, I’m even more concerned about next year. We only have one recruit coming into the program but are losing several of our starters. Because of the “one and dones”, we will be shorthanded in the next couple of years. A couple of more seasons like this one may cause Hewitt his job.
By Navigator
January 17, 2008 10:47 PM | Link to this
Who cares whether Tech got shafted on one or two calls. Where has this team been when losing to a half dozen crappy teams. They played hard against Indiana, Kansas, and NC, okay what about FSU, Miami, UGA, and the mediocre others. Maybe they’ll play great against Duke while losing the other bottom feeders in the conference. Hewitt is really proving that coaching this team is beyond his talents.
By RAMBLE ON!
January 18, 2008 8:11 AM | Link to this
Westcoast Steve every season has been just like this one…that’s why Hewitt’s best record in the ACC in 9-7
By joe
January 18, 2008 4:07 PM | Link to this
Shane,
I respect Knight. I like the way he coaches. Think IU if not for the egos there wished he were back. He of course was correct in what he saw coming – one and done. The only way beyond this is to increase the number of scholarships and make freshman ineligible.
Oh, sorry I forgot. That was what it was before. Today it is all about costs and revenue. Tech’s men’s basketball moneymaker one of the few sports that makes a positive contribution to the athletic department’s budget. It has only been a few years that football has contributed more to the conference athletic departments than basketball. Remember that was a concern when the ACC was discussing expanding.
GT
Your comment about a mid major winning the NCAA is true. To win the NCAA you have to have a very good team top to bottom and a lot of luck. At tournament time, more than one mid major is going to send a major conference team home early. As to no mid major playing as well as Tech did against UNC, I would disagree. This year at a neutral site (Charlotte) if one can consider that a neutral site, Davidson gave both UNC (-4) and Duke (-6) a game equal to the one Tech played