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Sunday, February 17, 2008
What’s going on here?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m not sure what to make of Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team. And I haven’t seen a good explanation for what has happened to the Jackets this season.
They had the talent to go toe-to-toe with Kansas to the final minute, and they showed that was no fluke by doing the same thing to North Carolina. But they’re 11-13. And they lost to UNC Greensboro. And they keep losing home games.
They looked awful and sluggish at Clemson. But they played hard on Sunday against Miami, played good defense and still lost, by missing 9 of 21 free throws and by making 15 first-half turnovers against a team that didn’t press or trap. Coaches like to talk about “valuing possession,” and Tech doesn’t seem to do that. (In ACC games, only Virginia Tech has more turnovers than Georgia Tech, 165-164.)
So that’s part of the problem. But is there something bigger? Is it the lack of a dominating player, the kind you can depend on game after game?
Matt Causey plays with as much energy and guts as anyone on the team, and if that means a few bad decisions that might just be a price Tech has to pay. Anthony Morrow, who worked hard to become more than just a spot-up shooter, still doesn’t have enough game to be sure of finding a way to get things going when that shot isn’t falling. Maurice Miller is up and down at the point.
Jeremis Smith is good for about 10 points and 8 rebounds. D’Andre Bell has become more than just a defense-first role player.
Gani Lawal, like many freshmen, looks full of potential one day and disappears the next. He did the latter on Sunday, with two points, two rebounds and 0 for 3 shooting from the field in 16 minutes. But what happened to Lewis Clinch (0 for 5, 0 points, 4 fouls, 15 minutes)?
The parts look like they should be a little better than the whole that the Jackets have become. Why?
Permalink | Comments (38) | Post your comment | Categories: Basketball
What’s going on here?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m not sure what to make of Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team. And I haven’t seen a satisfying explanation for what has happened to the Jackets this season.
They had the talent to go toe-to-toe with Kansas to the final minute, and they showed that was no fluke by doing the same thing to North Carolina. But they’re 11-13. And they lost to UNC Greensboro. And they keep losing home games.
They looked awful and sluggish at Clemson. But they played hard on Sunday against Miami, played good defense and still lost, by missing 9 of 21 free throws and by making 15 first-half turnovers against a team that didn’t press or trap. Coaches like to talk about “valuing possession,” and Tech doesn’t seem to do that. (In ACC games, only Virginia Tech has more turnovers than Georgia Tech, 165-164.)
So that’s part of the problem. But is there something bigger? Is it the lack of a dominating player, the kind you can depend on game after game?
Matt Causey plays with as much energy and guts as anyone on the team, and if that means a few bad decisions that might just be a price Tech has to pay. Anthony Morrow, who worked hard to become more than just a spot-up shooter, still doesn’t have enough game to be sure of finding a way to get things going when that shot isn’t falling. Maurice Miller is up and down at the point.
Jeremis Smith is good for about 10 points and 8 rebounds. D’Andre Bell has become more than just a defense-first role player.
Gani Lawal, like many freshmen, looks full of potential one day and disappears the next. He did the latter on Sunday, with two points, two rebounds and 0 for 3 shooting from the field in 16 minutes. But what happened to Lewis Clinch (0 for 5, 0 points, 4 fouls, 15 minutes)?
The parts look like they should be a little better than the whole that the Jackets have become. Why?
By the way, whatever it is, this is bad timing. Tech plays neither North Carolina nor Duke home-and-home this season. Virginia Tech and Wake are the only other teams that get that advantage. And Wake only gets to play one game against last-place Virginia.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Basketball
