AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2008 > February > 23
Saturday, February 23, 2008
That light in GT’s tunnel? It’s Duke on the way
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you didn’t see this game and recorded it with the idea of watching later, don’t. It’ll make you scream.
If you spurn my advice, and watch anyway, you’ll surely want to scream, “BOX OUT!” at the television.
The Jackets were out-rebounded 42-27.
Granted, Georgia Tech is not a good rebounding team. But the Hokies aren’t, either. They’re No. 7 in the ACC in raw rebounding stats in league-only games, and undersized.
Hate to bury something as pretty as Moe Miller’s performance, but …
Even though the Jackets had their point guard score 29 points on seven of 13 shooting, make 13 of 14 free throws, grab four rebounds, hand out five assists, add a block and a steal in the best all-around effort by a Tech player this season, they lost.
Virginia Tech, which has seven freshmen including four pretty darned good ones, won on the glass, and in the paint (40-30 scoring edge).
The Jackets lost in other areas, too. Their bench let them down, getting outscored 22-12, by a VT unit that has not built a reputation for that kind of thing. It was the first time in 16 games that Georgia Tech’s bench has been outscored by the opponent’s bench.
Causey scored 30 on these guys last month, and didn’t score today. Some of that is because he played just 10 minutes because Moe was playing so well. Some of it was because VT paid attention to him, and VT coach Seth Greenberg admitted as much.
There was more to that problem.
Zack Peacock after five straight double-digit scoring games has scored six and two in the last two. He had ZERO rebounds today.
Brad Sheehan played five minutes, ostensibly because the Jackets were in heavy foul trouble, and registered one steal (on a loose ball), nothing else.
Lance Storrs? He fouled out with no points, one rebound and one assist.
Alade Aminu, who’s been decent of late, scored six, grabbed six rebounds, and blocked six shots. Much as I understand the desire to develop Gani Lawal (four points, three rebounds, one assist — his seventh of the season — and three turnovers), Aminu has been playing more efficiently, at least to my semi-trained eye. I write that while fully believing that Lawal may one day be a monster. Really.
And the killer: Lewis Clinch. He scored once, on a baseline drive. He added two assists, three turnovers, and no rebounds.
It’s hard to rally on the road when several starters are in foul trouble, your bench is doing so little, and one of your chief sharpshooters — Clinch — is AWOL. He missed all three 3-pointers Saturday.
After making 38 of 99 bombs in Tech’s first 19 games, he’s made one of 14 in the past six games.
That, folks, is a slump.
This was not about the absurd number of fouls called (83), or free throw shooting (Georgia Tech scored just eight fewer points at the line, which isn’t so bad on the road).
It was about playing with force, or not, specifically on the glass, and in the paint.
And though Virginia Tech had five turnovers in the first four minutes or so, the Hokie had just five turnovers in about 36 minutes after that, a paltry one in the second half.
Where did the defense go? VT made 15 of 29 shots in the second half.
I know coach Hewitt has said his team’s defense is better than stats indicate, that they’re skewed by open-court turnovers that lead to easy baskets.
That’s hard to buy when you turn the ball over a modest 13 times, and give up 18 points off turnovers (to 14 for GT).
This team is not the mess that it was two years ago. This team competes, other than in losses at Vanderbilt and Clemson.
But the Jackets do not play defense very well, at least not for prolonged stretches, save during that three-game winning streak.
And they rebound very, very poorly.
Perhaps it all comes down to two things more than all others: players do not appear to take instruction well, and they’re not as tough as they need to be to endure life in the ACC.
Next up? at angry Duke.
Fun.
