AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2008 > April > 09
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
This is not football; it’s basketball
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeez, I feel bad about bogarting Mike’s football blog (Mike feels bad about it, too, and suggests you click here to read football after you read Matt on hoops), especially while I’m on vacation with my vomiting children in crappy weather while visiting expensive tourist traps and over-rated restaurants, but …
Why in the world were so many of you — on the Hive, at least — so shocked at the notion that Paul Hewitt would consider leaving Tech to become LSU’s next basketball coach?
Get over the idea that a job, any job, in the ACC is like a golden parachute for the rest of your life. It’s not.
Get real!
Paul Hewitt, who I can just about guarantee DID HAVE some sort of semi-official conversation with LSU officials, would think about a job like that just like you would.
The ACC is not all that anymore. And who takes, or keeps, a job just to say they’re in the best conference (which the ACC has not been for a few years, this season’s disproportionate regular-season RPI ratings being the best evidence of late)????
Here’s a clue: Paul Hewitt talks all the time about how the ACC eats its own. He’s not a scholastic, staying put just because he’s happy to be surrounded by other Cashmere-wearing highbrows.
He wants to win. And I say that while also acknowledging that he wants to influence young men, house and school his family in a desirable metropolitan area, and so forth and so on. Ever stop to think those considerations would be far more important than conference affiliation?
NO consideration like this would ever, at least not for an erudite/sagacious man, ever be boiled down to conference affiliation. Anybody who thinks otherwise is an idiot.
A couple more things: Lots of money at LSU (don’t give me any garbage about how Dan Radakovich didn’t go back; don’t care). Facilities, recruiting budget, etc.
Tech is not poor in any of those regards. But if you think Tech can compete dollar for dollar with LSU, you are, again, an idiot.
But comparing dollars to dollars like that is no smarter than comparing conferences.
A very, very important consideration in all of this is … recruit-ability.
This gets back to winning, competing, etc.
Wild guess here, but I’m going to say that you can probably recruit from a far wider pool of candidates to LSU than you can at Tech. That translates into improved odds that you can win on a regular basis.
Doubt me?
Did you see who has taken the LSU job?
Name’s Trent Johnson, if rumors are correct.
Came from Stanford, which is not exactly a community college.
Matt
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Nesbitt returns to practice, briefly
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Quarterback Josh Nesbitt is back in practice today after sitting out a couple of practices with a groin injury. (UPDATE: Nesbitt is no longer practicing; he’s watching.)Safety Dominique Reese remains out, and I will try to get an update on him after practice. (He is running for trainer Jay Shoop, and so is Andrew Smith, so that suggests he might be back soon.) Offensive guard A.J. Smith (elbow) remains in that in-between state of being on the field but wearing a yellow no-contact jersey.
With Reese out, Jake Blackwood joins Morgan Burnett at first-team safety and former kicker Troy Garside joins Willie White at second-team safety.
Jerrard Tarrant is playing ahead of Morgan Butler at the cornerback spot opposite Jahi Word-Daniels, as he has for most of the last few practices.
With Greg Smith (collarbone) and Andrew Smith (hamstring) both out, the A-back position is looking a bit thin. Roddy Jones, Jamaal Evans and Austin Barrick are there, and after that it’s walk-ons. (Yes, I know Andrew Smith walked on, too, but he has earned three letters.) Walk-on quarterback Jim Henry is now an A-back.
The same situation holds at guard. Joseph Gilbert is working one first-team spot, and either Dan Voss (if he’s not at center) or Jason Hill plays the other. Behind them? Walk-ons Drew Brannon and Zack Krish.
Mike
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