AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2008 > December > 15
Monday, December 15, 2008
Too early to judge
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, the Jackets lost a game they should have won.
They had the ball with the score tied 57-57, just over a minute left. They were on their home floor against Illinois-Chicago of the Horizon League.
Gani Lawal turned it over on a bad pass, UIC hit a 3-pointer, Iman Shumpert missed 2 free throws, and the Flames hit 4-of-4 from the line to seal it.
Tech is now 5-2 against a relatively soft schedule, with Georgia State visiting Wednesday. That won’t be a gimme either; Georgia State lost by five on Saturday to 9-1 Florida State.
All that said, it’s too early to judge these Jackets, and here’s why:
They lost senior wing D’Andre Bell to a spinal condition right before the season.
Point guard Moe Miller suffered a concussion in the second game, against Mercer, and hasn’t played like he did at the end of last season. Now Miller is hurt again. He took an elbow across the nose Sunday and looks doubtful for Wednesday.
Senior guard Lewis Clinch hasn’t played yet due to academics. He’s expected back Wednesday.
With all of those backcourt issues, the freshman Shumpert is being asked to do everything. He played a game-high 37 minutes Sunday. Walk-on Nick Foreman is playing critical minutes (and stepping up — he hit a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to cut the deficit to two).
Bell isn’t coming back this season, but it would be nice to see what this team looks like with Clinch and a healthy Miller in the lineup. That would give Shumpert, who’s leading the team in minutes, an occasional breather.
Lawal and Alade Aminu had been very consistent until subpar outings on Sunday. Zachery Peacock showed a nice mid-range touch Sunday, and Lance Storrs continues to shoot well from behind the arc. Shumpert earned ACC rookie honors a week ago. So there are some reasons for optimism.
Do you think the Jackets can put it together in time for conference play?
