AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2009 > January > 15 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USRecapping Duke
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The hope was that having Lewis Clinch, Maurice Miller and Zachery Peacock in the lineup together for the first time this season would help solve Georgia Tech’s problems. The problem is a little bigger than that.
Peacock, who missed last Saturday’s game against Maryland because of severe indigestion, actually played pretty well. He shot 5-for-7 from the field, 3-for-4 from the line, six rebounds, two blocks against two turnovers in 29 minutes.
Miller, out a few weeks with a broken nose and playing his second game with a mask, made all three of his three-point field goal attempts after he’d missed his first 21 of the season. Clinch, out for the first semester because of grades, shot and passed better.
The team defended Duke pretty well - the Devils shot 39.0 percent from the field, which was their season-low, although it seemed in the first half that they were just not shooting well.
But I think you’ve seen different versions of Wednesday night’s game before. They made twice as many turnovers as Duke. They were horrendous at the free throw line. They couldn’t, or didn’t, get the ball into Gani Lawal as much as they probably should have.
(For what it’s worth, this is most of what Mike Krzyzewski said about Lawal after the game. I alluded to it in the game story. “He’s good. He’s gotten really strong. You can tell that kid’s really worked. I don’t think anybody I’ve seen - and I know I haven’t seen everybody - I don’t think anybody runs the floor quicker than Lawal. He goes from the defensive end to the offensive end real fast. He’s a big-time player.”)
Paul Hewitt made an interesting observation after the game - Duke only made two more baskets and one more three-pointer than Tech did.
The problem was that, in part because the Devils had so many more chances (and shoot free throws a lot better), they made nine more free throws. (Duke was 16-for-27 and Tech was 7-for-19) (Just so we’re clear, he didn’t make this point to try to spin the game. He was being critical of his team’s free-throw shooting.)
Tech will have a brief practice today (Thursday) and an early-morning practice Friday before going to N.C. State. Not exactly the sort of preparation you’d want to try to break a three-game league losing streak.
The rest of the schedule doesn’t offer much. Two games against Wake, two games against Boston College, two games against Clemson, on the road against North Carolina, for starters.
Given what you’ve seen, what do you think Tech’s ACC record will be?
Comments
By BLAZER
January 15, 2009 8:21 AM | Link to this
HORRIBLE!!
OUTSHOOT THE DUKIES IN FIELD GOALS AND LOSE
BECAUSE WE CAN’T PASS, MAKE FREETHROWS OR
HALF WAY REBOUND AT TIMES. FAVORS SAVED
HEWITT”S JOB BY COMMITTING TO US.
By Observer
January 15, 2009 8:26 AM | Link to this
Game analysis - Let’s see, we were awful from the free throw line, played soft defense and had twice as many turnovers as our opponent. Sounds like the play of a typical Paul Hewitt team to me. I can’t wait until next year’s recruiting class arrives. Maybe then we will have the talent to invent some new and innovative ways to lose.
By Gordon
January 15, 2009 8:36 AM | Link to this
4-12 in the conference at best. 11 or 12 seed in the ACC tournament. 1st round exit. 13-17 overall.
Hewitt must make staff changes or next year is his last year. He can recruit and we don’t play bad defense most of the time, but no one on the current staff can coach offense. They are bad and not improving.
By jaxjacket
January 15, 2009 8:55 AM | Link to this
Gordon, what have you seen that makes you think we will win four games? I’m not sure getting Favors for one year in exchange for Hewitt staying another year is such a great deal. Hewitt has failed to produce with super talent in the past, don’t expect anything different next year.
By yellowblood
January 15, 2009 9:13 AM | Link to this
Last night’s Tickle Pile was a lot better because of Derrick’s decision. Just think what could have happened if we had actually won a game. Im not sure I would trade Derricks committment for Paul’s firing!!! Looks like we’ve got them both for another year.
By BobinBuford
January 15, 2009 9:30 AM | Link to this
If anyone wants to know how the AJC is tilted towards UGA, just look at the main sports page on AJC.com. Instead of concentrating on GT getting the number 1 basketball prospect in the country, we get a picture of Matthew Stafford with an article about how good a pro he will be, and directly beneath it, an article about how many UGA football players are turning pro.
By ggodsey
January 15, 2009 9:48 AM | Link to this
Please allow me to predict the next 3 years: 2009…Tech BBall 16-15 CPH excuse: we are young and will be better next year with Favors. 2010…Tech BBall 21-10 Lose 2nd round of touney to an upstart Pac 10 team 2011..Favors to the NBA..Tech BBall 14-17 CPH excuse..we lost Favors and will be better next year
By ew11
January 15, 2009 9:57 AM | Link to this
Ken,
I assume this is a typo:
“Duke only made two more baskets and one more free throw than Tech did.”
After looking at the box score, I think you meant to say:
“Duke only made two more baskets and one more three-point field goal than Tech did.”
By TONY SHUMPERT
January 15, 2009 10:01 AM | Link to this
The season isn’t over just yet. Free throws and turnover’s are causing to many losses, and that can be corrected. Guy’s are pressing and they just need to relax. GT should have only two losses but they are still giving out late christmas gifts and that needs to stop. Guy’s, the ACC tournament is at your house, so you need to start acting like you live there and handle your business. If I haven’t lost faith in you, then that say’s something about the team you have. You are better then your record, now go out and prove it. Time to get physical and nasty. PERIOD. See you at clemson Iman.
By Concerned
January 15, 2009 10:47 AM | Link to this
It’s Groundhog Day!!! Please get rid of CPH…same thing every game.
At most 4 ACC wins this year…next year maybe 7, but I doubt it will be that many. Tech needs a new coach.
Insanity - doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result…aka - Tech basketball
By David
January 15, 2009 10:50 AM | Link to this
Talent is talent and coaching is coaching. Hewitt needs to be fired. He is proven an excellent recruiter but a poor coach. Is Tech happy with simply good recruiting? There is no excuse for players at this level shooting free throws that poorly game after game after game. That is on the coach. Does he even make them practice that?
Radakovich needs to do something. Yeah, we got Favors… he will be gone after a year most likely, so what do we do after that? The story seems to be that Hewitt lands a big recruit here and there but we don’t compete. Thanks for the Final Four but we need to move on and make a change to try to get there again.
By yellowblood
January 15, 2009 10:52 AM | Link to this
I just cannot carry on this charade any longer. It is time for me to come out of the closet. I am not really a Tech fan and I know that Tech doesn’t have Tickle Piles. I am really a gay Dawg fan! There are a lot more of us (gay Dawg fans) than you might think. I thought that by making fun of Tech I could get in good graces with my Dawg friends. But it is simply not working, and I cannot continue living a lie. Please forgive me.
By ggodsey
January 15, 2009 11:24 AM | Link to this
I bet you geeks had a good night last night. I think we should get rings for the basketball players since Favors is going to Tech. Toolbags.
By Scott
January 15, 2009 11:25 AM | Link to this
I am so disgusted with this team. I just don’t understand the totally inept nature of play that we are consistently seeing. I dont know what you guys are seeing but our defense is pathetic! Nobody can get on the same page. Paul Hewitt is horrible!!!!!!! The team has not done anything in years. I still support GT hoops but this is ridiculous. The product that represents GT is just not very good! I don’t know what the answer is but there was plenty of good talent in the stands we can turn to for help in getting a good coach if nothing else!
By Navigator
January 15, 2009 11:38 AM | Link to this
The whole team can’t shoot free throws, and that’s horrible. Every time they miss the front end of a one and one, or both free throws for two point foul, that’s a turnover. Tech basically handed the game to Duke, and they really didn’t have to work to hard to get it.
By Born2Buzz
January 15, 2009 12:38 PM | Link to this
Can this mess be turned around to win 4 games the rest of the way? Doubt it. But you never know. I think I will call in to the CPH talk show and ask coach what he does to try and get the team to cut down on turnovers and improve free-throws. If it were me, I’d make every player that had more TO’s than shots made run until they puke. That’s half the team.
Tony Shumpert, if you are any relation to Iman tell him to grow up. He completely sucked last night and was a major reason for the loss. He needs to realize that he does not need to be the star and try and do everything to make this team win.
Our guards should be doing nothing but moving the ball around and getting it inside to our bigs. If they get a pass back out and are open then take the shot. But this team has an advantage at the 3,4 & 5 positions, yet they haven’t used it yet.
My biggest gripe about last night, other than the obvious FT shooting and TO’s, was how in the last 3 minutes the team resorted to whoever had the ball was going to take the shot. That sucked and our team does too.
By ken sugiura
January 15, 2009 12:49 PM | Link to this
Ew11 - you are correct. thanks.
to answer one question, Hewitt said players have to make 50 free throws every day in practice. He said that he’d begun having players shoot free throws at different parts of practice - like in the middle of a scrimmage - to more simulate game conditions.
Shooting 50 - or 100 - free throws is helpful, but in some ways, what you’re doing is getting better at shooting 50 or 100 free throws in a row. Hewitt said it had a lot to do with confidence, and how good and bad free-throw shooting is infectious. On Monday’s teleconference, I talked to Gary Williams, whose team is leading the ACC in free throw shooting, and he agreed that that was one of the factors. Another was having players who take it seriously.
The odd thing (or one odd thing - there are a lot of odd things this year) is that Hewitt’s first team at Siena led the nation in free-throw shooting at about 80 percent.
It’s bizarre. I don’t doubt that Gani Lawal works at free-throw shooting. I think he takes it seriously. I think with him it’s gotten to be a mental thing.
By ben
January 15, 2009 1:27 PM | Link to this
Is it too much to ask to dive for a loose ball? We lost the ball at least ten times last night due to lack of hustle. When you look at the two lineups on paper, we definitely have a physical edge. But mentally, we are way behind…and that’s coaching. We didn’t accomplish anything with Bosh and we won’t with Favors if coaching doesn’t improve.
By Techfan
January 15, 2009 2:01 PM | Link to this
Oh, Paul Hewitt…no! Ok, I will start with the great attributes of coach Hewitt…great guy, great recruiter, exceptional speaker, just a super nice guy. Now to the critical objections…frentic substitutions, untimely timeouts, poor execution (on both ends), an no system in place or team identity. The best thing to happen to Hewitt was the final four. The worst thing to happen to coach Hewitt was the final four. The expectations went through the roof after the early success, but coach has failed to develop consistency thereafter.
Case in point last night against Duke, Lewis Clinch hits a three pointer to cut the lead to 5 with 8 minutes or so, and coach not only calls an immediate timeout, but he removes Clinch from the game…HUH????? He completely killed Tech’s momentum and to top it off he took out the guy that just made the big three to get you back into it. At this point, I changed the channel so I would not break anything. Coach, either change your ways, or they will be changed for you.
By RAMBLE ON!!!
January 15, 2009 4:35 PM | Link to this
Tony Shumpert was running his mouth last year about how great we would be this year.
We will win as many post season games with Favors and Hewitt as we did with Bosh and Hewitt…ZERO.
By Rob
January 15, 2009 5:08 PM | Link to this
2—14 in the ACC reg season plus losing in the first round of the ACC tournament. 2—14 may be optimistic.
By RamblingWreck86
January 15, 2009 5:41 PM | Link to this
It is interesting to hear the comments from Coach K on how well Lawi runs the court…yet how many times have we gotten him the ball in transition? Tech is very slow getting the ball up the court after a defensive rebound. We can complain all we want about missed free throws - and that must be improved. We need a much better transition game and shot selection. When was the last time we saw a slam ( or even an easy layup ) off the transition game?
By ga_tech_92
January 15, 2009 6:17 PM | Link to this
If you’ve watched GT over the Hewitt era, sans Final Four year, then you know what will happen before you watch the next game.
Ground Hog Day.
By fred
January 15, 2009 6:26 PM | Link to this
*move without the ball. *screen *meet passes, don’t turn and “go deep”—-that’s playground xxxx. *pull up on fast breaks when you’re one-on-four, dang.
Ah, ——, my 14 year old grandson knows these fundamentals.
That’s the most disgusting display of disorganized basketball I have ever seen (60 years of being a fan/player).
By ga_tech_92
January 15, 2009 7:13 PM | Link to this
Duke has a way of showing their opponents how you should play smart fundamental basketball. When was the last time you saw them slack off on D? When was the last time you saw them with poor spacing on offense? When was the last time you thought, “wow, it doesn’t look like they have an offensive identity”? When was the last time you saw Duke get out hustled to a loose ball?
All that stuff has nothing to do with who has the best recruits. All that stuff is what is great about basketball. All that stuff is what is consistently frustrating about Hewitts teams. We almost always have great talent, but they lack the fundamentals listed by everyone on this blog. How do they look SO poorly coached at GT, then look so impressive in the pros?
By Jimmy
January 15, 2009 8:07 PM | Link to this
Ok, I don’t get the people who want to keep CPH because he’s such a great recruiter. What in the freak is the point of having great athletes if you can’t coach them up???
That’s like a person who buys a BMW but doesn’t know how to drive a stick! Unreal.
Oh, and y’all don’t get too excited over Favors actually playing for Tech. I’ve got an “inside source” that tells me this kid, although smart, doesn’t ‘test’ too well. He might not qualify to play for Tech, in which he would just play overseas for a season then enter the NBA draft next year. Hopefully for y’all, he’ll qualify, play his one season for Tech, and become a millionaire.
By ga_tech_92
January 15, 2009 9:35 PM | Link to this
Jimmy,
Although Tech is impressive for only giving out around 5% academic exceptions (compared to 90% of UGA’s football team), I have little doubt that Favors would get one of the exceptions, if needed. He wouldn’t have to make grades for long, before he would have finished Basketball season and be on his way to the NBA. I view that as one of the down sides of the 1-year rule. Kids who don’t want to go to college shouldn’t. Most 1 and dones wouldn’t be in college if they didn’t have to. It makes a joke out of the academic experience if you are planning on a year or less. It is what it is.
What’s a good recruiting formula? 3-4 four star guys a year and one five star? I’m trying to figure out how to balance continuity with not passing on an insanely talented NBA player.
By BravesFan79
January 16, 2009 9:39 AM | Link to this
When the offense SUCKED for Auburn football this past season who got the blame? The offensive coordinator!! Face it… assistant coaches are clearly VERY important in all sports, and the ones we have at GT just arent living up to expectations!
Bring back the old white assistant that knew WTF he was doing… and can the 2 young black guys!!!
Shouldnt assistants that young be perfecting their trade at somewhere like Samford….. and NOT in the ACC!??
By Jacketman
January 16, 2009 7:53 PM | Link to this
It is clear that we have good recruits coming in. It is also clear that if something does not change we will see the same type of street ball with poor free throw shooting and inconsistent defense. If Paul Hewitt does not agree to address these faults by adding new assistants to his staff to help him solve the problems, he should be canned. It is ridiculous to keep doing the same thing and expect different results.