AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2009 > January > 16
Friday, January 16, 2009
Does it happen Saturday?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Greetings-
UPDATED, 12:50 p.m.
Two things for you. Just spoke with ESPN analyst Jay Bilas, who called the Duke game Wednesday. Some of his thoughts on Tech:
“They move the ball from side to side well and they push it up the floor well. They’re good defensively. They do a lot of things well and a lot of things well enough to win. But they’re 0-3 in the league because of turnovers and free throws. That’s why. They’re going to continue to get better and they’ve got quality big people, but the margin for error in the ACC is a slim one. You have to control what you can control. You can control the free throw line, because they get there a lot.”
Ken Tysiac, an ACC writer for the Charlotte Observer, answered a few questions about N.C. State. (He also covered Tech-Duke Wednesday) You can read his Friday story about the Wolfpack here.
1) Having just seen Tech play Duke, how do you think the Jackets match up with N.C. State?
I think the Jackets match up fairly well with N.C. State. The Georgia Tech big men, Alade Aminu and Gani Lawal, are athletic enough to deal with Brandon Costner and Ben McCauley, the post players who are the strength of N.C. State’s team. The Wolfpack is really struggling at guard, with leading backcourt scorer Trevor Ferguson unlikely to play much because of injury. So I think Georgia Tech is in good shape there. Georgia Tech’s most difficult matchup could be at small forward, where Zach Peacock is more physical than Courtney Fells but won’t easily guard him on the perimeter.
2) Against Florida State, N.C. State played better when starters Ben McCauley and Brandon Costner went to the bench, and freshmen Julius Mays, C.J. Williams and Johnny Thomas came in, then collapsed again when Costner and McCauley went back in. Could the lineup be significantly different on Saturday?
Ben McCauley and Brandon Costner have been the strength of N.C. State’s team for most of the season, so Sidney Lowe is unlikely to bench them. I think Lowe will stick with a rotation that uses players like Johnny Thomas and Tracy Smith off the bench, but McCauley and Costner have proven over the long haul that they belong on the court when the game is on the line.
3) Are the Wolfpack a little like Tech, in that they’re trying to find an identity? If and when they find one, what do you think it might be?
I think the Wolfpack has its identity, but it’s a flawed identity. This team is solid in the post with McCauley and Costner, and even Smith and Dennis Horner coming off the bench. But the guards as a whole are turnover prone and will continue to make it difficult to win against ACC opponents.
FROM FRIDAY MORNING
Sorry to get this up late. Plans don’t always go like you want them to. Just so you know, I’m working on a story for Saturday’s paper advancing the game against N.C. State about the team’s inability to get the ball to Gani Lawal in the post. It should be up online late afternoon/early evening.
Anyway, a few things. One, a recap of Derrick Favors’ ESPN 2-televised game Thursday night in Birmingham. Since South Atlanta played a Birmingham team (Leflore), which won, the story deals more with that team than South Atlanta. Favors had 39 points and 19 rebounds.
Second, a look at the state of things in Raleigh. You may know, but in the Wolfpack’s last game, against Florida State, they fell behind by three at halftime. According to the story, Sidney Lowe put in two freshmen, including point guard Julius Mays, to start the half. With five minutes left, Lowe put starters Brandon Costner and Ben McCauley back in the game, and N.C. State only scored two more points the rest of the way and lost.
Lastly, a few words from Lewis Clinch about N.C. State: “They’re like an NBA team. They run a lot of sets. They do a good job of running their sets, but I think we can put a lot of pressure on them.”
Paul Hewitt: “As always they run their half-court offense very well. McCauley’s an excellent passer out of the post, Costner’s a good three-point shooter himself, a dangerous, dangerous player. Last year, they had the injuries to the point guard, so they’re young at point guard. That’s been the big thing, squaring away their point guard play.”
This appears to be a good opportunity for Tech to get its first ACC win. They’re fairly similar statistically in a lot of ways, one key difference being, of course, free throws.
But then, N.C. State, which is 0-2 in league play, is probably looking at Tech thinking the exact same thing.
What do you think?
