AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2009 > February > 05
Thursday, February 5, 2009
FSU’s Hamilton on Tech hoops
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Can Tech build off its 76-74 upset of Wake Forest? We’ll find out starting at 7 p.m. tonight. The game is on ESPNU.
Tech is 10-10, 1-6 in the ACC, while host Florida State is 16-5, 3-3. The Seminoles have had more than a week off since their last game, an 80-77 loss to North Carolina.
FSU is led by senior guard Toney Douglas out of Jonesboro, who ranks third in the ACC in scoring (20.1) and steals (2.0).
FSU won the only meeting last season, 66-64 in Atlanta, but Tech has won eight of the last 12 in the series.
Coach Paul Hewitt described FSU as a long, athletic team with some quality wins (at Cal, Florida, two ACC road wins).
“We need to go down there and play with the same sense of urgency, and execute the way we have been executing, and hopefully come out with another W if we shoot free throws well and don’t turn the ball over,” Hewitt said.
FSU coach Leonard Hamilton described Gani Lawal as a “man-child” and “a guy who has really come on as fast as any player that I have seen in the ACC in several years.”
He called Tech’s ACC record a bit misleading.
“When you look at Georgia Tech you see that they have lost three overtime games that could have very well gone either way, so they could be four-and-whatever, 4-3, as opposed to 1-6…
Even in the Duke game, Duke had to really step it up in the latter part of the game to extend the lead if I remember correctly. So when you take those factors into consideration, they are a typical ACC team where the ball just hasn’t bounced their way a couple of times this year. They could have very easily won those three games and been right in the thick of things. We respect that and made our players aware of it. I believe that they are very close to being in the middle of the pack, if not for those balls bouncing in the wrong direction.”
