AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2009 > February
February 2009
New blog location
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We’ve moved!
Read thoughts on Tech’s new president here.
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We have moved
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
to the new and improved site.
Today’s focus is All-American candidate Morgan Burnett.
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Michael Johnson at the combine
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Before I forget, please remember that Wednesday, the blog will be moving to a new home on the website.
As expected, defensive end Michael Johnson put on a show at the combine in his workouts. Johnson had the fifth-best 40-yard dash time among defensive linemen (4.75 seconds), the third-best vertical jump (38.5 inches), tied for best broad jump (10’8”, which was only bettered by three players at the combine, receivers who leapt 10’9”) and third in the 20-yard shuttle (4.37 seconds).
What may prove more important for Johnson at the combine is the interviews he did with coaches, scouts and general managers. You likely read that he got shredded by the NFL Network’s Mike Mayock in a story reported by Falcons beat writer D. Orlando Ledbetter.
I imagine teams were curious to see how he responded to being challenged like that. I won’t say I know Michael well, but having spoken with him on a number of occasions, I’m going to guess he did well enough. He comes across as someone who cares about the game, wants to do well and is a team-first guy.
My sense of this is, you can’t control other people’s opinions of you. For Johnson, 31 teams could well share Mayock’s opinion, but if the 32nd disagrees, then he’ll likely be a first-round pick. And if Johnson falls into the second round, there are worse fates. He’ll have all the motivation he needs to prove that Mayock and, more importantly, the teams who passed on him, were wrong. And he’ll have ample opportunity to recoup the money he lost by going in the second rather than the first when he becomes a free agent.
Anyway, I want to solicit your help. Larry is going to talk to Morgan Burnett Tuesday to continue our series of Q&A’s that we’ve done thus far with Roddy Jones and Kyle Jackson. If you have a question that you’d like Larry to ask, please list it below. This is no guarantee that your question will be asked, but obviously, I’m sure he’ll try to get to as many as he can.
Hint: “Do you think Georgia will go 0-12 next year, or 1-11?” and questions of that ilk probably will get left in the bin.
Ask away.
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Favors: “Next year we should turn it around”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Perhaps because this basketball season has been so dismal, I decided to drive to Stockbridge on Saturday night and watch Derrick Favors. It was my first time seeing him play in person.
The 6-9, 235-pound Favors is the nation’s No. 1 recruit, according to Scout.com. He committed to Tech last month but cannot sign his letter of intent until the signing period that starts April 15. Last night he reiterated that he’s “100 percent” committed to Tech.
Favors’ South Atlanta Hornets were taking on Spalding in the Region 4-AAA championship game. It was a total mismatch, the Hornets winning 104-45.
In 2 and 1/2 quarters, Favors had 32 points on 13-of-17 shooting (including four spectacular dunks), 17 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks. He hit 6 of 8 free throws. Everyone in the crowd knew they were seeing someone special.
It was not exactly a good measuring stick, as Spalding had no one over 6-foot-5. But a few things came through clearly. For a powerful big man, Favors looked quite comfortable shooting from 15 feet and beyond. He’s a pretty good ballhandler and an excellent passer.
One time he rebounded, led the break, gave the ball up and got it back for a two-handed reverse jam. A couple other times he drove and dished for layups.
When Favors missed a free throw and Spalding didn’t box out, the ball bounced toward him and he simply rose up and dunked. No dribble — just scoop and dunk.
Favors anticipated how shots would come off the rim and positioned himself for tip-ins, or, in one instance, a vicious one-hand slam.
Remarkably, this was South Atlanta’s first region title with Favors. And his team has gone out in the first round of state the last three years. The Hornets were in a tougher region then, and they had to go on the road in the state tournament every time. They’ll be at home for two rounds this year, assuming they advance. Favors, who has won an AAU national title, said he’s determined to win a state title.
Whenever the playoff run ends, Favor will turn his attention to three all-star games: the Jordan Brand Classic in New York City, the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland and the McDonald’s All American Game in Miami.
He’s done with AAU ball. Favors said he’ll work out at his school, and then at Tech, with the goal of getting stronger “for ACC ball.” Eventually he’d like to play at 250 pounds.
I asked him what he thought of Tech’s terrible season. He said he couldn’t explain it but added, “Next year we should turn it around.”
Favors believes he and Gani Lawal would play well together, and hopes Lawal returns for his junior year.
Favors comes across as soft-spoken, almost a gentle giant. His coach, Michael Reddick, said that’s not an issue on the court.
“I think he has the right temperament,” Reddick said. “He doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low. He can have a mean streak in him if he needs to, but he’s also a gentleman. He’ll help guys up. I think he’s well-balanced, exactly where he needs to be attitude-wise.”
To watch highlights of Favors, check out these pages at MaxPreps and Scout.
As you’ve probably noticed, we’re moving all the blogs to a better technology called Word Press. The Tech blog will officially move Wednesday. Here’s our new address, so please bookmark it.
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How many bids for the ACC?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ACC coaches were none too pleased last year when only four teams made the NCAA Tournament. They pointed out, among other things, that the ACC had the highest RPI of any conference.
With Selection Sunday just over three weeks away, the league is poised to land seven teams in the tourney, just like it did in 2007. The ACC is less top-heavy than it was last year.
In its latest projection, Bracketology 101 — the blog that picked 64 of 65 teams in last year’s field and seeded 40 teams exactly — predicted the ACC would get seven bids and the Big East, eight. UNC, Duke, Clemson, Wake Forest, FSU, Boston College and Virginia Tech are in; Miami and Maryland are out.
Other indicators also are strong. USA Today’s Jeff Sagarin ratings peg the ACC as the top conference, ahead of the Big 10 and Big East.
The official RPI on the NCAA’s site has five ACC teams in the top 20: North Carolina (4), Duke (5), Clemson (10), Wake Forest (16) and FSU (20).
Then there’s Miami (47), Virginia Tech (49), Boston College (51) and Maryland (61). In case you’re wondering, Georgia Tech has an RPI of 167. No other ACC team is in triple digits.
So, barring a major surprise in the ACC Tournament, how many bids do you think the ACC deserves? How many do you think it will get?
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Kyle Jackson tidbits, Andrew Gardner combine update
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I talked to linebacker Kyle Jackson Wednesday for a Q&A that will run in the paper whenever we can find space for it. Apparently, space is pretty tight these days in our pages because we’re not selling a ton of ads (that might sound counterintuitive, in that you might think more ads would mean less space for stories, but that’s how it works. the more ads you sell, the more pages you can print, to speak very broadly.) If anyone out there wants to buy a big display ad to run in the sports section, shoot me an e-mail. (kidding) (sort of)
But before I get to some tidbits from the Q&A (sort of pre-leftovers, along with some stuff that will probably also go in the article), I talked to Andrew Gardner’s agent this evening. You may remember I wrote about Gardner rehabbing his shoulder to get ready for the draft.
Gardner’s agent, former Falcon Lester Archambeau, said that Gardner will not participate in drills at the combine. It sounds like he could have done them (40-yard dash, jumps and agility drills) if he absolutely had to, but they concluded it was wiser for him to wait for Tech’s pro day March 9 to give his best effort. By that point, he should be able to do all of the drills except for the bench press. Gardner flew up to Indianapolis Wednesday and will have his physical Thursday.
This is hardly a disaster. The drills are only one part of the combine. Players also undergo a battery of physicals and meet with coaches, scouts and GMs. Anyone who wants to see Gardner work out can do so at the pro day.
“I think people will be surprised when they put the clock on him,” he said.
Archambeau said Dr. James Andrews, the surgeon to the stars who operated on Gardner, said that he’ll be ready to play by the time teams go to mini-camp after the draft.
Anyway, just passing along some information. If I find out more about Tech’s other combine participants - Michael Johnson, Darryl Richard, Vance Walker and Jahi Word-Daniels - I will let you know.
Anyway, on to Kyle Jackson.
1) He is trying to add 2 to 7 pounds of muscle in the offseason. He felt he was a little underweight (he’s now 228) this past season and got pushed around more than he would have liked. He said he’s been eating “a lot of seconds and thirds” at the training table.
2) He’s been going over film from each game last season, analyzing his and the defense’s mistakes. He said he can improve next season just with experience and from studying film. He said another player who has been spending a lot of time watching film is quarterback Jaybo Shaw.
3) “Our biggest goal (for the offseason) is accountability and maturity as a team. We want to grow up as a team this year. … We felt like the difference between us and LSU beyond the physical experience was the maturation between the other team and us. Those guys had been there and they knew what they needed to do to get a win. We’re trying to get to that point.”
4) He likes the schedule, particularly the back-to-back Thursday night games at the start of the season. “It’s good, I feel like, to get those challenges early on, face that adversity and you see where your team’s going to be.” He also said that, if he could pick Tech’s 12th game for 2010-11, he’d get a home and home with Hawaii. Smart kid.
5) It pained him to say it, but if he were the Detroit Lions, he’d take Matthew Stafford.
6) He’s among the many touting freshman defensive tackle T.J. Barnes. During practice, when Jackson was resting, “I’d take a peek down to the offensive side and I’d just see him causing problems. And then I’d hear stories from all the o-linemen about how great T.J.’s going to be.”
7) He is hoping to get his undergrad management degree and MBA in five years, same as Darryl Richard. He said he took 16 credits in the fall (and is doing so again this term). That is impressive. He’d get the bachelor’s in 3.5 years (with summer school) and then the MBA I guess in either a year or year and a half. Richard got his MBA this past December, so it took him 4.5 years.
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Why no TV for Tech-Wake?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tech’s 7:30 p.m. game in Winston-Salem isn’t on TV. (Though it is available online for $5.95 on ACC Select).
I leave it to you to decide whether that’s a good thing.
Of the ACC’s 96 conference games, 92 will be televised. Two of the four left out involve Tech: tonight at Wake Forest and the March 4 home game against Miami.
Mike Finn of the ACC office told me it’s not a reflection of how teams are doing. The basketball schedule is set by mid-August, and the ACC’s various TV partners pick the games they want to air.
“It’s totally the decision of our TV partners,” Finn said. “They pick the games that they want and the games that fit their schedules.”
It’s all done before the season starts. Unlike football, there’s no week-to-week flexibility with gametimes or networks. Finn pointed out that this helps ticket-holders, because they know when the games are going to be.
Finn said it’s pretty much standard nationwide — there’s flexibility for football, but not for basketball.
As you all know, Wake Forest is the only ACC team Tech has beaten. I asked Demon Deacons coach Dino Gaudio if revenge will be a factor tonight for his 8th-ranked team.
“I don’t know about that, but I do know this: in the two years we’ve been here, since I became head coach, we’ve never beaten Georgia Tech,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate with some of the other ACC teams, but against those guys we’re 0-3. So just like that game [76-74 Tech win on Jan. 31] and all the others, we’ve just got to find a way where our defense is able to lock them down a little bit and try to guard them. They were a little more physical than we were in that first game.
“Our kids know their kids,” he added. “Gani [Lawal] drove Al-Farouq [Aminu] to school [at Norcross High]. Our guys went to Atlanta and hung out with those guys. I’ve seen Alade [Aminu] up here playing. They know each other very well, They know what they can do individually. If we can guard them, we have a chance to win. If we don’t, then we dont.”
Here’s what coach Paul Hewitt had to say about Tech’s recent success against Wake:
“In the games last year Anthony Morrow shot the ball very well. This year, we kept our turnovers down and down the stretch Iman Shumpert made big plays offensively and Nick Foreman made big plays defensively.”
Hewitt said Wake guard Jeff Teague could be the league’s MVP, Al-Farouq Aminu has made a huge impact and that the Demon Deacons have tremendous inside presence defensively.
“The first game was intense and I think this one will be more intense,” he said. “They’ve got a little revenge factor going and obviously, we’re trying to break out of a tough stretch.”
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2010 football schedule
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Athletics director Dan Radakovich and senior associate athletics director Paul Griffin have gotten into the thick of finding a 12th opponent for the 2010 and 2011 seasons to replace Ole Miss, which pushed the series back to 2019-2020. (I hear Tech has the early edge on a fifth-grader out of Dunwoody with off-the-charts measurables who should give the Jackets a decided edge in those games.)
Larry talked to Radakovich recently. This is what he (Radakovich, not Larry) had to say:
“People will be a little more ready to talk about 10 and 11” now that all the 2009 schedules have been finalized. “We want to make sure to pull this together in a home-and-home circumstance.”
“We’re going to do it as fast as we can. We’re scouring the landscape….Now that the other schedules have been pulled together, it will move up the food chain to, ‘Let’s get this thing done.’”
Most notably, Tech wants to find a BCS team to replace Ole Miss and the school is apparently talking with several schools. I poked around cfbpalace.net, a site devoted to future schedules. It is not the final word - so take things with a grain of salt - but looks fairly authoritative.
In a story Larry wrote during the last football season, Radakovich said his order of preference for its three out of conference games (besides Georgia) are:
1) a nearby SEC team, or a Big East team;
2) a Division I-A team from a non-BCS conference;
3) a Division I-AA team.
Looking at 2010-2011, Tech already has 2) and 3) taken care of with games against Middle Tennessee State (both years) and South Carolina State (2010) and Western Carolina (2011 and, notably, Paul Johnson’s alma mater).
That leaves 1). Larry’s story mentions that Tech at that point was trying to re-schedule a delayed series with Louisville. That, and the schedules of other schools in the Big East and the SEC, leads me to think it would be Tech’s most preferred - and perhaps most likely - opponent.
In the Big East, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse and West Virginia need games, according to fbcpalace.net.
In the SEC, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, LSU and Tennessee still have openings.
Rutgers would seem like a logical choice, but the Scarlet Knights are apparently looking for a I-AA opponent. Tech is already playing Syracuse 2015 and 2016. UConn and Tech fairly recently finished a series. If Tech is playing the Big East to get in front of alumni, West Virginia doesn’t seem like a great fit.
That leaves Cincinnati, Louisville and Pittsburgh.
In the SEC, Tech plays Alabama 2013 and 2014. Arkansas would seem to be too far. Kentucky looks like it generally plays Louisville and a combination of non-BCS and I-AA teams. LSU already has West Virginia on for 2010 and 2011 and its scheduling pattern doesn’t suggest it wants to add a BCS team. Same for Tennessee, which has Oregon in 2010 and North Carolina in 2011.
It’s possible Tech is looking beyond the SEC and Big East, but it seems like that’s Radakovich’s strong preference. Scheduling a Pac-10 or Big Ten team would create an intriguing matchup, but it wouldn’t do much for Tech at the gate.
Who would you want to see Tech play? Do you have a preference among Cincinnati, Louisville and Pittsburgh?
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Changes in store
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A month ago, Tech blew a late 10-point lead at N.C. State and lost in overtime. Frustrating, sure.
But Saturday’s 86-65 home loss to the Wolfpack was downright embarrassing. The Jackets are 1-10 in the ACC and heading to Winston-Salem, where the Demon Deacons will be looking for revenge.
After Saturday’s debacle, CPH said he’s learned a lot from this dismal season. He promised he’ll do some things “differently and better because of this experience.”
He declined to elaborate on what changes are in store.
We know CPH isn’t going anywhere. So how would you prioritize the changes that are needed?
While Saturday’s effort was inconsistent at best, effort has not usually been an issue.
“I will give them a lot of credit for despite all the setbacks and not having something to celebrate, they’ve been working very hard,” CPH said. “I give them credit for that. They try to execute things. As I said the other day when somebody asked me about the 3-point shooting, they’re not trying to miss the shots. They didn’t try to miss the layups (Saturday).”
He later reiterated how appreciative he is for the support he’s getting from the administration and fans (though I realize some of you are not among those supporters). And he added:
“I don’t want to put this school through this ever again.”
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More on the 2009 football schedule
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Good morning…
Ken Sugiura looked into the confusion that arose Thursday morning as various websites’ versions of the schedule seemed to present conflicts. He compiled this note:
Some websites had Mississippi State playing Georgia Tech in Starkville Sept. 19, even though the ACC and Tech released schedules that had the Jackets playing Miami two days prior.
I talked to the ACC’s associate commissioner for football, Michael Kelly, about it. This is how I understand what happened.
Tech and Mississippi State had originally contracted to play Sept. 19. However, as the schedule began to be put together, ESPN requested that Miami and Tech play in a Thursday night game Sept. 17. To do that, obviously, Tech, Mississippi State and their respective leagues had to be willing to move the date of the MSU-Tech game.
To make that happen, the Tech-Mississippi State game was moved to Oct. 3, which evidently was the date that the SEC had scheduled MSU to play Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt-MSU was then switched into the Sept. 19 slot. But Vanderbilt was supposed to play Ole Miss on that date, so Ole Miss-Vandy was moved to Oct. 3. Here is a mention of it on Vandy’s website.
I hope that makes sense. Basically, ESPN wanted Tech-Miami in Week 3, and the SEC and ACC (the SEC, mostly) moved games around to make it happen.
Kelly explained on the ACC’s website how he and the league put together the schedule.
Overall, Tech’s schedule looks tougher than last year’s. Instead of Gardner-Webb and Boston College, Tech is playing Wake Forest and Vanderbilt. Instead of two off weeks, there is one.
Last year’s schedule broke right for Tech. When Josh Nesbitt pulled a hamstring against Mississippi State, the Jackets had an off week, then Duke and Gardner-Webb. Nesbitt returned in time for the win at Clemson.
Later, after Tech looked worn down in a loss at North Carolina, the Jackets had 12 days to prepare for Miami. They came out fresh and energized and won big on national TV. Then they had nine days to prepare for Georgia. The Bulldogs had a full two weeks, but we all know what happened.
This year, Tech’s only off week comes before Georgia, while the Bulldogs play Kentucky the week prior.
So, what was your first reaction when you saw the 2009 schedule?
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Breaking down the loss at Va. Tech
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Don’t know how many of you saw the game. I don’t think ESPN U gets into many households and I’m going to guess that the sort of passion for Georgia Tech basketball that would cause someone to go out in search of a sports bar carrying the game is not what one would call widespread.
I watched the game at Famous Pub in Toco Hills near Decatur. I didn’t have a great view of the game as somehow they decided to not put it on the big screen. Further, ESPN U apparently is not keen on showing instant replays.
Anyway, some observations:
Georgia Tech has turned into a free throw-making machine. The Jackets drained 17 of 20 shots from the line against Virginia Tech and have shot 77.2 percent in their last seven games, ever since their 7-for-19 night against Duke.
The trouble against the Hokies - or, among the troubles - was that the Jackets didn’t get to the line enough. Part of Tech’s plan was to drive to the basket in part to get fouled and to go to the line more often.
Tech shot 20 free throws (making 17) to Virginia Tech’s 36 (making 24).
The game had more than a few passing similarities with other Tech conference losses. The Jackets generally played the Hokies tough — Tech made more baskets, had more rebounds, had more assists, held the Hokies to 37.1 percent from the field and were even on turnovers (14, which was Tech’s lowest total in the past 11 games) but a few spurts and errant shooting knocked them out.
You’ll be interested to know that after Larry called in Wednesday’s blog for Lance Storrs — leading the team in three-point shooting at 41.3 percent (prior to the game) — to take more threes, Storrs took six of them, a personal season high. However, Storrs made only one of them.
(In Wednesday’s blog, E was spot on on a couple of his predictions - he said Tech would outrebound VT (which happened) and hold the Hokies to 35 percent shooting (they shot 37.1 percent). While underestimating Tech’s free-throw shooting (he called 10-for-19), he also gave Tech a little too much credit by saying the Jackets would lose by 3, 61-58.)
Overall, the Jackets were 4-for-18 from three-point range, and 25-for-63 (39.7 percent) from the field.
Also, as you may have read, Iman Shumpert may have a broken nose. He got popped while guarding Hank Thorns late in the game. X-rays taken last night didn’t show anything, but he’ll take another x-ray Thursday. We’ll hopefully have information later in the day.
Speaking of which, the football schedule is coming out from the ACC at 11 a.m. We’ll have it posted as quickly as we can.
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Memo to Storrs: Shoot it
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Jackets (10-12, 1-8) visit the Hokies (15-7, 5-3) in a 7 p.m. game on ESPNU.
The teams split last year’s games, each winning at home. Virginia Tech leads the alltime series 8-3.
Georgia Tech’s first challenge will be slowing down point guard Malcolm Delaney, who is averaging almost 25 points in home ACC games. He’s one of three Hokies, along with swingman A.D. Vassallo and forward Jeff Allen, who have scored 30 points in a game this season. No other ACC team has done it.
Maybe the Jackets’ best chance is to dominate the boards. Georgia Tech has a plus 4.6 margin in ACC games (second to UNC), while Virginia Tech is minus 1.9. (ninth in the league). The Hokies have been outrebounded in each of their last four losses.
Offensively, things can’t get much worse for the Jackets, especially from the perimeter.
Lewis Clinch is shooting 26.7 percent on 3-pointers (28 for 105), while the team’s best outside threat, Lance Storrs, isn’t shooting enough. Storrs has hit 26 of 63, or 41.3 percent, from beyond the arc. In ACC games he’s only tried 25, hitting 10.
Storrs needs to start shooting even if there’s a hand in his face. The only other options are Iman Shumpert, who is 23 of 76 (30.3 percent), and Moe Miller, who is 7 of 43 (16.3 percent).
Storrs hit two of three 3-pointers in the first half against Maryland on Sunday night. In the second half, he missed one three and a shorter jumper. So he took five total shots in 28 minutes. Storrs is a good defender, but shooting is his biggest asset and he’s not letting it fly enough.
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Football schedule forthcoming and notes from Gardner
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Good morning, all
Don’t know if you read today’s story about Andrew Gardner, but a few things that I couldn’t fit in.
He hasn’t had much contact with any NFL teams. (That would have happened had he gone to an all-star game like the Senior Bowl or East-West Shrine Game). He retained Sportstars, Inc. to represent him. His agent is former Falcon Lester Archambeau.
He graduated in December with a management degree.
His take on missing the last four games of the season (including the bowl game): “I definitely wanted to be out there. It was hard not being able to play and just having to watch, but I was really happy for my teammates and really proud of them. I didn’t feel like I was apart from the team when we won those games. I really felt like I played a part in all of that during the year and throughout my career at Tech.”
On being a lightly-recruited player who became a two-time all-ACC first-teamer: “There’s definitely a level of athleticism and that type of thing that guys pretty much need to have to be top-level players, but really, it’s just a lot of hard work. You really have to want to be good and be willing to put in the extra work. A lot of small things people don’t pay attention to, but the mental aspect of the game and really good technique and that type of thing - there’s always ground to be made in those areas that other people might neglect. That type of stuff will put a guy to the next level.”
Tony Villani, who is training Gardner for the different pre-draft drills he’ll have to do - 40-yard dash, shuttle runs, vertical leap, broad jump and bench press - said that Gardner will do fine once he’s cleared medically. He said that he’s trained Branden Albert (first guard taken last year, at No. 14 to Kansas City) and Arron Sears (second guard taken in 2007, second round to Tampa Bay) “and athletically, he’s right up there with them.”
The ACC is expected to release the schedule for the 2009 season this week, possibly even today. Tech’s home games are Clemson, Georgia, Jacksonville State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
The games on the road are Duke, Florida State, Miami, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Virginia.
It’s one less home game than last year (Tech had three non-conference home games - Jacksonville State, Mississippi State and Gardner-Webb) but rather arguably a better set of games.
I’ll be interested to see, presuming Tech is given another Thursday night home game (it’s had one every year but one since 1999), who the Jackets will get. My guess would be either Virginia Tech or North Carolina.
Is there anything particular you are hoping to see in the schedule?
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Lawal’s looming decision
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As great as Tech’s basketball recruiting class is, next season hinges on one thing above all else: whether Gani Lawal comes back.
The 6-9 sophomore said last week he is planning to return, but also that he would explore the NBA after the season. When I asked if he’d leave if he were a guaranteed lottery pick, he said it was too early to say.
In Tech’s latest loss, 57-56 to Maryland Sunday night, it was easy to see why NBA scouts are high on Lawal, and why some mock drafts peg him as a late lottery pick. (Others project Lawal just outside the 14-team lottery).
Lawal, the ACC’s leading rebounder, grabbed 14 rebounds against the Terps and drew a double team every time he touched the ball. His one-hand follow dunk in the second half got everyone out of their seats.
ESPN.com’s Chad Ford rates Lawal the 8th-best big man in the 2009 draft. Here is his breakdown.
Lawal also was the subject of a good piece by Bill Hass on the ACC’s website.
Lawal has lots of room for improvement, especially as a passer and at the foul line. But many NBA teams don’t mind taking unfinished products with Lawal’s upside.
So how do you think this will play out?
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Shooting woes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tech has shot less than 50 percent for 12 straight games after Thursday night’s 62-58 loss to Florida State.
Tech’s shooting was atrocious in Tallahassee: 34.4 percent. (FSU was even worse at 30.9 percent, but the Seminoles made up for it with a 10-point edge at the foul line).
Gani Lawal hit just 5 of 16 shots, and the Jackets made 2 of 15 three-pointers. They are 5 for 33 over their last two games from beyond the arc.
With the exception of Iman Shumpert’s rushed 3-pointer with 1:32 left, most were pretty good looks.
Lewis Clinch went 2 for 11 overall, Shumpert 1 for 6 and Lance Storrs 1 for 6. Zachery Peacock (16 points) and Alade Aminu (12 points) were the only efficient offensive players.
Tech is shooting about 40 percent in conference play.
We’re halfway through ACC play and Tech is 1-7, with five of those losses coming by 7 points or less, including three in OT.
What do you expect over the second half of the ACC schedule?
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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.”
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Tech looking at a blue-collar signing class
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It looks like Tech will be siging a blue-collar, well-balanced class today with at least player for every position. Dean Buchan, Tech’s SID, tells me that Tech has not signed as many as 13 players from in-state since 1999.
Tech entered Signing Day with 12 in-state commitments and one Georgia signee who is already enrolled, Emanuel Dieke.
About 50 Tech fans have gathered at the Edge Center this morning, and they’re waiting for the first signee to be announced. I’ll be blogging and posting from here all day.
For tomorrow’s sports section, this is my ”forecast” of Tech’s day. Tell me how you’d rate it:
The gurus are going to rank this class between 25-50 nationally. It’s not star-studded, but it’s remarkable for its balance, with a player signed at every position. It’s also one of Tech’s faster classes. The 13 in-state signees are the most since 1999. WR Stephen Hill’s decision to stick with Tech after waffling as late as Tuesday was huge Signing Day news. This is a blue-collar class with no glaring holes. Jordan Luallen, the Indiana quarterback so well-suited for Tech’s option offense, is the centerpiece.
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Some food for recruiting thought
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Good morning, all-
Wednesday, as you likely know, is national signing day for football, and we’ll be posting plenty of stories online and then in Thursday’s paper about who’s signing where, and who is ranked what.
I find a couple things about recruiting kind of funny. How does anyone decide that one defensive lineman from Florida is the No. 18 player at his position and another defensive lineman from Washington state is No. 19?
Second, how is it that fans get so excited and wrapped up over players whom they’ve never seen play a single down? Or, if they have, maybe they’ve seen a short clip of grainy highlights in which they probably know very little about who it is the recruit is playing against?
Is it just because of the numbers of stars they receive, or the position they play or their “measurables”?
It sort of reminds me, not surprisingly, of the time I spent covering the Falcons and the NFL. Each April, fans (and writers) would get worked up over 40 times, bench press reps and vertical leaps. In hindsight, I think it was because that was basically all you had that was concrete. You can’t really say, “Player A’s swim move is clearly at least 5 percent better than Player B’s.” You can only say, Player A’s 40 time is 4.5 and Player B’s is 4.6.”
And then the season starts and you’re like, How on earth was this guy drafted in the first round? And you remembered anew that things like 40 times aren’t really that important, a lesson you forgot come March.
Anyway, I looked up the recruiting profiles from scout.com for the all-ACC first team from this past season. It might serve as a warning to not get too hyped up over some signee who gets four stars and perhaps also not despondent over two-star recruits.
There were a few hits - Virginia OT Eugene Monroe was the No. 1 offensive line recruit in the country in his class, while Tech DE Michael Johnson was ranked No. 7 at his position (tight end) in his class. But again, even they could identify stars in the making - Jonathan Dwyer was a four-star running back - it speaks to the silliness of the rankings. He was No. 13. It’d be hard to make a case that there are 12 running backs - or 24, if you want to include the Nos. 1-12 from the year ahead of him - that are better than him.
There were also nine two-star players. My favorite is Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry, who might be the best linebacker in the upcoming draft. In 2004, scout.com found at least 128 linebackers that they deemed better prospects than Curry.
I think it tells me that a) projecting 18-year-olds is not at all a science; b) success at the college level depends a lot on things that are not measurable - coaching, getting an opportunity to play, character, work ethic and so on.
QB- Russell Wilson, N.C. State 2 star, #67 (rank at position, where applicable) RB- Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech 4 star, #13 RB- Da’Rel Scott, Maryland 3 star, NR WR- Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina 4 star, #32 WR- D.J. Boldin, Wake Forest 2 star, #78 TE- John Phillips, Virginia 3 star, No. 30 OT- Eugene Monroe, Virginia 5 star, No. 1 OT- Andrew Gardner, Georgia Tech 2 star, NR OG- Rodney Hudson, Florida State 3 star OG- Cliff Ramsey, Boston College 2 star, NR C- Edwin Williams, Maryland 2 star, NR
DE- Everette Brown, Florida State 4 star, #23 DE- Michael Johnson, Georgia Tech 4 star, #7 (TE) DT- B.J. Raji, Boston College 2 star, NR DT- Vance Walker, Georgia Tech 2 star, NR LB- Mark Herzlich, Boston College 3 star, NR LB- Michael Tauiliili, Duke 2 star, NR LB- Aaron Curry, Wake Forest 2 star, NR CB- Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest 3 star, #60 CB- Victor Harris, Virginia Tech 4 star, #8 S- Trimane Goddard, North Carolina 4 star, # 9 S- Michael Hamlin, Clemson 3 star, #43
I get it, to some degree. Obviously, it’s exciting that Tech might get a recruit that Georgia wants, and the fact that both schools want the same kid means that obviously he has some potential. And everyone likes to know or guess who the next star is going to be or who’s going to replace Darryl Richard and so on. Everyone likes things that are new. I’m not immune to the intrigue of recruiting. Trust me, I’m sure I’ll be writing plenty Wednesday,
That said, what do you think? How much attention will you be paying to signing day?
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A supremely confident freshman
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve had the opportunity to chat with freshman Iman Shumpert several times, and his unwavering confidence always comes through.
Even after losses in which he’d missed late free throws or committed critical turnovers. And, as you all know, there have been a few games like that.
In Saturday’s 76-74 upset of No. 6 Wake Forest — the visiting Demon Deacons were favored by 7 — Shumpert was directly responsible for Tech’s last three field goals.
First he found Alade Aminu for a layup. Then he swished the tying and game-winning shots, almost from the same spot near the foul line.
But what struck me most was one of his misses. He was 1 of 4 from 3-point range when he got a wide open look with under 5 minutes left, Tech trailing by one. There was no hesitation. He launched it and was 1 for 5.
At that point Shumpert was 2 for 8 overall. He made his last two, and Tech finally had an ACC win.
“Early on, he was unsuccessful,” coach Paul Hewitt said, referring to Shumpert’s struggles in earlier ACC games. “But you don’t stop going to a guy that you know has talent and courage. [Saturday] he made them, and hopefully this is a hump that he has crossed.”
Shumpert said he expects to hit 8 of 10 from the right elbow. Coaches chart him on that during practice.
“I’ve just got to get to that elbow — that’s got to be by money shot,” he said. “I knew that at the end of the game if I had to shoot that elbow shot, it was going in.”
Shumpert said he’s learning how to be a better distributor.
“I thought I could just make the one-hand pass that zips through the defense,” he said. “Now I’m starting to understand, watching more tape with coach, to reverse the ball and get the hockey assist rather than the big play. That’s what we’ve all been focusing on, the guards on the perimeter, to swing the ball and make the hockey assist instead of the home run pass.”
Not surprisingly, Shumpert believes Saturday’s win was a turning point.
“Now that we’ve gotten over the hump and we know how it feels, we’ve got to keep playing this way and keep finishing out games,” he said.
Shumpert said there can be “no more excuses.”
Looking back on the six ACC losses is very frustrating.
“We know we could have won a lot of those games. A lot of ‘em went to overtime because we missed free throws, we turned it over at the end of the game, we didn’t execute or didn’t follow the scouting report. Now we’ve got to eliminate everything out of our heads. We were 0-6, we snapped that losing streak, and now we’re just trying to go 6-0, 8-0, however many games we have left.”
Actually, nine games remain before the ACC tourney, starting Thursday at FSU.
Gani Lawal, who dominated on Saturday, said he doesn’t consider Shumpert a freshman any more. He had absolutely no problem with the Shumpert taking the big shots.
Added Lawal: “Not to sound cocky when I say this, but we feel we can beat any team we face. Coming into this game we were confident we could get the W if we didn’t beat ourselves. By us actually following through and getting the win, it does wonders for us and we definitely want to keep that confidence and this aggressive play going down to Tallahassee.”
