Congressman, Hewitt talk after coach demands apology

A congressman whose comment about former Georgia Tech basketball player Thaddeus Young rankled coach Paul Hewitt has called Hewitt to discuss the matter.

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) was quoted in the New York Times last week saying Young — who played one year at Tech before leaving for the NBA in 2007 — “could have gone straight to the pros. I don’t think he’s going to be an engineer. It’s just kind of a mockery.”

Hewitt demanded an apology.

“Saying a young man choosing to go to school at Georgia Tech, whether it’s one year or four years, is a mockery, I just didn’t think that was an accurate statement and I thought it was somewhat damaging,” said Hewitt, who noted Young was an outstanding high school student who left Tech in good academic standing. “We know what we have here and the type of kids we bring here.

“I just thought it was the wrong thing to say, but it’s over with as far as I’m concerned.”

Young, the 12th overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers, hails from Memphis, in Cohen’s district. Cohen called Hewitt on Friday.

“We had a good conversation but I’m going to keep it private,” Hewitt said Sunday. “He’s certainly a college basketball fan; he knew a lot. I was satisfied with the conversation, and I’ll leave it at that.”

Cohen’s press secretary, Steven Broderick, also declined to get into specifics.

“It was a good, productive conversation,” Broderick said. “There’s certainly an understanding between both folks.”

Cohen is pushing to repeal the NBA’s requirement that a player be 19 years old and one year out of high school to enter the league. He argued in a letter to the NBA that the age rule has “contributed to the recent spate of scandals involving college athletes.”

Hewitt also opposes the rule, preferring a system like baseball’s: Players can go straight from high school to the pros, but if they choose to attend college must make a three-year commitment.

For Hewitt, the episode wasn’t just about Young’s or Tech’s reputation.

“The value of an education for a college basketball player is as significant as for anyone in the country, and I don’t think we should ever downplay that,” he said.

“You definitely don’t want 10th-graders saying, ‘Why should I study? I’m a ballplayer.’”