NBA scouts flock to watch Tech-FSU game

By Carroll Rogers

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia Tech fans aren't the only ones interested in seeing how their frontcourt duo of Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors will match up against good ACC competition. The NBA is, too.

Thirty one scouts are expected for Tech's ACC opener against Florida State on Sunday, when Lawal and Favors will take on the Seminoles' 7-foot-1 Solomon Alabi, a potential lottery pick, and 6-9 Chris Singleton, a standout from Dunwoody.

Tech hasn't had this many scouts, who are representing 26 of the 30 NBA teams, at a game in at least 10 years, assistant sports information director Mike Stamus said. It's a chance for them to see four big man prospects going against top competition – each other.

Not that the attention will faze Favors, a freshman seeing his first ACC action.

"Derrick honestly just wants to play basketball," Lawal said. "He doesn't really care about other stuff. He doesn't read magazines. He's a simple guy. That's why I love him so much. You get a lot of cats, they're reading all the magazines and saying ‘Hey, I'm better than him.' But Derrick just wants to play hard and dominate, which he is going to do."

NBA scouts couldn't watch Favors in high school and in only a limited number of summer events. They saw him in the Puerto Rico tournament and against Southern Cal, but not to this extent. Not that he's noticed.

"I pretty much don't worry about it," Favors said. "I just go out there and play."

It won't phase the veteran Lawal, either. The junior spent two weeks last spring traveling to NBA cities, exploring his draft potential, participating in much more intimate tryouts.

"That's the ACC for you," Lawal said. "During all conference games it's going to be like that."

A bigger concern is facing a long and athletic team with three players 6-9 or taller. Florida State leads the ACC in field goal-percentage defense, allowing only 34.5 percent shooting. Georgia Tech is second in that category, holding teams to 35.3 percent.

It's an excellent matchup featuring Tech's top two scorers and rebounders against FSU's top two scorers and rebounders. Lawal averages 16.3 points and 10.4 rebounds, and Favors averages 13.7 points and 8.8 rebounds.

Alabi leads the Seminoles with 13.4 points and 6.4 rebounds, and Singleton averages 10.5 points and 7.7 rebounds.

Those four players also are among the top seven shot blockers in the ACC – Alabi (2.6 blocks per game), Favors (2.3), Singleton (1.5) and Lawal (1.4).

"You can't be ‘in between' around the rim," Lawal said. "It's got to be an aggressive move, nothing fading away. Try to slam everything, try to draw fouls. Don't put the ball right in (Alabi's) face or it's going to be a block."

Lawal and Alabi will be a good matchup to watch, as will Favors and Singleton, former AAU teammates, who won't be matched up every trip down the floor because Singleton has been playing small forward.

Favors is expecting a challenge in his ACC debut.

"I think it'll be a good experience for me to see where my game is and see what I need to work on," Favors said.

1960 team honored

Tech will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its first trip to the NCAA tournament by honoring the 1960 team at halftime, including Roger Kaiser, the school's first consensus All-American. The Yellow Jackets will wear 1960 throwback uniforms to mark the occasion.

Shumpert progress

Sophomore guard Iman Shumpert is progressing well from arthroscopic knee surgery and is on track to return to practice on Dec. 26, coach Paul Hewitt said. That would put him more than three weeks into his recovery, which was expected to take up to six weeks.