Scott Cross rebuilds Georgia Tech basketball one stair at a time
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Yes, Scott Cross intentionally takes the stairs.
The Georgia Tech basketball coach calls it a mantra, part of the blue-collar mentality he has brought to the program since taking over this offseason.
There’s a beanbag game for players with diving, running and clapping. Punishments during practice include singing the fight song while performing flutter kicks and crunches.
There are shooting drills and offensive and defensive schemes to learn, of course.
But Cross is emphasizing something he says will matter just as much.
“We’re probably not going to out-talent teams in the ACC, but I think we can outtough them,” he said. “I think we can be more together.
“That has to be our identity, our DNA, that we’re going to be tougher, grittier and grimier, and selfless. That’s how you beat the Dukes of the world.”
Cross took over the Yellow Jackets after seven years at Troy, including five consecutive 20-win seasons and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.
On Tuesday at ACC Tipoff media days, Cross compared assembling his first Tech roster to “speed dating,” because only two players — guard Kam Craft and center Cole Kirouac — return from last season’s team.
Cross said he targeted players who gave effort on defense and shot efficiently.
He added Jackson Fields and Víctor Valdés, senior forwards who previously played for him at Troy.
“His culture is what has stuck with me after I left Troy,” said Fields, who played last season at West Virginia. “Just taking the stairs motto, doing the little things right, doing the small things that win games.”
Cross also added two guards, Colby Garland and Nasir Whitlock, who fit the ideal profile.
Garland, from small-town Magnolia, Arkansas, averaged 20.3 points and 4.6 assists per game last season for San Jose State.
Whitlock, from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, helped Lehigh to the NCAA Tournament last season, averaging a Patriot League-best 20.5 points per game and 43.3% on 3-point attempts.
Whitlock said he and Garland clicked with Cross from the beginning.
“I told Colby the other day, the reason they brought us here is because we’ve been taking the stairs our whole lives,” Whitlock said. “It’s not new to us. We’ve had to do it the hard way, so that’s the reason (Tech and Cross) appealed to us.”
Craft is one familiar face for Jackets fans. He averaged 7.3 points last season and made 36.4% of his 3-point attempts.
“He definitely was a guy that we wanted to keep in the program,” Cross said. “He did make it known that he did want to continue his career at Georgia Tech very early on.
“He is an elite 3-point shooter.”
Tech’s season begins Nov. 3 against Hampton atMcCamish Pavilion. The nonconference schedule includes Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State and Butler.
To prepare for those opponents and the ACC slate, Cross lined up exhibitions against Maryland, Providence and a closed scrimmage with Oklahoma, all on the road.
“All these games will be on the road in great environments for our guys,” he said. “We’ll expose some things that we need to improve upon.”
Cross said he views 20 wins this season as a benchmark for success. Tech has had five straight losing seasons under coaches Josh Pastner and Damon Stoudamire. Just as importantly, Cross’ first season is about establishing a culture and identifying the types of players Tech fans can expect in Atlanta during his tenure.
“I want guys that I enjoy coaching every day,” he said. “If you have guys like that, then going to practice is fun, and then your ceiling goes up tremendously.”