Jason Morris felt he was wasting his time.
In the first half of Georgia Tech's game with Miami on Sunday, Morris' stat sheet was just about empty: one missed shot, one rebound, two fouls. Iman Shumpert pulled the freshman aside at halftime and gave him some simple advice: "If you're going to do something, give me a rebound, give me a dunk, give me a deflection, give me something."
Morris gave him something all right: three 3-pointers, including two within 45 seconds early in the second half, to help the Jackets outscore the Hurricanes 39-23 in the last 20 minutes and win their second consecutive game. He called it a confidence booster.
Coach Paul Hewitt said Morris is the most improved player on the team this season, followed by another freshman, center Daniel Miller. While there are profound uncertainties surrounding the program -- Will Hewitt remain as coach? Where will the team play while Alexander Memorial Coliseum is being rebuilt? -- as it opens the ACC tournament against Virginia Tech on Thursday in Greensboro, N.C., the program's youngest players provide some hope.
Morris has pushed his way into the starting lineup the past four games where Miller has been a shot-blocking fixture all season. True freshman Nate Hicks is coming off the bench to provide another defensive presence. Another redshirt freshman, Kammeon Holsey has started 12 games and is averaging just 3.5 points per game, but is still recovering from the ACL tear he suffered last year. He has begun to show signs of being the jumping jack his teammates saw before the injury.
The young players are just the building blocks. If Shumpert, an All-ACC performer, returns for his senior season and 3-point shooters Glen Rice and Brian Oliver return for their junior years, next year's team could turn the program around.
"The future is big for Georgia Tech," Maurice Miller, one of the team's two seniors, said. "They'll be experienced. Like last year was a learning experience on the positive end, this year was a learning experience on the negative end. Now you've been through it all. You know what it takes and how important the small things are."
Morris is one of the reasons why. Since moving into the starting lineup Feb. 23 against Virginia, he's averaging 10.5 points and converted 11 of 19 3-point attempts. That accuracy, something Tech has needed this season, helped open up the floor for Shumpert and Rice. .
"Jason's getting better," Shumpert said. "He doesn't want to have any wasted minutes. He always wants to be contributing. It's making him a lot better."
Tech's shooting has improved with the inclusion of Morris. The team is hitting 43.4 percent of its shots and 38.6 percent of its 3-pointers with Morris starting, compared to its conference-low season averages of 40.4 and 28.8 percent, respectively, before he joined the first five.
Hewitt said it's no secret that the improved shooting has improved the defense. The accuracy has reduced transition baskets for the other team and helped set up Tech's pressing defense. The Jackets lead the ACC in steals (9.7) and turnovers forced (16.7) per game. With opponents having to set up in their half-court offenses more frequently, Daniel Miller has had more chances to do what he does best, block shots. He ranks fifth in the ACC in blocks (2.4 points per game).
Miller went through a spell in the middle of the conference schedule where he seemed run out of energy, but he has bounced back to block 17 shots in the past five games. He's more than just a 6-foot-11 tower. He hustled down the floor during one play against Miami, diving for a ball with a cut-block move that would have made Paul Johnson proud.
Miller said redshirting last year allowed him to develop strength. Competing against Derrick Favors and Gani Lawal also helped him improve his defensive skills.
"I've always had good timing with blocking shots," he said. "That's just a gift that I've been given: good timing and playing clean."
Hicks, a 6-10 true freshman, has shown flashes. He said nothing has come easy on the offensive end of the court, but he's trying to use defense to earn playing time. He's averaging 1.6 points with 2.1 rebounds per game and has blocked 17 shots.
"At the beginning of the season it was all kind of a blur, but it's slowing down for me now," he said.
Lance Storrs, the team's other senior, has seen quite a bit in his four years. He saw Favors leave after one year. He saw Lawal leave after his junior season. Early departures have been a consistent problem for Tech since Hewitt took over in 2000 but next year's team could buck that trend. Though he's focused on trying to win the ACC tournament, Storrs thinks good things could be in store.
"They are a young group of guys. They work hard," Storrs said. "They have a lot of experience already. They are going to understand how tough the ACC is and they will come out of the blocks very strong."
About the Author
