At most, Georgia Tech guard Marcus Georges-Hunt is down to the final five games of his Yellow Jackets career, as Tech plays Houston in a first-round NIT matchup Wednesday night at McCamish Pavilion.
“I’m thankful to be able to make the postseason, being that it is the first time ever for me,” Georges-Hunt said. “It’s better than sitting at home and watching other teams play.”
Beyond the team’s performance in its first postseason appearance since 2010, the question that hovers over the team is whether coach Brian Gregory’s tenure is likewise near an end after five seasons. Indications are that Athletic Director Mike Bobinski will render a decision on Gregory’s future when the season is complete. Bobinski declined comment on the matter the day after Tech’s elimination from the ACC tournament Thursday, stating it was his policy to not give “blow-by-blow” updates of the decision-making process.
Georges-Hunt and other team members offered insights into Gregory, who this season has led the Jackets to their first postseason appearance of his tenure with a 19-14 record after four seasons with a combined mark of 55-71.
“It’s more than just coaching,” Georges-Hunt said. “(He is) like another father figure. Sometimes we’re not on the same page and in the heat of the moment, but there’s nothing but love for each other.”
Georges-Hunt is the second player in Gregory’s five seasons to earn All-ACC recognition, following Daniel Miller in the 2013-14 season.
“He’s meant a lot,” Georges-Hunt said. “He brought me here, him and the coaching staff, him and coach (Chad) Dollar, and I’ve been learning ever since. I’ve been learning the last four years how to become a better person and a better player, so he means a lot to me.”
Center Ben Lammers spoke of the universal affection that players have for Gregory. For Lammers, Gregory’s encouragement has helped him gain confidence in his offensive game. Where typically coaches might chastise players for shooting too much, Lammers said the reverse has been true with Gregory, helping him believe that he can contribute. It has revealed itself with increasing frequency, such as a 10-point game against Syracuse and his six-point contribution in just 12 minutes in the win over Notre Dame.
“He’s the only coach I want to be under,” Lammers said.
Forward Charles Mitchell said that Gregory has been “such a great help to so many of us. People don’t realize that. On the outside looking in, so many people worry about the numbers, but in the locker room, outside the locker room, off the court, he has been the greatest help to me, and I will always respect that man, I will always have his back.”
Mitchell alluded to Gregory helping him drop about 25 pounds since the end of last season to improve his conditioning and productivity and has driven him to become one of the better rebounders in college basketball.
“He believed in me from the get-go,” Mitchell said. “As soon as I transferred, he told me he had my back, and I’m going to have his back.”
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