Hewitt on Sports Unlimited

Caught the show on CSS. Hewitt was in the studio. I will have to paraphrase his comments the best I can, as I didn't record the show. Please know this is NOT word-for-word. Here are some highlights:

Question: Intro - big wins, great start, #10 ranking, did you honestly think you would be 7-0?
Hewitt: "Why not"? I'm not surprised we are 7-0. We have an experienced team. I am surprised at the margins we are winning by.

Question: You lost Chris Bosh to the NBA. All the pundits had you finishing 7th in the ACC. How did they all get it wrong. Also, is this a case of a team being even better without a player of his caliber because they learn to compensate?
Hewitt: The media has a job to do. What most of them did was focus on who was NOT here, instead of looking below the surface. The key this year again in experience. There is no doubt we would be an even better team this year with Bosh. The big difference really is the experience of the players on the team. Also, in terms of the media, remember that most of them picked Wake Forest to finish 7th in the ACC last year and they won the regular season title.

Question: Your team has not seemed to be "in awe" of opposing teams. Playing UConn in Madison Square Garden did not seem to phase them.
Hewitt: Correct. But that is because guys like Marvin Lewis and Clarence Moore have played high caliber teams that went on to win to the final four. Last year we played the usual tough ACC schedule and also the eventual NC Syracuse.

Question: You had your family at MSG when you played UConn. That must have been special.
Hewitt: It was definitely special to have my family there. But I was really happy that it was people like Isma'il who stepped up and got the national recognition during those games.

Question: Speaking of Isma'il, he's becoming somewhat of a local media star and getting national attention. He had the #1 top10 play on ESPN last week.
Hewitt: It's great to see him get that recognition. In fact, on my recruiting trips, now I have players coming up to me saying "You coach Isma'il, right?". It's great for him

Question: You had a packed house against Tenn St. That must have been a good feeling
Hewitt: I tell you, we have a very loyal student following. They have been supporting us all year long and they make a difference. I feel bad that we have had games where we are turning students away at the gate, and there are open seats in the arena.

Question: Will Bynum - tell us about him
Hewitt: Will is "chomping at the bit". He will give us more quickness and explosiveness on the perimeter. Jarrett is logging a lot of minutes and he will be able to take some of the load. Also, I believe that BJ's points will go up once Will gets on the floor. There will be 3-5 key minutes in the game where BJ will no longer have to run the point and can concentrate on scoring.

Next, they took some questions from callers:

Question: Coach, if the NBA came calling, would you be interested?
Hewitt: I am very happy at Georgia Tech. I have 3 young kids and the NBA travel schedule is not very conducive to raising a family. I love Atlanta and my wife does too.
Comment from interviewer: Unless of course the Hawks came calling? They are 6-15 and could use some help.
Hewitt: (understated laugh).

Question: Can you go undefeated into the ACC schedule
Hewitt: I will leave that to the prognosticators. We have a tough game on Saturday with St.Louis. They play a style of ball that is in conflict with ours. Let's take them one game at a time.

Question: I am a high school coach and we have good players but they are only interested in playing offense. Can you offer advice?
Hewitt: I concentrate on how defense leads to offense and fast break opportunities. On GT, I concentrate on defensive intensity and when they get out on the break, I like to just sit back and enjoy the results. Once the defense shows results and they get those offensive opportunities, then they buy in.

Question: Tell us when we can expect Tarver back
Hewitt: He was injured Oct 30 and will be out until early January (we hope). For the first time yesterday, he did some light shooting. Our trainer is doing a wonderful job with Theodis but we will not rush him back. We will red-shirt him if necessary

(side note: Tarver can actually play 6 games and still be redshirted this year)

Back to interviewer questions

Question: Jarrett Jack was called the best PG in the nation. Do you agree?
Hewitt: I do agree. He's big, strong and loves the game. He really worked on his jump shot in the off-season and he is really becoming more of an offensive threat.

Question: You had difficulty on the road last year, but finished strong, and now you are winning wherever you play. What is the difference?
Hewitt: The key is our players getting older. With multiple seniors and juniors on the squad, it makes a difference. And what you are seeing in J.Jack is a maturation in only his 2nd year. Jarrett had a lot of ups and downs his freshman year and he is really maturing this year. I would tell GT fans that what you see with Jarrett Jack this year, is what you should expect with Reggie Ball in football next year.

Question: What about Elder, Luke and Lewis. Talk about them (question was much more longwided than that).
Hewitt: Well BJ is really no longer a secret. After his performance at MSG, I think he is front and center. Marvin is just an outstanding young man. He has been on the dean's list every semester he has been at Tech and he is an important leader on this team. Luke played very well his freshman year and had a lot of frustrations last year. He gained a lot of weight and didn't carry the weight well. Now he is playing now and it shows.