Daily Swarm

WATCH THE JACKETS PRESS CONFERENCE FOR FREE
Just click on this link and you should see Real Media pop up and the press conference (32 minutes) with BJ / M.Lewis as well as Coach Hewitt. Hear BJ / Marvin talk about defense, hear them explain "Luke has a posse" (Lewis wears the shirt to the press conference). Hear them talk about the Dook game, about Coach Hewitt, about the match-up in the middle with Nevada, about upsets. Then watch Coach Hewitt talk about graduation rates, defense, aggressiveness (all 5 Nev starters have shot at least 100 free throws), K.Snyder, Luke's posse,

By the way, if you want to hear the Nevada press conference, click here. To watch any of the other press conferences, click here.

IT'S OFFICIAL - HEWITT AND ST.JOHN'S ARE YESTERDAY'S NEWS
The bastion of journalism, the NY Post (sarcasm), is reporting the Hewitt has officially contacted St.John's to tell them he will NOT be their HC next year. (story here). Believe it or not, now the St.John's fans actually think they might hire our AD and Hewitt as a package deal - at this point I just feel sorry for them............ Now Calipari is taking himself out of the running, and with other open jobs like Georgetown, St.John's better hire someone soon, or they will be pulling names out of their you know what.............. This article absolutely calls the St.John's situation was scary accuracy. I'm sure St.John's alums will refuse to read it and accept it - "delusions of granduer" was the kindest part of this story. It says Hewitt has "outgrown" St.John's. No doubt.

WHO HAS "THE EDGE" FRIDAY???
Interesting look at the Nevada / GT game. Notice how dang close both teams are to one another - scary!!........... Expect a big change of pace in Friday's game compared to the grind it out BC game. (story here)........... Notice at the bottom of that article Hewitt says he has decided "less is more" and is not going to overwhelm his players with practice this week. Probably a good idea. If they don't know how to prepare by this time of year, forget about it - and the last thing you need is an injury in practice............... While I am nervous about this game, I think the Jackets come out and dominate this game. I just don't think it is going to be a nail-biter. I honestly think we win this one by about 12-15 points.

Here are all the facts you need about the Jackets heading into the Friday game.

MCHENRY STEPPING UP THE OFFENSE
You know he is actually shooting 47.8% from the field this year - very respectable. If this guy can keep his defender honest, that could really open up things for BJ & Luke in particular (story here).

LUKE HAS A POSSE
Well the shirts have made the national media, as Sportsline.com has picked up the story. Evidently Luke has sent a couple home to his parents............ This blurb mentions that Coach Hewitt actually bought t-shirts for the team, and Marvin Lewis was spotted wearing one in practice - I love it. Lewis's quote is great - "As he's improved, the fans have really begun to like him a lot," Lewis said. "We're very proud. Luke's really worked on his game and has gotten a lot better."

MORE ON NEVADA
Giving Kirk Snyder a chance when other programs would not has paid off for Nevada. His grades scared off most high profile programs, but he has matured into one of the best players in the nation and a likely 1st round pick (story here)............ Evidently Nevada is the popular pick as "Cinderella" at this point. Interestingly, if we beat Nevada and UAB beats Kansas, we will have to play UAB, who at that point, would probably be considered the next Cinderella. When we win it all, hopefully our path to the finals will not be looked at as soft - it won't matter when we cut down the nets.............. Want to know how much money Nevada will make by staying alive in the dance? (story here)............. Don't leave any teams for dead, as Coach Hewitt says in this article.......... Looks like the Nevada team got a good sendoff......... While Kirk Synder is their MVP, one assistant coach says Todd Okeson is their MIP (M.Important P), a small tough dude (story here).

This story again focuses on Synder and how stopping him will be key for the Jackets. Looks like Isma'il is ready for his chance as the stopper - "He can do a lot of things on the court. He can shoot the ball. He's taken over 200 foul shots, so you know he gets to the basket. He's just a very good all-around player," Muhammad said. "But I can't wait to get in and have that assignment. I love checking the better players. It's going to be a test for me."

GUESS WHO IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE NEXT MIAMI HOOPS HC???
How about St.John's cast-off Mike Jarvis. That's right - the guy who couldn't do anything right in the Big East has obviously got some people thinking he is right for the ACC. All Miami has to do is pay the $2million buyout clause in Perry Clark's contract. (Story here).

HEWITT DOES NOT LIKE HOW GRAD RATES ARE CALCULATED
Well, Coach Hewitt's comments yesterday (see yesterday's daily swarm) got picked up in the media (story here). Turns out GT has a 27% grad rate (% players that graduate within 6 years of their initial enrollment). No doubt some things count unfairly. like transfers who graduate at another school. Coach Hewitt also mentioned a guy like Jason Collier who is about 10 credits short of a degree and working on it. One of our posters had an interesting proposal - what if you counted % of credits towards a degree. So Collier would be like 90%+ and most of the work he has done would count for something. Of course Ed Nelson will not count, and Chris Bosh will not count. But hey, Bosh did the right thing............ Another story looking at the graduation issue............ This article goes into more detail with Hewitt's comments - for example - Kevin Morris transferred to GaState and graduated. Pablo Machado transferred and graduated from Loyola, but both count as "non graduates".

If you listened to Coach's press conference (link above) you can hear his detailed explanation. I tell you what - that is one thing I respect about Coach Hewitt - he speaks his mind - he is not afraid to call out incorrect facts - he actually called the graduation rate numbers "fraudgulent".

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - RICHARD LEWIS
No, not the comedian, but the beesball player. He was taken in the supplemental draft from GT back in 2001. Now he has been traded by the Braves to the Cubs (story here). Here's the blurb on him - "Lewis, 23, was a 2001 supplemental first-round pick out of Georgia Tech. He struggled in 2003 at Double-A Greenville, batting .239/.305/.341 with six homers, 47 RBIs and 19 steals in 129 games, but rebounded to hit .404 in the Arizona Fall League. He's not spectacular but has decent all-around tools. He has good speed and even better instincts on the bases, and he also has some gap power. Defensively, he's surehanded and turns the double play well. If he can hit more like he did in 2002 at high Class A Myrtle Beach (.279 with a .359 OBP), Lewis can be a big league regular."

AROUND THE DANCE FLOOR
JJ "punk" Redick is "embracing" the role of villian (story here). He even references the BJ Elder incident. Oh please..... spare me (eyes rolling in the back of my head). First of all JJ, "we" haven't won any national championships. Dook has, you haven't.... period. People don't dislike you primarily because you win. They dislike you because you are not humble, you are not a good winner. You are not a good example for kids. Enough on these guys........... Here are some random notes from the ACC, including some vindication for what Matt D actually accomplished with UNC last year (19 wins just like Roy - only without May and Felton / McCants as a frosh, and a tougher schedule). Matt D is being considered for the James Madison job along with GT assistant Dean Keener................. Here are some misc notes on the tourney............ Here's a look at each region, and why this guy sees GT as the possible best backcourt in the nation and refers to Isma'il as a spectacular video-dunk machine".............. Here's an article mentioning Okafor and a bit on his recruiting............. Here is a nice look at the WF/St.Joe's matchup - of course by the time you read this the game will be over........... Here are random notes from FoxSports.com.............. Can you believe Larry Eustachy gets the HC job at S.Illinois (story here). I guess it's ok to party with the students - nothing like a few coeds on your arm - wives really go for that stuff............... Here's an interesting look at point shaving and a quote from Bobby Cremins - "The former Georgia Tech University men's basketball coach Bobby Cremins, who coached for 19 with Tech, said point-shaving is an unforgivable sin. "If I ever had a player involved in point-shaving, I probably wouldn't talk to him for the rest of his lifetime," Cremins said in a Sports Illustrated interview."

ANOTHER LOOK AT THE BEESBALL WIN OVER UGAg
.... from the Dawg perspective.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - NAT DORSEY / DARYL SMITH
This mock draft (story here) has Dorsey getting drafted 34th (2nd pick in the 2nd round) and D-Smith getting drafted 48th (#16 pick round 2). Here is what it says about them:
DORSEY - "New York Giants- Nat Dorsey- OT- Georgia Tech- With the Giants line arguable the least talented in the league, Coach Couglin adds a pure talent in what would be the definition of a need pick."
SMITH - "New Orleans Saints- Daryl Smith- MLB- Geargia Tech- Smith is a hard nosed player with is instinctive and aggressive, and can hopefully inject the Saints porous run defense with the attitude it has been lacking."

SI.com had these comments on Dorsey - "Georgia Tech tackle Nat Dorsey, a 20-year-old junior who declared for the draft, says he remains excited to show what he can do for NFL teams, and came away from last month's Combine feeling that he capitalized on the chance to do just that. "When it's football time, there's nothing I can't do," he boasts. "There is no reason I shouldn't be the second offensive lineman picked. I just feel there is nothing I can't do."

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - FRANK BOLICK
Bolick played beesball for the Jackets in the 80's. He is being honored with induction into the Ed Romance Hall-of-Fame

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - TONY HARGROVE
Tony has made the best of a terrible situation (story here). He has worked hard and impressed scouts. In fact he has done the exact opposite of Maurice Claurett, who was out of shape and would not work out at the combines. I hate what happened to Hargrove, but I wish him the best and hope he makes it in the NFL. Wouldn't it be great to have him on the field this coming season. Oh well. Look at a guy like that and a guy like Tony Hollings - I guess you can do what'ifs all day long.