Overall program strength of new ACC teams

Well, we know about Miami in football and beesball, VaTech in football and BC in hoops and football. But do these teams stack up overall when you look across ALL their programs. Well, not quite - as this article points out.

The Hurricanes have few peers in football or baseball, but in terms of overall athletic excellence, the three newcomers appear to lag behind the ACC's current members. In the Directors' Cup standings released June 13, Miami was No. 60, Boston College No. 68 and Virginia Tech No. 77. Well ahead of them were North Carolina (No. 6), Duke (No. 17), Maryland (No. 23), Virginia (No. 27), Florida State (No. 28), Georgia Tech (No. 34), N.C. State (No. 38), Clemson (No. 41) and Wake Forest (No. 42).

Speaking of GT and the Directors Cup, we had our highest finish ever, at #31. In fact check this out: *

School-record 31st-place finish in the NACDA Director's Cup standings; previous best was 45th place in 1994

* Fifteen of 17 sports advanced to postseason play in 2003-04

* Georgia Tech is one of just three schools in the nation that won a football bowl game and at least one game in the men's basketball and baseball NCAA Tournaments in 2003-04, and Tech is the only school that won a bowl game, an NCAA basketball regional and an NCAA baseball regional

* Men's basketball, volleyball, women's swimming and women's track teams recorded their best seasons ever

* Men's basketball team captured the nation with its stunning run to the NCAA Championship game for the first time

* Volleyball team won a school-record 34 matches and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight

* Sophomore Chaunte Howard won two track NCAA titles, winning the indoor and outdoor high jump, and the women's track program recorded a best-ever 15th-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships

* Golf team recorded its fourth top-five NCAA finish in the last five years

* Football team set a school-record by earning its seventh consecutive bowl game

* Five ACC Player of the Year winners: Kele Eveland (volleyball), Chaunte Howard (indoor track, outdoor track), Brendon Mahoney (indoor track, outdoor track)

* Four ACC Rookie of the Year winners: Reggie Ball (football), Ashlee Kidd (indoor track & outdoor track) and Roberto Castro (golf)

* Three Academic All-Americas (Kele Eveland, volleyball; Erin Voeltz, softball; Brendon Mahoney, track & field) and nine Academic All-District honorees (Kele Eveland, Lauren Sauer, Hal Higgins, Marvin Lewis, Steven Blackwood, Erin Voeltz, Nick Thompson, Brendon Mahoney, Shanta Smith)

* Three Atlantic Coast Conference Weaver-James-Corrigan Postgraduate Scholars (Kele Eveland, Hal Higgins, Marvin Lewis), and one NCAA Postgraduate Scholar (Kele Eveland)

* A school-record and league-high eight student-athletes named to the ACC All-Academic football team

* Georgia Tech won the inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference Sportsmanship School of the Year Award

* Christened two outstanding athletic facilities with the new-and-improved Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field and the fully-enclosed Georgia Tech Aquatic Center

Gametimes set for first 3 football games

Link here.

9/4...Samford...1:00pm
9/11..Clemson...8:00pm
9/18..UNC.......6:00pm

Check out the countdown clock - it is getting closer folks!!! And only 35 days until Fall practice starts.

Hoops Recruiting - CJ Miles

Interesting interview with Miles over at a Duke website.

O'Leary says - "show who I voted for"

The coaches football poll does not release who voted for who. But O'leary doesn't mind that changing:

Also, the coaches' poll has been criticized for not releasing the ballots of its voters. The American Football Coaches Association has stubbornly refused to make the ballots public. However, two of the 63 voters told SportsLine.com this week they would have no problem going public.

"I don't care if mine is released or not," Central Florida coach George O'Leary said. "You'd be amazed at how many (undeserving) guys vote for themselves. When we were at Georgia Tech, I'd see this guy would get three votes. I'd say, 'Who voted for him?' All they're doing is taking votes from somebody else."

Coach Danny Hall helps fill Wake Forest HC job

Wake Forest hires Rick Rembielak, on the recommendation of Danny Hall. Story here.

Wellman said that one of the first calls he made when the search began was to Danny Hall, the head coach for Georgia Tech. That proved to be a fortunate break for Rembielak, who has known Hall for 25 years. Hall was the graduate assistant at Miami (Ohio) in 1979, when Rembielak was a freshman there. When his professional career was over, Rembielak joined Hall at Kent State.

After serving as an assistant under Hall for six seasons, Rembielak ascended to the head job in 1994 when Hall left to become head coach at Georgia Tech.

"Danny was one of the first people I called, to run names by him," Wellman said. "He was very honest with me. Mike Martin (of Florida State) and Danny were very helpful. Jack Leggett (of Clemson) helped an awful lot."

Hall, not surprisingly, endorsed Wellman's decision.

"I think Wake Forest made a great choice in Rick Rembielak," Hall said in a statement released by the Wake Forest Sports Information Department. "They are getting a great coach who established Kent State as one of the premier programs in the Mid-American Conference and the Midwest.

"He has had several high draft picks under his watch and he has done a great job in developing talent. Wake Forest is getting a great coach, a great person and a great family. I am extremely excited for him and his new opportunity."

Sources have said that Rembielak will hire Jon Palmieri as an assistant coach, a report that neither Wellman or Rembielak denied. Palmieri, an assistant at Georgia Tech, was a two-time All-America at Wake Forest and left in 1999 as the Deacons' all-time leader with 230 runs, 338 hits, 82 doubles and 241 RBIs.

The Vince Dooley Parade

Ok, will you retire already? How long can the farewell tour last? There are articles o'plenty on Dooley reliving the past, with plenty of mention of GT as well. I won't bore you with all the links, but here is a decent one, pointing out our role in helping UGAg win their 1980 National Championship.

What made it even better for Georgia fans was that Georgia Tech tied No. 1 Notre Dame that day, giving Georgia the room to move up to the top spot.

Black Coaches more common

Story on the growth of black coaches with quotes from Coach Hewitt:

Georgia (Dennis Felton) and Georgia Tech (Paul Hewitt) have black coaches. Hewitt guided the Yellow Jackets to the Final Four in April.

"I'm well aware that if it wasn't for John Thompson, John Chaney, George Raveling, Nolan Richardson, I wouldn't have this opportunity," Hewitt said at the Final Four. "You look around the South now, you have an African-American black head coach at Florida State, Georgia, Clemson, Georgia Tech. I mean, 15 years ago, that was unheard of."

Recruiting - Football / Beesball

Mason Dueitt is a star WR and a star infielder from Alabama. Evidently GT is showing some interest in him on the gridiron - story here.

Dueitt's brother Cory just finished a baseball career at Auburn, but now he's poised to make a name for himself. He pitched and played on the infield, and he, like Watkins, possesses game-breaking speed. It showed during football season, when Dueitt had more than 1,100 yards receiving. He'll have a tough time deciding between football and baseball.

"I'm still looking to see what my options are," Dueitt said. "It would be great to play both but it would be hard."

Right now, Dueitt's greater options are coming from football, where he listed Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, Clemson, Virginia, Illinois and Georgia Tech as teams that have showed interest.

Where are they now - Andrew Kown

Kown signs a deal with Detroit - link here.

The Tigers agreed to terms yesterday with six selections from the recent first-year player draft.

Right-handers Collin Mahoney, a fourth-round relection from Clemson, and Andrew Kown, a fifth-round pick from Georgia Tech, headline the half-dozen players agreeing to terms with Detroit.

Global Games - Game 3 versus Russia

Well, teamUSA lost to Russia in double-OT (story here), the first loss for USA since 2001. Here is another re-cap. However, this happened to be an exhibition game, as Russia and USA were in different pools. So if teamUSA beats Croatia today and Lithuania on Friday, they will play for the Gold medal for the 3rd year in a row.

As far as the game goes, first off, the team was missing the 2-leading scorers from game 1. J-Smith was back in ATL taking a test and one of the other players was ruled ineligible. TeamUSA led for most of the game, but sagged back into a pack-down zone. Russia took advantage and shot their way into the game.

J-Smith will arrive at about 4:00 pm tonight and will play.

Here is how our recruits stacked up (game stats are not up, so I'll do the best I can):

Ra'Sean Dickey
Scored 22 points and led teamUSA in scoring

Anthony Morrow
Scored 8 points

As I find out more on the others I will let you know.

Global Games Update - USA crushes China (Update)

Ok, the full box score is posted now, so I will update my entry on the game.

TeamUSA crushed China 121-91.

Anthony Morrow
16 points, 6-9 FG, 1-2 from 3pt range, 3-3 FT, 5 boards, 2 fouls

Ra'Sean Dickey
14 points, 5-6 FG, 4-7 FT, 4 boards, 1 assist, 4 fouls

Zam "Buck" Fredrick
6 points, 3-6 FG, 0-2 FT, 3 boards, 0 assists, 2 fouls

Jeremis Smith
Was not at the game. Was back on campus taking a test. He is expected to return to action Wednesday.

Potential Recruits in the game
Byron Eaton
16 points, 6-13 FG, 0-2 3pt, 4-7 FT, 8 boards, 6 assists, 3 fouls

Kevin Rogers
9 points, 3-5 FG, 3-4 FT, 5 boards, 1 foul

The leading scorer from game 1, SMU gaurd Bryan Hopkins has been ruled ineligible to play any longer due to some NCAA compliance ruling.

Here is a story on the game.

Also of note was that Chris Bosh was in attendence, who is an alumni of this event. From the article:

Raptors center and Lincoln product Chris Bosh watched the USA-China game and reminisced. He played in the Global Games in 2002, leading USA to the championship.

Bosh, temporarily home from a break with the NBA season, said he liked what this year's USA team had to offer. Perhaps this year's team can duplicate what his team did.

"There's always a shot at that," he said. "I know the competition gets stiffer down the road. If they keep playing together, they'll be all right."

Here's another story on the game, including more on J-Smith trying to juggle class and the games:

Dunbar ex staying busy

Juggling the Global Games with summer school would be difficult for any player.

Try doing it when class is 800 miles away.

That's what Dunbar product Jeremis Smith has done, preparing for and playing in the Global Games while in the process of finishing his first classes at Georgia Tech.

Smith scored 17 points in Team USA's 89-88 victory over Canada on Sunday. After the game, he flew back to school to attend class Monday morning.

He has a final Wednesday, so he did not make it back for Monday's game against China.

But Smith said he will be back in time for Wednesday's 8 p.m. game against Croatia.

Where are they now - Dean Keener

Nice article about his patience in getting a HC job with quotes from our own Coach Hewitt:

Keener, a 38-year-old Tallmadge native, served 16 years as an assistant basketball coach at seven colleges before being named head basketball coach at James Madison University in Virginia. Not everyone is that patient.

``That would have been tough,'' said Paul Hewitt, whom Keener coached under as an assistant for four years at Georgia Tech. ``I think that speaks to his intelligence level. I think it also says that people recognized his ability, giving him an opportunity right out of college.''

Could Tony Hollings start at RB next season for the Texans??

Thanks to someone (can't remember) for the tip on this one. Even though they have the reigning Rookie of the Year in Domanick Davis, he could be pushed by Tony Hollings. Sorry, but it ain't going to happen this year unless injury takes hold. Story here.

Domanick Davis vs. Tony Hollings, running back

Davis burst onto the scene as a rookie fourth-round pick last year when he rushed for more than 1,000 yards, despite missing the first part of the season with an injury. Davis has already gone on record as saying 2,000 yards is his goal this year. But Hollings might have something to say about that. The Texans took him in the supplemental draft last summer with the idea he could be a back of the future. He was coming off knee surgery, so they knew it would take some time. Hollings flashed at times when he did get on the field last season, and could be more of an every-down back than Davis.

Edge: Davis. Been there, done that.

Opening-day starter: Davis. It's not going to be easy taking away his carries.

Recruiting - Hoops (updated)

Some Updates:

JAMAL BOYKIN
: Nice update on him here.

He's been called undersized, not athletic enough, and an assortment of other critiques. But the performance of Fairfax High senior power forward Jamal Boykin on the final day of the Watts Summer Games over the weekend showed exactly what his supporters have touted about the teenager from day one.
Simply put, Boykin is a winner, a tireless worker on the court who maximizes every ounce of his ability while playing a clean but physical style of ball. He was the difference in the Lions' 44-38 championship victory over Dominguez, scoring 19 points and grabbing seven rebounds while helping dictate the tempo and effort that his teammates gave at both ends of the floor.

"He's our rock," Fairfax coach Harvey Kitani said of his star forward, who helped lead the school to its first Division I state title back in March. "Everything we do revolves around him, and he sets the table for us with his work ethic and desire. Jamal's a special talent, and there aren't many kids out there like him."

There are college coaches and recruiting analysts who have reservations about Boykin, an all-state honoree as a junior, over his lack of height (he's generously listed at 6-foot-7) and what most perceive would be an inability to make a move to small forward at the collegiate level.

However, despite what anyone else thinks about his long-term potential, the bottom line is Boykin gets the job done, and he's gotten it done against some of the best the prep level has to offer.

And there are those who recognize that, as evidenced by the fact that he's already received scholarship offers from Pittsburgh, Illinois, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Kansas, Louisville and Nevada.

I know there are other forward prospects scattered throughout the high school scene that might offer more physical gifts and upside than the Fairfax standout. But if you could put together a team with 12 players who embody what Boykin brings to the court, then winning games would be the least of your concerns.

As far as schools, he is considering GT, BC, Illinois, Pitt, Louisville, Oregon, Wash, Duke. However, the big question continues to be - will Duke give him an offer. Looks like he is their 3rd choice so he would have to wait. But he seems the most interested in playing at Duke. Louisville is probably out now that they have received commits from a bunch of high profile recruits. If Duke does not offer, GT would have a strong chance to land him. He is ranked #66 by Rivals.

CHARLES JACKSON
The 2-sport standout visited the GT campus last week for hoops. He is a top 60 prospect in football, but is considering both sports. He is not ranked in the Rivals top 150. He is 6'7" 275lb. He has dual sport offers from Auburn and UGAg, but a football only offer so far from GT. He can get a football offer from any school he wants. The key is hoops and it is not clear which schools are holding back until he makes it more clear which sport he wants to try. GT is in his top 5. He is not a nationally ranked player in hoops and I am not sure about his hoops talent or potential.

LEWIS CLINCH
This 6'3" SG is making a strong name for himself this summer. He is AAU teammates with Charles Jackson and he visited GT with Jackson last week. Clinch has offers from GT, UGAg, Auburn, Miami, Tenn and others. We are in good position with Clinch but it is still early in his recruiting.

CASAAN BREEDEN
We are no longer offering Ra'Sean Dickey's younger teammate. He is 6'8" and very thin, but very talented. Breeden and Dickey have been mates for years and it looks like he is ready to be out of Dickey's shadow. So take him off your radar.

WES MATTHEWS
This 6'4" SG has GT in his top 3 along with Marquette and Wisc. Averaged 16 pts, 8 boards, and 4 assists his junior season.

BYRON EATON
We are in his top 4, but another 2-sport star. Played at Chris Bosh's high school and is on the Global Games TeamUSA with our 4 incoming recruits. I still put it a longshot to land him. He doesn't fit the typical Coach Hewitt mold of a big physical PG, but no doubt he is quick and has a nice cross-over. Can handle the rock.

CALVIN MILES
One of the most talented players in his class nationally. Ranked anywhere from #6 to #30 in his class by the various services. We are in his top 3 and right in the running for this 6'6" 210lb SF. Has offers from all-over, including Kansas, UNC, Arizona, UConn, Illinois. All the bigs. Would like to sign at the same school as Kevin Rogers, even though both guys are losing their hope of this happening.

KEVIN ROGERS
A 6'8" 220lb PF ranked anywhere from #26 to #47 in his class. We are in his top 3. As mentioned he is buddies with Calvin Miles. We have offered 'ships to both players. He is being recruited by all the same schools as Miles - all the bigs. Both guys have already visisted Oklahoma and will visit Kansas and GT in July unofficially. I would say Kansas probably has the edge with them, although I am not sure how all their recent committments will impact their decision.

BRANDON COSTNER
This 6'9" 220lb PF has GT in his top 5 and is ranked anywhere from #13 to #43. Also being recruited by UConn, Indiana, Kansas, Mich and NCST. He is a lefty with a nice outside shooting touch. Needs the most work on defense.

KOVOTNEY BARBER
Ranked anywhere from 42 to 74, a 6'7" 215lb PF also being recruited by UGAg, Miami and Auburn. Known for his dunking ability. Averaged 15 points, 12 boards, 5 blocks and 2 assists his junior year. Has already made an unofficial visit to GT. He is still waiting some of his academic test scores so this could impact recruiting. Overall, probably an Auburn lean.

ERIC BOATENG
The 6'10" 230lb center is a very coachable kid who wants to learn. Being recruited by the bigs such as Duke, Kansas, UNC, as well as BC, Florida, Georgetown, NCST, Villinova and others. He is very tight-lipped about his recruiting but he is ranked anywhere from #13 to #16 in his class and one of the top prospects. By the end of the summer he could be another one of these kids considering a jump to the NBA. Duke wants him pretty badly. Believe it or not, this kid can likes to stroke the 3 every once in awhile also. A nice touch for a big man. Supposedly we are in his top 5, but I wouldn't hold out too much hope of landing him. We'll just have to watch this develop.

LEE "ANDREW" BYNUM
A 6'11" 285lb bigman. We are in his top 5 along with UNC, UConn, Georgetown and Rutgers. Only UNC has not offered a free ride and they are looking at a few other bigs ahead of him. He may have to wait awhile from them. Bynum is actually not listed in the Rivals 150 but should rise during the summer with more exposure. He is thought to be a Rutgers lean since he has some friends going there, but he will take visits to UNC and GT which could change his thinking fast. He averaged 17 points and 13 boards his junior season.

VERNON GOODRIDGE
6'9" 215lb PF has offers from GT, UConn, Georgetown, St.John's and is interested in others like UNC and Pitt. Stronger defensively than offensively but can shoot the ball. Ranked #150 by Rivals.

For a peek into the class of 2006, check out this player:

JARAVIS CRITTENTON
Dwight Howard's high school teammate has us in his top 3 or so, but it is so early. He will only be a junior this season. I saw him play last December and take over the game when Dwight Howard fouled out. They happened to be playing Ra'Sean Dickey's team. Jaravis ended up getting game MVP honors. He is a 6'5" combo-guard. He can shoot and handle the ball well. He is ranked in the top 60 by Rivals. Also interest from Tenn, WF, UGAg, Louisville, UNC, but it appears his only offers right now are from GT and Tenn.

The Summer AAU Circuit

You hear a lot of negative things about the AAU circuit - the money, the corruption, etc. This article tries to counter those things, and has quotes from our own Coach Hewitt:

In 2002, the NCAA barred contact between summer coaches and college coaches at camps. But the contact is too pivotal for college coaches to abandon their summer-league peers altogether.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt has maintained close relationships for more than a decade with influential summer coaches such as the Celtics' Wallace Prather, who coached NBA-bound Dwight Howard, and Team Georgia's Al Outlaw, who coached Shareef Abdur-Rahim of the Portland Trail Blazers.

"I've never had a problem at all," Hewitt said. "The only time you hear about these guys is when something is negative. The positives far outweigh the negatives. I don't think there's a danger either way. There are rules, and you have to play by them."

News Flash - UGAg does have standards!!!!

No kidding......really.....really....... no I mean it........ serious.... They actually denied admission to 2-sport athlete Michael Grant because he was once expelled from high school. However, evidently Arkansas will sink even lower than UGAg.

Arkansas signs athlete who was denied admission to UGA

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The University of Arkansas said Monday it has signed two-sport threat Michael Grant, who was denied admission at the University of Georgia because he was once expelled from a high school.

The 6-foot, 185-pound cornerback and sprinter received national honors in both track and field and football in high school and university officials say he is interested in competing in both as a Razorback.

"We are extremely excited to add a player of the caliber of Michael Grant at this point in the summer," said football coach Houston Nutt. "He has outstanding speed. With everything we lost in the secondary, he will have an opportunity to compete for playing time as a true freshman."

Georgia's faculty admissions committee rejected Grant because he was expelled from South Gwinnett High School in the 10th grade before enrolling at Stephenson High School his junior year. Ronnie Gartrell, Grant's football coach at Stephenson, said the player was expelled for an incident involving a female student.

Gartrell did not give further details.

Georgia released Grant from his scholarship after he was denied admission, and any eligibility questions related to his decision to attend Arkansas on scholarship have been cleared by Southeastern Conference officials.

One of our own passes away

Story here

Former Georgia Tech running back Petit dies

Jim Petit Jr., a Benedictine Military School graduate who went on to play for Georgia Tech in football in the mid-'40s, died last Thursday of a brain hemorrhage at his Roswell home. He was 81.

The 5-foot-8 Petit, who was nicknamed "The Little General," helped the Yellow Jackets and coach Bobby Dodd to three winning seasons from 1946-48, including victories in the Oil Bowl in Houston and the Orange Bowl in Miami.

After college, Petit was a flight instructor for the Army Air Corps during World War II and an Air Force officer. He settled in Atlanta in 1958, working as a sales executive in the trucking industry.

Rest well Mr.Petit Jr.

Where are they now - Derrick Shepard

Did you know there was an AF2? That would be Arena Football 2. I guess the minor leagues to the minor leagues. Salary - $200 per week, $250 if you win. The former GT lineman still loves the game - story here.

Lineman Derrick Shepard, who spent time in two National Football League preseason camps after his days at Georgia Tech, has played in af2 all five seasons of the league's existence. This time of year his only job is football, but he makes up for it in the off-season by working two jobs in his native Ohio. One of them is in undercover security at a clothing store — no mean feat for a man who weighs 330 pounds (a size-66) and emits a laugh that would register on the Richter scale.

Ask Shepard what keeps him playing football, and he replies with a four-letter word: love.

"What keeps a lot of people coming back is the love for the game," he said. "Any time you can get paid for doing something that you grew up loving, it's good to do.

"Even though we get paid $200 — $250 if we win — it's still considered a job. Anything that you can get paid for, you're still considered a professional."

Sorry for the Web site problems

Well, as the saying goes "there's no such thing as a free lunch". Imagine my surprise this morning when I pulled up the GT Blog and a warning popped up that "Active X controls are not allowed with your security settings". What????? I don't have any Active X controls. Then I see Buzz's note in the Tag-Board that the site has "downloaded viruses to his PC".

I headed over to the website of the service that hosts our little message board (tag-board), and guess-what - we have our culprit. Evidently anyone using that service woke up to that rude surprise. The "owner" claims that they have been using a small number of pop-up adds on the free boards to support the site. He added a new "ad supplier" to the rotation that unknowingly asked for software to be installed on user's PC's. He suggested NOT installing it. Well, ddduuuuhhhhh. He claims he will be talking to that supplier and fixing the problem. Personally, I would have suggested telling users that you had pop-ups in the first place.

I have killed the tag-board and hopefully it won't cause anymore troubles. My sincere apologies if it caused you any problems. I cannot tell you how much that ticks me off. Ok, I didn't pay anything, but they should have sent an email warning and didn't.

In the meantime, until I find another option, you will have to use the commenting system for individual posts to be heard.

Sorry again.

GT Tennis Mates face one another

Former GT Tennis players face one another for the first time competitively - link here.

Tyler Greene gets cut from Team USA

Evidently going 3-8, scoring 6 runs and stealing 5 bases was not enough to make the team, as Greene got cut from the 22 man roster. Story here.

Jeremis Smith - "Big Worm"

Well. that was his nickname in early childhood. Nice article on J-Smith.

Dunbar ex likes to surprise
By Mercedes Mayer
Star-Telegram Staff Writer


DALLAS - Jeremis Smith has been amazing people in Fort Worth for some time.

From the time he was a scrawny 12-year-old wearing a size-12 shoe, to the first time he showed he could palm a ball (in fifth grade) and dunk (in sixth grade), and, finally, when he won the 2003 Class 4A state basketball MVP as a junior at Dunbar High School.

But the awe didn't seem to be there when it came time for college coaches to start calling.

"He was underrated because you just don't see that kind of warrior mentality in a guy his height going against guys consistently 6-9 and above," longtime Dunbar coach Robert Hughes said. "A player like Jeremis is usually a guy who is 6-foot-9 to 6-foot-11 and weighs about 265 pounds. He's about 6-6, and when people see him, they decide he's a tweener.

"But Jeremis can play inside with anyone, and then he can also go outside and shoot the 3 put it on the floor and make the passes."

When Smith signed with Georgia Tech last November, the decision might have seemed strange. Georgia Tech wasn't even receiving votes in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll and was picked to finish seventh out of nine teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Smith had offers from Oklahoma, Florida and Arizona.

But Georgia Tech turned into a Final Four team, losing in the national championship game to Connecticut. Smith hopes he can turn into just as good of a surprise for the Yellow Jackets.

This week in Dallas, Smith is on his final farewell tour in the Metroplex, playing for Team USA in the fifth annual Global Games at Moody Coliseum. Smith scored 17 points Sunday on the opening day as Team USA barely edged Canada 89-88. Team USA will continue its competition at 8 tonight against China, also at Moody.

"His potential is really immeasurable," Hughes said. "His only hindrance is how hard will he work, how hard will he push himself. He has all the qualifications of a guy who will push himself. It's part of his persona."

Smith is already aware of how hard he'll be working. He enrolled in summer school at Georgia Tech, which began in May, and had the chance to work out with some of his new teammates in pickup games.

"Some people view it as taking a step up, but to me, I think it's time to take a whole staircase up to get on the level that Georgia Tech is on," said Smith, who will likely play small forward or power forward in college, even though he was a center in high school.

There was no doubt Smith would eventually make a good basketball player. His father, Rick, is 6-foot-5 and his mother, Von, is 5-foot-10. Von remembers when Jeremis was born and Rick noticed his son's huge hands. Then there was the problem of small body-big foot, which earned Smith the nickname "Big Worm" because he would often trip going down the court and squirm in pain like a worm. That resulted in a trip to a doctor.

"[The doctor] said, 'There's nothing wrong with your son other than his feet are growing so rapidly and his body is not growing fast enough. Once his body grows and catches up with his feet, he'll be more balanced,' " Jeremis' mother said.

But once Smith was in ninth grade and started for Dunbar, he was taller than everyone else and began dominating his opponents. Through the past three years, Smith and Dunbar were a combined 101-6, had two state tournament appearances and won the Class 4A title in 2003.

But an early exit from the 2004 playoffs leaves Smith wanting to make a quick impression and hoping to help Georgia Tech to its second straight Final Four.

"I still have a fire burning," Smith said, "a winning sensation that I need to fulfill."

Jeremis Smith file

Position: Forward

Height:

6-6 Weight: 240

Shoe size: 16

College: Georgia Tech

Major: Computer engineering

Recruiting - Football

Ray Herring, a 5'11" 190lb defensive back from Melbourne FL has an offer from GT.....

Player Profile - Tabugbo Anyansi

Class: Senior
Hometown: Austell, Ga.
High School: Pebblebrook
Height / Weight: 6-1 / 225
Position: Linebacker
Birthdate: 10/04/1981

AT TECH: Backup linebacker with very good speed . . . Has played both outside and middle linebacker . . . Also plays on special teams . . .

2003: Credited with seven tackles in 2003 . . . Had a career-high three tackles in Tech’s win over North Carolina . . . Hampered by nagging injuries during the first half of the 2002 season but returned to become a special teams contributor . . . Played in seven games and made three tackles . . . Was pressed into action as a true freshman in 2001 . . . Played most of the game against Duke following injuries to Daryl Smith and Ather Brown . . . Had a tackle for loss against Duke . . . Also saw some action on special teams.

HIGH SCHOOL: Named to the Marvelous Metro 11, the Super Southern 100 and the Top 50 in Georgia by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution . . . Tabbed to Max Emfinger’s Super 20 in Georgia . . . Ranked among the Top 100 players in the South by BorderWars.com . . . All-Southeast Region by Prep Star . . . First-team all-state (Class AAAA) by the AJC and the Augusta Chronicle . . . Collected 81 tackles, four sacks, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions as a senior . . . Also punted 26 times for a 40-yard average . . . As a junior had 80 tackles, six sacks and two blocked punts . . . Four-year letterwinner for coach Chuck Stines at Pebblebrook High . . . Chosen for the Georgia-Florida All-Star Game.

PERSONAL: Tabugbo Anyansi . . . Pronounced tie-BOO-bo on-YON-zee . . . Native of Nigeria . . . Parents are Ikebudu and Louisa Anyansi . . . Born October 4, 1981 . . . Majoring in Industrial Engineering.

A look at the cupcake football games

... from this article. You may not like playing Samford, but with Miami, VaTech, MD, NCST, UGAg, UVA and others on the schedule, come bowl time, we will be glad we have that W.

Global Games Update - Team USA wins game 1

Team USA beat Canada 89-88. Link here for stats. Here's a re-cap.

Anthony Morrow
1-2 FG, 1-1 3pt, 2 boards, 1 foul, 3 points

Zam "Buck" Fredrick
0-1 FG, nothing else

Ra'Sean Dickey
0-0 FG, 1 board, 1 assist, 1 foul

Jeremis Smith
6-13 FG, 5-11 FT's, 6 boards, 1 assist, 1 foul, 17 points.

J-Smith was the 2nd leading scorer and the leading rebounder for team USA. Interestingly, you can look at the shot charts of any player. All of his shots were from about 12 feet and in.

Also of note are some GT recruits for the 2005 class. Byron Eaton went 3-6, scored 8 points, 2-2 from 3pt range, had 3 boards and 1 assist. Kevin Rogers did not play.

The next game is Monday night at 8:00 pm. You can watch the webcast over at the Global Games website

Where are they now - Marco Coleman

Looks like MC has changed his mind and will not retire. He will join the Broncos (if he makes the team).

Coleman, who signed with the Broncos as a free agent in March, told Broncos coach Mike Shanahan before Denver's team camp in early June that he was going to retire. But Jack Reale, Coleman's agent, said Coleman will not retire after all and will return to the Broncos. The Broncos own Coleman's rights because they never released him.

Reale said that family considerations forced Coleman to tell Shanahan a few weeks ago that he was retiring. But Reale said Coleman convinced his wife that they should move their family, which includes three children, to Denver to allow the 12-year veteran to resume his career.

"I think she realized he really wanted to play another year and that this team had a chance to be very good," Reale said.

Coleman still has to make the team. Shanahan said at the June camp when he told reporters Coleman had retired the Broncos wouldn't have much problem without Coleman in the mix at defensive end.

Tyler Greene and Team USA

Looks like Tyler is playing well for Team USA in beesball. He leads the team stolen bases and scored the go-ahead run their last game. Story here.

Quoting Coach Hewitt

Looks like the graduation rate thing won't die - at least until they lay out the details of the new plan. Story here.

Abysmal graduation rates received more publicity than shooting percentages during this year's NCAA Tournament. At the men's Final Four, where UConn's Emeka Okafor was celebrated as a role model for other student athletes, coaches Jim Calhoun and Paul Hewitt of Georgia Tech faced questions about graduating just 27 percent of the players in their programs. Coaches have long said the method for figuring graduation rates was problematic, and that will be addressed.

The problems aren't new. But the NCAA, led by president Myles Brand, has had enough.

Hewitt expressed his concern for scholarship athletes who change their majors, lose credits and then cannot meet the new NCAA standards for progression. "Instead of improving the opportunity for a kid to get an education, we are going to absolutely dumb down college athletics," Hewitt told The Washington Post.

Football Recruit Mike Cox

Described in one story as an "earth mover", he is definitely a haaase. He played in a local all-star game Saturday - link here.

Red Land's Michael Cox powered the East running attack.

The big Patriots' fullback, who is headed to Georgia Tech in the fall, rushed 10 times for 58 yards — including a 6-yard touchdown run that opened the scoring.

Cox wasn't the only York County athlete in uniform.

Here's another article on the game.

Red Land's Michael Cox, Harrisburg's Garrett Majors and Steelton-Highspire's Gerard Madden all had a hand, literally, in their East team's 39-13 dismantling of the West last night in the Pennsylvania State Football Coaches Association East/West Classic.

"We had a great week here," said Cox, who scored the East's first touchdown on a 6-yard run four seconds into the second quarter. "I was looking forward to seeing how I could do against the high caliber of competition."

Frankly, the West defensive front offered limited, if game, resistance; the difference between the two groups was that great.

But Cox, knowing his reputation as a Division I-A scholarship recruit (to Georgia Tech) was on the line, was determined to show his muscle.

He did.

Cox carried 11 times for 65 yards and was simply not stoppable in short-yardage situations.

Four times Cox was called upon in third- and fourth-down situations. Each time, he either made the first down or scored.

"I knew when people saw where I was going [to college], I'd have a lot to prove," said Cox. "I think it went really well."

Now THAT is what I am talking about - seems like a young man with something to prove.

Where are they now - Mike Nickeas

MN is blowing up again. He started strong in his first game, going 3-5 with an HR and 3 runs. He got his 2nd game winning hit of the series the other night with a sac-fly. Story here.

With runners at the corners, the Indians looked to Nickeas to deliver his second game winning hit of the season. Nickeas, who was voted by his teammates at Georgia Tech as Mr. Clutch, came through with a sacrifice fly ball to right field to plate Cashman and give the Indians the victory in the game, and the series.

College Football TV Schedule

Collegefootballnews.com has listed the pre-season TV football line-up. GT is listed 3 times - against Clemson, VaTech and UGAg. No doubt more games will be picked up as time goes on. If not I will be screaming bloody murder.
Link here.

Global Games

The Hoops World Turns to Dallas.

It's hard to imagine that the first Global Games were nearly a no-go five years ago.

Problems with logistics -- namely airfare, lodging and transportation costs -- almost caused the event's cancellation just weeks before its scheduled start. But with "Texas hospitality at its finest," as honorary chairman Donnie Nelson put it, and a bit of scrambling, the event went down as a success.

Now, the Global Games, an international basketball event bringing together the world's best players ages 21 and under, is in its fifth year and still has room to grow.

Beginning Sunday and ending July 3 at SMU's Moody Coliseum, 10 teams from four continents, including a USA team featuring some of the area's top talent, will compete for the Global Games gold medal.

This year, local prepsters Jeremis Smith of Dunbar, a Georgia Tech signee, and Southwest's Brent Hackett, a TCU signee, will be on Team USA. Both are making their second consecutive Global Games appearance.

"It's a great opportunity for kids getting ready to go to college," said Royce Johnson, Dallas Kimball's coach who led Team USA to the gold medal in 2002. "I don't think anyone sees that kind of physical play in high school. It really prepares the kids' mind-set for the high intensity they'll get in college."

2004 Global Games

Sunday-July 4, SMU's Moody Coliseum

Tickets: Call 1-800-595-4TIX or visit Coliseum box office, which opens one hour before tipoff of day's first game.

Prices: Single-day, children (10-under) $5, adult $10. Week's pass, children $20, adult $35.

Sunday's games: Russia vs. Ukraine, 1 p.m.; USA vs. Canada, 3 p.m.; Chinese National Team vs. Free Agent Team, 5 p.m. (exhibition); Serbia-Montenegro vs. Puerto Rico, 7 p.m.; Lithuania vs. China, 9 p.m.

From another story:

"We've got a very good team, but we're not very tall," said Global Games executive director Michael Sorrell. "I've watched Jim's teams over the past four years or so and he has a history of molding teams like that into a very good basketball team. We're excited about having him as the coach."

Ra'Sean Dickey and Lamarcus Aldridge are the tallest players on the team.

From another story with quotes from Coach Hewitt - link here.

In four years, the Global Games has seen Yao Ming, Carlos Boozer and former Lincoln standout Chris Bosh go from prep school caterpillars to NBA butterflies. Yao, a 2001 Global Games alum, was the NBA's No. 1 draft pick in 2002.

Bosh was the No. 4 pick in last year's draft. Boozer was added this month to play for the 2004 U.S. Olympic team. Darko Milicic, the No. 2 pick behind LeBron James last year, was a 17-year-old for Yugoslavia in the 2002 Global Games. He now has a championship ring with the Pistons.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt also likes the event. With four Georgia Tech signees from the 2004 group, Hewitt will have coached the most Global Games alums, 11, and he has noticed the improvement in his players.

Of the 14 roster players on a Georgia Tech team that reached the Final Four last season, five have played in the Global Games, including standout guard Jarrett Jack and talented forward Isma'il Muhammad.

"I know it really helped Isma'il Muhammad his first year," Hewitt said. "It builds confidence and shows them how the game's intensity increases from high school to college. Look at where Chris Bosh is now. Look at the player Jarrett Jack is becoming."

Ranking the ACC Wide Receivers

Well, they've done the QB's and RB's. Now they tackle the WR's. Link here. Here is how the rankings shake out:

1. FSU
2. NC ST
3. Miami
4. UVA
5. Clemson
6. UNC
7. VT
8. WF
9. MD
10. GT
11. Duke

Here is what they are saying about GT:

10. Georgia Tech – The Jackets lost their top receiver, Jonathan Smith, to the NFL. Nate Curry is a talented player, who should step up to replace the void left by Smith. TE John Paul Foschi is an imposing target, however, no other returning receiver recorded more than 10 catches in 2003.

As usual, I think this underestimates our receiving core. There is no doubt that losing J.Smith is a big deal. That cannot be denied (and Foschi is gone too of course).

Here is the line-up:

N.Curry (senior) - Caught 37 passes for 426 yards last season. He is ready to step in as the #1 guy. I expect him to have around 1000 yards for the season. He is 5'10" 190lb and fast. Hopefully the reminants of his knee injury are gone.

L.Thomas (junior) - A 6'0" 195 lb guy who caught 10 passes for 101 yards last year. Has a great shot at winning a starting job.

M.Logan (RS-senior) - caught 4 passes for 55 yards last season - is 5'11" 200lb. Came to GT as a QB, but has seen action at WR mainly in 3-receiver sets. In the spring he was moved back to QB with the injury to Pat Carter - they needed someone to push Ball. It is not clear if he will move back to WR now that Carter is healthy. He has a shot to be the #3 guy this year.

C.Johnson (true frosh) - This guy is 6'4" 215lb, but he is a true frosh so there are question marks. Ranked as one of the top 10 receivers in the country in high school. He is a physical big play receiver and the real deal. He should step in opposite Curry in the starting role. I don't this would surprise anyone. As always, freshman are freshman, no matter how good they are.

D.Bilbo (RS-junior) - is D-Bo ready? It doesn't appear he is ready yet, but he really has not been at the WR position that long. Give him time to develop. We are talking about a guy 6'3" 225lb with good speed.

C.Dunlap (soph) - only caught one pass last season at the H-Bowl and got snaps on special teams. He is 5'11 200lb.

E.Ivery (RS frosh) - was a running back in high school but has been plagued with injuries the past two seasons. Not likely to see much PT. He is 5'10" 165lb.

X.McGuire (RS Soph) - A 6'3 205lb who caught 4 passes for 25 yards last year, mainly in 3-receiver sets. Has a great chance to become an option

R.Rollins (RS Junior) - A 6'2" 192lb walk-on. A good all-around athlete, but not likley to get PT.

P.Clark (frosh) - a Top100 prospect in Florida - 5'10" 175lb and fast. Played WR, RB, CB, you name it in high school. Had 4 games where he rushed AND caught for over 100 yards. However, not likely to see much PT.

J.Johnson (frosh) - #55 prospect in Florida, 6'0" 180lb. Good size and speed. Again, will probably not see much PT, but could develop into a nice receiver in a couple of years.

In my eyes, what the rest of the group lacks is experience, not talent. N.Curry will be the #1 guy and should have a breakout year, but it really looks like Calvin Johnson is going to step in and play. Word is he is really impressive in the weight room and he is working out hard this summer. The spring practices were frustrating because none of the receivers were stepping up. A lot of dropped balls, which frustrated Coach Gailey and the staff.

What will be interesting about this year's group is their size. We are talking guys who are 6'4", 6'3", 6'2", etc. Curry is just under 6'0", but overall this is a big strong group. That certainly should help Reggie B. as he looks for targets.

One caution. We all recognize the huge potential of Calvin Johnson, and I also get excited about the two other freshman WR's we have signed. However, it is rare that a WR puts up big numbers as a true frosh. All of our best WR's at GT had mediocre or low-key freshman years. You just cannot expect too much. Having said that, CJ is best equipped to change that - so we will see what happens.

Time will tell how good this group is bee, but I think experience, not talent is the issue.

On one last note, for next year's recruiting class, we have to remember how critical academic capabilities are at GT. Here is an example. A 6'4" talented WR out of NC (Geron James) has GT in HIS top 3. Unfortunately his grades are one thing preventing an early offer from GT - story here.

“Recruiting is going well,” says the 6-foot-4, 175 pounder. “It is still the grades and my GPA holding me back for Georgia Tech and NC State to offer. Virginia Tech and Maryland have offered me already, but I am doing work during summer school to get my grades up. I am taking world geography and another class next summer session.

James says Georgia Tech, NC State, and Virginia Tech are the teams to beat right now.
“With Georgia Tech, I like the big city, I like Atlanta. The environment is great, the coaches and players were pretty cool.

What could have been

The Met's 3rd baseman of the future is another "..was going to go to GT" story. Link here (note the article is 2 pages).

Once the Mets drafted Wright, it finally dawned on his father that the kid who started dreaming big as a tee-ball player had mapped things out nicely. Rhon Wright admitted that he had initially expected his son to play at Georgia Tech, earn a degree and "work 40 hours for a paycheck like the rest of us."

Where are they now - Brandon Boggs

Well, Boggs has signed a deal with Rangers -

On Friday, the club agreed to terms with Wheeler High School right-handed pitcher Michael Schlact (third round) and Georgia Tech outfielder Brandon Boggs (fourth round). Schlact will officially sign Saturday and will be sent to Spokane. Boggs will be sent to Spokane.

Best of luck Brandon. Don't forget where you came from.

Another story re: Boggs joining Mike Nickeas in Spokane:

The Indians will now have two pairs of collegiate teammates as Georgia Tech centerfielder Brandon Boggs will join Indians catcher Mike Nickeas in a Yellow Jacket reunion, Spokane shortstop Bobby LeNoir and first baseman Jim Fasano were college teammates at the University of Richmond. Boggs, who was picked up in the 4th round of the 2004 draft, batted .322 with nine homeruns and 58 RBI for the 44-21 Yellow Jackets this spring. A member of the 1999 AAU World Series Champion East Cobb Yankees, Boggs is a terrific defensive centerfielder with an above average arm that registered six outfield assists this season.

Campus Blues

Washington Times story on kids leaving from high school to the NBA, and a little more of a shift from recruiting in the top 10 high school players from the likes of UNC and others. From Coach Hewitt:

Despite the setbacks, many college coaches will continue to wade in the increasingly murky recruiting waters.
"I still think you have to recruit the best possible players," said Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt, who led the Yellow Jackets to the NCAA championship game last season. "Obviously, there are some situations where you know somebody is going to be an early draft pick, and it may be a waste of time. Coach [John] Wooden at UCLA used to say, 'The team with the best players almost always wins.' So you have to recruit the best possible players. It's getting to the point where most kids you are recruiting in the ACC figure they are going to be in the NBA — it is just a matter of when."

Yes, Coach Hewitt will still continue to recruit "the best players", but Coach has not brought GT back to a level where we consistently compete for the top 10 talent. Let's be real - this is a year-in and year-out issue for Duke / UNC / Kansas / UConn / Arizona, etc. We tend to be on the fringe of that group, even though we are catching up fast. With the academic requirements at GT, it usually limits our access to many top players anyhow.

Where are they now - the GT Point Guards

Looks like a small army of former GT PG's will be available this summer to the highest bidders. Link here. There's Travis Best, who D.Nelson didn't think could help the Mav's during their playoff run. That's why I secretly rooted against them - and it worked. There's Kenny Anderson, who wanted more playing time in Indiana than he was given. There's Jon Barry from the Nuggets.

Is ATLANTA a bad sports town

That's the rap. "They don't show up to support winners". Too many teams in the city. They gave standing O's when Randy Johnson pitched a perfect game against the Braves. I was at Cal Ripkin Jr's last game at the Ted when he knocked 2 HR's and the fans cheered until he came out for a curtain call.

Are these bad fans - or is this just a product of a big city with a ton of teams? Have ATL fans seen so much losing that they are not used to consistent winners. I remember decades ago when there were bumper stickers that said "Go Braves........ and take the Falcons with you".

As far as GT is concerned, we have never gotten a lot of support from the "sidewalk" fans. That's the realm of UGAg. Our fans tend to be alumni or friends and family of alumni. Oh, we'll get more sidewalk fans during the up years, but not like other teams.

This story tries to address the question about sports fans in ATL.

Isma'il Complilation Video Highlights

Nice work by "LLJH" over at the Hive. To download, just right-click and "save as" on this link.

Football Preview - the Rags

Well, I have gotten copies of all the summer rags previewing the 2004 football season - Sporting News, Lindy's, Athlon, Phil Steele. The only one I cannot find is Street and Smith's. In a series of entries in the coming weeks I will compare what they had to say about the program.

First, let's start with the basics. Where do they think GT will finish the season?

In the ACC
7th.......Lindy's
8th.......Athlon
8th.......Phil Steele
8th.......Sporting News

After reading what they all had to say, here is the summary - GT has improved their team, will have more experience, but the rest of the ACC has improved at least as much and the addition of Miami and VaTech means no progress when it comes to wins and losses. In fact, with the expanded league, pretty much all the rags think our bowl streak is probably over this year.

Phil Steele:

"It is very rare that I think a coach did a tremendous job when I forecast a team for 5th in the coference and they finish 5th. However, that is exactly what happened for GT last year. After the magazine went to the presses, GT lost 10 players including many of their stars but still fashioned a 7-6 season and their 7th consecutive bowl bid. GT has 14 starters back this year and are in better shape than they were heading into last season (providing they don't have any major departures like 2003). They now have an experienced QB in Reggie Ball (ACC Frosh of the Year). This is a more talented team but the ACC is an improved league with the new additions. I fell Gailey got them to overachieve in each of his first two years and could easily do that again".

Lindy's

Gailey has recruited over some of the depth issues that the Yellow Jackets faced last year. Even in a tougher ACC, GT has some of the best individual parts in the league, and that will help the Jackets in their quest for their 8th consecutive bowl appearance.

Sporting News

The YJ's have produced 7 straight winning seasons, but another 7-victory campaign probably won't excite many followers. Given the increase in ACC membership and no complementary rise in bowl slots, that win total might not be enough to earn an 8th straight appearance. Few people question Gailey's coaching ability, but the Yellow Jackets talent isn't at a level with some of Tech's rivals, which reflects the difficulty inherent in recruiting in a Southeastern Conference hotbed.

Athlon

GT ranked among the biggest surprises in the ACC but will be hard-pressed to match its 7-win total again this fall in a new-look ACC. If the YJ are to make any kind of noise they'll need QB Reggie Ball and tailback PJ Daniels to come through with big seasons...Tech won't have much time to work out the wrinkles; the first four games include a trip to Clmson and a visit from Miami. the 2nd half of the season doen't get any easier."

By the way, Athlon has us only winning against Samford, UNC, Duke and UConn.

SCOTT'S TAKE:
So what do I think? I think we WILL finish better than 7th in the conference. We always do. I know the league is tougher, but so are we. I am on the optimistic side, AS IT SHOULD BE. Hope springs eternal. In my mind, here is how I see things playing out:

MUST WIN: Samford, UNC, Duke, UConn.

That's four wins to build on. These are all winnable games.

WIN 2 OF 4: Clemson / MD / NCST / UVA.

I would love to see us win at least 2 of the games minimum. Honestly, it could be any of them. You never know how these games play out.

TAKE 1: Miami / VaTech / UGAg.

I see us winning only one of these games. Anything more than that would be impressive.

Finish 7-4 (5-3 ACC)
W....Samford (beat up on Gailey's old friends)
W....Clemson (will this get back to a competitive series?)
W....UNC (a must win)
L....Miami (sorry, but would take a miracle)
L....MD (a fight - QB situation uncertain)
W....Duke (revenge is sweet - sorry Ted)
W....VaTech (we can win this one)
L....NCST (Rivers is gone, some question marks)
W....UConn (please do not take this game for granted)
W....UVA (home team wins; it's our turn)
L....UGAg (sorry - we're just not ready)

Here's how things work for GT. The media underestimates us and we beat the prognosticators. I just wish we could get to a point where the "experts" picked us to finish 3rd or 4th. Then when we beat them we would be at the top of the ACC. Having said that, I get my wish in hoops. It will be hard to beat pre-season hoops expectations.

Player Profile - Joe Anoai

Link to profile.

Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Pensacola, Fla.
High School: Escambia
Height / Weight: 6-3 / 255
Position: Defensive Tackle
Birthdate: 05/25/1985

AT TECH: Defensive line prospect with good quickness . . . Earned playing time as a true freshman and gained valuable experience . . . Played both end and tackle last season and will work at tackle this spring.

2003: Had his most productive game in the Humanitarian Bowl with two fumble recoveries and two tackles for loss, including a sack, against Tulsa . . . Made eight tackles on the season . . . Had a season-best three tackles with one tackle for loss against Maryland . . . Added two tackles against Duke . . . Played in 11 of 13 games . . . Missed the North Carolina game due to injury.

HIGH SCHOOL: Rated the No. 80 player in Florida by BorderWars . . . Second-team all-state (Class 5-A) by the Florida Sportswriters Association . . . Defensive Player of the Year by the Pensacola News Journal . . . First-team all-Northwest Florida . . . Made 120 tackles as a senior, with 12 sacks, six forced fumbles and two interceptions . . . Added 96 tackles and six sacks as a junior . . . Coached by Ronnie Gilliland at Escambia High . . . Played his first three years at Pensacola Catholic. PERSONAL: Full name is Leati Joseph Anoai (last name pronounced an-uh-WHY-ee) . . . Mother is Patricia Anoai . . . Brother (“Rosey”) and cousin (“Rikishi”) are professional wrestlers in the WWE . . . Born May 25, 1985 . . . Majoring in Management.


picture from Ramblinwreck.com

Recruiting - Hoops

Story on Mamadi Diane, who has some interest in GT - link here.

Hewitt and team getting bck to the summer routine

Very well written story by www.theacc.com - link here. Note that he gets a plug in there for the 2005 recruiting class, making sure they understand that playing time will be in abundance:

"There's a lot of playing time available for kids in the '05 class," he said, alluding to the departure of seniors Luke Schenscher, B.J. Elder, Will Bynum, Anthony McHenry and Isma'il Muhammad. "We're going to be recruiting an awful lot."

Of course going to the national championship game does not ensure anything:

"You get in front of more kids, but it's still a very competitive industry," he explained. "You've got a lot of great programs out there. When I go to recruit, yeah, they recognize the year we just had, but behind me are five or six other teams that have been to the Final Four in the last five or 10 years. It's competitive."

Nice to know the current team is on campus working out and Luke S. will join them soon. One thing is for sure - this will be one of the most talented and experienced teams going into the pre-season, and integrating the freshman should be interesting:

The four-man incoming freshman class is one of the most talented in Tech history, and Hewitt is expecting them to provide plenty of punch off the bench.

"I think all four have a chance to have great careers here," predicted Hewitt, who just signed a new six-year contract. "I don't know who's going to get out of the gate fastest, but I think all four have a chance to be great."

Integrating the freshman into the rotation will be a challenge, but Hewitt plans to lean on his upperclassmen to ease the transition and lighten the burden on the coaching staff.

"I think we will rely on the veteran players," he said. "It will clearly be the most experienced team I've had since coming to Georgia Tech. That should also make it easier for us as coaches to teach and get guys to understand what we want them to do and how we want them to do it."

Props for Henderson / Butler / Daniels

...well, from the ramblinwreck website - but why not promote our own. Link here.

Coaches continue to do the right things

Both Coach Hewitt and Coach Cremins contributed their signatures for a good cause - link here. Coaches for Cancer.

Recruiting - Beesball

Ben Toussant is a player GT will probably show a high interest in starting July 1, when coaches can contact recruits. Story here.

Where are they now - Keith Brooking

Along with Mike Vick, Brooking will be running his own football camp this summer. His appearance fee will go to the Keith Brooking's Children's Foundation. Way to go Keith:

Vick isn't the only one getting out on the camp scene, presenting himself as life-sized to children who know him only from television and video games. Linebacker Keith Brooking hosts the Keith Brooking Offense-Defense Football Camp begininning Sunday at Georgia Tech. The camp is organized by a national for-profit company.

Brooking had considered running his own camp to benefit his recently established charitable foundation. Instead, he will donate his appearance fee from the camp to the Keith Brooking Children's Foundation, which is dedicated to aiding foster children.

"It was really a win-win for me," he said.

Where are they now - Chris Bosh

Good news for Bosh - maybe he will be able to start at the forward position next season instead of center. The Raptors chose 6'11" 290lb center Rafael Araujo with the 8th pick in the draft. Story here.

New weight room record

It was reported over at the Hive that Calvin Johnson, our top ranked 2004 recruit, set a new GT record with a 43" vertical. Wow.

GT Football signee had $1.3 million in 'ship offers

David Brown has football 'ship offers from LSU, UGAg, Clemson, Stanford, Auburn, South Carolina and others. When you tally them up, he over $1.3 million in offers - wow. And of course he chose Georgia Tech.

From this article, this talented defensive end has his head screwed on straight.

Brown finally settled on Georgia Tech, where he could pursue an engineering degree.

"I'm doing some intern work at Triana Industries and learning what some engineers do for a living," Brown said. "Of course, if there's a chance for me to play in the NFL after my years at Georgia Tech, I'll certainly do that. My decision on what school to attend came down to visiting with other Tech recruits, knowing Tech is part of the expanding ACC, nice facilities on campus and my apartment style dorm I'll be living in."

Zam "Buck" Fredrick and the NBA

Very interesting story from Buck's local paper about this considerations for the NBA versus an education.

Here are some of the key excerpts:

For Calhoun County Boys' Basketball Coach Zam Fredrick, the latter was always the preferred career path for his son -- shooting guard Zambolist "Buck" Fredrick. The younger Fredrick's many appearances in AAU tournaments and All-Star games around the country over the years enabled the three-time state champion, T&D Region Boys' Player of the Year and 'Mr. South Carolina Basketball' to measure his game against other aspiring NBA draftees.

While the Howards, Telfairs and Al Jeffersons will be in New York schmoozing with their future coaches and employers, Fredrick is currently in Dallas, Texas representing his country. He and fellow Georgia Tech-bound All-State forward Ra'Sean Dickey are playing for the United States junior national team which will face teams from Croatia, China, Russia and Argentina in the fifth annual Coca-Cola Global Games taking place June 27-July 3 at Southern Methodist University.

As far as the elder Fredrick and former 1981 Draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers is concerned, he and his son would not want it any other way. To paraphrase an old NBA public service campaign -- "staying in school is the best move" -- even if a lottery team thought 'Buck' was good enough to make their first-round pick.

"With us, it's always been a situation where each thing has its own time, and each day better prepares you for the next," he said. "So, that (entering the NBA Draft) never even crossed our minds. We just wanted to make sure that he was the best that he could be as a high school player, which in turn would prepare him to be a good college player, and then his college experience could prepare him to be -- if that's for him in his future to be a pro -- then college would probably be the best way to prepare him from that.

"I'm not necessarily saying all four years, but certainly, a couple of years would be best for him so that he could make that adjustment and be ready physically and mentally to take on the pro game."

Sports Illustrated top 101 most influential minorities in sports

Guess who is new to the list this year at #71 - our own Paul Hewitt. Story here. It is clear that Coach Hewitt does not shy away from controversy, commenting on many hot topics such as graduation rates, concerns for student athletes, minorities and coaching, etc. No doubt the Final Four run brought national attention for Coach, but he was speaking out before that and building influence....... Here is another story about Ty Willingham, but mentioning Hewitt.

Ties run deep

While not directly tied to GT, this is interesting. Story here. The 6'1" point guard Albert Fisher commits to James Madison, where former GT coach Sherm Dillard was head coach. Dillard gets canned and replaced by another GT assistant Dean Keener. Fisher decides to ask for a release from JMU and it is granted. Now he signs with Siena, where of course Paul Hewitt was head coach prior to arriving at GT. Wild.

On a different note, we know that UConn has been added to the football schedule. It is believed to be the first time that teams that faced each other in the hoops national champsionship then meet again the following football season. In another "ties that bind", did you know that the head coach at UConn is none other than Randy Edsall, a former GT assistant - story here.

These ties make a difference and it appears to influence schedules. We will play James Madison in hoops this season I believe, I mentioned UConn in football. Our 1st football game will be against Samford, where Coach Gailey was the former coach. Nepotism is alive and well.

Daily Buzz

GLOBAL GAMES
As reported a few weeks back, all four of GT's hoops recruits for the 2004 class will be on the roster for the Coca Cola Global Games. They will compete in Dallas June 27 - July 3. Here is a link to the global games website - link here. Here is the complete roster:

Ra’Sean Dickey F 6-10 Georgia Tech
Byron Eaton G 5-10 Dallas Lincoln
Zam Frederick G 6-0 Georgia Tech
Brent Hackett G 6-3 TCU
Malik Hairston F 6-6 Oregon
Jason Horton G 6-1 Missouri
Maarty Leunen F 6-9 Oregon
Jawaan McClellan G/F 6-5 Arizona
Anthony Morrow G/F 6-6 Georgia Tech
Chamberlain Oguchi G 6-4 Oregon
Tim Pierce F 6-6 Arizona State
Derrick Roberts G 6-3 SMU
Jeremis Smith F 6-7 Georgia Tech
Bryce Taylor G 6-5 Oregon
Donald Sloan (Alternate) G 6-2 Dallas Seagoville
Emanuel Willis F 6-8 USC

Looks like Dickey is the tallest guy on the team.

The schedule is on the website. Looks like they will battle Canada first, then China, Russia, Croatia, Lithuania. The games will be played at SMU's Moody Coliseum in Dallas TX.

ERIC HENDERSON RECEIVES WILMA RUDOLPH AWARD
Now THIS is something to be proud of. Story here. I love his quote:

"I am quite sure that my mom and grandmother would be more proud of the fact that I was named to the Dean's List at Georgia Tech, rather than first-team all-ACC in football," said Henderson. "The struggles that I have experienced both personally and academically have shaped the person that I am today. I am well on my way to graduating from Georgia Tech. This has not been an easy road; I firmly believe, however, that my personal experiences have prepared me for a lifetime of success beyond playing the game of football."

Folks, THAT is what college athletics is about. We like the winning and all that, but this is the way things are supposed to work. Congrats to EH on a well deserved honor!!!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - MIKE NICKEAS
Already qualifying for the "where are they now" segment, Mike was "sparkling" in his professional debut, going 3-5 with 3 RBI's, 3 runs and an HR. Story here.

A Tug Hulett walk set the table for Nickeas’ late game heroics. Although Timpner was the first person to christen The GROTTO in last night’s game, Nickeas will go down in Indians history as the first Spokane Indians player to touch down in the GROTTO. Nickeas blasted a Sobieraj offering into the short porch 296 feet away in right field for his first professional home run. The former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket gave the Indians the lead, and ultimately the victory in what is shaping up to be a thrilling five-game, GROTTO filled series. Nickeas, making his first appearance in and Indians uniform, was brilliant in his professional debut, going 3-for-5 with three runs batted in.

RATING THE ACC RUNNING BACKS
Ok, sorry, but this guy got it wrong. Here is how he rates the RB units:

NCST, UVA, Miami, FSU, WF, GT, MD, UNC, CU, VT, DK

Here is what he said about GT:

6. Georgia Tech – Junior P. J. Daniels burst on to the scene in 2003, rushing for 1447 yard and scoring 10 TDs. He will undoubtedly contend for the league rushing title. Given Tech’s recent ability to develop runners (Daniels and Tony Hollings), there should an adequate replacement should injuries arise.

There is no way you can have the league-leading RB and a nice core of back-ups rated as #6 in the league. As usual, GT is regularly underestimated by the media. I guess it is the popular thing to do.

No way GT's RB core is any worse than #4 in the league, and probably in the top 3. There is no doubt that PJ's best performances were aginst subpar teams (except FSU). As usual, the real answer will only be determined on the field.

MICAH OWINGS' BROTHER SIGNS WITH THE BRAVES
Clemson loses their 3rd high school recruit in a month. No doubt that hurts. In this case it is John Mark Owings, Micah's younger brother. My guess is that this means we can kiss older bro' good-bye, but who knows. Story here.

CAN YOU WIN A HOOPS TITLE WITHOUT A 1ST ROUND PICK?
A UK article talks about UK and their 59-9 record without any 1st round draftees. Of course they have won a lot, but didn't have the horses to kick it in the highest gear and take the title. Story here. GT gets mention in the article also.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - DEAN KEENER
Nice article on Keener and his new role with JMU.

Keener, 38, has worked for several coaches in his 16 years as a Division I assistant, among them Hussey, Foster, Hewitt and Southern Cal's George Raveling.

"I'll take a little bit from all of them, but probably a little bit more from Paul because his style fits how I want to play," Keener said.

Hewitt, in a phone interview Saturday, called Keener "one of the brightest guys I've ever been around in the game, whether it's his academic background - his Davidson degree - or his basketball knowledge."

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - TONY AKINS
What if I told you Tony Akins could end up playing pro-hoops in ATL? Would you believe me? It could happen - with the ABA Gwinnett Grizzlies.

Former Georgia Tech 5"10 standout point guard Tony Akins asked Dennis Stewart a Gwizzlies staunch supporter and father of Gwizzlies ballplayer Jason Stewart, "What is a Gwinnet Gwizzlies" while he was working out at Atlanta Run N Shoot gym.

Dennis Stewart is a friend of Akins' father and he informed both about the ABA team. Akins just finished from playing overseas in FIBA. Gwizzlies officials said they love to have Akins in training camp in October at Suwanee because he probaly still have a local following of fans. Akins has an invitation to meet the team in Long Beach for a two day workout.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - JEREMY SLAYDEN
Slayden has yet to sign with the Oakland A's. Here is the list of A's picks and who has been signed.

HOOPS RECRUITING
Jamal Boykin is a 6'7" 220 lb, mature, powerful post player who has some outside touch as well. He is #66 on the Rivals ranking, #25 Hoopsmasters, #35 prepstars, #57 Dave Telep. He is being recruited by BC, Louisville, Duke, Illinois, Pitt, Oregon, among others along with GT. Louisville has kind of dropped out of the picture with all the recent verbal commits they have received. However the key is Duke. It looks like they have not offered. If they do, they will probably get him. If they don't it's wide open. It looks like Duke might have Boykin as their 3rd choice on the board (Boetang and T.Biggs 1 and 2, although these guys are centers). Of course we are in the running for Boetang also - in his top 5.

Eric Boetang is the #13 ranked player by Rivals, #14 hoopsmasters, #16 prepstars, #13 Dave Telep. He is 6'10" 230lb. He is being recruited by a bunch of schools, including Duke, UCLA, Georgetown, Michigan, Villinova and of course GT. Word is that we are in his top 5. Word is also that Duke may have made their official offer and they could be in the driver seat - hard to tell. This kid has a rep as an incredible coachable kid who is hungry to learn the game.

Luke is headed back to ATL

The bad news (as we know) - Luke didn't make the Aussie Olympic squad.
The good news - he returns to ATL Sunday and will resume a workout program with Malcolm Mackey similar to last season. That is certainly music to Jacket fan's ears, as this was the start of something special for Luke and the Jackets. It all started in empty gyms, running practicing, working out.

In a coincidence (unrelated ??????), Paul Hewitt announced that the Jackets would be skipping out on a planned trip to Australia in August. Coach Hewitt cited nagging injuries with BJ Elder and Isma'il and Tarver. HHHHhhhhhhhmmmmm. Coach, we'll take you word for it.

Here is the AJC report on these events.

Recruiting - Football

From monitoring the recruiting process so far for the 2005 class and Tech fan's opinion of the progress, here are the general conclusions.

- Every one of Chan Gailey's recruiting classes has gotten progressively better (on paper obviously - the jury is out until they are all seniors).
- Last year he showed a true ability to beat the top schools for some top talent, including Miami, FSU, Ohio State, LSU, Auburn, UGAg to name a few.
- Coach also showed the ability to win some big last day recruiting battles, garnering some top talent on signing day.
- Coach and staff showed an incredible ability to close in on a target recruit during a visit. If he could get a recruit to campus, our chances of getting a commitment increase exponentially. In our last recruiting class, GT had official weekend visits from 34 players, and 23 of them signed with GT. That's a closing rate of 68%. Get them campus Coach!!
- At this point in the 2005 class, many hardcore GT fans feel like we are in better position early with more top talent than we have in Gailey's entire tenure. Of course it is early and we only have one verbal. However, we are on the short list for some of the nation's best. Guys like RB Maurice Wells has us in his top 3, Texas QB/ATH Todd Walker just got back from an unofficial visit last weekend and appeared to have a great time. Suffice it to say we are in a good position with him. Linebacker talent Marvin Sapp has us on his short list, and there are many others.

Coach Gailey has said he feels like we finally overcame our challenges and difficulties of injuries and "flunk-gate" - and now we are building depth. In Phil Steele's pre-season magazine he says something I have not heard before. He says there's an old coaching adage that goes like this - add one loss for every true freshman a college team has to start in the line-up. Makes sense. If you are relying on true freshman to start, then lack of depth is a major understatement. Even the most talented high school players are rarely physically mature enough to play the game. A seasoned senior will almost always be more effective than a top 100 high school senior.

Where are they now - Chris Bosh

A look at the Raptor's draft history - with nice comments on Chris Bosh:

Toronto has been hit and miss at past drafts, acquiring a gem in Chris Bosh, but has also taken a risk on some potential projects that didn't pan out. The Raptors selected Bosh, a forward out of Georgia Tech, with their No. 4 pick last year, and Bosh didn't disappoint. He's an intelligent, likeable player who stepped into a starter's role almost immediately and by season's end was a huge fan favourite.

Marbury versus Telfair

A look at the draft progress of Sebastian Telfair right out of high school, versus what cousin Stephon went through - story here.

"I still remember how crazy it was around here when Stephon was going pro," said Dwayne Morton, referring to the Knicks' Stephon Marbury, who starred at the Coney Island school before spending one year at Georgia Tech. "We didn't know exactly where he was going, but we knew it would be high. This time, the draft is so wide-open, nobody knows where anyone is going."

Plus, Marbury wasn't looking to leap into the pros, as his cousin is. He honed his game during his freshman year with the Yellow Jackets, becoming the ACC Rookie of the Year.

There was little, if any, question that the 6-2 Marbury would be a lottery pick in 1996. He wound up being drafted fourth overall by the Bucks and was almost immediately traded to Minnesota for Ray Allen, spending over two seasons with the Timberwolves.

"Teams wanted him so badly," Morton said. "He had played so well at Georgia Tech that there was no way he was slipping."

Summer league updates

For good updates on how our players are doing in the Cape Cod and other leagues, head over to beesball.com - link here.

Where are they now - Nat Dorsey

Looks like Nat had some good workouts with the Vikings - short blurb here:

After meetings with scouts and coaches, Tice named a handful of players who had impressive offseasons: cornerback Ken Irvin, defensive end Chuck Wiley, Jones, offensive tackle Mike Rosenthal, tight end Jermaine Wiggins, rookie running back Mewelde Moore, offensive tackle Nat Dorsey and receivers Nate Burleson, Keenan Howry and former Gopher Aaron Hosack.

NC ST lands top guard..

... that GT was also after. Story here. Courtney Fells is a 6'7" guard from Mississippi and has been leaning towards NC ST all along. It looks like we hadn't officially offered him even though the interest was there........ Here's an ESPN review of recent commits - Louisville is absolutely raking in the players. Thirty-six of the top 100 players for the class of 2005 have verbally committed.

Could Oliver Purnell be leaving Clemson already?

I live in Clemson territory and one thing I can tell you. Clemson basketball will ALWAYS be 2nd fiddle to football. Not that this is a terrible thing, but it is reality. That's one reason why Rick Barnes ran off to Texas. Purnell is proving you can recruit good players to Clemson - he has an outstanding class (top 25) coming in this season, and already has some nice commits for 2005.

However, this story is saying that he is being considered for the Ohio State hoops job. He has some ties in Ohio. I tell you what - this would hurt the ACC in my opinion. Purnell looks like he can be the guy to bring them back to a solid competitive level again, where they consistently compete in the middle of the pack and occasionally make a good run. Losing him could put Clemson's program back for the next 10 years. Really.

From Purnell's standpoint, Ohio State is probably a better opportunity for success. Like I said - hoops at Clemson will always be 2nd fiddle. In the ACC, no matter how good the Tigers get, climbing the ladder over other opponents will be tough.

Personally, I hope he stays. He's a bright young coach and helps really strengthen the conference top-to-bottom.

Coach Hewitt on 790 the Zone

I caught only about 45 minutes early this morning getting ready to head to work - I am traveling again - this time in Albany NY. Heard him talk about some of these subjects:

- was very kind to Bobby Knight, but when put on the spot said you don't put your hands on players. Was asked if he would send his son to play for Knight - responded that for some kids he is the right type of coach, and for others the wrong type - just like he would be. Ever the diplomat

- asked about the Eddie Sutton comment about OSU beating GT if they played a 10-game series. Coach said if OSU had played in the ACC, no way they would have come into that game with their "gaudy" record. No way they get out with less than 6-7 conference losses. Said OSU had a good team, but that GT was prepared and ready to beat them based on ACC competition. Then he said he would have actually have like to see a 10-game series to get mroe shots at the title game.

- I missed this but RamblinRed reported that Coach said Jack and Bynum were going to be working as counselors at the Nike All-American camp in Indianapolis the 1st week in July, while Isma'il and Elder would be doing the same at the Adidas supercamp at Suwanee GA at the same time. No doubt this will help boost recruiting and we should expect a lot of "unofficial" visits to GT during that time.

Previewing GT Football

From a Clemson writer looking at each ACC school, here is a look at GT - story here.

Recruiting - Hoops

Update on CJ Miles, who all along has considered himself a package deal with Kevin Rogers. GT has offered both players, but it looks like their stance of playing together is lightening up. Story here.

C.J. Miles of Dallas might be softening on the stance that any team that hopes to sign him must also award a scholarship to his hometown friend, Kevin Rogers.

Miles, a 6-foot-7 wing forward, is ranked the 15th-best junior in the nation by recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons. Rogers is a 6-9 center who isn't quite a top-100 prospect but possesses Division I-caliber talent.

According to Miles, his favorite schools -- Arizona, Georgia Tech, Kansas, North Carolina and Texas -- all have offered scholarships to both players.

Miles, though, wants to choose a school before his high school basketball season begins, though, and he said he wasn't sure Rogers would be ready to take official visits with him in the fall.

Playing together "is what we're trying to do," Miles said, "but it's getting kind of shaky now."

Miles is playing on a talented team at the NBA Players Association Top 100 camp this week with top-rated junior Tasmin Mitchell, North Carolina point guard commitment Bobby Frasor and guard O.J. Mayo of Cincinnati, who might be the top player in the Class of 2007.

Known for his scoring, Miles made an impression with his defense by overplaying passing lanes for steals that led to layups. He said he had improved his defense by guarding the opposing team's best player in every game possible.

"That's one thing I worked on the most, and that's what I came out here to prove to everybody," Miles said. "I've been scoring, and now I'm trying to guard.

Nation's 3rd fastest hurdler headed to GT

Story here.

Shantia Moss, the nation's third-fastest hurdler, won her first outdoor national title Saturday night at the rain-delayed Adidas Outdoor National Track and Field Championships at North Carolina State in Raleigh, N.C.

The Georgia Tech-bound hurdler from Tamarac won the 100-meter hurdles in 13.67, her third-fastest career time. She won an indoor title in the 60-meter hurdles at the Nike Indoor Championships earlier this year.

"I am excited because this is my first outdoor national title," Moss said. "My start wasn't that great, but I got into a rhythm by the third hurdle and it was pretty much my race."

Moss, a Pompano Beach graduate, remains undefeated in the 100 hurdles and holds the state record of 13.53. Next week she competes in the Junior National Championships, a qualifier for the world juniors meet.

The top-seeded Moss was the fastest qualifier going into the championship final that also featured Ohio's LeAuna Sistrunk, the daughter of former all-pro football player Otis Sistrunk. Miami's Pavi'elle James failed to make the final.

UConn prepping for GT

Here they acknowledge the challenge on the gridiron when we play them this fall.

Edsall said the nonconference games, especially Georgia Tech, also will be difficult. He said Duke is improved and that new Army coach Bobby Ross will make the Black Knights more competitive.

Where are they now - Bryce Molder

More on Molder, who played well again this past weekend. He ended up finishing tied for 5th. Leaderboard here. Also note that Troy Matteson finished tied for 11th. Nice showing.

"More than anything, I'm just playing with some confidence. I go out there and expect good things to happen,'' said Molder, who birdied his final two holes. "When I make a couple of birdies I try to make a couple more and when I make a bad swing I just assume it's a fluke and go on.''

Molder, a four-time All-American at Georgia Tech, began the year with no status on the Nationwide Tour, but he has finished tied for ninth and sixth the past two weeks and he can ensure a playing card for the rest of the year with a victory.

Molder entered the week 43rd on the Nationwide Tour money list with $44,030 in just five events.

Here is another strory mentioning Molder.

Bryce Molder is the most intriguing of the four players tied for second place at 10-under. He has spent this season trying to earn a regular spot on the tour, qualifying for tournaments on a weekly basis. He has caught fire with top-10 finishes the past two weeks.

Why don't more African Americans Play Baseball?

This article tries to discuss the issue. This from our own Coach Hall:

“We see a lot of black kids in our camps. That’s the encouraging thing, they’re playing it. But it seems like we’re losing them from that 10-, 11-, 12-year-old level,” Georgia Tech coach Danny Hall said. “It seems like a lot of them are falling out, either devoting themselves to football and
basketball.”

Personally, I don't see some big conspiracy - just that the interests of young black athletes more often leads them to football and hoops. Don't ask me why. I am sure I could come up with a list of sterotypical reasons, but I don't know the truth. One thing is for sure - in the majors, many of the best players are black. And of course they are Dominican and Peurto Rican, and even Asian players are making an impact. In the end, it's not a white man's game or a black man's game. It's an athlete's game - and it always will be.

Where are they now - Charlie Rymer

From a Fort Wayne article:

CHARLIE RYMER

Rymer won the 1985 U.S. Amateur title and was a two-time All-American while at Georgia Tech. He was a member of the PGA Tour from 1995 to 1997, and he was one of its bigger players at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds. He has been a broadcaster with ESPN and is known for his wit and sense of humor.

Georgia Athletic Coaches Association holds clinic

... on July 7-10. Some coaches with ties to GT will be there:

The Georgia Athletic Coaches Association will have its annual clinic July 7-10 at the Northwest Atlanta Marriott. There are sessions for football, basketball, cheerleading and fast-pitch softball. Among the featured speakers are Georgia Tech football coach Chan Gailey, Duke football coach Ted Roof, Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen and Georgia women's basketball coach Andy Landers

Will UGAg lose their top hoops recruit?

Loius Williams is a top 10 player in his class of 2005. That means he WILL be considering the NBA. However, he will be watching how Sebastian Telfair gets treated. Story here.

Coach Hewitt to host Mayhem in the AM

Make sure to tune in Monday from 6 - 8:30 and Tuesday 6 - 10 am. Coach Hewitt will be a live guest on the morning show. Story here.

Luke - coming at you!!

Thanks to "B" for the link to those pictures. Classic. Not only that, he is up for the all-hair team over at ESPN - link here (thanks to Buzz for the link. Of course, as you may know, Luke as cut his hair off - check it out.

Picture 1
Picture 2

Jennie Finch vs Jessica Sallinger

Well, Jennie got the best of this battle, as the US Team won for the 153rd time in a row, 6-0. Jessica was on the Salem All-stars and picthed well for 2 innings, but ran into trouble in the 4th. This is only the 16th game the US team has played that didn't invoke the "mercy" rule and end early. Story here.