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The ACC Media has made their picks for hoops - link here. Here's how it looks:
1. Wake Forest (65) 965
So you've got 4 out of the top 5 picks from Tobacco Road, the ENTIRE pre-season All-conference team, the player of the year and the Rookie of the year.
2. North Carolina (13) 866
3. Georgia Tech (10) 836
4. Duke (3) 746
5. NC State 607
6. Maryland 605
7. Florida State 414
8. Virginia 394
9. Clemson 256
10. Virginia Tech 171
11. Miami 146
Preseason All-Conference Team
Chris Paul, Wake Forest
Julius Hodge, NC State
Rashad McCants, North Carolina
Sean May, North Carolina
J.J. Redick, Duke
Preseason Player of the Year
Chris Paul, Wake Forest
Preseason Rookie of the Year
Marvin Williams, North Carolina
So yes, we do have GT and UVA and Clemson and FSU and Miami and VT and Maryland. But look where the focus is.
Here's the good news. The pre-season polls don't mean crap. Awards are earned and there's a lot of basketball to play. We're going to re-post this list at the end of the season when the winners are announced and laugh at the infinite wisdom of the media.
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Make no Mistake.....Tobacco Road Rules the Roost
Observations from Saturday's hoops scrimmage
I wasn't there but here are some reports from the hoops scrimmage on Saturday"
Hive Report #1
Hive Report #2
A lot of good details in these reports. The freshman are looking good, but the biggest area of weakness in their games seems to be defense. Surprise surprise....not. I am sure that is shocker #1 for high school standouts and in the ACC, the intensity is higher than the rest. Hopefully they realize that they will earn their minutes on D.
As far as the team leader, it appears there is no doubt - this is Jarrett Jack's team. Evidently he is in incredible shape, he is more of a vocal leader and he has really worked on his game. And it seems that he and Luke has really developed a 2-man game, which of course we saw at times through the course of the year.
Scouts from the Charlotte Bobcats and Detroit Pistons were on hand.
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Hoops - Kansas
If things play out this way, New Year's Day could be fun even if we're not in a bowl game - link here.
Kansas will have its toughest challenge against Georgia Tech on New Year's Day. That game could be a 1 vs. 2 matchup on ESPN. Texas A&M opens Kansas' Big 12 slate on Jan. 5 in Lawrence. Expect the Jayhawks to be 10-0 going to Kentucky.
Comments on the Bowl Picture
Are things getting clearer? We'll see - link here.
ACC: Miami should be able to win at Virginia and finish 11-0. They may be headed to a date in the Sugar Bowl against another undefeated team. Florida State finds itself in the familiar position of finishing 10-1 after a near miss with Miami. Because Utah appears headed to a BCS at-large bid, the Seminoles may be left with a Gator Bowl spot. Virginia Tech may edge Virginia and get the Peach Bowl. Virginia would fall to the Tangerine Bowl. North Carolina St. would be available for the Continental Tire Bowl. I have a feeling Georgia Tech and Wake Forest could both come up one win shy, so the MPC Computers Bowl would have to look for an at-large team.
Freidgen Compares MD to 1989 GT Team
Interesting comparison - link here.
Friedgen, asked if this game will tell him about the season's final month, said: "I hope not. If we win, I hope it will give us a spark."
The season, which has faded faster than anyone within the program had anticipated, reminds Friedgen of the 1989 Georgia Tech team, on which he served as offensive coordinator. The Yellow Jackets were 0-3 before they beat Maryland and played at 14th-ranked Clemson. Georgia Tech, more than a three-touchdown underdog, won by 16 and lost only once more that season. The next year, it won a share of the national championship.
Vote for GT in USAToday Poll...
... on who will win the hoops national championship in 2005 - link here.
More on the game...
ANOTHER DISCOURAGING SETBACK AT GT
Tough but true:
Most troubling, the Yellow Jackets have failed to maintain any sort of momentum. They have followed some of their best wins with crushing defeats. They have failed to close out games with victory in reach.
"We had a big opportunity to win this game at home on a Thursday night," Gailey said, "and we didn't take advantage of that opportunity."
That's becoming a theme.
JACKETS HURT THEIR BOWL HOPES
OFFENSIVE WOES AID JACKETS COLLAPSE
On PJ Daniels:
Gailey said Friday that he didn't have a report on Daniels' condition or status for the Yellow Jackets' game with North Carolina State on Nov. 6.
Tech is now 4-0 when Daniels plays an entire game and 0-3 when the junior missed either part (0-2) or all (0-1) of a contest.
Chris Woods (9 carries, 57 yards) did solid work in place of Daniels, but the Yellow Jackets modified their attack - and Virginia Tech altered its defense - without Daniels in the backfield.
"When I knew he was out, I was doing a couple of different things to try to move the football," said Gailey, who calls plays. "It changes a little bit."
It changed more than a little Thursday night. It changed the Yellow Jackets' offense and it changed the game.
BIG PLAYS LEAD TO BIG TURNAROUND
Funny and sad article at the same time:
"H'lo!" was my hasty answer. My column on Virginia Tech's 34-20 win over Georgia Tech was due in 20 minutes. It wasn't a good time to talk. It wasn't a great time for the caller, either.
"Know any coaches out there we could hire?" he said.
It was my longtime friend Brad, a Georgia Tech graduate who had just watched his team's stunning collapse from the bleachers.
Here's the gist of what he said next: Not only was Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey awful, but there's a chance he's responsible for the flu-vaccine shortage. Quarterback Reggie Ball would need to throw 36 touchdown passes in the next game merely to earn the title of "average." The playcalling is simply dreadful...
JACKETS LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK
VATECH SAVORS COMEBACK
The VT freshman who had those picks at the end of the game:
Not even in rec ball, I haven't had two picks that quick," said Minor, of his interceptions that came in a span of 95 seconds. "We needed a big play. Crunch time, they put all their receivers out. I was the extra corner in there and I did my job."
HOKIES ARE JUST IN TIME
WR'S LIVE LARGE IN ATLANTA
Story on VT's WR's, not ours.
INSPIRED FRESHMAN HELP VT COMEBACK
SHATTERING STEREOTYPES
More on VT's win.
HOKIES STEPPED UP IN LOCKERROOM
YOUNG PLAYERS, RANDALL FINISH STRONG
Friday, October 29, 2004
Wow, It's Deja Vu all over again
Someone over at the Hive found this article on the firing of Chan Gailey from Jan 1, 2000, when the Cowboys let him go. Now read that and try not to chuckle a little.
Quote:
"I believe he was a scapegoat, but at times there were problems," said Paul Chandler, Hale Center head football coach and a former assistant at Amarillo High. "It seemed like motivation was a big part of it, and I question the play-calling throughout the year as being too conservative.
Even if you like Gailey (like me), I still had to laugh a little. Even the NFL didn't like the "NFL Mentality".
"We'd have the lead and the offense would get so conservative and we'd lose it - that was frustrating."
Tyler suggested that if Gailey had an offensive coordinator or another coach calling plays, that might have been more productive.
"I think he needed somebody up there in the press box calling plays," said Tyler, who has taped every Cowboy game since the early 1980s. "Or maybe he needed to be up there. But we'd get down to the 5, and he'd call the wrong play, I thought.
Now, we do have to look at history. The Cowboys fired Gailey after two straight playoff appearances, hired Dave Campo and proceeded to have 3 straight losing seasons. Nuff said.
Download "the hit"
Now you can re-live the play-o-the-game forever - link here.
Here's a screen snapshot for a tease:
Great Article on Georgia Tech
(Thanks to Bryan for the link from ESPN) Well, at least it's an interesting story. It tries to show the geeky, nerd side of the school and tries to portray it as the dominant culture at GT. When you have quotes like this you just have to shake your head:
"If we win, maybe some frat guys get excited and run around," Sreenivas Vedantam said. "But inside this building, nobody will know the difference. Nothing's going to change in here, win or lose. These people have tests tomorrow."
And this from Chris Reis:
"You have to understand," Georgia Tech linebacker Chris Reiss said. "Half the students here don't even know that we have a football team."
As to the importance of athletic success at GT:
So what sort of a role does big-time college football play on a brainiac campus like this? What does Georgia Tech football success mean to the fraction of the student body that cares? It proves that the school is built on more than academic prowess.
"It validates that were not just nerds," Kwon said. "Not only are our degrees much better than yours, but we can whip you on the field, too."
An Open Letter tto "Chan-Bashers"
Another Blogger takes on the critics of our head coach - Grayson Buzz.
You know what - I don't know if Coach Gailey is going to lead us to the promise land. I don't know if he is building a program that can win 8-10 games every year and take us to more meaningful bowls. I don't know enough about his skills at developing players and turning 18-year old kids into men. I don't know. He hasn't been here long enough to see.
With all that, I support Chan Gailey. I want him to get his fair shake at building this program. Yeah, "building" this program, which is NOT a short-term view. I want to remind people that 3 years into the Paul Hewitt experience, there was similar sentiment. People wanted him gone - fired!! They saw that he could recruit, but they questioned his ability to coach on the floor and to develop players. Now they don't question him anymore. They say, wow - look what he did with Luke, look what he is doing with Jack. Look how he has built a team that plays unselfishly and bought into the team concpet. Paul Hewitt got his fair-shake to build the program. For Chan Gailey, 2.5 years is not a fair shake.
I am not sure where this team is going. I cannot tell and neither can you. That's the frustration. Are we getting better or worse? Are we moving forward or backward? We don't know. But that's a lot different from KNOWING you are getting worse. We don't know, so give Coach a chance to show us. For me that means 4-5 years. I want to build something.
One last point. It is absolutely fair to question playcalling and decision making. But it is FAR more pleasant to discuss if Coach Gailey should be calling the plays than saying he should be fired. That's just damaging to the image of the school for the recruits we are trying to attract now. Calling for Gailey's job after every loss just makes our fan base look fickle and petty to potential recruits.
Recruiting - Football
CARLOS THOMAS
Well, Levon Thomas's brother committed to the Jackets on CSS not too long ago (he is the top WR in the state of GA). He continues to take and other visits. If you read this article on Thomas, you wouldn't think he had committed to the Jackets at all.
College Park (Ga.) Banniker athlete Carlos Thomas (6-0, 175, 4.34) has more than 18 scholarship offers already, but has trimmed his list of suitors down to eight.
"It feels good to have that many universities offering me a full ride," Thomas said. "But I stay humble and continue to work hard everyday."
Thomas likes Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, LSU and Ohio State.
"All those are good schools, so I'm still undecided on which ones I'm going to visit," Thomas said. "Florida is still in the mix even though coach (Ron) Zook and his staff won't be there next year (after being fired this week)."
"I had the chance to watch Arkansas and Georgia last weekend on TV and Arkansas looked good versus one of the top teams in the country," Thomas said. "Plus, I'm definitely running track in college and Arkansas has the best track program in the country year in and year out," Thomas said.
Thomas was last spring's Class AAA Champion in the 100 meters with a time of 10.31 seconds. He runs the 200 meters in 21.2.
In football, Thomas has 28 receptions for 751 yards and 10 touchdowns at receiver, while recording 2 interceptions as a cornerback on defense. Most schools are recruiting him as a receiver, the position he prefers.
STEVE SLATON
This talented tailback / cornerback prospect backed out of his committment to Maryland and GT is in the mix, although down on the list. Link here.
TAYLOR BENNETT
Boise is upgrading their recruiting with their on-the-field success. Link here.
Georgia Tech robbed Boise of a quarterback prospect two years ago.
This summer, the Broncos did the same to the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
The current freshman class hails from Canada, Florida, Missouri, Maryland and across the West — the most widespread recruits in coach Dan Hawkins' tenure.
"Any publicity and exposure that you get enhances the image of the institution," Bleymaier said.
"Today," he said of the Georgia Tech recruit, "maybe we get that kid."
Remember Freshman Phenoms are Just Kids
Another story on the stellar freshman class in college football, that includes Calvin Johnson - link here.
Just this season, referencing true freshmen only -- excluding red shirts and prep school products -- there is a plethora of physical phenoms making serious contributions on the field: Quarterbacks Eric Ainge and Brent Schaeffer of Tennessee, Brian Brohm of Louisville, Chad Henne of Michigan, running backs Peterson, Hart, and Darius Walker of Notre Dame, linebacker Dan Conner of Penn State, and wide receivers Dwayne Jarrett of USC and Calvin Johnson of Georgia Tech are the most publicized. Linemen and defensive backs are jumping in here and there as well.
I hope and pray they all do well. They are challenged on a daily basis by the classroom, tutoring, weightlifting, media swirl, agents, parasitic alumni, bright lights, parties, alcohol, controlled substances and the passions of youth. There is also the omnipresent specter of gambling and its pervasive influence that can destroy in a moment every decent aspect of the experience.
The Aftermath...
... As if you wanted to spend your time reading about the misery...... but it is my duty to bring you ALL the news. Enjoy:
GT FALLS TO VT 34-20
PHOTO GALLERY
QUOTES FROM OUR COACH AND PLAYERS
FINAL STATISTICS
YAHOO STATS
C.JOHNSON SETS GT FRESHMAN RECORD
Congrats to CJ. My only disappointment is that he isn't getting the ball thrown his way more often.
FRESHMAN BECOMING FAVORITE TARGET
SECONDARY BREAKDOWN LEADS TO TECH COLLAPSE
HOKIES PICK DB SCOTT
REGGIE BALL: TALE OF TWO HALVES
HOKIES PLAY LONG BALL
NOBLE EFFORT: TECH BLOWS TWO LATE LEADS
VT RALLIES TO STOP GT
HOKIES STRIKE LATE AND STUN GT
NOT QUITE HIGH TECH
GT WON ONLY OTHER MATCH-UP IN 1990
VT 34 GT 20
HOKIES HAVE THEIR WAY IN 4TH QUARTER
RANDALL RALLIES VT
GAME NOTES FROM VT PERSPECTIVE
ADIBI SHOWS HE'S READY
VT COMEBAC MIGHT BE ONE FOT THE AGES
Ok, I am one of those guys who understands how difficult it is to play with youth and inexperience. But you read this and you think - ok, other people can do it:
An 80-yard touchdown pass to a freshman? A run-for-your-life, against-the-grain 2-point conversion pass? A 51-yard touchdown pass to another freshman? Two interceptions by yet another freshman, the latter for an insurance touchdown? All in the fourth quarter?
GROWING INTO CONTENDERS (VT)
COLLEGE GAME DAY CREW - WYSIWYG
You know, for once, I thought Lee Corso had some good points last night.
These stories from just prior to the game
JACKETS ENJOY THURSDAY SPOTLIGHT
NORTHERN EXPOSURE AT VT
ESPN/USAToday Pre-Season Hoops Poll is Out
...and GT comes in at #4 in the country. But that's only good enough for 3rd in the ACC. How's that for brutal? Link here. GT gets one 1st-place vote.
KENTUCKY COLLEGE LIFE LEAVES MORRIS WITH NO REGRETS
Well, the story covers all the reasons he chose KY, except that he was intimidated by the academic challenges of GT. He said it himself. I am glad he's happy at KY. Things work out for a reason. I wish him the best.
DOYEL EXPLAINS BLACKBALLING LUKE FROM LIST
Well, sort of. Doyel left Luke off his list of top 10 centers in the country. Here was the "explanation".
From: Showboat2nd
What kept Georgia Tech's Luke Schenscher out of your center ranking?
Doyel: I'm an Aussist.
LOSING TO GT IS MOTIVATION FOR A LOT OF TEAMS
This time it is Boston College's Craig Smith. I've seen similar comments from Kansas, Ok.St as well.
LOSING TO GT - PART II - OK.ST
Speaking of Ok.St:
Q. John, how do you look back on that Final Four game? Good memory? Painful memory? Does that motivate you personally?
JOHN LUCAS: It motivates me a lot. I watched that game at least 30 times over the summer. You know, it motivated me just to step up more on D because I did lose containment of my man. I want to get back to there. It was a good feeling, but I also left a bad taste in my mouth after the game was over with.
Q. Joey, last year John tried to take a lot of the blame in the Final Four loss, but that's not really being fair to himself. Obviously, you guys wouldn't have gotten in the Final Four without Johnnie. What is your opinion on that?
JOEY GRAHAM: We all play a part in the loss at Georgia Tech. After the game we sat together and reviewed the film. We pretty much just tried to regroup and learn from the mistakes that we did last year and tried to use them as a tool for this year.
Q. Joey, how much are you guys using that game as a motivation to try to get back?
JOEY GRAHAM: Like John said, he has watched it 30 times. I have watched the game multiple times. I am pretty sure the coaches do as well. We do use it as a motivational tool. We have a great team this year and know we can get back to the Final Four. Hopefully, we can come back with a national championship this year. We have this game as a learning experience and just try to use that as motivation for us every day in practice.
Golf Team Ranked #1
Well, hey, if you're frustrated with football - check this out. The golf team is really clicking right now:
Three of Tech's players rank among the nation's top 18 individuals in the Golfweek/Sagarin ratings. Roberto Castro, a sophomore from Alpharetta, Ga., who has finished in the top-10 in all three fall events, is rated No. 7. Nicholas Thompson, a senior from Coral Springs, Fla., with two top-10 finishes, is ranked No. 12, and Chan Song, a senior from Orlando, Fla., with three top-20 showings, is ranked No. 18.
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Real Tech Collapses, Fake Tech Wins 34-20
Well, at the beginning of the 4th quarter I started thinking of all these funny and clever things to post. Now I am just dejected. Virginia Tech takes advantage of a complete collapse by Georgia Tech and wins by scoring 25 points in the 4th quarter. Here are some points of my own:
1. VT did NOT win this game. GT lost it. That is a cliche you hear often, but it was true tonight.
2. Players make plays. And every game is decided by 5-7 plays that are made by one team or the other. All the rest of the battle of field position. Daniels' 2 fumbles in the 1st half in VT territory, Ball's careless safety, Butler's two blown coverages for TD's, a VT 2-point conversion that tied the game and 2 costly GT INT's in the 4th quarter. There it is - game....set....match. Players make plays, and tonight we didn't make them.
3. Our offense is still incredibly inconsistent. They looked great in the 1st half, and did nothing in the 2nd half. So why? Three things: 1) PJ Daniels played in the 1st half and did NOT in the 2nd with a bruised knee. Coincidence? I think not. It's ironic because Chris Woods ran well, but it just wasn't the same. The offensive confidence just was not there. No matter how good people think Chris Woods or R.Grant are, this team just plays different with PJ. 2)Reggie Ball got raked across the face and had a twisted ankle. He was not the same guy after that. 3) This team ALWAYS seems to have a long stretch of not moving the ball during every game. Just happened to be the whole 2nd half.
Let's look at the drives in the 2nd half - only one drive more than 5 plays.
Plays...Yards...Result
4........28......punt
3........8.......punt
3........9.......punt
1........0.......safety
3........-6......punt
11.......53......FG
3........4.......punt
1........-2......INT
5........13......INT
4........12......game over.
One last point on the offense. We scored 14 points off VT turnovers deep in their territory. That means we only scored 6 points when we had to go down the long-field. That's the entire game. Frustrating.
4. Our defense has a clear weakness - the secondary. But it's not lack of athletes. It's not bad coverage throughout the game. In fact, it's a good group and they generally play well. However, anywhere from 1-5 times a game, somebody misses an assignment and the opponent caplitalizes. Miami did it twice. Tonight has to be a frustrating night for the senior James Butler. He had a critical INT but it only took two blown coverages for VT to put up 14 points in the 4th quarter. Remember, games are typically decided by 5-7 plays every game. So you can play great for 60 snaps and not so good on 5 and....... game over.
Having said all that - go back up and look at the offense drives in the 2nd half. Our D was on the field a LOT in the 2nd half. They just didn't get a break. THEY WERE TIRED. Arm tackling and the VT O-line really exerted themselves.
5. I am pleased with our linebacker play. Chris Reis continues to impress me. He is everywhere and he just never stops. Wilkinson had an outstanding game with 13 tackles, 3 for a loss and 1 sack. He was the ESPN GT Player of the Game. K.Hall also had a nice game. There were a couple of plays where I swear he knew the snap count and was in the backfield before the O-Line could even react. Good job by the LB core.
6. Playcalling - this will be the usual topic for debate for the fans that don't like Gailey. But folks, don't bark up this tree too much. Playcalling was NOT the big issue tonight. Generally I thought Gailey did a good job here. Yeah, there were a couple of series late where I didn't understand why Calvin Johnson was not getting the ball thrown his way. I also didn't like the first series after PJ left, when we go three-and-out with Reggie in the shotgun, 5 WR's and NO backs in the backfield. But other than that I thought Gailey called a good game. If you want to use this as an excuse to bash Coach Gailey, you're barking up the wrong tree. Play-calling did not cause the loss tonight.
Tentuta called another strong D-game..... for 3 quarters. Obviously things broke down the 4th quarter. So should J.Tenuta go too? I didn't think so.
7. This is a young team and we continue to struggle with depth. One senior starter on the defense. Daryl Richard looks like he is the real deal - of course we already knew that. The D-Line is young but talented and I like how they are developing. On offense, we still have an inconsistent sophomore QB and a #2 guy that we are desparate to red-shirt. We have a star-in-the-making WR that's a true freshman but we just cannot seem to get him the ball enough.
8. I have to mention Gary Guyton. This kid laid the wood on a VT kid on a GT punt return that was amazing. He is going to be a good one - mark my words. After that play I have nicknamed him - "Bam Bam". And that VT defender "Pebbles".
9. Special teams played well tonight and we heard all week about how VT is known for their special teams.
9. I don't like Virginia Tech. Their players are flambouyant and vocal and arrogant. I have never seen so much holding on the O-Line in all my life. This is not bitterness talking - I lost some respect for VT tonight and what they're about.
BIG PICTURE
Let's be real. This is a hard loss to swallow. National TV. The game was in hand and the team proceeded to make goof after goof after goof and VT took advantage. The problem was execution tonight. The gameplan was a good one, but critical plays were NOT made. We broke-down at the most critical moments of the game. Players make plays.
Do not let your post-game emotions get the best of you. Keep the big-picture perspective. Virginia Tech is a top 25 team with a load of talent and we played with them tonight. It hurts because we all want success NOW. We don't want to put off our expectations of success because of youth or depth problems. We don't want to hear it - I know. But folks - that's the way it is. The rest of the ACC is getting better and so is GT.
I am still a fan of Chan Gailey. Yes, he is conservative on offense, but with the type of mistakes our players make at times, I am not convinced it would be wise to open the offense up much more. The only exception is throwing to CJ. It just seems that he catches everything within the area code. FIND A WAY TO GET THAT KID THE BALL MORE!!!! PLEASE!!!
Keep your heads up. Keep the faith. Support the team. Be positive. I will again post words from the legend Bobby Dodd:
"Football is one of our great American games. It is the duty and responsibility of each of us to see that it is kept in its proper perspective, and that it is protected. We should see that it is used to attain the objectives that mean so much to our way of life.
We feel that the spectator can be most influential and instrumental in helping to achieve these objectives, if he will develop the right attitudes. May we suggest a few?
First, and foremost among these attitudes that must be developed, is the realization that in football there must be a winner and a loser (excepting the occasional tie). The fan who recognizes this principle gets a great deal more enjoyment from the game than one who becomes irritated, aggravated, and rambunctious when "his" team loses. We would never minimize the importance of winning, but it is very unfair to the coach, the player, and the school when the fan forgets it is impossible to "repudiate the law of mathematics"--i.e., there must be a winner and a loser.
It is important that each of us develop the art of appreciating great plays made by the opposition. We should always give our opponents credit, rather than criticize our team when the opposition makes a great play. We believe perfection in the execution of a great play in football is to be admired and appreciated, just as we appreciate and admire the work of a great artist in any field.
The spectator should remember the football players are just human beings. They perform at times under great pressure, and they, as all other earthly inhabitants, are likely to make mistakes. It behooves all of us to remember, "To err is human, to forgive, divine."
Finally, we should always keep uppermost in mind that football, with all its glamour, glitter, thrills and chills, plus everything that makes it great, has one thing more important than all of these combined--that is, the boy who plays it."
Robert L. "Bobby" Dodd
Head Coach and Athletic Director
Georgia Institute of Technology
1954
Prediction Time - GT / VaTech
NOTE THAT THIS ENTRY IS STAYING AT THE TOP UNTIL THE GAME. NEW POSTS ARE BEING ENTERED BELOW THIS ONE:
Here's what we have so far:
Scott..........GT 13 VT 10 (PJ 115; game-winning FG w/5:24 on clock)
Buzz...........GT 21 VT 20 (PJ 122; game-winning TD <2min)
Justin.........GT 17 VT 14
Gooch..........GT 24 VT 14
Jackets........GT 28 VT 24 (CJ 2 TD's)
PeterinVA......GT 27 VT 24 (game winning FG last 3 min)
Mr.T..........."Pain"
RavagedSnail...GT 24 VT 17 (PJ 2 TD's)
Kenny..........GT 17 VT 3
Andrew.........GT 17 VT 10
UnaJacket......GT 17 VT 10
TechTower......GT 17 VT 13
theSir.........GT 13 VT 7 (PJ 94, CJ TD-6 yd fade)
s***...........GT 10 VT 27
Matthew........GT 16 VT 13 (VT up at the half)
GTJoe..........GT 24 VT 13 (PJ 105, CJ lights it up)
JackFan........GT 24 VT 21 (Jack game winning 3pt shot)
K-Dogg.........GT 30 VT 17
Mike...........GT 35 VT 10
Tom............GT 20 VT 10 ("20-10 Tech"; assume GT is "Tech")
Adam...........GT 14 VT 13
PR.............GT 13 VT 10
Ray............GT 7 VT 3
Isiah..........GT 31 VT 21 (PJ 175, 2 TD's)
Clay...........GT 17 VT 9
Grindle........GT 7 VT 21 (Ball 3 int's, PJ 97)
Goldine Video - a must watch
The GT marketing group is doing a nice job with these videos - link here.
Hoops - interesting debate...
...over at Arizona site. Link here. This Q&A was interesting:
*Question – Let's say a coaching vacancy opened up at one of America's "Elite" college basketball programs. Which man would you bring in for the first interview and why?
Immel: There is an abundance of young, talented coaches across the college basketball landscape, but to me, the two that stick out are Tom Crean of Marquette, with his creative sets and ability to make players believe in his system, and Paul Hewitt of Georgia Tech, for the trust he places in his players and their natural abilities, and the respect he receives from them in return for that gift.
Where are they now - Mark Teixeira
Getting honored by his high school hall-of-fame, that's where.
Although Mark Teixeira didn't grow up in Catonsville, the Texas Rangers' first basemen certainly made an impression on Hannan, who did grow up in the area.
Hannan recalled how Teixeira stole the show the first time they got together inside for a baseball meeting.
"Tex has always been larger than life, but he's also been one of us. He's Mark and he'll always be Tex," Hannan said.
Teixeira, a Severna Park native, was Maryland Player of the Year in 1997 and '98.
He was a High School all-American and then a College All-American at Georgia Tech where he also earned College Player of the Year.
At Texas this past season he batted .281 with 38 home runs and 112 RBIs. In August, the 24-year old hit for the cycle.
Teixeira now lives in Texas and remains close friends with Hannan, who also lives in Texas.
"The one thing Tommy and I always had was respect for what we did," Teixeira said.
Recruiting - more on Andrew Bynum
Story on his choice of UConn - link here.
Now here's something interesting. In an interview with Rivals.com, Bynum said this:
NJ Hoops: What school finished 2nd if there was one?
AB: Uconn and Georgia Tech were tied. Uconn had a little more to offer.
NOT North Carolina as widely believed. Yes, this is nothing more than a moral victory, but it shows that Coach Hewitt is competing at a high level for top notch recruits. There is no doubt that Hewitt is building something special in ATL.
Hoopsfest and Scrimmage
Link here. I tell you - read Hewitt's quotes. That is the most positive he has been in awhile. He was pretty harsh right after the first practice. Now he seems to be piling on the kudos. Well, he knows the team better than anyone, so whatever you say Coach!
Here are some things he had to say about the freshman - all except the defense:
"They're bright. They're picking up things probably a little quicker than I expected them to," said Hewitt. "The reason for that is probably that we have veteran guys who can talk them through things on the court. They are able to help them when they see breakdowns.
"They're all displaying at different times, abilities to help us. Zam and Anthony have started to shoot the ball very well. Jeremis has surprised us with his ability to shoot the ball. All of them need to work on their defense. That's the one thing that is glaring. In order for them to make significant contributions, they need to be able to guard, and I tell them that all the time."
And check out the end of the article, where it lists all the media coverage some of the players are going to be getting.
Luke in SI, ESPN the Mag, Sporting news, Isma'il in a video feature, campus visits by Jay Bilas and Andy Katz. Luke REALLY seems to be a focus.
Also note that we have added two walk-ons to the team.
Trouble at Clemson - not football related
Not sure if the Tiger football faithful will notice, but there is a big problem in the Clemson hoops program. Three hoops players were suspended for ONE YEAR due to an altercation. However, Sharrod Ford and Cheyenne Moore were reinstated after an appeal, while freshman guard Troy Mathis was not. Mathis was not just kicked off the team - he was asked to leave the campus.
Insiders story.
Mathis appealling suspension with lawyer
More from Charleston Post
Mathis odd man out?
Read that last story. this situation is hitting on racial issues that exist on the Clemson campus:
He believes there is an attempt to cover up the situation by the university so as to hide a bigger issue on campus.
“Unfortunately, there is a significant problem that the university does not want to address on campus between students and student-athletes, especially African-American students and African-American student athletes,” Rosemond said in a release. “The university has known for years that this problem existed and they have failed to use all the available resources to combat this problem."
Hoops - Top 25 high / lows
link here. On GT:
No. 7 Georgia Tech
Ranked too high if: B.J. Elder remains inconsistent and injury prone, and none of the freshmen can fill Marvin Lewis' zone-busting role from last season's national runner-up.
Ranked too low if: Either of the two freshman big men, Ra'Sean Dickey or Jeremis Smith, is good enough to provide quality relief for center Luke Schenscher.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Football Fix
JACKETS SEEK TO COUNTER HOKIE SPECIAL TEAMS
Good article on the focus of special teams and how it is a strength for VT.
STOPPING RANDALL KEY FOR JACKETS
Interesting strategy comments by the Hokies on moving the ball against the Jackets:
Randall said the Hokies didn't gather much from the Yellow Jackets' impressive defensive effort against Maryland.
"Looking at that game, it was a struggle. We just turned it off," he said. "We'd rather look at a game like Miami, where (the Hurricanes) moved the ball. We wanted to see where people could move it."
Randall said the Hokies learned some lessons from the Hurricanes.
"Smash mouth football and then hit them deep," he said.
TV / RADIO COVERAGE FOR GAME
JACKETS GO AFTER UNRANKED HOKIES
YOUNG VT RECEIVERS STILL CATCHING UP
HE'S THE GOSPEL IN VT'S DEFENSE
VT'S MANNING LOSES JOB, NOT COOL
GAME OF THE WEEK
CFN.com picks the Jackets to win:
What will happen: Call this the ultimate toss up as the two teams are almost exactly alike. Georgia Tech turns it over a little bit more and Virginia Tech is better throwing it. In a defensive battle between two even teams, you go with the home underdog.
CFN Prediction: Georgia Tech 16 ... Virginia Tech 13
ESPN INSIDER SAYS GT KNOCKS HOKIES OUT
...of the top 25. They list this as a classic "trap game" for the Hokies. The is the same site that called the GT / UNC a trap game for GT. Go figure.
HOKIES / JACKETS MEET IN KEY ACC CONTEST
HOKIES PROGRESS TO BE MEASURED IN STRETCH RUN
GEORGIA TECH LOOKS TO VATECH
BETTING LINES
For all the betting stats, check out this link.
GAME PREVIEW 1
GAME PREVIEW 2
GAME PREVIEW 3 (INSIDERS)
WELL RESTED JACKETS / HOKIES SQUARE OFF
BOWL TALK
HOKIES HAVE A DREAM
HOKIES SEEK MORE FROM OFFENSE
Honestly folks, this is where the key to the game lies. First, our D has to follow-up with another top-notch performance. Second, VT is vulnerable on offense. They have to run the ball to win, so if our DB's can shutdown the passing game and the line can keep containment on Randall, we just might pull this thing off. Also, the O-Line has been giving up a lot of sacks, so hopefully Reis and others can have a field day.
AROUND THE ACC
Check out these comments from Bobby Bowden on the Ron Zook situation. As usual, Bowden has a way with words:
Florida State coach Bobby Bowden made it clear yesterday that he didn't approve of Florida's decision to fire Ron Zook on Monday. But when a reporter asked if FSU might benefit from the move, given Zook's reputation as a big-time recruiter, Bowden had an interesting answer.
"Let me say this: Ron was an excellent recruiter. He did a great job," Bowden said. "But it ain't hard to recruit for the University of Florida. You could recruit for them."
WATCH OUT FOR KIM KING SOLICITATIONS
While this could be legit, be weary.
RANDOM RAMBLINGS IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
...from ESPN.
Recruiting - Andrew Bynum to UConn
Evidently Bynum will announce that he has chosen to play for UConn at a press conference later today - link here. The press leaks are out.
NBADraft.net has Jackets projected
Well, NBADraft.net has their 2005 NBA draft predictions posted - link here.
Here's how the Jackets stack-up:
18.....J.Jack
38.....BJ Elder
48.....Luke Schenscher
49.....Isma'il Muhammad
53.....Will Bynum
Wouldn't that be something to have 5 guys drafted?? Wow. However, I don't see it happening.
Lineman Tearfully Walks Away from Football
Just gut-wrenching for this kid - link here. But alas, there is life after football.
Reliving a "dis"
Mention of a cheap and tawdry announcement tactic - the old hat switcheroo - link here.
A native of College Park, Ga., Jones has a swagger about him, a smooth-as-silk style that stands out in a crowd. That was evident four years ago when he walked into a press conference to announce his college choice with a Georgia Tech hat on his head. At the last second, he grabbed a WVU cap and proclaimed, "I'm going to West Virginia."
The move might have rankled those in Atlanta, but Jones has never looked back. He's adjusted to life in Morgantown and is establishing himself as one of the nation's most electric and versatile players.
NFL Rookies on the Rise
Mention of Nat Dorsey - link here.
Fellow rookie Nat Dorsey, a fourth-round pick from Georgia Tech, has helped pave the way for Moore, starting the past three games at right tackle.
Of course that's not all, as we know Daryl Smith earned a starting spot and has played well, and Anthony Hargrove has come on strong of late.
More on VaTech and their November Struggles
Link here.
VT Wide Receiver will be back from injury - link here.
More on VT's Wide Receiver core.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Outstanding Hoops Preview
For a truly outstanding preview of the Jackets as well as just about every other Div I-A team, see the Blue Ribbon Preview. You have to have an ESPN Insider subscription to view, or you can purchase the Blue Ribbon Yearbook online. Link here.
I will take one quote out of long article that I found interesting. This was Paul Hewitt talking about Anthony McHenry:
McHenry may never play in the NBA, but Hewitt believes he has a future in basketball.
"He and Luke are probably our two smartest players," he said. "Anthony is going to be a terrific coach some day. I'm trying to convince him not to play after college and work for me."
November Typically a Tough Time for Hokies
We can only hope this trend continues - link here.
Quick look at the game.
VaTech DE Ready for Jackets
He is among ACC leaders in sacks and tackles-for-a-loss - Darryl Tapp - link here.
UNC Trying to Join Elite Club...
...of terrible defenses - link here.
Imagine how confident Sensabaugh would be if the Tar Heels (3-4, 2-2 ACC) had actually stopped -- or even slowed down -- an opponent this season. They rank next-to-last in the country in total defense, giving up an average of nearly 504 yards.
That includes a total of 1,246 yards in their last two games -- a victory over North Carolina State (577) and a loss to No. 9 Utah (669). They're nearly on pace to set a school record for yards allowed for the second straight season, and only Georgia Tech has failed to reach 400 yards of total offense against them.
The Yellow Jackets got 393.
Hoops - 4 Teams on the Rise
A look at 4 teams that might pull a "GT" this hoops season - link here.
Georgia Tech entered last season projected as the No. 7 team in the ACC, having just lost their only two legit big men, Chris Bosh and Ed Nelson, from a team that was mediocre in the first place.
You know what happened next, and no one saw it coming.
Well, if one of these four teams that didn't make the NCAA tourney in 2004 make a huge splash in 2005, don't say you didn't see it coming:
Football Fix
VaTech WR WANTS PT VERSUS GT
GT NOTEBOOK: KELLY DOING HIS PART ON O-LINE
SPURRIER GT MENTION
It's not like Spurrier hasn't bounced back from previous disappointments. He was the Heisman Trophy winner who suffered the humiliation of quarterbacking a winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. He was let go at Georgia Tech as an assistant caught up in the same kind of coaching shake-up that hit Florida on Monday.
TECHED UP AND READY TO GO
TECH IMPROVES GRAD RATES - UGA DROPS
Hoops - under-rated players
A couple of Arizona website guys debate college hoops and both mention a YellowJacket as underrated:
There are tons of underrated players, but some of my favorites include Jamaal Levy of Wake, Chuck Hayes of UK, B.J Elder of Georgia Tech......
And from the other guy:
All right, more overrated fellas include Andrew Bogut of Utah, Luke Schenscher of Georgia Tech and ......
Crushing News on Brad Brezina
Wow, this is just terrible for the young man. Link here.
Brezina announced publicly Monday that his football career is over because of spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal cord.
Brezina suffered brief temporary paralysis (30 to 45 seconds) after a block during the Yellow Jackets' game with Miami on Oct. 2. His condition, which is genetic, was diagnosed in the weeks after the game. Brezina has not played since.
Two spinal specialists reached the same conclusion: Another blow could leave Brezina paralyzed from the neck down. Their conclusions left Brezina with little choice but to end his career.
"The risk isn't going to go away. My spine will never open up," he said. "As much I hate to say it, I'm going to have to hang it up."
But it sounds like Brezina has a great attitude and cherishes the time he did have on the field:
That he got to play college football for the Yellow Jackets, however briefly, will also remain with him.
If this is not a wake-up call to those who do NOT consider academics when chosing a school, think again. Think about life off the field. Think about what you will do if your dreams of an NFL career end. Do not underestimate that.
"It's something I'll always remember. A lot of people don't have that opportunity that I've experienced," Brezina said.
"Yeah, it was a little short, but it was well worth it. Well worth it."
Brad, we wish you the best. Keep your head up. Best to you!!!
Doyel's top 16 hoops coaches..
.. and Paul Hewitt is not one of them. I guess based on coaching record it makes sense. Although I'm not so sure Rick Barnes belongs on that list, but here it is - link here.
Recruiting - Hoops
Theo Davis is a 6'9" Power Forward from Canada. He committed to Texas but has had 2nd thoughts and is re-opening his recruitment. Georgia Tech was involved with him for awhile, so we'll keep an eye open for news on Davis. It is not clear where he is now looking, but odds are it is a "local" school in the NY area, where he has been playing his high school ball. Link here.
Monday, October 25, 2004
Where are they now - Jason Collier
Jason is ready to prove himself - link here.
Collier will go the extra mile to stay in the lineup in Atlanta, where he starred his final two years of college at Georgia Tech after transferring from Indiana.
Evidently Collier has really slimmed down, dropping 50 pounds in the off-season. Wow - that's a lot.
"It's great to be back here," said Collier, who was second-team All-ACC both seasons at Tech, averaging 17.1 points and 8.3 rebounds and who, as a senior, became the first Yellow Jacket to lead the conference in rebounding. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I went to school here, my wife and her family are from here, my father went to school down here. It's really an awesome treat."
Football Fix
JACKETS FACE VT IN NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
This is going to be one tough game on Thurday:
Virginia Tech's defense ranks fifth in the nation in scoring defense (11.6 points per game), seventh in total defense (265.4 yards allowed per game) and eighth in passing defense (151.7 yards allowed per game).
"No weaknesses," said Gailey. "Seriously, no weaknesses on their defense. They are all very good football players. They make you earn it. They have good athletes and they have a good scheme. We will have to work on offense in order to be successful."
GT MAKES ANNUAL THURS NIGHT APPEARANCE
Turns out VT has been VERY successfull on Thursday nights:
Virginia Tech, which joined the ACC this year, is also familiar with the Thursday night routine. This will be its 10th appearance in the prime-time game - and the first of two this season.
The Hokies, who host Maryland on Nov. 18, have been nearly unbeatable on Thursdays, winning eight of nine games. Their only setback was a 20-14 loss to Boston College in 1995.
THE TWO TECHS
Sorry, but there is only one "Tech" and that is Georgia Tech. This is an entertaining look at both technical schools and their differences. Did you know that the inventors of Elmers Glue-all, household bleach, WD-40, and the modem (Dennis Hayes) all are GT grads? Learn something new every day.
TECH / NCST GAMETIME TO BE ANNOUNCED SUNDAY
No doubt the game will be televised regionally, but ABC gets first dibs.
COACHING RECORDS FROM CLASS OF 2002
Interesting fact from the AJC:
CLASS OF 2002
The best records among the 13 Division I-A coaches who were hired in 2002:
Jeff Tedford, California 20-12 .625
Tyrone Willingham, Notre Dame 20-13 .606
Ron Zook, Florida 20-13 .606
Chan Gailey, Georgia Tech 18-14 .563
Paul Johnson, Navy 16-16 .500
Recruiting - Andrew Bynum
As mentioned, Bynum, the big center, will announce between UConn / UNC / GT on Wed. It looks like it will probably be UConn - link here.
While Bynum said Georgia Tech is still in the mix and Georgia is still under consideration, the unmistakable impression is that he will choose between UConn and North Carolina. To that end, he has a ratings system to help him.
The Truth about Depth
Link here:
College basketball as a whole will be down this year. Despite what any of the "experts" say, the only teams with solid returning cores from a year ago are Kansas, North Carolina and Georgia Tech.
Personally, I think you have to add Wake Forest, who didn't lose anyone.
Great Story on PJ Daniels
... from the Roanoke Times - link here. Learned some new things about PJ, like how he struggled with standardized testing, but showed that hard work wins out in the end.
In the spring of his senior year, Daniels got the SAT score he needed. By that time, most schools had already given out all their scholarships. North Texas made a late scholarship offer, but Daniels turned it down because he didn't want to go to college in his home state.
Fortunately, Georgia Tech offered him a chance that spring.
"Georgia Tech was my last option, and I took it," Daniels said. "I had to walk on at Georgia Tech and prove my skills - my academic skills, let alone my athletic skills. It was a blessing how they gave me an opportunity."
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Recruiting - football
Update on Maurice Wells - link here.
Sandalwood, now 6-1 on the season, looked as if they were clicking on all cylinders after their first loss to Wolfson last week. Wells ran effortlessly for 145 yards on just 11 carries and a touchdown. He also had three additional carries called back because of holding that totaled 118 yards, including a 72-yard sprint down the left sideline.
As far as schools, he is still showing the same top 3:
"It's going good (the recruiting process)," Wells described. "I've just been trying to narrow it down. I've got really my top three schools: Ohio state, USC, and Georgia Tech. I've actually got an official visit set for the 20th to Ohio State for the Michigan game."
Here is a South Carolina paper article highlighting a few players GT is interested in - link here.
Bear Bryant - Bobby Dodd fued
The recent story written by Bill Curry in ESPN (see here), has promoted an interesting disucssion over at the Hive about our history and why we were not voted back into the SEC - link here.
One of the interesting links provided is a story about an Alabama player putting one of ours in the hospital - link here. Evidently this incident is what started the animosity between Dodd and Bryant.
The single incident that became a national symbol for the type of dirty football allegedly encouraged by Bryant occurred in the fourth quarter on a routine punt return on which Alabama's return man called for a fair catch. The score was 10-0 and Alabama was determined to pound the last hopes for victory from the Tech squad.
Georgia Tech's Chick Graning was running down field on punt coverage when he saw the fair catch signal. Thinking the play was over, he pulled up, temporarily dropping his guard. That was all Alabama's Darwin Holt, a Texas native and a senior who'd followed Bryant from A&M, needed to see. He sprung at Graning, throwing a forearm into the unsuspecting young man's face and shattering his jaw.
Everywhere else in America, and especially in Georgia Tech's hometown of Atlanta, it was the story of the week. Graning's jaw and cheekbone were shattered, he'd lost five teeth, suffered a concussion and, since his nasal bone had also been destroyed, his sinuses had flooded with blood. The Atlanta Constitution ran photos of the brutalized young Graning lying in his hospital bed with his face smothered in bandages. The papers called for Holt to be suspended for what was, to them, an obviously late and dirty hit.
Larry Coker called one of our guys and his father??
Interesting blurb - link here
How classy is UM coach Larry Coker? He recently called a Georgia Tech offensive lineman who was injured in a game against the Canes -- and the player's father -- simply to lift their spirits.
One assumption is that this is probably Andy Tidwell-Neal, since he was hurt during the Miami game.
Humor of the Day
Ok, I live in Greenville SC - Clemson territory without a doubt. So I'm walking my daughter down to the park to feed the ducks and look at the sign I see in my neighborhood - no joke. I don't know how I missed it before. Just incredibly funny and ironic.
WHITEHURST WAY - DEAD END
Where are they now - Chris Bosh
Bosh leads the Raptors in scoring and rebounding in the pre-season and they want him to be more aggressive - link here.
MEAN BOSH: One of the biggest things the Raptors want out of Chris Bosh this season is more aggression on offence.
On two of the team's first three possessions in the second half of Wednesday's pre-season loss to Portland, Bosh was urged to attack Blazer power forward Zach Randolph and both times he did, the first after Vince Carter got out of the low-post to let Bosh go to work and the second time when Bosh made an instant move to the basket after catching a pass on the baseline.
"That's the hardest part, making sure I don't settle for jump shots and take it hard to the hole every time," Bosh said of the change to his game.
"(You want to) kind of catch them off guard. Don't wait around, don't let the defence square you up.''
Where are they now - Daryl Smith
Nice props for D-Smith - link here.
The draft supposedly was light in linebackers. Most were raw prospects. Few were ready for rookie stardom. Bradway pulled away a prize in Jonathan Vilma, who will be make it hard for Sam Cowart to get back his starting job when his knee injury is completely healed by next week. Vilma, D.J. Williams of the Broncos, Daryl Smith of the Jaguars and Jason Babin of the Texas have clearly established themselves as the best rookie linebackers from this class.
Here's more props for Smith - link here.
Jacksonville has built its 4-2 start on the back of its defense, especially its new additions. Rookie linebacker Daryl Smith is a starter, as are free-agent signees Deon Grant at safety and Dewayne Washington at cornerback. The Jaguars have been aggressive so far with plenty of man-to-man coverages behind their pass rush.
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Defense / Respect at Heart of Tech's Tenuta
Another story on J.Tenuta. I guess that's happens when the defense starts playing fantastic - the DC becomes a little more willing to talk to the media. Link here.
James Butler getting some love
Thanks Jason for the link. James Butler listed at the 75th NFL prospect by insiders.com:
No love for Luke S. from Gregg Doyell
Well, let the sports world keep thinking that Luke S. is an uncordinated, slow center. Let them keep thinking that. Link here.
Golf Updates
The youngest pro in LPGA history happens to have a brother who goes to Georgia Tech - link here.
This on B.Molder - link here
Molder tripped to a bogey at the third, but came right back with birdies on four and six to get to minus-8t. The four-time first-team All-American at Georgia Tech fell back to even par for his round when he bogeyed the 10th. Molder posted birdies at the 14th and 16th, but bogeyed the last to share third place.
More Bowl Talk
Nice to see the Jackets in more media discussion about better bowls, but it's going to take more W's no doubt.
Link here.
That means that the league could very well have enough bowl tie-ins to take care of its eligible teams.
Virginia, N.C. State, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech appear to be battling for the more attractive spots in the Gator and Peach bowls -- although keep in mind the possibility that either Miami or Florida State could drop out of the BCS and take the Gator Bowl with an unexpected loss.
More talk about bowls - link here.
For the Dec. 21 Champs Sports, game director Matthew Sign needs a spreadsheet to keep track of the potential scenarios. Virginia, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech are the most likely options from the ACC.
Tough 2nd Half Awaits Jackets
Story here. No doubt a brutal stretch now awaits the Jackets:
The schedule, however, remains the biggest obstacle between Tech and its eighth consecutive bowl appearance. Tech is likely to be favored in just one of its final five games, at home against Connecticut.
Recruiting - Hoops - Andrew Bynum
Mention of this Center prospect - link here.
Highly sought-after recruit Andrew Bynum began an official visit Friday, attending practice with his mother and brother Corey. It's the second trip to UConn for Bynum who took an unofficial visit to Storrs in late August. A 7-foot, 280-pound center out of St. Joseph's in Metuchen, N.J., he's also interested in North Carolina, Georgia and Georgia Tech. He's made official visits to all three of those programs, including a stop at North Carolina for Midnight Madness.
Here's another mention of Bynum:
UConn's top recruiting target, 6-11 center Andrew Bynum (Plainsboro, N.J.) arrived on campus Friday afternoon accompanied by his mother and his brother for his official visit. He has already made visits to Georgia, Georgia Tech, and last weekend to North Carolina for "Late Night with Roy," where many of the 17,000 Tar Heel fans at the Dean Smith Dome chanted Bynum's name.
The trip to UConn is supposed to be the final official visit Bynum will make and he is expected to make a decision before the November signing period. He was unavailable for comment Friday.
Where are they now - Mark Teixeira
Mark was inducted into his high school's hall-of-fame - link here.
HALL-OF-FAMER: Mount St. Joseph High School in Baltimore inducted Severna Park's Mark Teixeira into its Hall of Fame in ceremonies held last night at the school Teixeira was one of seven former athletes inducted.
Teixeira, a 1998 graduate of Mount St. Joseph, was a standout baseball player for Gaels and went on to become the national player of the year at Georgia Tech. He has just completed his second season with the Texas Rangers. He batted .281 with 38 home runs, 112 RBIs and 101 runs scored.
C.Moore at Coastal Carolina??
Well, I am guessing they mean Clarence Moore. His full name is Clarence Aaron Moore, Jr, so obvioulsy this is a mistake - link here.
"Maurice Moore played for Georgia Tech and he was a key contributor to their Final Four run last year," Strickland recalled. "He was interested [in coming to Coastal]. He walks into the gym and says, 'Coach, is this where you practice?' I said, 'Absolutely.' The second question was a little harder to answer. You could see his shoulders slump. He liked the school, our staff, our players. Those are the kind of players we need to get."
Friday, October 22, 2004
RPI Rankings to include home/road factor
...in hoops, weighting the road games a bit more heavily than home games. For full details, click here:
Collegeball blog
Andy Katz
Seth Davis
Also, here's a look at strength of schedule in hoops.
Holding a Grudge is a Football Tradition
Interesting article by Bill Curry - link here. Note these comments on Bobby Dodd:
We were coached by our own living legend, "The Gray Fox", Bobby Dodd. He and Coach Bryant were longtime friends, and the Alabama coach was fond of saying, "When I look across the field on game day I would rather see anybody other than that damn Dodd. He can beat you with his brain."
Coach Dodd was a General Bob Neyland disciple and understood the wisdom of ball security, field position, and error-free football better than anyone else in his era. He also made public reference to the fact that he wanted his boys to have fun playing football and refused to allow us to scrimmage during the season. Rival coaches found this appalling and said so. In that era football was supposed to be a daily gutcheck, not fun.
This on Bear Bryant and GT getting back into the SEC:
Finally he blurted out what he had been wanting to broach. "You ever see Dodd?"
"Yes sir, I do talk with him every now and then," I answered.
"Me and Dodd are too old to be feuding," he responded.
"Yes sir, I believe you are right about that," I said, breathless now in my excitement.
He thought some more, then spoke forcefully. "I tell you what you do Bill. You go home and call Dodd. Tell him what I said, and tell him one more thing for me."
He looked me hard in the eye, and said, "You tell him I will personally sponsor Georgia Tech to come back into the Southeastern Conference."
I hurried home, called Coach Dodd and delivered Coach Bryant's message. Dodd did not hesitate, saying "Paul's right, we need to stop our fussing, but we will never get back into the SEC. The Mississippi schools would simply not allow it. I tell you what, I'll call Bryant. He and I should get back together."
And this on leaving GT as head coach to take the Alabama job:
When I was offered the head coaching job at Alabama in 1987 I foolishly assumed that all was forgiven between the two schools and that the transition would be a smooth one.
Both fan bases erupted and I became the polar opposite of that which I had imagined. I was the lightning rod that reignited all the passions from all those years before. Not only did Alabama people resent my hiring, my Georgia Tech people were outraged, perhaps even more than the Alabama faithful if that were possible.
It was no one's fault. We simply did not understand the grudge factor. So when you watch Tennessee and Alabama play this weekend, understand that the current controversy is more than football, more than lawsuits and more than personal animosity.
Hoops - NC ST
A look at NCST in hoops, with this GT mention:
The coach of the year in the Atlantic Coast Conference last season wasn't Mike Krzyzewski or Roy Williams. It wasn't even Paul Hewitt, who led Georgia Tech to the national championship game.
The award went to North Carolina State's Herb Sendek - not bad for a coach who was thought to be on his way out just a few years ago. And not bad for a coach whose team tries to thrive in the shadows of Duke and North Carolina.
March Madness 2005 - GT Video Clip
Check out this pre-release video of the Georgia Tech / Wake Forest Hoops game on the video game - March Madness 2005. (Thanks to folks at the Hive for link). The names are different, but I tell you - the replay of that one play looks just like J.Jack passing to Isma'il for a left-handed hard layup. VERY COOL!!!!
Miami's Hester Killing Opponents
...but GT had the right plan to stop him - link here.
Georgia Tech was the only team that kept Hester from finding that daylight. Hester returned two punts for 12 yards in UM's 27-3 victory on Oct. 2. Four of Georgia Tech's eight punts were kicked out of bounds.
"Not kicking it to him is the only way to contain him," Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey said. "If you kick it to him enough times, he's going to return one. He's that good.
"What you have to be willing to do as a football coach is say, 'I'll take a 30-yard punt that's out of bounds because I'm not going to take the chance of him returning one 60 yards. It's worth it to give up 10 to 12 yards of punting average."
YellowJacket Defense Moving up the Ranks
The Jackets are 16th in the nation in defense, yet we are only 6th in the ACC. Amazing. So does this mean that the ACC defensively is that strong, or that ACC offenses are really weak? After all, a big portion of those stats are made up of games against other ACC teams. Personally, I think the offenses ARE weaker. The QB situation around the league is shaky at best, with more than half the teams going through some level of QB controversy this season. The league lost many talented WR's last year. The RB's are still fairly solid. In fact something like 7 of the 10 backs in the conference right now are juniors (including PJ), so next year should be even stronger.
Story here. Also note this on the freshman playing:
Through six games, Tech (4-2, 3-2 in the ACC) has played 11 of 23 true scholarship freshmen. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson and Richard, a regular at defensive tackle, have had the biggest impact.
There are only 5 or 6 other programs in the country that have played more freshman than GT. Depth, depth, depth....not there yet.
Others who have seen action: Kyle Belcher, Travis Chambers, Pat Clark, Mike Cox, Gary Guyton, Djay Jones, Jamal Lewis, Nate McManus and Darrell Robertson.
Hoops Fix
Interesting mention of a "guy" at GT:
"I'm a stat guy, and I've looked at that," said UC associate head coach Andy Kennedy. "The day of the true post player in college basketball is dying.
Not sure who "that guy" is. Do you?
"Memphis typically played four guards last year. UAB, who goes to the Sweet 16, played a kid at the power forward who was 6-5. Georgia Tech went to the Final Four and had a kid at power forward who I recruited at UAB as a point guard.
How long will Kentucky's new recruiting class stay around? For Randolph Morris, probably not long - link here.
Get excited. Get very excited. Just don't get attached.
"It basically came down to Kentucky, Georgia Tech and the NBA," said Randolph Morris, the 6-foot-10 center who looks the part of the best big man Smith has recruited at UK. "They were on the same plane."
"I want to stay until we win a national championship," Morris said. "But it's one year at a time."
Yyyyeeeeeaaaaahhhhhh, rrrrriiiiigggghhhht. Whatever you say Randolph.
How about a little March Madness 2005? We're talking video games here. Check it out.
There are also more than 75 classic teams that you will be able to earn by collecting points through Dynasty mode. These teams range from the 1954 Kentucky Wildcats to some all-time teams (the 12 best players from the school's history) and includes schools like Georgia Tech, Florida, Duke, and North Carolina.
Jason Veritek - Hockey Player????
Funny way to tie-in hockey and baseball - link here.
Quote:
Jason Varitek – Steve Crusco, Merrimack
Of all these guys, wouldn’t Varitek fit right in on the rink? He’s a grinder, a leader, and a heart-and-soul player. I can’t believe he played his college ball at Georgia Tech and not Ferris State. Crusco, a captain for the Warriors, fits that bill, and like Varitek, can chip in offensively as well. He scored 10 goals 16 points last season and is playing first-line center for the Warriors this year.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Where are they now - Mark Price
Congrats to Mark Price, who signed a deal with Turner South to be an analyst for Atlanta Hawk games - link here.
Where are they now - Anthony Hargrove
Anthony had a nice night on Monday Night Football - link here.
Part of the reason for success on Monday night was the emergence of rookie Anthony Hargrove out of Georgia Tech. Coach Mike Martz said, “Tony Hargrove played 29 plays, he had two tackles, he had a tackle for a loss, he had a pressure, and a quarterback hit, in just 29 plays. For a rookie, that’s a good evening.”
Three tackles may not seem like much, but as a defensive tackle and end, Hargrove played his role, stuffing running lanes, and putting pressure on the quarterback.
Tennis Williams Sisters to Visit GT Campus
Link here.
Earlier in the day, the sisters will conduct a question-and-answer session at Georgia Tech with local children.
Where are they now - Bryce Molder
Nice 1st round - link here.
Bryce Molder and Tim Wilkinson each fired rounds of seven-under-par 64 on Thursday to share the lead during the suspended first round of the Miccosukee Championship.
High-Wire Tenuta has Jacket Defense Playing His Way
Link here. You have to love Coach Tenuta. Quote:
"I'm a firm believer it's got to be done one way, and that's my way," he said.
Who am I to argue?
Unfortunately, it looks like Tenuta is starting to open up about bigger dreams - like being a head coach:
Tenuta says he hopes Braine's next recommendation is to a school looking for a head coach.
"I think everybody in this business wants to be a head coach," Tenuta said.
Braine would not say if he already has had a school ask permission to interview Tenuta the last three years. Braine says the desire to be a head coach is one reason Tenuta may begin to make himself more available to interview requests.
"John is starting to open up," Braine said. "In his mind he knows to be a head coach he's going to have to start doing these things."
Braine and Gailey say Tenuta is ready to head a program.
"He's certainly very deserving," Gailey said. "There's no question about that. Everybody has a different idea about what they want, but he would certainly do a great job for someone."
"I don't know what else he has to do to prove that he's ready," Braine said. "He just needs the opportunity."
ACC Review - Week 7
A look at last week's games. This on Duke / GT:
Georgia Tech appears to be rounding into shape. One week after dismantling Maryland on the road, they methodically and soundly beat Duke. This was a perfect game for a letup, but they never really gave Duke a chance. Very quietly, the Yellow Jackets are laying claim to second-tier status in the conference along with Virginia, NC State and Virginia Tech.
For Duke, well, it's looking like the Ted Roof optimism is over. They aren't going to win more games than they won last year, in part because of a series of injuries. Fortunately for coach Roof, not much is expected of Duke football. The alumni aren't going to be calling for his head unless he puts together three or more seasons of this kind of play.
The Need for Speed
Interesting article about how high school football players now understand that speed kills - and gets them major 'ship offers. The article includes mention of Maurice Wells - link here.
According to the Rivals.com online recruiting service, the top prospects at defensive back (Miami Carol City's Kenneth Phillips), wide receiver (Tallahassee Lincoln's Fred Rouse) and running back (Jacksonville Sandalwood's Maurice Wells) all hail from Florida. All possess 4.4 speed, but that's not the main factor in ranking players. Murdock, Bailey and Jefferson running back Alex Suber (4.4 40 speed) have also received major college attention because of their football speed.
``I think most schools have come to the conclusion that Florida is a state that can't be ignored when it comes to recruiting skill speed guys,'' said Phil Grosz, the publisher of the G&W Recruiting Report and Blue-White Illustrated, both based in State College, Pa. ``Most of the teams in the Big Ten, Big East and ACC are realizing that. Look at Boston College, which is a team that's joining the ACC and one of the main reasons is to increase their ability to recruit in Florida.''
Where are they now - Jason Collier / Kenny Anderson
Where were they the other night? Getting school by Shaq and the Heat - link here.
O'Neal also was glad to see overmatched fourth-year center Jason Collier trying to stop him, scoring nine of Miami's first 11 points — all from very short range.
Where are they now - Brook Steppe
Check it out - link here.
Gwizzlies Steppe-ing Out
Former Georgia Tech All American basketball player and Head Coach of the ABA Gwinnett Gwizzlies, Brook Steppe, will host a training camp/media day for his brand new ABA team, the Gwinnett Gwizzlies, on Friday, October 29th at Life University from 12N to 2PM. Steppe, a first round NBA draft pick in 1982, an NBA player for five years and former head basketball coach at Kennesaw State University, will bring the team and coaches to meet the press, the fans, the media and to give an exhibition and sign autographs during the training camp/media day event. Later, the coaches and team members will celebrate the beginning of their inaugural appearance into the ABA with an all-out Halloween Bash at the mega club, The Atrium, on Memorial Drive. The evening party starts at 7PM. The public is invited. For more information, contact Amy Gesch at ameliag@prodigy.net or visit www.abalive.com.
Recruiting - Austin Jackson
Brief mention of Jackson - link here. Also covers other ACC hoops recruiting.
Georgia Tech has taken a commitment from 6-1 Austin Jackson from Denton, Texas. Jackson is the third Texan to commit to Georgia Tech in four seasons and is one of three being recruited by the Yellow Jackets this year.
Middle of the ACC Struggling
Link here........... Here's a look at the ACC vs SEC - link here. Interesting that the SEC is only 10-9 against Div I-A opponents.
Here's a funny look at the ACC with a Pink Floyd theme for every ACC team. Here's GT's theme:
“Learning to Fly,” Georgia Tech —- Doesn’t it seem like Georgia Tech is perpetually on the edge of greatness? It is as if the Yellow Jackets are always learning to fly with the big boys. Since tying for the ACC championship with a 10-2 overall record in 1998, Georgia Tech has gone 8-4, 9-3, 8-5, 7-6 and 7-6. The Yellow Jackets are 4-2 this season and probably will head toward a 6-5 finish.
In this look at the ACC, GT gets a "thumbs up":
Georgia Tech’s defense quietly is improving, thanks in part to the return of injured defensive end Eric Henderson. Maryland and Duke, albeit struggling offenses, managed 14 points and 265 yards in Tech’s past two games. Linebacker Chris Reis leads the ACC in sacks with seven and has forced two fumbles.
Here's a look at the ACC, with this quote from Coach Gailey on Miami's D.Hester, the return specialist:
The sophomore has 4.3 speed in the 40-yard dash and a 38-inch vertical leap. Said Georgia Tech Coach Chan Gailey, "I'd rather take a 30-yard punt out of bounds because I'm not going to take a chance of him returning one 60 yards against me."
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
A Real Student Athlete
Link here.
But Parker has turned even more heads with his academic performance. After posting a 1220 SAT score and a 26 on the ACT as a high school freshman, he applied to the joint enrollment program established between Tucker and Georgia Perimeter College. He was turned down at the time because he was deemed too young, but was allowed to enter as a junior.
A scheduling conflict forced Parker to sit out from the program this fall. He plans to resume his studies at Georgia Perimeter in January. For his college career, Parker is focusing on schools such as Harvard, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Southern Mississippi, Savannah State and Morehouse College, hoping to study engineering.
By transferring his credits from GPC, he can enroll next fall as a sophomore. Ideally, he would like to play college football, but he is weighing his options and might consider walking on.
On the football field, Parker is known for making key plays in clutch situations. He won the game for Tucker against Americus when he returned an interception 18 yards for a touchdown. Against defending Class AAAA state champion Marist, he made one of the most memorable plays in school history by blocking a kick that was returned for the winning score.
THE KHQ ZAGS REPORT ELITE 25
What is this you ask? Beats me - but GT is #1 in their top 25, so they must be credible - link here.
HoopsFest
From the GT Marketing Group:
Mark your calendars for HoopsFest!
Saturday, October 30 - 5 to 6 p.m. at Alexander Memorial Coliseum
Join the Yellow Jackets' Men and Women's Basketball teams for FUN in a Fall Festival atmosphere! Admission is FREE! Bring your little ghost or goblin for a costume contest!
Don't miss:
- Autographs!
- A Costume Contest for Kids! (The grand prize includes a basketball autographed by Coach Hewitt and Coach Joseph, 2 tickets to a men's game, a women's coupon book, a T-shirt and a hat!)
- FREE Candy!
- Interactive Games!
Enter the Coliseum through Gates 2 and 3. Stick around after HoopsFest to see Tech Volleyball host Miami at O'Keefe Gym at 7 p.m.!
Johnson is the "big catch" in Tech's freshman class
Nice story on big Calvin. He is exceeding his hype which is hard to imagine - but he is doing it. Link here.
Here's a more general article about freshman stepping up around the country:
It's a scene being repeated at schools across America, where a bevy of talented newcomers have shown no inclination for waiting their turn.
From Adrian Peterson at Oklahoma to Erik Ainge at Tennessee. From Dwayne Jarrett at Southern Cal to Brian Brohm at Louisville. From Calvin Johnson at Georgia Tech to Dan Connor at Penn State.
Recruiting - more on CJ Miles
Quotes on why he made the decision he did - link here.
"Distance was a big factor," said Miles, noting his hometown of Dallas is about a three-hour drive from Austin, home of the Longhorns.
"A lot of people want to be able to see me play. I figured all the schools had great players and coaches, so why not go somewhere my family could see me, too?"
Here's another Kansas story on Miles........... Here's a story from a Texas media outlet.
Hoops - Tarheels ready to focus on defense
I'll believe it when I see it - link here.
The image is still disarmingly fresh: Georgia Tech inbounding the ball from the sidelines in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals with seconds to play. Carolina holding an 82-81 advantage, needing only one defensive stop to advance to the next day's semifinals and generate some momentum going into the NCAA Tournament. Jarrett Jack receiving the inbounds pass, sidestepping a pair of Tar Heel defenders, firing a deadeye jumpshot through the net with 1.4 seconds left.
Phil Ford's reaction to the play on the Tar Heel Sports Network summed it up neatly: "Oh noooooo..."
No Doubting Thomas has Stepped Up
Nice story on Levon Thomas - link here.
Nice to see Thomas and Curry setting a leadership example for the young WR's:
Those two guys (Thomas and Curry) are tremendous workers," said assistant head coach Buddy Geis, who oversee the receivers. "All these young guys see how hard they work. There isn't any clowning around when they hit the field. They are working hard, fast and quick. They did that all summer, and these young guys saw that. It's rubbed off on Calvin (Johnson), Pat Clark and Chris Dunlap."
"I try to give the younger receivers all the advice I can give them," added Thomas. "Anytime I see them make a mistake, I try to help them out.
Where are they now - Matt Harpring
A Utah Jazz preview - link here.
Veteran Matt Harpring gives the Jazz depth off the bench at small forward. The 6-7 Georgia Tech product missed 51 contests last season because of a knee injury. Harpring, who averaged 16.2 points per game before his injury in 2003-04, has started 100 of the 109 games that he has appeared in for the Jazz over the past two seasons, and should continue to play starter-type minutes as long as he is healthy. If needed, Harpring can also play shooting guard.
CFN looks at the ACC mid-season
Well, they didn't exactly give us any big recognition. Nobody in their top 10 players so far, they give the freshman standout to WF's J.Abbate, not Calvin Johnson. Link here.
However, they do predict we will beat Virginia Tech and Uconn and end the season with 6 wins:
Georgia Tech - MVP - LB Chris Reis
predicted wins: Virginia Tech, Connecticut
predicted losses: at NC State, Virginia, at Georgia
predicted record: 6-5
The travesty is that TA McLendon is in the top 10 players. They didn't quality that with "...who actually play".