Hoops Re-cap of the GT Victory

JACKETS JUMP ALL OVER AL.ST

POST-GAME QUOTES

BOX SCORE

ESPN RECAP

JACKETS A TEAM TO BEAT

JACKETS ENJOYING RIDE AS FAVORITES

ACC LITERALLY POINTS TO TOP
From Coach Hewitt:

Said Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt: "I'll tell you how tough this league is. I asked [Tech guard] Will Bynum what was the biggest difference in the run we made to the NCAA tournament finals from the regular season, and he said, 'Coach, once we got out of the ACC, the games dropped in intensity level.' That was last year, when we didn't think the league could get any better. It has."

And who is the best NBA prospect among ACC guards?

"That's why some experts believe Jack (6-3, 205 pounds) might be the best NBA prospect among the ACC's elite trio of guards. The Georgia Tech junior with the rippling pro build blossomed for the Yellow Jackets last season, averaging 12.5 points, 5.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds and driving Tech's run to the national title game. Jack, a Fort Washington native who was primarily an off-guard in high school, is still learning the nuances of playing the point.

"He made huge strides in that regard last year," said Hewitt. "He always brought us supreme confidence and energy, which everyone around him feeds on. But by the end of last season, he was seeing the game as a point guard."

Jack's grasp of the position improved so dramatically last season that he was named MVP of the St. Louis regional after pushing Tech to its first Final Four appearance since 1990. His strength and athleticism make him virtually impossible to stop off the dribble, and pro scouts uniformly agree he has the best vision in the conference. But if Jack wants to once again be the star of St. Louis (the site of this season's Final Four) and beyond, he'll need to improve his perimeter shooting (31.6 percent from 3-point range).

THE LINDY TEN

UNC'S BLUE PERIOD COULD BE HISTORY
Yeah right!! This story was BEFORE last night's loss to Santa Clara:

When Georgia Tech's Jarrett Jack dribbled around Rashad McCants last March to hit the winning shot in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament, it was a snapshot of what's still missing from North Carolina: smart defense, consistent communication and something harder to define -- mystique.
Which is why, despite all of the hype and hope around campus that UNC basketball "is back," men's coach Roy Williams said, "I don't know that I believe it, myself."

I guess Roy Williams is a pretty smart guy.