Monday, May 31, 2004

Potential UGAg / GT rematch in place

Well, if you noticed the brackets (and some of you did) a rematch is a strong possibility with the school formerly known as UGA. Should UGAg and GT advance, we will be facing them in the superregional. Personally, I welcome the challenge and look forward to a re-match. Of course, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Time to start a new winning streak and win our regional first. And of course the mutts will have to do the same.

Scouting report for beesball games

Check out this thread for detailed scouting reports on the weekend's games. Good work from the Hive........ Here's their home page....... Check out this article. What strikes me the most is this -

Parking for the NCAA Atlanta Regional is free of charge and is available in the following areas: Alexander Memorial Coliseum (8th Street off Fowler Street) O'Keefe Parking Lot (6th Street off Fowler Street) Peter's Parking Deck (Fowler Street at 4th Street)
In other words, all you students who paid however many hundreds of dollars for a liscence to look for a spot will have to look harder. Parking must be an even more sore spot today that when I was there back in 87-92 - more buildings and less spaces.

Jackets get the #4 Seed

Well, here's the official bracket. The Jackets will host a regional next weekend, with Jacksonville State, Miss St and Texas Tech coming to ATL. We will play Jax 1st. The great news is that we get teh #4 seed in the country, and the superregional host teams will be announced June 6. This means will will be a host site for one of the superregionals. Here's more from the NCAA website. From the USAToday. The SEC received a record 9 bids, while the ACC got 6...... Currently we are ranked #7 by Baseball America, and #5 by Collegiate Baseball. More on the details as it pertains the Jackets.

Recruiting - Bobby Frasor

Unless Coach Hewitt can get this guy to campus, I am not sure our chances of landing him are great. He could make a decision as soon as this week........ or not. Story on Frasor.

Money and the ACC

We have talked about the TV package and expansion. How about some data. Found this on the WF board, citing numbers out of the ACC Sports Journal (which I did not see):

Numbers pulled from the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act by the U.S. Dept of Education for athletic budget profit.

Here's how it breaks down for the past three filings combined :
ATHLETIC BUDGET PROFIT:
1] Clemson-----$31.9 mill
2] UNC---------$20.4 mill
3] FSU---------$16.6 mill
4] NC St--------$16.1 mill
5] GaT----------$8.1 mill
6] UVa----------$2.3 mill
7] Wake---------$1.7 mill
8] MD----------- $.3 mill
9] Duke----------$ [ 476,000 ] loss
I cannot speak to the accuracy of those numbers.

From the Orlando Sentinel, a look at who are the real cash cows by conference. While the SEC and Big 10 garnered more total conference money, the ACC actually reeled in far more PER SCHOOL. So it will be interesting to see what happens with expansion:
Over the same period, the ACC paid out $97.6 million to its members, just behind the total of the Big Ten and SEC. But individual ACC members reeled in more than almost every other school in the country. That group of individual winners was headed by Florida State ($11.4 million) and Wake Forest ($11.3 million), highest of any schools documented by conferences and the Sentinel.
. here is how all that revenue breaks out per school:

ACC REVENUES
Clemson $11,074,338
Duke $9,908,358
Florida State $11,435,885
Georgia Tech $11,279,962
Maryland $11,104,031
North Carolina $9,834,452
NC State $10,856,505
Virginia $10,832,114
Wake Forest $11,292,168
Total $97,617,813

Want to know how much the commisioners are paid:

Conference Commissioner Compensation

Atlantic Coast John Swofford $538,369
Big East Mike Tranghese $413,675
Big Ten Jim Delany $567,002
Big 12 Kevin Weiberg $434,500
Conference USA Britton Banowsky $216,868
Mid-American Rick Chryst $192,500
Mountain West Craig Thompson $318,000
Pac-10 Jim Hansen $381,810
Southeastern Mike Slive $425,000
Sun Belt Wright Waters $219,737
Western Athletic Karl Benson $308,453

Sunday, May 30, 2004

Jackets Crash and Burn - Crushed by FSU 17-5

Ok, on one hand I can sit here and talk about how great the team has played this season. I could talk about the 20 game winning streak. But I have to be honest. I was extremely disappointed in today's game. The Jackets played a terrible game. The pitching was terrible. The fielding was terrible. The hitting was terrible. The hustle was not there. I expected more from the Jackets than what we saw today. I was going to let them off the hook for last night's game, even though the only reason we had the lead at all was FSU's comedy of errors. But I saw some of their fight last night. Today was embarrasing.

Some will talk about how losing is a good thing. "Clear the slate" so we can start a new winning streak. I really disagree, particularly because the manner in which we lost. I didn't even see a fight in them. Coach Hall has a real task ahead of him, getting the minds of the players where they need to be. I sure hope that the "clear the slate" people are right, and that this allows us to start a new winning streak. But I have my doubts. It just kills me that we win 20 straight to end the season and lose 2 in a row when they count the most. Have to give FSU credit, but we should have sealed the deal.

The good news is that Hall was able to walk into the lockeroom afterwards and tell the team that they will be hosting a regional. That was announced today. Tommorow we will learn who the top 8 seeds will be.

GT and UGAg to host regional........ Here's a complete list of regional hosts....... Here's the RamblinWreck story on hosting.........AccessNorth article on game........ AP Story....... C.Remole was the only Jacket on the all-tourney team - that seems like a major shaft if you ask me........ Story on GT signee John Michael Vidac, a very talented pitcher / hitter, but has already had "Tommy John" surgury and is still playing high school ball.

Saturday, May 29, 2004

Daily Swarm

RECRUITING UPDATE - HOOPS
Joey Cameron verbals to Tenn. This is the young man who had earlier committed to Clemson, only to change his mind, and put GT among his leaders. Now he has made a choice again. As always, nothing is binding until he signs in the fall.

THE SAD STORY OF MIKE SOUTHALL
The diehards remember clearly the story of this promising recruit that Coach Hewitt decided to give a 2nd chance. Well, he ruined his 1st and 2nd chance, and it looks like he has just ruined his 15th as well. Southall will be serving a 1-year prison sentence for violating probation on his 2000 drug conviction. Another story of a wasted talent. Sad for him.

DID YOU KNOW SCHOOLS PLACE BIDS FOR BEESBALL REGIONALS ?
Maybe I have just been in the dark on this. I didn't realize schools actually bid money to be a regional site host. I thought it was a little bit more of a pure process. Just one more example of how money makes the sports world go round. Story here. Wonder how much GT bids to get a regional?

Speaking of the regionals, the Jackets will learn today if they will host a regional next weekend, as expected. The full NCAA field will be announced Monday, including the 8 top seeds.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - STEVE KELLY
The former GT pitcher is working his way up the minor leagues and having a decent year. His story here shows that timing a luck are important as well.

With three days left in spring training, Kelly, a starter at Fairfield, Georgia Tech and each stop he’s made as a pro, was sent to the bullpen, the place where starting pitchers go to die. Less than a week later, though, the Lookouts’ fifth starter went down with a blown-out arm, and Kelly was put back in the rotation before ever making a relief appearance.

“You never wish anything bad on anybody else, but it was an opportunity,” he said. “I tried to turn it into a positive. I started that fifth game, and everything’s been going well since.”

Kelly’s success lends itself to the big question folks around Fairfield keep asking: When will he get moved up again?

Kelly admitted that the same question goes through the head of every minor leaguer. The key, though, is not to dwell on it.

“It will beat you up down here if you think about that the whole time,” he said.

WANT TO PLAY GOLF WITH COACH CREMINS ?
Check this link out -
If you want to play in the Gene Corrigan celebrity tournament at Glenmore on June 21, then contact Mike Comer (434-973-8397) as soon as possible. Players will be invited to a celebrity auction party on Sunday, the 20th at Glenmore, where they can bid to play with Virginia football coach Al Groh, Cavaliers basketball coach Pete Gillen, Wahoo hoops legend Barry Parkhill, former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins and some other surprise celebrities.

DID A UF PLAYER LOSE HIS PANTS IN THE GATOR BOWL?
Urban legend from the 1967 Gator Bowl where Florida and GT locked horns. Interesting article about these fact-or-fictions stories.

COACH GAILEY TO ATTEND WEEK OF CHAMPIONS
Since it is for a good cause I won't rail on the fact that once again, we are "Georgia Tech University". On 2nd thought, the writer is the problem - what a boob. Sounds like a good cause and Coach Gailey will be there along with Sid Bream and Jose Alverez. Hey, and a few days at Hilton Head ain't all bad - I just got back from a week there myself.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - DAVID ELDER
The former GT pitcher was released by the Greenville Braves. For a look at his career, click here.

THE AJC ON ALADE AMINU
Short blurb on our newest hoops recruit.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - STEWART CINK
Cink is looking strong (leaderboard) at the FEDEX St.Jude Classic, currently tied for 3rd at 10 under. He won't catch the leader, but should have a strong showing. Notice that Matt Kuchar is tied for 30th, Michael Clark II is tied for 39th, Bryce Molder is tied for 48th and Tripp Isenhour is tied for 62nd. How about that - 5 former GT players on the PGA - and David Duval might make his appearance at the Memorial (next weekend I think).

Jackets finally lose 8-7

FSU started the game looking like the Bad News Bears, comitting 4 errors in the 1st two innings. The Jackets took advantage, taking a 6-1 lead. But it would not hold. FSU broke through bit by bit, then hit it big in the 8th, scoring 4 runs. All the while, the bats for GT disappeared. The heart of the order Owings / Boggs / Remole went a combined 0-9.

The Jackets have not lost since April 18, so I hope they can bounce back.

So, these teams will suit up again on Sunday and try again - winner take all. No more 20 game winning streak. Time for a new one boys. Let's start with #1 on Sunday

Where are they now - Joe Hamilton

Nice story on little Joe (thanks to kman81 for the link from the Hive). Nice stat line -

Hamilton has started 13 games for the Predators this season (missed two games with an injury) and passed for 2,654 yards (218-of-334) with 52 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s also made plays with his feet, rushing for 145 yards and eight scores, including a 42-yard scamper.

Hamilton doesn’t given himself enough credit as a quarterback.

“I think I’m a quarterback that just moves the chains,” he said. “I don’t have a (John) Elway-type arm but I think when it’s time to make a play that I can get it done. I played a lot of football in college and then in the NFL but (the AFL) is still a new game to me. I guess heading into week 16 I’m not really a rookie anymore, but I’m still learning and trying to get better.”

Where are they now - Dean Keener

Here's a link to that article about the top 25 recruiters in the country - only assistant were eligible. Of course our guy Dean is now HC at JMU.

Coach Hewitt Talks NCAA Reform..

... with the Boston Globe. I thought I posted this article a couple of weeks ago, but couldn't find the link. Here it is again. Once again thanks to Yoni over at Collegball.blogspot.com for the link again.

Georgia Tech basketball coach Paul Hewitt, who guided his team to the NCAA men's title game against the University of Connecticut this past season, says the new guidelines will force him to make a choice between taking a player he knows has qualifications to succeed and someone he thinks might have them.

"It is not easy," said Hewitt. "Do I give a kid a chance or do I not recruit him? I'll have a decision to make."

According to Hewitt, if the NCAA were truly serious about its academic commitment, there would be changes in scheduling. For instance, it could curtail basketball games in the first semester -- have none during the week -- and extend the season well into the second semester in April, when television has cash cows such as the Masters and major league baseball.

"It would be the right thing to do for kids," said Hewitt, knowing full well that the loss of television revenue for the NCAA would prohibit such a dramatic change.
Personally, I like the suggestion of requiring the athletic programs to match the grad rates of the student body of the school they are attending. The would certainly normalize things since some schools are meat-grinders - easy to get in, but hard to get out. Others are hard to get in, but if you're in, it's highly unlikely you won't graduate.

The real interesting point to all this for me is that the NCAA has created this framework for major change but have not filled in ANY of the details. That is completely in the air at this point.

Recruiting Update - Bobby Frasor

Nice article on Frasor and his positive AAU experience, even though it is common to hear all the negatives about the AAU summer circuit.

Make no mistake - if Coach Hewitt lands this young man, it will be a major win. He is currently in the national top 25 for his class and considered one of the top PG's. Competition will be tough, as teams like UNC / Stanford / Kansas / Marquette / Mich St are pushing hard. With Kansas signing Mario Chalmers, this hopefully puts them out of the running, but old Roy Williams seems to really be putting the full court press on this kid. Stay tuned.

If you want to see some impressive video footage of this kid for free, click here. Of course he makes every shot in the clips, but the kid can flat out shoot.

Where are they now - Nomar Garciappara

Nomar starts his rehab assignment on Sunday at Pawtucket. I sure hope Nomar isn't turning into another Ken Griffey Jr / Grant Hill type of career. It would be sad if he goes through his entire career fighting injuries, but it seems like the past few seasons it is a common theme.

Where are they now - Andy Hall

Well, the road to success just got tougher for Andy. The Eagles just signed Jeff Blake, which means Hall will likely end up on the practice squad for next season and not the active roster. That also means a significant pay cut. My question - if a team drafts a player and elects NOT to sign him to the roster, why should they retain rights on the "practice squad"? Why shouldn't these guys be able to test the free agent market with other teams? Or is this actually a good thing for recruits? I can't tell.

Friday, May 28, 2004

Where are they now - Kyle Bakker

The 6'9" lefty is pitching well in the Braves farm system. In this article, Baseball Writer and ESPN special columnist John Sickels talks about Bakker:

James from York, Pennsylvania, writes: In the 20th round of last year's draft, the Braves took left-handed pitcher Kyle Bakker, a 6-foot-9 beast out of Georgia Tech. I remember he was supposed to be a draft-and-follow, his stock having dropped that year. Well, he signed, and so far has looked like a steal. Of course, it's far too early to tell whether or not his signing was a good deal or not, but what do you think about Bakker?


Bakker was considered a potential first-round pick going into the spring of 2003. But his mechanics got fouled up (not unusual for a 6-9 pitcher), and his command wavered. Most teams thought he would go back to Georgia Tech for his senior year, but the Braves managed to sign him with a 20th round pick.


Bakker has a 1.65 ERA and a 3-0 record this year for Rome in the Sally League, being used in relief. In 16.1 innings, he's given up 13 hits, and has a 10/12 K/BB ratio. That's not a good K/BB, and calls into question his projection for higher levels, though the sample size is very small at this stage.


Despite his size, Bakker is not a hard thrower. He can hit 90 mph at times, but his fastball tends to flatten out and lose movement at that velocity. He does better at 86-88 with movement, though it appears faster due to his size. His breaking ball and changeup are OK, not great, but when his command is on he can zip through a lineup. I'm concerned about his high walk rate this year, and his future at higher levels is uncertain.

Where are they now - Ryan Stewart

Anyone in the Atlanta area knows that he and his bro host a very popular radio show called "2 Live Stews". Looks like their style might get them into the bigtime, with a syndicated show across many markets. I guess all the suburban kids like me who grew up listening to Public Enemy, EPMD and the Beastie Boys find their humor entertaining. This article talks about their appeal, even though the stiff-shirts were scared of too much street.

Jackets Advance to ACC Tourney Final

Broken record time - Jackets win again. Although I never tire of saying it. The Jackets took down FSU tonight 13-4 on the strength of a 7-run 2nd inning and a 5-run 8th. While Kown pitched solidly, it was Jordan Crews who came in a tossed 4.2 innings of shutout ball - only gave up 2 hits. Just outstanding. The offensive heroes were many, but once again Clifton Remole stood out with 4 RBI's, and 2 hits. Greene and Blackwood both had 3 hits, but 7 different guys knocked in runs. Talk about spreading the wealth.

So, this means GT advances to the ACC Tourney Finals Saturday Night. If the Jackets win that game, they are champions. If they lose, they will play in one more game Sunday at 1:00 for all the marbles. So the Jackets still have to lose 2 to NOT win, but only win one to bring home the trophy. Who will they play. Well, Clemson / UNC are playing tonight. The winner plays FSU at 3:30 Sat. The winner of that game plays the Jackets. Clear as mud. Link here for details.

Where are they now - Dez White

Looks like Dez has become #1 on the WR depth chart already. Link here. Pretty impressive - he will play opposite Peerless Price. Here's his profile.

Coach Hewitt gets 1st Recruit for 2005/2006 - Alade Aminu


Photo from Insiders.com

Well, Coach Hewitt is getting into the "early signings" game. We just learned that Junior Alade Aminu has committed to GT. A tall, young, smart, growing power forward with strong defensive skills and developing on the offensive end. Seems to be a multi-year player so he should really get a chance to develop in Hewitt's system. Seems like a great pick-up. Here are some facts (thanks to RamblinRed, JuniorNT at the Hive):

Pronounced "All-a-day A-mee-new"
6'9" - 6'10" - and growing, 215 lb
Wingspan of a 7-footer
Only 16 years old
Plays on the same AAU team as Louis Williams / Mike Mercer
Is the state triple-jump champion in GA, so he can jump
Goes to high school at Stephenson (where Reggie Ball played)
Averaged 18 ppg, 13 rpg, 4 bpg, 4 steals/game as a junior
Has only played 3 years of organized ball
Rivals ranks him 102, 29th best power forward
Prepstars / Insiders have him in top 150. Will probably rise in rankings during summer
Hoopscoop has him as 10th best player in GA
Recruited by Cincy, KY and UConn
Good student, 3.0 GPA, both parents are teachers
Interested in architecture. (aka architorture)
Can shoot out to 15 feet; offensive game raw
Very solid defensively, good shotblocker
Will need a little time to fill in his frame

Rivals Profile here.
Insiders Profile.

State triple jump champ in Georgia. Long and just starting to tap into his vast potential. Will reject shots and rebound and offense is coming around.

Article from Rivals.
On Georgia Tech: "They’re an engineering school, and I want to become an architect. I like their style of play. I like how they get out and transition and get after it on the defensive end. Georgia Tech is just a good all around program."

He runs well, has good hands, has good touch from 15 feet in, and has a bouncy athleticism. As he gets stronger and develops a better feel for the game, he could be an impact player on the high major level.

"I’m working hard on my small forward skills this summer,” Aminu said. “I’m working on my ball handling and am continuing to work on extending my range. I’m also hitting the weights hard to get stronger but not lose any of my quickness."
His AAU team home page.

The 2004 GA High School Association Track and Field Championships were finished May 13. Aminu finished 4th in the triple jump with a jump of 45-11.5. Link here.

Here's a link to his high school hoops team. They actually have him listed at 6'9", 175 lb. If so, gaining weight is an understatement.

This from coasttocoastbasketball.com -
6’9” center Alade Aminu has a wing-span which similar to that of a 7 footer and he is beginning to learn how to use it. It’s a good thing, because with no help in the post Aminu has seen and will continue to see many opponents flying through the lane.


From Rivals on his commit to GT:

May 28, 2004
Aminu Staying Close to Home
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Justin Young
RivalsHoops.com

The coaching staff at Georgia Tech has used their trip to the National Championship game to their advantage by recruiting more on a national level than they usually have. But late Thursday night, they didn’t have to travel very far to land one of the top players in the southeast.

Alade Aminu, a 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward from Stephenson (Ga.) High School decided to stay close to home and play for the Yellow Jackets, according to sources close to the ACC program.

Aminu, who is ranked as the No. 102 player on the Rivals150, is the first commitment for Georgia Tech in the class of 2005. He is the first major in-state recruit for the program since B.J. Elder and Isma‘il Muhammad.

He was recently offered a scholarship and decided to end the recruiting process before the busy summer months. Aminu and his parents made an official visit last weekend to the Atlanta school.

He was unavailable for comment due to travel with his Georgia Stars AAU program. The team will be playing in New Orleans for the Nike Memorial Day Classic. Norman Parker, the head coach of the Stars, said the Jackets landed a well-rounded player.

“Coach Hewitt that they not only liked him as a player but as a player,” Parker said. “Alade is a great kid. He’s just scratching the surface as far as basketball goes. It think it is a good fit for him going to GT.”

With Aminu, the Yellow Jackets add a player with strong upside and improved post skills. He has been playing basketball for just two years but the rising senior has made big strides in his game. He averaged 18 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and four steals as a junior at Stephenson High School. He admitted in the past that he needs to add strength and more time in the paint in order to become an effective four man in the ACC.

Where are they now - David Wright

Former GT beesball recruit (but signed with the Mets instead - was the 38th pick), talks about his experience getting drafted. Here' another story. Here's his profile.

You may ask - why am I dwelling on a guy who signed with GT and never showed up? I'm just a glutton for punishment I guess.

David Stern doesn't want college players - yeah right!!!

He actually wants an expanded minor league basketball system for young talent. Looks like he wants to expand the NBADL - developmental league. Off the top of my head, this seems like it will provide a safety net for even more talented recruits to declare early. I could be wrong, but I'll have to think about it more.

Dawgs are cursed - picked #1 by Sporting News

Wahooo !! The Dawgs are picked #1 by the same organization that picked Auburn to win it all last season. Will the curse live on? Will "the school formerly known as UGA" be able to shake it? Stay tuned. Story here.

What do we call UGAg now?

I mentioned earlier about UGAg severing ties with their powerful fundraising arm, the "University of Georgia Foundation". If things weren't weird enough, check this out. The Foundation is now claiming that they have ALL the rights to the name "University of Georgia".

UGA's already messy divorce from its fund-raising organization took a nasty, unexpected twist Thursday: It turns out that the university doesn't hold the trademark to its own name. Instead, in papers filed last year, the University of Georgia Foundation has declared itself the owner of all things labeled "University of Georgia."

In doing so, the nonprofit foundation asserted control over every commercial use of the university's name, from UGA-embossed coffee mugs to boxer shorts — to "education services, namely providing instruction at the college level," according to its trademark papers.
So what they heck do we call "them". Are they "that other state school". Well, let's be realistic - it was a gift to call them a "university" anyhow. Maybe it should be the "Athens Social Club". Maybe the "Red & Black Society". Of course, society is a really long word. Over at Stingtalk, Techfowl and GTg8r went the Prince route and came up with "the School Formerly Known as UGA", or maybe just use a symbol

Ok, I'm being hard on them, but that's what we do. I cannot help but derive a certain amount of pleasure out of this.

Where are they now - George O'Leary

Interesting story on O'Leary and where he is taking his new UCF team. I like his quote about recruiting big guys:

The smallest of the nine offensive linemen, Frank Reina of Miami, is 6 feet 5 and weighs 275 pounds.

"I like big guys, they make me feel safer," O'Leary said. "If they're small, they better be fast. Don't tell me they have big hearts. We're going to sign big guys with big hearts."

Hoops Recruiting

Blurb on Bobby Frasor, who just got back from his official visit to Stanford. Looks like he did not meet the new HC. This weekend he will play in a Bob Gibbons tourney in NC, and will take an unofficial visit to Chapel Hill.

Check out the blurb in this Virginia online paper about Randolph Morris - I love it!

An “A” for candor: Kentucky basketball boosters were thrilled when 7-foot prep All-American Randolph Morris picked the Wildcats over Georgia Tech, but fans grew cranky when Morris said one of the reasons for his decision was Kentucky’s less demanding academic standards. This sort of honesty is rarer than a Rhodes Scholar in the NBA lottery draft pool.

Football Recruiting - Steven Smigelsky

Nice interview with this standout Linebacker / Fullback from the state of Florida. He attended the GT Nike Camp. He is considering GT, UGAg, VaTech (father went there), Clemson, SC among others. GT coaches have come to see him.

Q: Talk about your experience at the Nike Camp.

A: That was awesome. They got us up there and they were only expecting 300 kids. Instead, they got 550 or so. It's a good campus (at Georgia Tech).
GT wants him as a linebacker, while VaTech wants him as a fullback. As far as academics, looks like GT might have a slight edge:
Q: What would you like to major in when you go to college?

A: I am kind of undecided right now. I've always liked cars and I'm good with computers, so I'd like to do automotive design. That's why I am so interested in (Georgia) Tech. On the other hand, I like talking to people so I am interested in psychology, too. Maybe I'd like to get a minor in psychology.

Thursday, May 27, 2004

Jackets win a marathon

No, we're not talking track-and-field. We are talking the diamond - baseball. The Jackets took down Clemson in 13 innings, a game that did not want to end. It looked like the Jackets had it wrapped up in the 9th - with Owings going the distance. But 140+ pitches was just too many, as Clemson finally broke through for 3 runs to tie the game. Then over the course of the next 3 innings, Clemson flirted with scores, but never broke through. The 13th was the lucky number, as EP singled, stole 2nd, then advanced to 3rd on a groundout. Then Owings hit a goundball that brought home EP. The bases were then loaded to setup the dp, and Clifton Remole came up and broke it open. A bases clearing double sealed the victory.

On a sidenote, I have to say #1, Gametracker sucks. The idea is awesome, but that dang thing cut out from the 9th inning on, leaving many in the dark. Second, if you are on a modem connection like I am this week on vacation, then internet radio sucks. No doubt that high speed connections cannot be taken for granted as I sat last night, taken back in time, to the stone ages.

AJC Story
AP Story
TheState, a South Carolina paper.
Jackets to face FSU Friday at 5:00 in the winners bracket.

Owings / Patterson Focus on College...

... at least we hope. Not so sure they were doing a good job of that early in the season, but things seem to be clicking in the 2nd half. Story here on these two guys.

Where are they now - Nick Ferguson

Just when he had fought hard to win a starting job, the Broncos bring in John Lynch on the free agent market. So his role is uncertain, but he is maintaining his positive attitude. Story here. Here's a profile on Nick from the Broncos site.

Where are they now - Andy Hall

Nice story on Andy Hall as he prepares to make a name for himself with the Eagles. I wish him all the best, even if it took getting away from GT to find the right situation for him.

The Eagles liked him enough to make him a sixth-round pick, the 185th overall selection in last month's draft. Now he is competing with Ohio State's Scott McMullen and former Lehigh star Phil Stambaugh for the No. 3 quarterback spot vacated when the Eagles traded A.J. Feeley in February.

All of this, of course, is possible only because Hall decided to transfer out of Georgia Tech and attend Delaware, a school and a state he knew nothing about before his decision.

Wednesday, May 26, 2004

Wall-paper

Stumbled across this Final Four wallpaper for your computer if you are interested.

If you want to see some really cool wallpaper of some NBA players - head to this link. Here's an example of a Chris Bosh wallpaper I found:



Southern Pigskin Preview has GT #7 in Football

Well, last year we were picked to finish 7th to 8th in football. We surprised a few people along the way. Southern Pigskin Preview is picking GT to finish #7, but they do admit picking 4-8 in the ACC is a crap-shoot. Guess what - we are back to 7th again. Of course, we know the value of pre-season prognosticators. Just ask last year's football team or the hoops team.

7. GEORGIA TECH

After losing three of their last four to finish the regular season, Georgia Tech rebounded emphatically with a 52-10 thrashing of Tulsa in the Humanitarian Bowl. The win ended last season on a positive note and prompted high hopes for 2004.

Reggie Ball
Quarterback Reggie Ball was thrown into the mix as an 18-year true freshman last season. As expected, his response was erratic at times, but for the most part Ball played with poise and leadership well beyond his years. He is a true dual-threat talent, and should only improve with a year of experience under his belt. Joining Ball in the backfield will be 1,000-tard rusher P.J. Daniels. The junior exploded on Tulsa last season, rushing for over 300 yards, and is a complete back with no real weaknesses. The offensive front features four senior starters, including stalwarts Brad Honeycutt and Kyle Wallace. At receiver, Nate Curry is the leading returnee, but look for Xavier McGuire to make a run at being the go-to target.

Few teams in the league are as consistent on defense as Tech. Whether it's scheming, coaching or personnel, that's debatable, but this year should be no different. It all starts up front where the Jackets will feature a line as feisty as any in the conference. Eric Henderson is a true All-American candidate with astounding pass rushing skills. Mansfield Wrotto is an inside space-eater and Travis Parker is a nice compliment to Henderson on the outside. Gerris Wilkerson is the only incumbent at linebacker and will have to tutor newcomers KaMichael Hall and Nick Moore. While Tech's front seven has garnered much of the attention in recent years, it's a defensive back who may be this team's best player. James Butler came out of nowhere in 2003 to record 119 tackles and five interceptions. He and budding corner Reuben Houston help make up a strong secondary.

With parity in the ACC at an all time high, Georgia Tech may get shuffled back a notch or two. Consistency, or lack thereof, has plagued the Jackets recently. In the new-look ACC, that variance could prove especially costly.

The also said that GT has the best defensive line unit in the ACC -
Defensive Line: Georgia Tech - Eric Henderson is the best lineman in the ACC, and Travis Parker and Mansfield Wrotto are both solid players. From end to end, it's a talented and sound group


Eric Henderson and James Butler make their All-ACC pre-season team, and Reggie Ball gets named the best running QB in the ACC. Of course what we would all like to see is Reggie become a better passing QB, so that he doesn't have to rely on his legs so much.

Hoops Recruiting

A look at the 2005 and 2006 classes relative to the needs to the tobacco road teams. Also, here is an interesting new hoops recruiting site with free video of a bunch of recruits........

Lastly, here is an interesting NBA Draft projection site, Draftcity.com. Notice that under the 2005 draft, there are 3 Jackets listed a draft picks:

#27.... J.Jack
#33.... L.Schenscher
#58.... Isma'il Muhammad

Now, nothing against the site or against Isma'il, but Elder is that guy missing fromt the list, and he has more of a shot of getting drafted that Isma'il imo. Interesting anyhow.

Where are they now - Chris Bosh

As Kenny pointed out in the tag-board, Chris Bosh represented the Raptors during the NBA Draft Lottery. Those of you who saw noticed that he represented himself well, although not much was required of him but to sit there.

Here is the draft order:

First Round
1. Orlando
2. L.A. Clippers
3. Chicago
4. Charlotte Bobcats (expansion)
5. Washington
6. Atlanta
7. Phoenix
8. Toronto
9. Philadelphia
10. Cleveland
11. Golden State
12. Seattle
13. Portland
14. Utah
15. Boston
16. Utah (from New York through Phoenix)
17. Atlanta (from Milwaukee through Denver and Detroit)
18. New Orleans
19. Miami
20. Denver
21. Utah (from Houston)
22. New Jersey
23. Portland (from Memphis)
24. Boston (from Dallas)
25. Boston (from Detroit)
26. Sacramento
27. L.A. Lakers
28. San Antonio
29. Indiana

Second Round

30. Orlando (pick may be conveyed to Atlanta)
31. Chicago
32. Washington
33. Charlotte
34. Atlanta
35. Seattle (from L.A. Clippers)
36. Phoenix (to Orlando or to Atlanta through Orlando)
37. Atlanta (from Philadelphia)
38. Chicago (from Toronto)
39. Toronto (from Cleveland)
40. Boston
41. Seattle
42. Golden State (to Orlando through Philadelphia or to Atlanta through Orlando and Philadelphia)
43. New York
44. New Orleans
45. Milwaukee
46. Portland
47. Miami
48. Sacramento (from Utah)
49. Memphis (from Denver through Orlando)
50. Dallas (from Houston through Denver)
51. New Jersey
52. San Antonio (from Memphis)
53. Miami (from Dallas)
54. Detroit
55. Houston (from Sacramento through Utah)
56. L.A. Lakers
57. San Antonio
58. Minnesota
59. Indiana

Note: Minnesota's first-round pick has been forfeited

Even Rowing Team Getting Props

No kidding. Thanks to BuzzFlowerz over at the Hive for the tip. But among the Princeton's, Stanfords, Bucknells, etc, is Georgia Tech, coming in at #13 in the Women's Lightweight Eight, and getting votes in the Men's Lightweight Eight - link here.

Where are they now - Agnus Berenato

I'll tell you where they are - the former GT lady hoops coach, who is now coaching the Pitt Panthers, is taking our players. Mallore Winn, a sophomore last season, will transfer to Pitt to play for the coach that recruited her. Story here.

Ok, it's not as bad as it sounds. Mallore announced she was leaving in January and was expected to transfer. Probably won't hurt too much

Where are they now - Rodney Williams

Former GT punter Rodney Williams has signed a deal to play for the KC Chiefs. Story here.

Jackets Beat MD.... AGAIN

The Jackets won today, setting up a match with Clemson Thursday at 5:00 pm. The Tigers squeeked by UNC in the 9th inning. Congrats to the Jackets!!! Click here for the entire schedule.

Here's the AP Story.
From MD press.
A look at conference tourney's from ESPN.
Baseball America looks at conf. tourney's and projects NCAA brackets.

In other tourney news, Duke took down UVA, helping our cause.

By the way, did I mention that UGAg lost to Vandy 6-0 today - life is good.

Daily Swarm

BEESBALL TEAM FACES MD TODAY
Round 1 - ding ding ding. Time to continue the streak - because winning now matters a lot now - only surpassed by the big "dance". Story here. Collegiate Baseball has us now ranked #5 in the nation, while Baseball America has us #10.......... Brandon Boggs has been a big part of the winning streak and has really picked up his game in the 2nd half of the season - good story here......... For GT to win all the way to Sunday they are going to have to rely on someone else in the pitching staff to come through. Owings / Kown / Burks are not going to be starting on Sunday so time for someone to step up - story here......... Here's the full game schedule and gametracker links as well.......... Here's a nice story on Coach Hall and his family background.

ACC HAS NOT WON A CHAMPIONSHIP SINCE 1955 IN BEESBALL
Did you know that? I didn't. This story focuses on how the level of ACC baseball competition is stepped up with powerhouse Miami in the league.

GT AND THE LINEBACKER POSITION
A nice overview of our linebacker situation.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - KEYARON FOX
Key Fox is learning the pro game just like Tony Hargrove and others. Here is a nice story on K-Fox. My favorite quote from Dick Vermiel -

"I'm impressed,” Vermeil said. “He can close, he has good instincts, he has very good work habits. You can see that he was very well coached in college..."

FOOTBALL RECRUITING
Blurb on an up-and-coming player from Florida who has a 'ship offer form GT - Neefy Moffett. Now tell me that's not a cool name.
Recruit on the rise: Another in the Palm Bay line -- defensive end/linebacker Neefy Moffett, who is listed among the nation's top 100 recruits by both rivals.com and theinsiders.com. He already has received offers from LSU, Georgia Tech, Southern Cal and Notre Dame, among others.
Here is an article talking about the background of Tony Clark, our first verbal commit. Best quote -
"I knew I wanted to play for them, so it was pretty exciting when they made the offer," Clark said. "It's a good school academically and they play defense the way I like to play. I think I can succeed there."
Also note the quote at the bottom of the article where it talks about other recruits interested in GT:
Groves' DeMasi said two more of his players have also drawn interest from Tech. Barrod Heggs, a 6-3, 220-pound defensive end, made 16 sacks as a junior in 2003, while running back Jonathan Armstrong led the Rebels in rushing with more than 1,000 yards.

NCAA rules prevent Georgia Tech's coaches from commenting on recruits until they sign a letter of intent next February.

In other recruiting news, Florida's 2003 leading rusher says he is considering Georgia Tech along with Ohio State and Southern California. Maurice Wells rushed for 3,000 yards and 31 touchdowns last fall for Jacksonville's Sandalwood High School.

Wells, the Florida Times-Union's 2003 Offensive Player of the Year, is coached by Adam Geis, the son of Georgia Tech assistant coach Buddy Geis. Wells' teammate, standout linebacker Marvin Sapp Jr., also lists the Yellow Jackets among his favorites.


BEST BACKCOURTS IN THE NATION
Over at this AZ hoops site, they have made a list of the top 20 backcourts. Why - well, AZ has quite a storied tradition with PG's, much like GT. So it is nice to see GT 3rd on the list, with Jack, Elder, Bynum and even Fredrick getting billing. Thanks to Buzzweiser over at the Hive for the link. Who is #1 - Wake Forest, and that is hard to argue with Paul and Grey. UNC comes in 2nd.

STANFORD MAY BE BETTER WITH TRENT JOHNSON
Based on this article. Trent is a guy who will the offense go a bit more and is probably a stronger recruiter. Time will tell.......... In other coaching news, it looks like nepotism is alive and well, as Eddie Sutton's son will take over the reigns at OSU when he is done, which could be a couple of years out.

STANFORD AND GT - RECRUITING STYLES
No doubt Stanford and GT have something in common - we have to draw from the same limited pool of players that can play sports at the highest levels, but also excel in the classroom. This article about Stanford and Trent Johnson's challenges mentions one of our recruits that Stanford lost - Zam Fredrick -
From the high school class of 2004, Montgomery couldn't get two elite student-athletes past the admissions department. One, shooting guard Zam Frederick, had a GPA better than 4.0 and was taking afternoon classes at a local community college because he wanted the challenge. Frederick ended up at Georgia Tech. Not a bad school.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - DEAN KEENER
Well now that he is gone, he has been named one of the top 25 recruiters in the nation by Rivals.com. Well ain't that great. Congrats to him, but hopefully Coach Hewitt can replace what he brought to the team, particularly on the recruiting trail.

MAJOR DISRUPTION IN THE POWER ALLEYS AT UGAg
Check out this article. UGAGg just severed ties with its main fund raising foundation. Fascinating and it will be interesting to see if this has some type of ripple effect with other state schools.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - TARA KNUDSEN
The former Yellow Jacket softball star has signed with the pro softball team the New England Riptide. She still holds the ACC and GT marks for career home runs with 45 - story here.

Tuesday, May 25, 2004

Daily Swarm

HOOPS - WAS GT TOO PATIENT AGAINST UCONN?
Interesting analysis by the same guy who does the Pomeroy rankings. Click here to read his analysis of the GT/UConn NC game and comparing the style of play to the rest of GT's games during the season. His conclusion - the argument that GT should have slowed down the game was a weak one. Thanks to Yoni over at Collegeball.blogspot.com for the find. If you like college hoops, it's a great blog to check out.

RECRUITING NOTES - FOOTBALL
Looks like we have made the short list for Maurice Wells, one of the nation's top high school RB prospects. Who are we battling with? While he has 'ship offers from just about every major school, over at insiders they are saying that GT, Ohio State and U.Southern Cal are his top 3 (found on the public portion). Now that is impressive company. He did attend GT's spring practice as well as the combine at GT and hopefully he feels good about his visits. Remember that his high school coach happens to be the son of GT assistant Buddy Geis. Time will tell if he thinks GT is right for him, but the program is really headed upwards imo, and adding this young man would only reinforce the foundation Coach Gailey seems to be setting.

RECRUITING NOTES - BASKETBALL
Some notes from around the ACC on hits and misses and a look to next recruiting season........... Here's an interesting look back at the 1986 NBA Draft. That was the year that John Salley was picked #11 and Mark Price #25. It was also the year that Len Bias was chosen #2 by the Celtics.

HOW LONG CAN THE SEC IGNORE THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE
That is the question this article asks. No doubt as the ACC gets stronger in football, the SEC will be looking over its shoulder. SEC fans won't like it, and they certainly won't want to hear that their conference is not longer dominant, but the truth will hard to deny. The ACC will end up being the most powerful overall conference in college sports, because when you look at all the major sports, nobody will hold a candle to the across-the-board strength....... Speaking of the changing landscape, the Peach Bowl wants in on the action. A 9th BCS Bowl will be added soon, and we are going to have to eat a lot more chicken for the Peach Bowl to get the nod. Either that or some major subsidization.

JACKETS TO FACE MD AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY
Well, we just got done sweeping MD- now we get to face them again after they took down WF today. WF tried to make a game of it, scoring 5 runs over the last 3 innings to pull the final score to 15-12, but to no avail........ On another note, this interview over at baseball america talks about the tourney, seeds, etc. Will Kimmey, one of their experts actuallys predicts GT have one of the 8 national seeds, although I think the only way this happens is winning the ACC tourney........... For the big dance, SEBASEBALL.COM has projected GT to host the Atlanta regional, with the Citadel, Vandy and UNC-Wilmington in our bracket.

CHECK YOUR FACTS
Why do people think GT is a private school? Is it the whole "don't use the word university" in the official title thing? Check out this article - . It's an interesting article about the impact of the new NCAA regulations and states that take advantage of programs like the hope 'ship in GA. But quote like this make you disregard most of it -

"Private schools can also sign kids who qualify by making the necessary grade point average that is in the 2.5 range and an average ACT or SAT score, but the scholarship money does not make a dent in the tuition cost at private schools like a Georgia Tech or a Tulane like it does at a LSU or a Georgia."

Monday, May 24, 2004

Daily Swarm

JACKETS GET 1ST FOOTBALL COMMIT
Defensive Back Tony Clark has committed to the Jackets, becoming the 1st football commit for the 2004 season. Tony is 6'2" 185lb and a solid DB. Also a standout in track in the 100 and 200 meters. He chose GT over Clemson, E.Carolina and M.Tenn.St...... On another note, South Carolina hs WR Rendrick Taylor is turning heads and already has offers from GT and other big schools like FSU, UF, Tenn, MD, Mich, UGAg and many others.

ACC BEESBALL TOURNEY STARTS TUESDAY
For the complete schedule, click here. The Jackets will play the winner of the MD / WF play-in game Tuesday night. Gametime will be 1:00 pm Wed.

BEESBALL TEAM BACK IN THE TOP 10 IN THE POLLS
Where we belong. Number 10 in Baseball America (link here). For some really screwy news, by sweeping MD by a combined 34 runs, our RPI actually got worse (link here). I guess playing a crappy team is just hard to overcome........... Also of note is that 6 Jackets were named to the All-ACC team - Boggs / Owings / Patterson / Blackwood / Kown / Remole. Link here.

COACH PATRICK NIX DAZZLES THE CROWD
Story here. Check out this quote on the GT recruiting story -

“Not many schools in the nation can walk into people’s homes and say, ‘We’re a top-five academic school in basically every category, we’ve been to seven straight bowl games — one of only 11 teams in the nation. We’re in the top 20 in all-time victories for football, the top 10 in all-time bowl appearances and we’re in the city of Atlanta. What more do you want?’
“In basketball, we were the No. 2 team in the country this year. In baseball, we’ve got the longest win streak in the country right now. Football, we’re in the top 20 in every category you want to be in. We’re not going to win them all, but we’ve got plenty to be proud of.”
He also noted how expansive the Yellow Jacket empire has become.
“We have alumni in all 50 states, and unless I’m wrong, the lowest is North Dakota with eight,” he said."
. That's right! That's what I'm talking about!!

TECH RESEARCHERS FIND MONKEYS ON PAR WITH AP SPORTWRITERS
Does this really surprise anyone?

CHAUNTE HOWARD BORN TO JUMP
Nice story on this potential Olympian.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - JOE BURNS
Guess who is taking online classes in order to graduate with a business management degree from GT? None other than our old friend Joe Burns. Story here.

STANFORD HAS A NEW COACH LINED UP
Looks like they will hire Nevada coach Trent Johnson. So remember that "recruiting advantage" we talked about? Well, you can probably forget it. Oh, it's possible that it hurts them with a few recruits this season, but probably not a big deal moving forward.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - TONY HARGROVE
While Tony is dazzling coaches, he is fighting fatigue. A nice story on Hargrove and other rookies as they learn about NFL speed versus college speed.
The pace didn't abate during minicamp. The Rams are thin at defensive end and seem to be seeing whether Hargrove can contribute immediately. He often ran two out of every three repetitions during drills. After an hour and a half of that Saturday, Hargrove made a rookie mistake in the seven-on-seven drills, prompting Kollar to yell for another end. Hargrove was actually a bit relieved. "I just needed a rest," he said.

Ten minutes later, Kollar yelled for Hargrove to return, again stressing that Hargrove better go full-speed. Hargrove responded by beating his man, then crossing the field to chase the ballcarrier for about 40 yards.

"They said I'd better be around the ball, so that's where I went," he said. "That's what they expect - 100 percent all the time. You've got to do everything just right."


UNC RECRUIT GOING PRO LAYS AN EGG AT WORKOUT
Look 2/3 of the way down the page to read about JR Smith and how the day after he signed with an agent, he layed a major egg in a workout for the Blazers and Jazz. Well, I wish the best for him. He's made his bed - now he's got to.... shoot out of it.

ANYONE CATCH JOE HAMILTON ON THE TUBE SUNDAY?
Wow - another great performance. He ended the game 14-17 for 168 yards, 4 TD's and 1 INT. All I can say is that I sincerely hops someone gives Lil Joe a chance to show his stuff in the NFL. Jon Gruden was at the game, but of course his brother is the HC of the Orlando team where Joe plays.

Sunday, May 23, 2004

Daily Swarm

ALL 4 GT HOOPS RECRUITS MAKE GLOBAL GAMES TEAM
Congrats to Zam Fredrick, Jeremis Smith, Ra'Sean Dickey and Anthony Morrow - as they ALL will be on the roster for the 2004 Global Games. Story here......... On a side note, Jeremis was on the 2003 squad as well........... Talk about a fantastic way for this incoming class to bond together - what an opportunity. I wonder how many strings Coach Hewitt had to pull to help make that happen.

BEESBALL TEAM WINS..... AGAIN
Is this getting repetative? NO WAY!!! Jackets beat up on MD again, this time 15-1. Now one win and we win the regular season. Great pitching from A.Kown, great hitting from S.Blackwood. Number 16 in a row. GO JACKETS

....AND THEY ARE WINNING AGAIN
If that weren't enough, the Jackets are currently crushing MD again 15-3 in the 5th, so barring a major collapse, they will in fact win the ACC by finishing the season with a 17 game winning streak. Simply awesome. Now, if we can continue this streak into the post-season, that would be unbelievable. Remember, in years past, we started the season on fire and fizzled near year-end. Could Coach Hall have turned the tables successfully this year??? Let's hope.

SOFTBALL TEAM DROPS TWO
Well, the streak ended as the Jackets dropped 2 in a row, one to Washington 2-0, then we lost to the buttsniffers 9-1. So much for pitching. Jackets end the regional in 3rd place. Unfortunately this means the season is over for the ladyjackets, but a nice all-around season. They hang out in the top 25 most of the year, play for the ACC championship and play well for the 1st half of the regional. They can bee proud.

GOLF TEAM ADVANCES TO NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
A strong showing and a tie for 3rd place leads to the golf team to the NCAA Championship in 10 days. We actually ended up tied with UGAg. The top 10 teams advance......... UNC and NCST ended up tied for 10th but only the top 10 head to the finals. UNC won the spot in a playoff. WF and Duke finished one stroke behind to miss the playoff. Amazing how one putt, one drive, one errant shot made the difference in them possibly heading to the finals.

HOOPS TEAM TO PLAY IN LAS VEGAS SHOWDOWN
Sing it with me - Viva... Las Vegas.... Viva Las Vegas...... As this article points out "NCAA Tournament Powerhouse" Georgia Tech will be playing in the 8th annual LV Showdown. Ok.St. will play UNLV, while GT could play Gonzaga, although this does not seem finalized.

GT FOOTBALL RECRUIT IS VALEDICTORIAN !!!
Now that is "bringing it". Darryl Richard is #1 in his class - academically!!! We are not talking about a potential bench warmer here. This kid should be a big role on our team in years to come. He was recruitied by LSU, Stanford, Notre Dame, Miami - and a bunch of others - and we landed him. Now that is the type of kid that GT has to continue to recruit and win. No doubt he should represent GT well. Congrats to Darryl on his achievements!!!.............. On another football recruiting note, UVA has more early commits than any other school in the nation - 13. In fact, the rest of the ACC has 9 combined. Of course, just because you get commits early doesn't mean your recruiting class will be dominant, but they seem to be able to pick the players they think will fit AND will commit............ Also, here is a story on the insiders Hot100, a new list just released on top recruits. Here's the actual Hot100 list.

GT LOOKING AT 2-SPORT STAR
Austin Jackson, who MLB scouts say reminds them of a young Ken Griffey Jr (young because he doesn't get injured every other game obviously). Story here. The only question is - does he love hoops more than baseball. He has put up some gaudy high school numbers. On the diamond he batted .440 with 24 rbis, 28 runs, 13 sbs. As a 12-year old he was declared the best in the nation. He has been in the spotlight ever since. But in hoops, the kid is averaging 22.5 points / game. So what to do? Well, a handful of schools including GT are pursuing him as a 2-sport star. If he decides baseball is for him, he is a lock for the draft - he is considered #5 in the 2005 class. Stay tuned............. Here's a kid that is the top prospect in the Mets organization, who would have gone to GT - but the dollars called. More "what could have been...".

RECRUITING NOTES - HOOPS
So, is the 2005 class REALLY weaker than the 2004 class? This guy doesn't think so. How can you say that 13 players in the draft out of high school is a weaker class? Obviously if you are only considering those that step on a college campus.

HEWITT STILL TAKING THE NCAA TO TASK
Another story with quotes from our outspoken coach.

Georgia Tech basketball coach Paul Hewitt, who guided his team to the NCAA men's title game against the University of Connecticut this past season, says the new guidelines will force him to make a choice between taking a player he knows has qualifications to succeed and someone he thinks might have them.

"It is not easy," said Hewitt. "Do I give a kid a chance or do I not recruit him? I'll have a decision to make."

According to Hewitt, if the NCAA were truly serious about its academic commitment, there would be changes in scheduling. For instance, it could curtail basketball games in the first semester — have none during the week — and extend the season well into the second semester in April, when television has cash cows such as the Masters and major league baseball.

"It would be the right thing to do for kids," said Hewitt, knowing full well that the loss of television revenue for the NCAA would prohibit such a dramatic change.

Some coaches are concerned about what they feel is a not-so-subtle message being delivered by the NCAA. Hewitt remembers a meeting in which an NCAA representative told coaches they had to recruit athletes who looked more like college graduates in their academic profile. Hewitt is not sure he likes a system that takes fewer chances.


STORY ON NICKNAMES FOR COLLEGES
The Fighting Okra is still looking for respect. The story says that GT "double dips", with both engineers and YellowJackets. Well, if you want to get technical, we triple dip when you consider "the Ramblin Wreck from Georgia Tech".

CREMINS LOOKS BACK AT DUKE'S CHILDREN'S CLASSIC
Coach Cremins continues to represent GT well, sort of an ambassador of the program........... Here's another story on Cremins and how he loves what Coach Hewitt is doing with the program. Notice his quote:
"My coaching days are probably behind me, but I never want to completely shut the door."

Saturday, May 22, 2004

Daily Swarm

MORE ON HOOPS RECRUITING
On his chosing KU. As usual, there is no gaurantee he ever steps foot on campus, as this article points out........ This is an interesting story on Ramon Sessions, who could end up in prep school instead of joining a college for the 2004 class. But look at this odd quote -

"He said Georgia Tech, which has no more scholarships available, wants him to go to prep school."
. That's odd, because GT DOES have another 'ship available, or else how the heck could R.Morris have made his way on campus. So either this means that quote was from last fall, or it could mean that Coach Hewitt is on the fence about bringing this guy in, whether that means talent or academics.......... Sessions is a 6'1 PG and Rivals has him as the 27th best at his position.

DOES THE NBA SUCK?
Did Paul Hewitt get it right, like the writer of this article says?
"Paul Hewitt got it right. At the Final Four, the Georgia Tech coach, a Knicks fan who grew up in New York, said it wasn't the shot that saved pro basketball, it was the pass. The passes thrown by Magic, by Bird. There was an artistry in the way the greats moved the ball around, the way they found the open man when no one else knew they were open.

That art is dead, and long gone. Now it's all about the shots. Kobe Bryant throwing up 40. Or Allen Iverson firing up 50. (No wonder he has to wear a sleeve.) Most of them bad. Most off-target. Not that they care. To them, shooting means star power and endorsements and getting your "props." It's all about what's in it for me?

Friday, May 21, 2004

Daily Swarm

Well, I'm headed on vacation in Hilton Head SC with the fam for the next week. I will bring the laptop with me for the occasional blog, but it will probably be a light week. Maybe my comrades can fill in the slack. Well, on to GT news:

DAWGS GO DOWN!!!
Anytime the Dawgs are defeated by our beloved Jackets, that is headline news. Today the softball team beat the sniffers 3-2 on an outstanding pitching performance by J.Sallinger.

GOLF TEAM TIED FOR 4TH IN EAST REGIONAL
Clemson and GT are tied for 4th after day 3. One more full day of gold. The key is that the top 10 in each region advance. Penn St. is in the lead in the East. Go Jackets!!

BEESBALL TEAM CONTINUES WIN STREAK
Well, the streak continues. Jackets win 10-2 over MD for #15 in a row. That means we have clinched at least #2 in the ACC. Two more wins means regular season champs. Owings pitches 7 strong, Patterson steals his ACC leading 41st base and 26th in a row without getting caught. Story here........... In related news, FSU beat WF 27-3. No not football - we are talking baseball. Wow!!

BILL HODGES RANKS GT'S HOOPS CLASS #18
While Rivals had us #21, Bill Hodge, another guru, has our class at #18. Other notables - FSU #15, NCST #19, Clemson #22, VaTech #25

Hoops Recruiting

Rashad Chase - Profile here. A 6'7" forward the Jackets are interested for 2005/2006. He is from the ATL area and has been offered 'ships from at least 3 SEC schools and now UK, UGAg and GT are showing more interest. Looks like he has offers from Alabama, FSU, Ole Miss and Tenn. He is currently not ranked by insiders in their top 100 and Rivals has him 136. Looks like he leans to UK. Why. Rashad's dad played for Tubby Smith in high school in Maryland. Rashad went to Tubby's hoops camp when he was in 8th grade. So, we could lose another ATL area big man to UK - we will see.

Bobby Frasor has GT in his topo 8 and is considered one of the top guard prospects in the nation and top 10 overall. Here is a story on him yesterday. Looks like his official visits will be Marquette, Stanford, UNC, but is indicating a decision could come soon after his official Stanford and "unofficial" UNC visit..... So while we are in his top 8, it seems to me we are a long-shot. Certainly if we cannot get him to campus we can probably forget it. My guess is that UNC probably leads, particulary with the Stanford coaching situation - but time will tell.

And the rich get richer. In what is arguably the best week of recruiting by any school this year, Kansas lands their 4th top commit of the week - two juniors and two seniors. Today Mario Chalmers committed to Kansas over Arizona - while GT was in the mix.

The Truth about the 5/8 rule ??

Great editorial on the 5/8 rule from CollegeHoopsNet.com

Golden State to Hire Stanford Coach

Well, it is common knowledge now, but Golden State fired HC Eric Musselman and are hiring Mike Montgomery from Stanford. How is this GT relavent? Well, GT competes with Stanford for a lot of the same recruits - the academically capable / skilled hoops set. This story from ESPN says it best at the bottom -

"The Stanford job likely would attract some of the top names in the business who have a history of working with academically rich, highly skilled basketball players. The Cardinal's recruiting pool is consistently considered one of the smallest in the country for a high-major program."
That's Stanford and that's GT also. So will Montgomery leaving help our recruiting efforts? My guess is that it will cause a blip in the radar in our favor. Bobby Frasor, one our top targets, decided to still take an official visit to Stanford even with this news, but my guess is that it hurts their efforts to land him. For now he has no idea who the coach is going to be and what will happen to any of the assistants he has been in contact with. Whether or not it helps for the next 3-5 years all depends on the quality of the HC they bring in. But my guess is that any advantage we might have will be short-lived after this recruiting season.

In other recruiting news, former UNC recruit JR Smith has not only entered the draft, but has now signed with an agent - meaning he will officially never be a Tarheel. I guess there IS something "fina' than to be in Carolina".

Kansas is expected today at 4:00 to hear that they have landed the services of one of the bewt PG's in the 2005 - Mario Chalmers. GT was also after him. Story from KU.......... Here's more on the top recruiting class at Kansas, inlcuding a lot of guys we were interested in like Galindo / Giles, etc........... Here's more on Chalmers and his ability.

2005 Recruiting - Hoops top 100

Rivals has updated their top 100 recruits for next season. Link here. If you look at their "lists" of schools, you will see that GT is involved with at least 16 of these kids, and RamblinRed over at the Hive says we have made contact with at least 24 of them, even if GT is not listed.

In some ways, it will be interesting to see how Coach Hewitt handles the 'ship situation. We will lose 5 players minimum, and possibly a 6th if Jack leaves. Who knows what else could happen. Unfortunately, some experts like Dave Telep (see interview here), see the 2005 class as very weak once you get past the top 50. It is a class that will not see anywhere near the number of highschool-to-NBA defections as this year's class. The 2004 class could go down as one of the most talented HS classes in the last 15 years. Time will tell.

Anyhow, with 5-6 'ships to give out and the talent base smaller, what strategy will Coach Hewitt use? People close to the program have said he will sign 5 for sure. After this season we are back in rebuilding mode, so it will be interesting. Stay tuned.

Interesting stat on Championships

BonafideJacket over at the Hive found an interesting stat. Name the only college within the past 15 years to have played in the National Championship game in football, hoops AND baseball? None-other than our own GT. Oklahoma came close, playing for the hoops championship 16 years ago. Of course our 1990 NC in football was not technically a "NC" game. But you get the point.

Now that's impressive from a little engineering school in the south. Not bad at'all.

Daily Swarm

FINAL FOUR A FINANCIAL SUCCESS FOR SA
Evidently out-of-town fans spent an average of $229 / day in San Antonio. Story here.

HARGROVE CONTINUES TO DAZZLE
With the Rams -

Overwhelming might be the proper term to describe defensive end Anthony Hargrove's showing at rookie camp. Hargrove, a speedy 6-foot-3, 289-pound third-round selection from Georgia Tech, dominated in pass-rush drills. It's a safe bet that defensive line coach Bill Kollar will be keenly interested in how Hargrove fares against the likes of Adam Timmerman, Andy McCollum and other old hands.
WEST VIRGINIA SOFTBALL POY TO PLAY FOR GT
Short blurb here. 17-4 record with a 0.10 ERA and 241 strikeouts in 133 innings - not to mention batting .430.

NCST BOARD DEBATES THE #1 ACC QB NEXT SEASON
Interesting thread here.

ACC NOTES FROM THE ROBESONIAN
link here.

Thursday, May 20, 2004

"Ramblin Wreck" Song Contributes to World Peace

Thanks to daBuzz and Buzzfan over at the Hive for this story. In the ACC Football magazine there is a story about ACC school traditions.

The phrase Rambling Wreck is an important part of Georgia Tech's tradition, as well as the title of the school's fight song, which begins "I'm a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech and a hell of an engineer". The song became so famous that Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev sang it at their historic 1959 meeting in Moscow........... the story goes that during the infamous "kitchen debate" (Nixon & Kryzewsksischev ;-) arguing about the respective abilities of Americans and Russians to own and furnish homes during a tour of an appliance display at a US Trade & Cultural Fair in Moscow), it was decided that the mood needed to be lightened. Singing a song was suggested, but Nixon knew no Russiian songs. Khruschev, however, knew "RWFGT". So....they sang it together.

Follow the NCAA Golf Tourney

Link here. GT is currently in 6th place in the east regional at +11. Florida leads at +6 with UGAg and Clemson close behind.

Softball Team beats UMass

At the Athens regional today the LadyJackets softball team defeated UMass 1-0 on a Jessica Sallinger 2-hitter. The two hits - bunt singles. Outstanding.

The LadyJackets will need to find their bats. This is the 2nd game in a row where they have only scored 1 run.

Now they will play the winner of the UGAg / E.KY match-up Friday at 12:30. GO JACKETS!!

Sports Note

Notes on baseball, softball and golf - link here.

More on the JP/RC TV Deal

Link here. The best thing about last year's TV deal was that the Clemson / GT game was not televised. When we exact revenge this season there is a good chance it will be on the tube.

Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Who's Busted ?

usnews.com: Education: College Sports: Sanctions and Probation (3/18/02)

Want to know who is on probation - check it out.

Do You Remember ??


Do you remember ????? Posted by Hello

Raycom / Jefferson Pilot Finalize Deal with ACC

The syndication deal is done with Raycom / Jefferson Pilot to give them syndication rights to ACC football through 2010. They also increased to financial hoops package as well, although details were not divulged.

Daily Swarm

BEESBALL TEAM ROLLS OVER GASTATE
Well, they scored early and scored often, winning by a final of 13-3, for their 14th straight win. Ok, are we peaking at the wrong time? On the surface you say NO WAY. Winning 14 down the final season stretch. This is currenlty the longest winning streak in the nation (link here). Can they keep up this pace heading into the post-season and continue to Omaha? Time will tell.

SOFTBALL TEAM TO PLAY AT ATHENS REGIONAL
Well, we can beat the buttsniffers and win a softball regional. What could be finer?? Link here, with schedule and gametimes.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - STEWART CINK
Short inteview with Cink as he heads into the Bank of America Colonial Tourney. Quote of playing at GT -

"You were a golfer, husband and father at Georgia Tech. How hard was that? ANSWER - I did things on a different schedule than most people. But it's been great for us. We had some tough times early and with having an early family and still trying to finish school, both of us [wife Lisa]. Financially, our families were strapped, but it taught us a good lesson. We'll never forget about those days."
HIGH SCHOOL PITCHER HOPES TO WALK-ON AT GT
... or UGAg - whoever seems interested. From this article -
"Dublin turned to senior Taylor Cox, who was the No. 2 pitcher behind Thomas, to take over as ace. It was a challenge Cox gladly accepted.

"I expected to be the No. 1 pitcher, and I expected a lot put on me," said Cox, who hopes to be a walk-on at either the University of Georgia or Georgia Tech. "Last year, I had problems when the game got down. I would give up, and this year I have improved a lot since then. I am mentally stronger."

Cox heads the list of 12 pitchers, 11 of whom saw time on the mound this season. Cox pitched 12 of the 26 games for a record of 10-2. In 65 innings, Cox - who is fifth in his senior class - has a 1.39 ERA with three shutouts and 117 strikeouts.

CJ GILES GOING TO KANSAS
Well, Kansas got their 3rd committment of the week, landing Miami transfer CJ Giles. They are not done, as they could land highly touted junior hs Mario Chalmers, who GT is after as well. Chalmer visited last weekend (with Giles I think), and might even commit this week.

Here are some players the NBA will have to wait on - from Andy Katz.

Here is a complete list of all 94 early entrants into the NBA draft.

Here is an interesting editorial from Michael Wilbon about black players skipping college altogether.

RIVALS RANKS GT HOOPS RECRUITS #21 IN THE NATION
Link here. They have our class #21. Guess who's #1 - UK. Of note is that there is not one ACC team in the top 15, even though the ACC landed more top 100 players than any other conference. FSU comes in at #16, NC ST #19, Clemson #22, VaTech #23. Notice NO Duke and NO UNC. Boo hoo.

Monday, May 17, 2004

Outstanding article on NBA / College Hoops Delimma

I thought this was a very interesting piece on players leaving early, from the Orlando Sentinel. Some interesting points:

- 59 players will be selected in the draft
- 94 underclassmen and foreign players have declared for the draft
- Of these, 13 are high school players, 7 college frosh, 8 sophomores
- Not likely to be more than 6 college seniors drafted.
- There were 27 high school seniors drafted between 1996-2003 TOTAL!!!

Quote from the article -

"The flood of high schoolers and college underclassmen to the NBA in the past five years has left college basketball almost devoid of elite players. The game has become one of solid team play rather than exceptional individual talent."
. I'm sorry, they make this sound like a BAD thing! What the heck - give me a break. That is what made GT's season so great - at least for GT fans. The lack of a "superstar" on the GT team probably hurt our ability to win fans from other parts of the country. But for current GT fans, it made for an absolutely magical and memorable season.

Notice that Coach Cremins is quoted in the article, and completely takes the blame for Stephon Marbury:
"Eight years ago, the phenom Cremins had spent so much time chasing -- the guy his whole Georgia Tech team was built around -- headed for the NBA door after only one year with the Yellow Jackets. Not long after, people whispered that not only had Stephon Marbury destroyed Georgia Tech, he had destroyed Cremins' job, too.

"That's not true," Cremins insists. "What killed me was I didn't have foresight. Stephon had every right to turn pro, and he should have. I just fell asleep at the wheel."

It's a unique perspective from a coach who had his share of early exits, including Kenny Anderson, who declared for the NBA after his sophomore season. Cremins says it's not the high schoolers who are lottery picks who are hurting college basketball and the NBA; instead, it's the second-tier guys, the ones lured by visions of big-money shoe contracts and supposed first-round selections that simply don't exist.

"We all have problems with the kids who are not going to get drafted high, who are not going to be getting guaranteed money and guaranteed shoe contracts," Cremins says. "We don't what some of those idiots are thinking."
You know he is right. It's not the Stephon Marbury's that are going to hurt the college game - it's the Josh Powells and the soon to be written story of Donta Smith. Guys who are listening to the rhetoric of sleazy agents standing on every street corner, willing to tell them what they want to hear.

In my opinion, the rush of players to the NBA is actually only going to level the playing field. After all, what is Duke going to be without Livingston, UNC without JR Smith, Louisville with Telfair / D.Smith, etc. The elite programs get the elite players. Now it's a roulette game for them. Rick Pittino played and lost. Tubby Smith played and won. But the Dukes / AZ's / UConn's will find it harder and harder to reach the top year-in and year-out like they used to. Competition will no longer be the top 5 spots clearly separated from 10-20. Now anyone in the top 25 can win it all. All bets are off.

While we are at it, let's not write off college hoops. It is still much more exciting than the NBA, still getting good ratings, still nothing compares to March madness. College hoops will be fine. It is just a new wrinkle in the recruitment and talent building process. Coaches have to develop strategies to take this wrinkle into consideration. The ones who do it well will win more often.

How much did GT spend on football ???

Interesting article centered on West Virginia and their football program. However notice this comment -

"WVU generated $13,848,140 from football that year and spent $6,155,525. That resulted in a net profit of $7,692,615 toward support of the school's other sports teams.

The only BCS schools that spent less that year were Georgia Tech ($5,829,521 expenses; $12,218,121 revenues), Missouri ($4,472,374 and $10,357,568) and Mississippi State ($5,766,859 and $11,461,784).

Where are they now - Dez White

Nice re-cap of the Falcons WR situation -

"A former local star at Georgia Tech, Dez White was acquired in the off-season from Chicago. In his first three seasons in the league, White’s receiving numbers improved. He started with 87 yards in 2000, and then had 428 in 2001, and 656 in 2002. In 2003 his numbers dropped a little across the board. But his play later in games picked up.

White scored all of his touchdowns in the fourth quarter of games in 2003 and he caught more balls in the 4th and had more yards in the final quarter than during any other period of the game. White seems to get better as the game goes on."

Hoops Recruiting Notes

Well Kansas is starting to rake in more talent.

- Alex Galindo committed to KU today. story here.

- CJ Giles will announce Wednesday and it looks like he will probably head to KU

- Junior Micah Downs looks like he committed to KU also today - about a 6'8" wing player.

The rich get richer.

Recruiting - Football

Here is an article on some South Carolina hs talent, some of which GT is looking to grab. Soem of the names on GT's list include:

CJ Byrd - incredibly talented WR
Keiron Williams - WR
Marcus Kennedy - DL, 6'2" 280 lb
Trey Bailey - OL, 6'3" 270 lb
Reynaldo Hunter - WR, 6'0" 170 lb

Where are they now - Joe Hamilton

Joe had another solid outing in leading his team to victory - story here. He went 15-20 for 220 yards, ran for 35, threw 2 TD's and ran for 2 more.

DeCoursey Talks Luke and Morris

Link here. DeCoursey's right, even if Randolph Morris wouldn't admit it. Let's face it - if you are considered the number 1 center actually going to college and won't even start on the college team you might chose, that changes your opinion quickly. From DeCoursey -

"The development of 7-1 C Luke Schenscher was a big reason Georgia Tech reached the NCAA championship game, but it hurt the Yellow Jackets in recruiting 6-11 C Randolph Morris, who instead committed to Kentucky. Morris considered declaring for the NBA draft and following PF Dwight Howard and SF Josh Smith, who were Morris' teammates on the Atlanta Celtics, a summer-league club. But Morris realized he needs more development. The Wildcats, who often had to use 6-6 junior Chuck Hayes in the post last season, offered an immediate vacancy at center, and Tech did not. . . ."
. In other recruiting news, Kansas fans believe they are about to hit the jackpot. Today they will learn if they land senior Alex Galindo and junior Micah Downs. Later in the week they will learn if they land transfer CJ Giles. "Sources" have them all leaning to Kansas. Story here.

Sunday, May 16, 2004

Get out the brooms folks

We are talking a sweep of the Tiggers. With a sweep of the MD Twerps next weekend we can clinch the ACC regular season title. GO JACKETS!!!

More on the Morris Brothers

Sorry - just keeping you posted - story here.

Band of brothers

Whether former Georgia Tech manager Jonathan Morris should be considered a future Kentucky manager remains unclear. But it's now official that he will join his younger brother, big man Randolph Morris, at UK next season.

"They both want to go to school together," the brothers' father, Ralph Morris, said. "I guess it's a comfort thing for both of them. They've been close. They've always gone to the same school."

In the recruitment of Randolph Morris, UK Coach Tubby Smith mentioned the possibility of Jonathan joining the UK program as a manager. UK typically compensates managers with a scholarship or a salary comparable to a scholarship.

The elder Morris downplayed the significance of Jonathan becoming a manager to Randolph's decision to choose UK over Georgia Tech. While no doubt helpful, "I don't really think it was that big a bearing on it," Ralph Morris said.

"15 will get you 30..... days"

This is the story of how Virginia Tech started started their downfall from the heights of the Big East to the lows of the ACC. Honestly, I see VaTech getting into a downward spiral and not being that successfull in the ACC - at least the first few years. Take some scandals like this - throw in a bunch on NFL draftees, and you are left with a bit of a rebuilding project. Oh, they'll be good, but they won't be in the top class of the ACC like Miami in football. Just don't see it.

Oh yeah - "15 will get you 30.....days" - story on Marcus Vick getting 30 days in the pokey for doing the hokey pokey - ok, actually he was acquitted of that charge.

Hoops Notes

Nice review from nbadraft.net of their pick for the pre-season top 10. Here is the write-up on GT:

5. Georgia Tech—Yep, a third team out of the ACC to make the top 5, and none of them are named Duke (thanks to Luol Deng and Shaun Livingston playing in the NBA next year, not Durham). The Yellow Jackets return most of what made a run to the national championship game, but here they sit at #4, why? Were seniors Marvin Lewis and Clarence Moore that important? Yes, and no. This team has more than enough to do it without them, but Lewis was a key part of the backcourt that carried them into San Antonio, and Moore a big part of the energy off the bench. Jarrett Jack and BJ Elder return to lead the team, and the two backcourts stars will be among the marquee names in college hoops this year. Elder is among the best wing scorers in the country, and Jack proved this past March that he deserves to be among the elite ACC PGs Chris Paul, John Gilchrist, and Ray Felton. Will Bynum replaces Lewis in the starting lineup, and while he may well produce more than Lewis did, he also means this team loses one more of the energizers off their bench. But Bynum, Jack, and Elder do make up probably the best backcourt trio in the nation this coming season. Behind them will be a trio of freshman, and in Paul Hewitt’s aggressive style, Zam Frederick, Anthony Morrow, and Jeremis Smith will be needed to come in ready to play. Up front, both Anthony McHenry and Luke Schenscher return. McHenry doesn’t provide much, but he isn’t asked to either. How Schenscher develops will be crucial for this team. He had several big games last year, but also disappeared from time to time. He will need to quit disappearing for this team to do more than just make the Final Four this year, but even without long coveted recruit Randolph Morris, Hewitt will have more to turn to down low than he did last year. Isma’il Muhammed returns for his senior season, and hopefully can show more than just great strength and leaping ability. He was a big part of the bench last year, and will likely be asked to lead the reserves again this year. Theodis Tarver struggled injuries and inconsistent play as a SO, but will be looked upon to improve as he becomes an upperclassman. Not a great talent, but he does have the size and agility to be a solid defensive presence in the paint. Ra’Sean Dickey was signed to help give one more wide body to bang on the blocks. A team on the rise that returned a lot of what made their surprise run, can they take it a step farther?
Their total top 10:

1. Wake Forest
2. Kentucky
3. UConn
4. North Carolina
5. Georgia Tech
6. Texas
7. Michigan State
8. Kansas
9. Pitt
10. Illinois

How about that. Three ACC teams in the top 5 and NO Duke. What is the world coming to?