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BJ Elder tweaked his hamstring in practice and will miss another 2 weeks. So the grand mystery of Elder's real value to this team will continue to be put to the test. Story here. Evidently Coach Hewitt was more encouraged than I was watching game-film from the VaTech game:
Hewitt's frustration over the 70-69 loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday diminished slightly after he saw positive signs on the game tape. But he acknowledged that center Luke Schenscher is "capable of better" after scoring four points in 19 minutes against the Hokies. The coaching staff also has encouraged point guard Jarrett Jack to attack the basket more because opponents have keyed on him around the perimeter.
Here's more on the hammy from Macon Telegraph. And yet more from Adam Van Brimmer......The Wake Forest media has picked up on Elder also....... And here are some notes from AJC - time to panic?
Meanwhile, there is whining going on about upsets:
Charlotte head coach Bobby Lutz said there's a double standard when C-USA is compared to some of the bigger name conferences by the national media. Lutz's evidence: Virginia Tech's win over Georgia Tech.
"When Virginia Tech beats somebody it's a great league," said Lutz. "When we have an upset, they say the teams at the top aren't as good. It's a double standard."
C-USA is a combined 15-22 vs. the ACC, Big East, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC this season.
GT "Stock" is falling in the media, as we all know:
Falling stock
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets have a built-in excuse -- they've been without guard B.J. Elder (hamstring) for most of January. But a team as talented as Georgia Tech should be able to overcome the loss of a single player, even one as talented and valuable as Elder. A Final Four team last season, the Yellow Jackets have lost three consecutive games and four of their past six to drop to 11-5 overall. Saturday's loss at home to Virginia Tech was stunning.
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics were practicing at AMC:
The Celts worked out on Georgia Tech's home floor. It's the first NBA gym The Pistol called home -- Pete Maravich and the Hawks played there while The Omni was being built. After practice the C's headed to Charlotte.
I wonder if Jarrett Jack added a few names to his roledex?
Meanwhile, this on Bobby Cremins and Stephon Marbury, in a discussion about an upcoming book on Sebastian Telfair:
AS: So Pitino really didn’t think Telfair was going to go to the NBA? He didn’t recruit him just to have the name “Louisville” written next to every mention of Telfair’s name?
IO: It’s easy for me to say, but at the beginning of the year, Sebastian’s heart was on the NBA. I’d be surprised if Rick didn’t know that. In talking to Pitino, when they played on ESPN2 – they played at Fordham – and Pitino said he was “95 percent sure” Telfair would play one season at Louisville.
There was some upside. A lot of publicity came out of it. I just don’t think you pour that much energy and time into recruiting knowing the kid won’t play a single second. Interestingly, Bobby Cremins has said that amount of the time he poured into recruiting Stephon Marbury to Georgia Tech just to have him one year, it wasn’t worth it. He said the program never fully recovered.
In the "Where are they now", a good article on Matt Harpring. It's about his stock picking prowess. This is interesting:
But Harpring's considerable portfolio is handled by a professional now - a former roommate from the Georgia Tech basketball team, actually - while the seventh-year forward studies game tapes, not earnings reports.
Wonder who that might be???
On the recruiting front, this 7'2" kid, Jared Carter, obviously is still learning about the recruiting "game".
Carter, who wasn't ranked among the state's top 20 players in The Courier-Journal's preseason poll of coaches, averages 15.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 7.1 blocks.
"He still can't believe people are recruiting him like this," Hicks said. "Georgia Tech called, and he said, `Coach, should I talk to them?' and I was like `Well, yes, Jared. It is Georgia Tech.' He just can't believe all of this."
If you remember, Luke Schenscher was beat out for the Australian Olympic team by Utah center Andrew Bogut. Well, it looks as if they may have made the right choice, based on this year's play (from SI.com):
SI Player of the Week
Andrew Bogut, Utah. Utah (16-3) has quietly won 11 games in a row. Bogut has not-so-quietly turned into one of the most dominant players in the country. Last week, the 7-foot Australian torched Colorado State for 25 points and 18 rebounds, followed by a 24-point, 20-rebound effort against New Mexico. It's been that way all year for the sophomore center, who's averaging 19.7 points and 12.3 rebounds (including 20 and 10 against Arizona, 23 and 12 against Washington) and generating talk of an NBA lottery selection come spring. Bogut was the Mountain West freshman of the year last season but clearly has taken his game to another level. In a Salt Lake Tribune feature on Bogut, he credited the confidence he gained playing for Australia in last summer's Olympic Games as well as new head coach Ray Giacoletti's guidance.
Over at SI.com again, Seth Davis is picking on Luke even more:
I'm sorry to keep picking on Luke Schenscher, but the 7-foot-1 senior center had a measly four points and four rebounds in Georgia Tech's loss at home to Virginia Tech on Saturday. This team can't get B.J. Elder back soon enough -- hopefully in time for Thursday's home date with Wake Forest.
To make you feel better, Davis went on to say this about Randolph Morris:
Kentucky is likely to go undefeated in the SEC, but the Wildcats need a lot more scoring punch from freshman center Randolph Morris if they want to reach St. Louis. Morris played just six minutes in last Wedneday's almost-loss at Ole Miss, and had had just two rebounds in 18 minutes against LSU on Saturday. Morris' biggest problem is his lack of conditioning.