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Well, I'm typing this from the small town of Mansfield Mass. It's 7 degrees and snowing. To make it even better, I am trying to work on a 36kb connection - the old fashioned way. So don't expect too much, but I'll try my best. However, I will be covering most topics in this one post. You probably won't see another post until Friday.
So, let's start with recruiting in football. If you want to attend signing day with the coaches in person, click here to find out how.......The good news is that we received a couple of new commitments over the last couple of days. Today, pro-style Quarterback Jonathon Garner committed to the Jackets over Louisville. That's good news. Garner is considered by Rivals as the #19 pro-style QB in the nation and the #42 overall QB prospect by Scout.com. He had originally committed to Florida, but the new hc Urban Meyer told him he didn't fit his style of offense. Their loss is our gain. Here's more:
As a senior, Garner completed 122 of 220 passes for 1,940 yards with 25 touchdowns and four interceptions. He carries a 4.0 GPA and scored an 1120 on his SAT.
At 6'4" 210lb, he is certainly more of a traditional drop-back guy. Sounds like he could end up being a better get at QB than Todd Walker, who was an outstanding athlete, but probably a project at QB (which he realized too). Should be interesting to see how the competition shapes up. Here's more.
In addition to Garner, GT received a verbal commit from a Linebacker named Matt Braman, who hails from Colorado. GT beat out both in-state schools CU and Colorado St, as well as Kansas St.
Braman is 6-3, 240 pounds and was one of the best players for a Niwot team that lost in the semifinals of the state playoffs. He was the anchor in a linebacking group that was considered the best in 3A.
"The sky's the limit for him," Niwot coach Ron Tesone said. "He's a kid with a lot of potential, and I think things just felt right for him at Georgia Tech."
And nice outward signs of hard work by Coach Gailey and staff:
While many people spent the Martin Luther King holiday relaxing, taking the day off, Chan Gailey was taking a trip to Niwot.
The former Dallas Cowboys head coach and current Georgia Tech head coach was there to wrap up a recruit.
Here's a free article on Braman and his choice from Scout.com.
Here's a quick note on another player GT is after:
Even though he remains committed to Florida, Piper defensive lineman Vladimir Richard has Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn, Georgia Tech and North Carolina State very much in play. ...
Well, evidently Steve Spurrier is doing everything he can to steal recruits away from GT. Upset over past history maybe? He has already swayed LB Marvin Sapp, who had verbally committed to the Jackets & Carlos Thomas as well (which was an academic issue. Now he is trying to sway Taalib Tucker, a talented LB who has verballed to the Jackets.....
Lastly, for some negative comments on GT recruiting after a glowing review of UGA, click here.
In my football "Where are they now", former GT assistant Coach Chuck Bresnahan just got the gig as the Cincy Bengals new Defensive Coordinator.
A native of Springfield, Mass., Bresnahan attended the U.S. Naval Academy, where he played linebacker from 1979-82. He was a commissioned officer in the Navy from 1983-86. He was an assistant coach at Georgia Tech from 1987-91, a stint that included the 1990 season as linebackers coach for a team that won national championship honors with an 11-0-1 record.
Don't ask me why, but Taylor Bennett's mother gets quoted in this article:
"You have to realize that if you're 5-foot-4, you're not going to be a Division I quarterback," said Wendy Jones, the mother of former Lafayette quarterback Taylor Bennett, a redshirt freshman at Georgia Tech.
Here's another story from the same paper, mentioning only Taylor and the challenge of getting a Div I 'ship offer.
Now let's talk hoops. First, the ACC is absolutely nuts. There is plenty of ammunition to defend or tear down the ACC as the dominant hoops conference in the nation - and the ammunition is the same on both sides. Defenders will say look how tough the conference is - GT loses to NCST who loses to Virginia Tech tonight. Amazing. Miami is 3-1 in the conference and giving Duke a game as I type this. GT is crushed by UNC, who is then crushed by Wake Forest, who is then beaten by FSU, who was beaten by Clemson, who was beaten by Duke.......... Are you getting the point? Defenders will say every night is a battle. Detractors will say NCST can beat GT but cannot beat WV and St.Johns??? Well, actually they're right there. Here's the right answer - it is a bear, it is the best conference, and unless you compete in it you couldn't possibly understand. There's no night off and no gimmies......... Here's an interesting article on the love triangle that is Kansas/UNC/Illinois and the interesting ties that bind these teams should they reach the Final Four.
Now, let's talk GT. We've all been concered about the team play, the chemistry, the offensive execution, the injuries. Evidently we're not the only ones concerned. So is the team....... What does Jack say about our road troubles:
"Good teams don't just win when they're on their home court," Jack said. "They have to be able to go into adverse situations and hostile atmospheres and still be able to perform."
What does Coach Hewitt have to say:
"If we're any good, things will happen, the things that we're looking for will happen. If we're not any good, we're not going to get rewarded," Hewitt said. "If we're good, we'll get rewarded, we'll win the games we're supposed to win and move onto the tournament."
Here's another story along those lines......How about a 3rd version.....Personally, I am not overly concerned. I have a role to prompt discussion here, but let's face it - every Coach Hewitt team at GT has had a point in the season where there was struggle. It happened last year and the year before and the year before. What Coach Hewitt HAS proven EVERY year is that he has the ability to have his team playing at their highest level at the end of the season. Because of that Coach Hewitt and the team deserve the benefit of the doubt. The difficulties now are real, but there's a darn good chance things WILL be clicking towards the end of the season. You cannot deny Coach Hewitt's track record here........ Meanwhile, our RPI currently stands in the #17 range...... For a team preview of VaTech, click here. I still cannot believe we lost to NCST who turned around and lost to VaTech tonight. AAAHHHH!!!
On the hoops recruiting front, GT signee Lewis Clinch had a decent night recently, scoring, oh, 54 points!!! That included 6 3 pointers and gives him 91 points in the past 2 games. Let's just say that Lewis Clinch is going to be quite a nice scorer on the flats..........Did you know that Ralph Sampson Jr. has been attending some of the GT hoops camps? Yes, he is the son of the former NBA star. And guess what - he's 6'10" 200lb. Guess what else - he's a freshman in high school. Alrighty then. This per a revent Rivals article......... Miami signee Adrian Thomas (who the Jackets thought they would sign and didn't thanks to the Hurricanes - the real ones) is stepping up his game in high school............. Here's another 6'11" post player considering GT for 2006, Spencer Hawes, who is ranked in the top 10 players of his class by the major services.
In the hoops "Where are they now" segment, Chris Bosh goes for a Raptors team record 9 straight double/doubles. Wow. Story here............ Here's another re-visiting of the Bobby Cremins USC fiasco.
Let's move on to golf and talk about Stewart Cink, the best putter on tour and one of this guy's top PGA pros to watch in 2005.
Lastly, let's talk beesball and Matt Wieters:
Top freshmen including Jared Clark (No. 3 Cal State Fullerton), Joshua Fields (No. 10 Georgia), Chris Jones (No. 13 Texas A&M) and Matt Wieters (No. 19 Georgia Tech) each could see time as pitchers and hitters while they battle to define their roles.
Have a great evening!! GO JACKETS!!!