Hoops 2006 Recruiting Board

Just a reminder - make sure to check out the 2006 Hoops Recruiting board. I have been updating it a little at a time the last few weeks and there is a permanent link on the list to the left under "Recruiting". I will continue to update the board in the coming weeks, so check back often. I will also try and keep a tally of the updates as they happen at the bottom, so you'll know what's new.

Football: How to Avoid a Heart-attack

.... if you're a college coach. The answer - take an assistant coaching job in Hawaii. That's what Jerry Glanville has done. When was his last college coaching job?

Glanville's last collegiate coaching stint came from 1968-73 when he was the defensive ends and outside linebackers coach at Georgia Tech and helped lead the Yellow Jackets to three bowl game appearances.

Hoops: Coach Hewitt reaching out...

One of the smalll things that makes a guy like Paul Hewitt stand out as more than just Coach bent on winning at all cost. Not that we ever thought that - but just more proof.....


This is the story of Memphis freshman Darius Washington. You probably all saw the missed free throw with no time on the clock:

Washington stood alone at the line with no time remaining in the Conference USA Tournament championship, and had three free throws to shoot. Memphis trailed Louisville by two points and needed to win to claim an automatic bid to get into the NCAAs.


Washington made the first free throw. One more would get Memphis into overtime, two would complete a shocking four-day run to the tournament championship after the Tigers closed the regular season with four straight losses.


Shot No. 2 clanged off the rim, stunning the youngster and shaking his confidence. He missed the third, too, and crumpled to the court--covering his face in despair.


Final score: Louisville 75, Memphis 74, and no bid to the NCAA tourney..... on to the NIT.

Well, a small show of the character of the man:

What Washington found wasn't gloom and doom, but support.


And it didn't stop there. Calls and letters flooded in from Temple's John Chaney and Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt. NBA figures such as Vince Carter, Isiah Thomas and cousin Chucky Atkins also checked in with support for Washington, a McDonald's high school All-American.

No matter what you say about the wins and losses, we have a stable of high-character people running our sports programs.

Hoops: Louis Williams Wants to Go League

Of course we knew that, but now he flat out says it. Poor mutts...... NOT!!!

"He (UGA Coach Dennis Felton) knows there's a major possibility I won't be there if everything goes to plan," Williams said following Tuesday's practice for the McDonald's All-American game, scheduled tonight at Notre Dame's Joyce Center.

Hoops: Seina Coaching Update

Turns out that Cliff Warren is not the only Coach Hewitt current or former assistant in the running for the Siena job. Robert Burke, who was also an assistant when Coach Hewitt was at Siena, just visited the school for an interview:

Burke, 39, just finished his first year at Georgetown, where he worked under coach John Thompson III. Before that, he worked with Thompson at Princeton University from 2000-2004.


From 1997-2000, Burke was an assistant coach at Siena for Paul Hewitt. Hewitt has given his support to Burke as well as Cliff Warren, who is an assistant at Georgia Tech under Hewitt.


D'Argenio flew to Atlanta to speak with Warren last Friday; he talked with Burke in Washington on Monday.

Hoops: Recruiting - Patrick Ewing Jr.

Someone at the Hive found this blurb on Ewing Jr. from March 2002 prior to his decision to attend Indiana. Interesting story for sure. If you ask me, there are enough red-flags in this situation to raise questions. But of course none of us know the real story.


I'd also like to point something out. This entire rumor about Georgia Tech's involvement started after he made it official that he was transferring from Indiana. But the ONLY online source I could find mentioning the rumor were college message boards, none of which were based on fact. Just pure speculation.


Now, was it just a discussion board comment that started all this. Seems very possible based on my fact-checking. Having said that, as always with rumors, until they are denied, a kernal of truth is always assumed. That's a lesson that Ian O'Connor probably has not learned yet.

Hoops: Whiner Award of the Week

Ok, you just got done playing in the ELITE high school all-star tournament in the world. It was broadcast on ESPN. You have been signed by one of the premiere basketball powers and you have all the hype as one of the best high school ballers in the nation. Now what do you have to say?

"I was frustrated," Downs said. "I don't know why I wasn't getting minutes. When I was out there, I was hitting threes and getting assists and stuff. I was just like, ‘Why aren't I getting in there, you know? I'm just as good as anybody here.'


"It definitely soured the game for me. When I was in there, I was having fun, but this kind of ruins the whole thing."

That would be incoming Kansas freshman Micah Downs. Can you say out of touch with reality????? Lets see - complaining about minutes in an all-star game. Okey dokey..... Of course, they say the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. So what were mom and dad's reaction:

Downs' parents, who were in attendance and waited for their son afterward, hoped Micah would have a better experience April 16, when he'll take part in the Jordan Capital Classic in New York's Madison Square Garden.


"I was proud of Micah for the time he was out there, but my heart is aching right now, and you can print that, because he didn't get to play but 10 minutes, and I don't know why," dad Steve Downs said. "I'm really proud of how far he's come, and I thank God. My heart hurts for Micah, and to see my wife crying, you know, this is supposed to be a real joyous moment, which up to this point it was."

I guess the apple is still ON THE TREE!! All I can say is - Kansas fans - good luck. Sounds like a team player to me.

Hoops: Recruiting

We are still in the running for Jared Carter and the Jackets had a conversation with Carter this week and are evidently pushing hard.

Carter, a 7-foot-2 senior at Scott County, listed North Carolina and Kentucky as the leaders. He's also considering Georgia Tech. He said he hoped to decide by mid-April. The month-long spring signing period begins April 13 and ends May 18.


All three schools have spoken to Carter this week, he said.


Of the three, Georgia Tech had pushed the hardest for Carter to make an official visit, he said.

Hoops: More on Patrick Ewing Jr.

For how some Indiana fans feel, check out www.firemikedavis.com. Guess how they feel about things??? Pretty harsh. Check out the Poll - "What is Mike best at losing; games, recruits, fans, tradition". Yikes.


Here's one fans take on why Ewing is leaving:

He is leaving because he warmed the bench all year. He warmed the bench because Mike Davis was emphasizing his freshmen. He was emphasizing his freshmen because he wanted to have an excuse for retaining his job at IU. He knew if he could get his freshman players into a position where they showed promise he might have a chance of staying at IU. Why was this his only chance? Because it might lead the powers that be to think "Maybe next year". He had no concern whatever about this year. He is driven by one thing and one thing only. The big bucks. He gets $300,000 as a bonus this year just for retaining his job. He showed nothing this year and he gets a $300,000 bonus. Hell, that's five times what I will make for working my butt off and doing an outstanding job. It's more money than I will ever receive, in a lump sum, unless I win the lottery. If the man had any integrity, if he wasn't on the gravy train, if he was honest with himself he would resign. To aspire to greatness is wonderful. To fail to attain greatness and pretend otherwise is politics

One more note - this transferring thing is not new with Ewing. Evidently he went to about 4 different high schools: From a Wake Forest board:

He started at some NY prep school, transferred to Holy Innocents, then to Marietta, then to National Christian in MD.

One other note. The other rumor is that he might transfer to Georgetown. Think about that. That would mean Patrick Ewing Jr. being coached by John Thompson Jr. That's just crazy..

Hoops: Recruiting Rumors

Well, rumors on the internet are rampant, but I was holding out until something concrete came out. We all know that Coach Hewitt has been looking at trying to land another big-man. Well rumors are there is one headed our way - although he would have to sit out next season. We are talking Patrick Ewing Jr - son of senior - the old Hoya. Junior has been playing for Indiana and it is official now that he will be transferring. Here was another news story...


First, at this point this is only a rumor. Just thought I would tell you a little about the guy.....

A 6-8, 215-pound forward, Ewing started five of the 29 games in which he played as a sophomore. His 4.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game average included season and career-highs of 15 points against Minnesota on Feb. 12, 2005. He grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in two games as a freshman in 2003-04, a year in which the Marietta, Ga., native posted 2.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.

Why is he leaving?

Ewing, the son of former NBA All-Star center and current Houston Rocket coach Patrick Ewing, Sr., said that while he appreciates the opportunity he was given at Indiana, he would like to pursue other options where he can earn more playing time.


"I would like to thank Coach Davis for the chance to play at a storied program like Indiana, and I appreciate how Coach Davis and the other coaches worked with me both on and off the court," Ewing, Jr., said. "I've spent a lot of time with my family and given this decision a lot of thought, and I feel it is in my best interests to pursue my education and basketball career at another school."

Bottom-line with IU is that they have a deep front-court and some new blood coming in. It's a numbers game and he is the odd man out....


Here's the biography from the IU site. He's about 6'8" 220lb. He's currently a sophomore and after sitting out a year should have two years of eligibility....... Scout.com ranked him as the 75th best player in his class. Rivals ranked him the 97th best and the 25th best in the southeast........ His recruiting was interesting. His dad wanted him to go to GeorgeTown (of course), but junior didn't waiver much and stuck with the Hoosiers. He was pursued by schools like Louisville, Memphis, Texas, Georgia, Clemson..... Ewing is VERY athletic and is known for his dunking ability (sound familiar). Old reports talked about his inside/outside game, but that never seemed to develop at IU... In terms of academics, I don't know, other than in high school he claimed to have a GPA in the range of 2.0. Of course, by now, that was a long time ago.


Why the link with GaTech? Well, he was born in Marietta and went to Marietta High School before transferring to National Christian Academy in Maryland. Played AAU ball with the Ga Stars...... So it's a "hometown" thing..... Add to that the need for some front-court depth and voila - instant rumor.


For more on Ewing, check out these links:

PLAYER TRANSFERS NOTHING NEW

He had yet to put up numbers that Dad did during his collegiate days at Georgetown or in the pros, but it was obvious there was some raw talent there that could make a contribution.


Still, it's hard to believe there wouldn't have been a spot in the IU program for Ewing. He brought enthusiasm to the game, something that some of the IU players really lacked this year. No, he wouldn't have been a starter, but he would have been a valuable spark off the bench (I remember a guy by the name of Laskowski a few years back for IU who wasn't much of a starter but was a tremendous sixth man off the bench for the Hoosiers).

EWING DECIDES TO LEAVE


EWING LEAVING - WASHINGTON POST

(Coach Mike) Davis did not indicate where Ewing might be transferring.

Hoops: McDonalds All-American Game

Watched the Mickey D's AA game - or at least parts of it..... Here are my comments:


1. There were a lot of Duke, UNC and Kansas players on the floor. You know what - they all look pretty talented. Know what else - a lot of the Duke guys look like JJ Redick wanna-bees. Can we please get free haircuts included in the scholarship money? Please?


2. Greg Paulus (Duke) seemed to be ON the floor a lot. I don't mean player - I mean ON the floor, falling down, etc. Did I mention he mauled a cheerleader? But don't worry, she pulled a Willis Reed and returned to the sideline with only a bloody nose.


3. Jason Williams has a great career as TV analyst......... IN THE DUKE FILM ROOM!!!! Dude, you might have been worse than Dickey V with Duke references.......


4. Gerald Green (OSU) looked good.... real good.... from outside, inside, you name it. Won the slam dunk contest impressively. Shoots well. Maybe he'll go league also.


5. Mario Chalmers. Remember we were close with Kansas with this kid. He looked good in flashes but he seemed to look to shoot first, second and third. Oh yeah, I think he might want to look into the concept on man defense. Look it up Mario. It's part of the game....... Of course it's hard to judge based on an all-star game.... Having said all that, he seems like a "smooth" player and I would have loved to have him go to Tech. So sue me.


6. Entertaining game. Loose as usual, but close and fairly competitive. Bottom-line ---- all the superpowers will continue to be superpowers - UNC, Duke, Kansas, etc.

Academics: College Diversity

This is an odd Luke Schenscher reference, in which they never used his name:

A college defines itself by the makeup of its student body. Taxpayers, alumni, faculty, and other stakeholders in a school will have their own preferences on the number of foreign students admitted. In the incredibly rich mix of American higher ed, no simple formula exists. Once an academic threshold for admittance is established, admissions becomes as much an art as a science.


Whether the same criteria for a math genius from India attending MIT should apply to an Australian hoopster who plays for Georgia Tech is an institution-specific decision. Each student fills a special niche in a learning community with a unique background that rubs off on other students.

The article references another article talking about how foreign athletes are taking more and more college scholarship money........


I think everyone is missing the point. Most colleges have a mission that is somewhat pure. But those missions can only be acheived through financial means. And guess what - college athletics brings in big money. Yeah, I know - collegiate swimming is not exactly the same as basketball in terms of revenue. But face it - the reason I cannot pronounce half the player names on the Wake Forest and NCST hoops teams is because they are good players...... Good players = more wins........ More wins = more alumni donations, more ticket revenue, more merchandise revenue, more bowl revenue, more NCAA tourney revenue, more TV revenue, more radio revenue, more satellite radio revenue, more advertising revenue.... Are you getting the point here? Revenue makes the world go around. Revenue is the means in which colleges stay true to a "pure mission". Ironic isn't it?


So if a few mediocre football players named Bob and George, growing up in the American heartland cannot get free rides, oh well. Learn how to pass or shoot a mid-range jumper or play team ball. Get better. Play the market. Become a desired commodity like many foreigners have. And don't get comfy once you graduate. They might take your 9-5 job too. Become valuable......... Man am I edgy tonight or what?

Hoops: Speaking of letting it go...

.... some plays never die to hardcore fans......

Admit it, Spartan fans, the three-pointer from Kentucky's Patrick Sparks caused a flashback to another controversial shot in Michigan State hoops history. Remember Georgia Tech guard Kenny Anderson's last-second shot in 1990 in the Sweet 16? It was the one that came after the buzzer, but it counted, forcing overtime. MSU eventually lost the game, 81-80.


Well, at least it was good to see that the officials got together and got it right Sunday. Makes you wish they had instant replay back then.

Come on people..... let it go!!!! I mean, let me ask you a question. Let's make up a hypothetical situation. Let's say your college won the National Championship in Football but the only reason it is in dispute is because the other "co-winner" got 5 downs to win one of their games. Wouldn't you just let it go? Wouldn't you just know in your heart that you won outright? Come on now!! Let it go!! Really. I mean it...... let it go...... now ...... it's over.......

Hoops: Playing the What-if Game

Man, there are lots of people playing the "what if" game. What if Chris Bosh was still with the Jackets. What if Dwight Howard had gone to Tech as well (even though he said he would have gone to UNC). Heck this article has him going to Duke..... .This first article had Sebastian Telfair going to GT, even though he committed to Louisville....... What if.... Deng/Livingston..... JRSmith/J-Curry...... Okafor/Gordon...... Carmello....... Uuugggghhhhh. They even went through the Bosh scenario on CSS Sportsnight tonight..... Come on people - it's over..... get over it..... First these scenario's are pure fiction. Second, it defeats the purpose if you put these kids at colleges they never intended to play for......... I mean - imagine if GT had gotten Lebron, Carmello and Bosh together. Can you imagine how we would have gone? What if Kevin Garnett was younger. Wow, what a team!!!! Are you getting the adsurdity of this?


Now, if the NBA institutes a 20-year old age limit, then we can quite playing some of the games.

Hoops: Siena Coaching Update

Cliff Warren's name is still being bantered about.....

Football: Jake Blackwood

The son of former NFL Miami Dolphins safety Jake Blackwood, gets a mention:

The pressure to specialize has forced some two- and three-sport high school athletes to choose just one.


Jake Blackwood, a senior at King's Academy and son of former Miami Dolphins safety Glenn Blackwood, did not run track last year or play soccer this year to focus on football. It paid off, as the receiver earned a football scholarship to Georgia Tech.


"It was a really tough decision for me, I really love playing soccer," Blackwood said. "I'm the kind of guy that tries to play as many sports as I can. It's so competitive and there are so many kids that are focused on that kind of thing, you have to start making compromises. But you don't want to let people down."

Recruiting: Korvotney Barber

We didn't get him, but nice article on this young man (Korvotney Barber) who could be a force in the SEC for years to come..... Here is a look at the McDonalds All-American players......... Here are the finalists for the Gatorade Player of the Year and the winners by state.....

Hoops: Luke Schenscher Leaving

I was afraid this would happen. The NBA is possibly stealing away another YellowJacket. Per this article Luke will be declaring for the NBA draft.....

HOT on the heels of Andrew Bogut's declaration yesterday he will enter the National Basketball Association draft comes news SA's own Luke Schenscher will follow suit.


Schenscher, 23 and 216cm from Hope Forest and a Noarlunga Tigers junior, has been a starter at Georgia Tech for the past two seasons.


He also will nominate for the NBA draft in June 29 and as a good passer and rebounder, easily could emulate Luc Longley's stellar career.

Ok, maybe I need to be less sarcastic about an article from Luke's "hometown" paper. Couldn't resist.....

Football: Jackets Resume Spring Practice

.... after a week off for spring break. The QB Situation?

"It's still Reggie one, Taylor two, Kyle three, and we've seen improvement out of all three," said Gailey. "I can't tell you the gap right now between the three. It's fairly close, but that's still the ranking right now."

Come on, we all knew that is what would happen. Reggie is not going to lose his job in the spring. He will only lose it during actual gametime. You know what - I'm ok with that. But I like that all 3 guys are improving. That's good. Real Good.


What's not real good? The Offensive Line. Progress is slow:

Tech is making slow progress on the offensive line, where the Jackets graduated three starters. One of the two returning starters, senior Brad Honeycutt, has moved from guard to tackle, and right guard Mansfield Wrotto is making the transition from defensive tackle.


"We've got a lot of athletic talent," said Gailey. "Our athletes are good on the line, but the cohesiveness and the knowledge of assignments is still behind. A couple of people are playing new spots, so we've got some work to do there. That's the position that in my mind is the furthest behind right now."

I'm sure things will be clicking when the time is right...... I hope... Here's more on the QB situation......


Coach Gailey is also back at practice.... I'm sorry, but you read his quotes and you listen to him, and you can't help but like him. I have no doubt he is doing everything he knows to do to make this team win more ballgames......

Hoops: Draft Notes

George Washington is actually losing two players to the draft - of course they aren't signing with agents.......... Looks like Deron Williams might go ahead of all PG's except Chris Paul......

Considering how he has handled himself in the tournament, Wake Forest’s Chris Paul will be the only guard taken higher, and some might disagree with that.


That means Williams will go ahead of North Carolina’s Raymond Felton and Rashad McCants and ahead of Louisville’s Francisco Garcia and Georgia Tech’s Jarrett Jack.


Williams is as NBA-ready as any guard in college basketball. He is thick, but quick. He will not be bullied and he can shoot it. He can manage a game with his passes and decisions.


And he leads.

Beesball: Better Team Chemistry?

Coach Hall said there were times with our teams in the last couple of years where guys had their eye on MLB too much. Sounds like there is some real chemistry on this team..... Of course, the article does a good job glossing over poor pitching......

Softball: Sallinger National POW

Congrats to the pitching ace.... The Jackets rise to #19 in the rankings....

Hoops: More on Deron Williams

It's well documented the twists that resulted in Jarrett Jack coming to the Jackets and Deron Williams going to the Illini...... Here's mention:

Why does he value the concept when other kids don't? Seems his mother, Denise Smith, taught him the art after her career as a small-college player at West Liberty State. Even in his earliest games as a kid, when he was the best player on the court, she encouraged him to pass. He carried that mentality into his prep career in Texas, where he set up shooting guard Bracey Wright for points and stardom. Wright was the national hotshot who signed with Indiana. Williams was rejected by North Carolina, which prioritized Raymond Felton; Kansas, which preferred Aaron Miles; and Georgia Tech, which opted for Jarrett Jack.


Well, guess who could have the last laugh in St. Louis? Wright has been something of a washout at Indiana. Kansas bombed out in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Georgia Tech in the second round. North Carolina is still alive, but ask hoops people who they'd prefer at the point: the skittish Felton or the defense, vision, strength and explosiveness of Williams? And that includes NBA scouts who might not be totally ready to agree with Wisconsin-Milwaukee coach Bruce Pearl -- ''He reminds me of Jason Kidd,'' he said -- but are ready to make him a lottery pick. ''That's who I pattern my game after, Jason Kidd,'' Williams said.

No offense, but you conveniently forgot to mention that Jack led the Jackets to the National Championship game last season. Of course that wouldn't be good for your story, would it?


Now, this guy does his homework and gets it right:

Deron Williams, who made all the right moves for Illinois in its Saturday night thriller against Arizona, was almost a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket.


After North Carolina told the star Texas guard four years ago that it would only take him if Raymond Felton didn't come, Williams said Georgia Tech rose to the top of his recruiting list.


But a day before he was set to take a recruiting visit to Atlanta, the Jackets got a commitment from another point guard --- Jarrett Jack.


It's worked out all right for both programs --- Jack led Tech to the 2004 national title game; Williams, the first player to lead the Big Ten in assists his first three years in school, has Illinois in its first Final Four since 1989.

Hoops Fact of the Day

Since 1998 the team Duke has lost to in the Tourney has either won the whole thing or made it to title game.


1998 - UK won title
1999 - UCONN won title
2000 - UF loses title game
2001 - Duke wins title ***
2002 - IU loses title game
2003 - Kansas loses title game
2004 - UCONN won title
2005 - MSU ???

Hoops: Charm City Challenge

The 5th Annual Charm City Challenge is coming up April 10, and our own Alade Aminu will be participating. One of the event organizers sent me the following press release so I wanted to pass it along:


PRESS RELEASE:


Baltimore - Team rosters for the 5th annual Charm City Challenge
presented by Converse have been selected. The Charm City Challenge
takes place Sunday, April 10th at the Towson Center on the campus of
Towson University. The preliminary game, City vs. Suburban All-Stars,
begins at 3 PM with the U.S. vs. Baltimore All-Stars following at 5
PM.


The U.S. roster has been finalized with several ACC and Big East
recruits participating including Maryland's Shane Clark (Hargrave
Military Academy) and Georgetown's Jessie Sapp (National Christian
Academy).


Some of the nation's best players including Maryland's John Gilchrist,
UConn's Josh Boone, Georgia Tech's Jarrett Jack and Miami's Guillermo
Diaz, to name a few, have participated in the Charm City Challenge.


Tickets for the Charm City Challenge are $25 for reserved, $15 for
general admission and $10 for students. Tickets are available by
calling 410-605-9381 or at www.charmcitychallenge.com


The weekend kicks-off with the Dunk and 3-Point contest on Friday,
April 8 at 6:30 pm at Dunbar High School. Tickets are $5 and available
at the door.


U.S. All-Star Team:
Alade Aminu, 6-10, Stephenson H.S./Stone Mountain, GA - comm to
Georgia Tech
Ryan Ayers, 6-6, Germantown Academy/Ft. Washington, PA - comm to
Notre Dame
Shane Clark, 6-6, Hargrave Military Academy/Chatam, VA - comm to
Maryland
Denis Clemente, 6-1, Calusa Prep/Miami, FL - committed to Miami
Mamadi Diane, 6-5, DeMatha HS/Hyattsville, MD - comm to Virginia
Marc Egerson, 6-5, Berean Institute, Philadelphia, PA - comm to
Georgetown
Vernon Goodridge, 6-9, Lutheran Christian Academy, Philadelphia, PA - comm to Mississippi St.
Andre McGee, 6-0, Canyon Springs HS, Moreno Valley, CA - comm to
Louisville
Chad Millard, 6-9, Brewster Academy/Wolfesboro, NH - comm to
Louisville
Jessie Sapp, 6-3, National Christian Academy, Ft. Washington, MD - comm to Georgetown
Head Coach: Kevin Keatts, Hargrave Military Academy


Baltimore All-Star Team:
Paris Carter, 6-5, Lake Clifton
Velmar Coleman, 6-4, Walbrook - committed to Towson
Kyle Cannon, 6-7, Towson Catholic
Jimmy Conyers, 6-4, National Christian - committed to Akron
Robert Diggs, 6-8, Gwynn Park - committed to George Washington
Lawrence Dixon, 6-5, Spalding - committed to Holy Cross
Chester Frazier, 6-2, Lake Clifton - committed to Illinois
Nate Irby, 6-0, Dunbar
Brian Johnson, 5-10, Mt. St. Joseph
Antwann Lawrence, 6-4, Mervo
Lawrence Nwevo, 6-8, Towson Catholic
Demetrius Phillips, 6-9, Northwestern - committed to Fordham
Head Coach: Pat Clatchey, Mt. St. Joseph

Hoops: McDonalds AA Dunk Contest...

...was held already and here is how it went down....

Beesball: Jackets Go to #1....

... in the nation......... and lose........ to Western Carolina...... 8-5.


It's been very clear that the real question about this team is....... what will happen once the hitting slows down? Will the pitchers pick up the slack? You cannot win every game 11-10. Our pitching has been average at best. Just hard to see when you are routinely scoring 15 runs a game.


In other notes, here is Baseball America's mid-season 2005 draft watch for juniors/seniors. Note Tyler Greene #7 (down from #4 pre-season), Jeremy Slayden #8 (up from #46 pre-season), Jason Neighborgall #21 (up from #33),

Hoops: Where are they now

Thanks to our readers (Eric) for giving us this link. In case you tried to save the pic, you have to do it in 4 pieces. But here's the whole thing for your pleasure.

Football: 100 Greatest College Games

Well, CFN has somehow screwed things up on their top 100 college games of all time. How??? Well, on this list, the Jackets get the #92 spot:

No. 92 Georgia Tech 31 ... Clemson 28, November 28, 2000


At the time: Georgia Tech had won three straight and was 5-2. Number four Clemson had started off the season 8-0 and was looking forward to a showdown with Florida State the following week with the hopes of securing an ACC title.


The setup: It was a tremendous game with long scoring drives and an 88-yard punt return for a score from Clemson's Brian Mance. The Tigers took a 28-24 lead with under two minutes to play on a Rod Gardner touchdown catch. Kelly Campbell finished with 209 receiving yards for the Yellow Jackets, but it was another Tech receiver that would steal the show.


The ending: Tech QB George Godsey, who finished with a school record 454 passing yards, had the ball on the Clemson 16 with time running out. He lofted a pass into the end zone for Kerry Watkins, but it looked out of reach. Watkins dove making a one-handed grab for the game-winning score with just seven seconds to play.


How they ended up: Clemson got steamrolled 54-7 by Florida State the following week before beating South Carolina in 16-14 classic. The Tigers ended up 9-3 after losing 41-20 to Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl. Georgia Tech won its next three games to end the regular season with a seven-game winning streak before losing 28-14 to LSU in the Peach Bowl for a 9-3 record.

In addition, the Jackets come in at #34

No. 34 Georgia Tech 41 ... Virginia 38, November 3, 1990
At the time: The 7-0 Cavaliers were ranked number one in the country behind the sensational pass-catch combination of QB Shawn Moore to WR Herman Moore. Georgia Tech was ranked 11th with a 6-0-1 record with a 13-13 tie against North Carolina.


The setup: The Cavaliers went up by scores of 13-0 and 28-14 helped by three Shawn Moore touchdown runs only to have Tech quarterback Shawn Jones lead the Yellow Jackets back time and time again highlighted by a 43-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Gilchrist. Virginia had its share of big plays as well with a 63-yard touchdown pass to Herman Moore late in the third quarter, but once again, Tech responded with a touchdown drive to tie it at 35 before going up by three on a 32-yard Scott Sisson field goal. With 2:34 to play, the Yellow Jackets held the Cavaliers on a goal line stand stopping two cracks from the one and surviving a called back touchdown on a penalty forcing Virginia to kick a game-tying field goal to knot it up 38. (Many Virginia fans, and Herman Moore, wanted to go for it from 4th and goal from the six, but head coach George Welsh later explained that he thought his defense would give the offense another chance.) Georgia Tech got the ball with 2:26 to play on its own 24-yard line.


The ending: Jones ripped through the Cavalier defense marching the offense 56 yards, but things stalled on the Virginia 20. The clock ran down to before Tech called a timeout to bring in Sisson to ruin Virginia's national title dreams. After two Cavalier timeouts, Sisson nailed the 37-yard kick for a 41-38 lead. A last gasp Moore pass was picked off and the Yellow Jackets came away with the win.


How they ended up: Georgia Tech went on to win the rest of its games and take a share of the national title (along with Colorado) with a 11-0-1 record after a 45-21 Citrus Bowl win over Nebraska. Virginia beat North Carolina the following week 24-10 before going in the tank losing its final three games finishing 8-4 after a 23-22 Sugar Bowl loss to Tennessee.

Now here's the funny part. The links I just gave you are from CFN'shome page. However, there is another top 100. In fact, in that list they show the GT/UVA 1990 game at #19. Hhhhummmm???

No. 19 - The Cavaliers get stung


Georgia Tech 41 Virginia 38 November 3, 1990


This was possibly the greatest game in ACC history and it could certainly be listed among the most important. The Cavaliers were ranked number one in the country behind the sensational pass-catch combination of QB Shawn Moore to WR Herman Moore. The Cavaliers went up by scores of 13-0 and 28-14 only to have Tech quarterback Shawn Jones lead the Yellow Jackets back time and time again. With 2:34 to play, the Yellow Jackets held the Cavaliers on a goal line stand which forced Virginia to kick a game-tying field goal to make it 38-38. Then came Jones calmly leading Tech down the field marching 56 yards to set up a game-winning 38-yard field goal from Scott Sisson with seven seconds remaining.


Historical Significance: The win propelled Georgia Tech to an unbeaten season (11-0-1) and a share of the national title. Virginia would go into a freefall after losing this heartbreaker losing three of its final four games. Some in college football feel the Yellow Jackets deserved the outright national title as they shared it with a Colorado team that beat a bad Missouri team on the infamous fifth-down play.

So what's up CFN???? One difference - the current list are games from 1970 - current. The later list - I'm not sure.

Hoops: Harsh on Jackets

This writer is a bit harsh:

Speaking of crashing and burning, Georgia Tech, shame on you. B.J. Elder was back in full force, and the team that made the memorable 2004 run was back to prove they were Final Four material. In an embarrassing loss to Louisville, they proved they were little more than another overly hyped ACC imposter.

My journalistic integrity leads me to one statement to Mike Szwaia........ bite me.

Beesball: Wes Hodges on Watch List

Wes Hodges is on the Brooks Wallace Award watch list.

Beesball: the Draft

The Scott Boros stories should start popping up very soon, as the draft gets closer:

BAD REPRESENTATION


This spring, Wichita State's Mike Pelfrey, Tennessee's Luke Hochevar, Baylor's Mark McCormick and Georgia Tech's Jason Neighborgall all have Boras as their advisor. They are regarded as four of the best five arms eligible in the draft.


The Jays and a lot of other teams will stay away from Boras clients. The Jays are not in for prolonged negotiations.


So, will No. 6 be the sixth best talent?

Hoops - Recruiting

More from the state of SC......

USC leads for Theryn Hudson of LaVergne, Tenn., but he will make other official visits before making a decision. Hudson visited USC earlier in the month.


Hudson’s coach, Barry Wortman, said Georgia Tech and Tennessee have shown recent interest in Hudson.


Hudson will visit SMU on April 8 and will take unofficial visits to Middle Tennessee State and Austin Peay. He also plans to visit Murray State.

Football: Recruiting

Some notes from the state of SC.....

Fort Dorchester offensive lineman Walter Simmons (6-1, 260) likely will be a center in college. He has been hearing from USC, Virginia Tech, Citadel, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech and Furman.

Hoops to Football: Ish making the jump???

No, but Ola Babalola of the Clemson Tigers is going to try it...... Coach Bowden's comment:

"It is going to depend on how tough he is and if he wants to do it," Bowden added. "He is going from a contact sport to a collision sport, and there's a difference."

Hoops: Hewitt on Chaney??

Not exactly, but an inference:

If the achievement were not such a crater-sized hole on Keady's career resume, chances are Weber's heart would not have ached for Keady so quickly after such a heart-stopping, historic victory over Arizona at Allstate Arena.


Similarly, before recent Final Fours, competing African-American coaches such as Paul Hewitt of Georgia Tech and Mike Davis at Indiana have mentioned Temple coach John Chaney in the same sentimental context as Weber cited Keady.


If Chaney were to retire tomorrow, his coaching obituary likely would mention his failure to make a Final Four in 23 seasons as Temple even before his 724 career wins or his most recent controversy over sending in a "goon."


The implication in any Final Four coach's references to Keady and Chaney, intended or not, suggests that those younger counterparts immediately have accomplished more in their careers by winning their respective NCAA regionals. If that is not the reality, it is indeed the perception. Coaches in other sports do not enjoy the same advantages for finishing fourth.

Evidently this is a story about finishing 4th in the NCAA actually means something compared to other sports. However, somehow the writer managed to turn it into a black/white thing. So the next time you think Coach Hewitt is some race-radical, just remember that the media creates many of these quotes. The media likes to turn over rocks to find things. When they don't find things, they stick something under the rock themselves, then call you over and ask - "what do you think about that?".

Golf Notes

GT falls to #2 in the country behind OSU. Those mutts are sniffin' our tails....... In the team's latest tourney, they fell to 6th place, while Chan Song had his best individual finish as a Jacket at #3......

Golf Notes

GT falls to #2 in the country behind OSU. Those mutts are sniffin' our tails....... In the team's latest tourney, they fell to 6th place, while Chan Song had his best individual finish as a Jacket at #3......

Hoops: Interesting Story on the Shot Clock

Nice look at the role of the shot clock in hoops....

"Michael Jordan and the 24-second clock were made for each other," said Schayes, now 76. "Without the 24-second clock, would there have been a Michael Jordan? Would there have been a John Havlicek? Would there have been a Bill Walton? Of course not."


"This game would have perished a long time ago," said Havlicek, who starred for the Celtics three decades ago.


"It was the most important rule in the history of basketball," said Walton, who starred in college at UCLA in the early 1970s and won NBA titles with Boston and Portland. "I've always been the biggest fan of the 24-second clock. This is one of the most important days in the history of the game because it credits the evolution, it credits the teaching, it credits the chance for people's dreams to come true."

Hoops: Lafayette claims they "lost" Luke

They are one of the few schools that awards 'ship money based on financial need and their boosters want to be more competitive and give out really schollys. In fact they claim to have missed out on Luke Schenscher because of it:

People associated with Lafayette have said among the players the Leopards have lost in recruiting because of the scholarship issue are Georgia Tech center Luke Schencher and Holy Cross point guard Torey Thomas.

Guess Luke had a bigger posse than we thought.

Hoops: Bitter over Kansas

Not me, but this writer is:

No matter how you slice it -- injuries, egos, selfish mindsets, court and bench leadership, Roy's interference, the whole schmeer -- this latest edition fell short of league eminence and NCAA achievement because it (leading with the senior class) was overrated.
......
Roy Williams inherited much better talent at North Carolina than he left Bill Self here. Self left Bruce Weber at Illinois far better people than he got from Roy. The odds are massively in favor of Williams, with overwhelming personnel, winning his first national title. Too bad it's two years too late for Kansas.

Football: A Must Download

You NEED to download this file which is an old-time video of the importance of the kicking game, narrated by Bobby Dodd. You will need BitTorrent to get it, but it's worth it!!! Great stuff!


Also note what Dodd serves as refreshments during the games:

"That hot action calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. At Georgia Tech we have served cokes to our players after practice periods and during the halftime break of our ballgames for several years now. We found that Coca Cola gives the boys real refreshment, and a little bit of quick pure energy that's mightly welcome. That goes for the coaching staff too."

Hoops: Tech to play in Maui Next Year

Already reported, but just a reminder:

The Maui Invitational announced its field for 2006 recently. Besides UK, the teams will be DePaul, Chaminade, Georgia Tech, Memphis, Oklahoma, Purdue and UCLA.


The tournament will be played Nov. 20-22. I'd recommend the Opakapaka (OH' pah kah pah kah) at the Hula Grill.

Beesball: Recruiting

David Duncan is supposed to be GT bound, but looks like he might be another loss to the draft......

The Lions have one of the area's top talents in the Georgia Tech-bound Duncan.


The reigning Enquirer Divisions II-IV Player of the Year, Duncan is being considered for the June major-league draft after going 11-1 with an 0.97 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 65 innings last season. He also threw a perfect game and batted .514.

Hoops: Need a Star?

I am a believer that you need NBA talent to make it to the Final Four. That doesn't necessarily mean 1st round draft kind of talent, but you need players who can play in the league.

Conventional wisdom says a team needs a superstar to reach the Final Four.


Yet UK or Michigan State will advance to St. Louis without a sure-shot first-round pick in this year's NBA Draft.


"We just love to play, man," Hayes said of the Cats' one-for-all approach. "We love to have fun. With this group, you never know what guy will show up. Due to we don't have so-called stars, it feels good doing it without that."


UK Coach Tubby Smith said the changing nature of college basketball (early entry into the NBA) requires a balanced approach.


For the record, Georgia Tech advanced to the 2004 Final Four without a first-round draft choice.


So did Oklahoma in 2002, Wisconsin in 2000, Florida in 1994 and Penn in 1979.


Indiana won the 1987 national championship without a first-round draft choice. Leading scorer Steve Alford was taken in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks.


The Indiana Pacers drew fire for not drafting Alford. The Pacers used their first pick in the 1987 draft on Reggie Miller.

Football Notes

To get you going about spring football, some interesting ramblings from around the net:

WHO IS THIS YEAR'S VATECH?
The folks over at CFN think that might be Georgia Tech:

6. And this year's Virginia Tech could be ...


... Georgia Tech. Talk about mirror images, Georgia Tech looks almost exactly like the 2004 Hokies with a tremendous, no-name defense, a sound ground game and a battle-tested, mobile quarterback that still has several question marks about his game. Virginia Tech opened last season facing a USC team still ticked about not playing in the national title game, Georgia Tech opens up against an Auburn team still ticked about not playing in the national title game. The problem for the Yellow Jackets is the rest of the schedule going on the road to face Virginia Tech, playing at Miami and at Virginia before finishing up against Georgia. But if Reggie Ball can be Bryan Randall and the D plays like it's projected to, the Coastal division will have a major player on its hands.

Also note the interesting comments about the strength of the ACC defenses and the this age old question:

Were the defenses that great or were the ACC offenses that average? If you do a quick check of the non-conference games, it was the defense.

Coach Brian Jean-Marie and Coach Tommie Robinson were at the weekly lunch bunch in ATL to answer questions and hype the team. For some reports, check here.


For a more detailed look at the ACC and the Jackets, check out this link at Fox Sports. Same stuff as CFN, only a lot more below that stuff.


To get you ready for Auburn, read this over-hyped article about them.....Guess what - the younger Vick is bbbbbaaaaacccckkkk......

Coach K Out of Retirement

Oh, we're not talking about THAT Coach K. We're talking about a Coach K that we can all love. That would be Coach Roger Kaiser. Nice story on his involvement in youth basketball.

He was an All-American player at Georgia Tech in the 1960s and had won four national championships and more than 660 games as a college coach at West Georgia and Life University. He's also a member of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame — and he was coming out of retirement to coach middle school kids from north Fulton, Cobb and Cherokee counties.


The 12-to-14-year-olds had heard about Kaiser, 66, but were a bit skeptical of the legend, especially his renowned ability to put the ball into the basket. So they held a little shooting contest: The kids would try to hit five free throws before the coach could make 10 three-pointers.


"I didn't believe him at first, " said Ian Kelly, 14, of Marietta. "So I challenged him."


It was, by all accounts, no contest — Kaiser by a landslide.


"I can still shoot," he said with a smile.

Beesball: Jackets #1 !!!!

Say hello to your #1 Georgia Tech YellowJacket Baseball team..... per Collegiate Baseball news......... They even wrote about it over at Ramblinwreck.com....... and at the AJC.......Baseball America moves the Jackets up to #3.........Baseball Weekly also moves the Jackets up to #3........ The National Collegiate Baseball Writers have not released their latest poll, but had us at #4 last week....


In other good news, Matt Wieters was named ACC Player-of-the-Week, for the 2nd time already this season....

For the season, Wieters is hitting .438 with four home runs and 26 RBI, posting a .554 on base percentage and a .675 slugging percentage. In nine ACC games, Wieters is batting .676 (25-for-37) with three home runs and 19 RBI.

Can you say "on fire"?


The good news continues. In softball, Jessica Sallinger was also named ACC Player-of-the-Week. ........ Together, both Wieters and Sallinger were named as the Wendy's GT Athlete of the Week. Free square hamburgers for everyone........ Of course I shouldn't forget Marko Rajevac, also getting free hamburgers, for his efforts on the tennis court.


Here is some national broadcast news about GT/UNC on ESPN:

Georgia Tech at North Carolina
*Thurs., May 19, 7 p.m. - ESPN2
Fri., May 20, 7 p.m. - ESPNU
*Sat., May 21, 5 p.m. - ESPNU
*Denotes changed game time from original schedule.

Georgia Tech Hosts Regatta Event

Spanning the globe for all sports....

Nearly four hundred rowers showed up Saturday for the first annual Lanier Sprints regatta at the Olympic Center on Lake Lanier.


Everyone from NCAA competitors to young juniors participated, including Olympic and U.S. National Team athletes. "We plan to have this every year and expect it to grow..."


The all day event was co-hosted by Georgia Tech.

Hoops: Siena Coaching Job...

... getting closer to finding their man:

McCaffery, former East Carolina coach Bill Herrion, College of Saint Rose coach Brian Beaury and Georgia Tech assistant coach Cliff Warren all have spoken about the job with D'Argenio.

Golf: Nick Thompson Finalist for Hogan Trophy

GT senior Nick Thompson as named as one of 10 semi-finalists for the Ben Hogan trophy, given to the top collegiate player...... Story 1...... Story 2..... CONGRATS !!!!

Hoops: NBA Draft Update

Signs pointing to UNC freshman Marvin Williams headed to the draft..... Also, some funny reports on the discussion boards about someone seeing Chris Paul driving a $100,000 Mercedes. Of course Wake fans fired back, saying they had seen Julius Hodge driving a 1987 Renault.... Funny stuff......... In addition, Sean May continues to say he will be back.....


For some funnier stuff, time to revisit the photoshop hijinks at the NCST board. There are 6 pages, and you need to scroll through every one of them.

Track: Chaunte Howard Continues to Excel

Howard won her 3rd NCAA High Jump title in a row, and notched her 21st collegiate win in a row. Nice. Folks, she's a bonafied star.

Football - Recruiting

Evidently we have offered another wide receiver - Shay Hodge, out of Miss.


In addition, a big Offensive Lineman has gotten an offer from the Jackets - John Miller.

Hoops - Recruiting

KIMMANI BARRETT
....lists Georgia Tech as #1 on his wish list right now. He's 6'5" 180lb. Here's a nice juicy quote about him:

Still, Barrett demonstrated himself as the 2004-05 Herald News Boys Basketball Player of the Year by averaging 19.2 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals, saving some of his best moments for the biggest games.


"He's the best player in Passaic County," said Kennedy coach Jim Ring, whose Knights lost to the Cougars in the county semifinals. "He's a difficult matchup in terms of his ability to shoot the ball outside and his ability to dominate inside. He's a very polished post player for someone his size.

On Georgia Tech:

Seton Hall has already expressed strong interest in Barrett as a wing player, but he currently lists Georgia Tech as his No. 1 choice. Barrett likes the Yellow Jackets' tempo of play and he met the coaching staff during last year's adidas camp.

Demetrius Jemison

Teammate Demetrius Jemison is a 6-6 senior-to-be and is ranked 139th for his class by rivals.com. He is drawing interest from Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Alabama and Tennessee.

ISAIH DAHLMAN

And while Braham's winning streak, now at 58 games, was an obvious attraction, Dahlman certainly bore the brunt of all this attention. The 6-foot-7 small forward was named The Associated Press' Player of the Year for boys' basketball on Tuesday.


Six schools, all of them in the NCAA tournament this month, remain on Dahlman's radar.


"Minnesota, Michigan State, Illinois, Iowa, Boston College, Georgia Tech," he said, not necessarily - but perhaps - ranking them by preference.

Hoops: NBA Draft Preview

Not exactly a glowing review for Isma'il Muhammad........ Not much for Elder........Not much for Jack either.......... Not much for Luke either....


Well, some of you have noticed that Jarrett Jack's draft stock is slipping on some of the web draft sites. Of course as everyone knows, these sites have 100% credibility and are based on solid facts and research (sarcasm if you haven't figured that out).


Hoopshype.com has Jack slipping a few spots down to #20......... Here's their draft board on who's leaving and who's not. As you can see Bogut is gone, Ike Diogu is gone, Villanueva is gone, Deron Williams is gone, and more to come. Word is that Adam Morrison will stay. Here are some draft rumors....


DraftCity has Jack at #11 and we think he was a top 10 guy their last week......


NBADraftNet drops Jack down to #27........... Also note they have BJ Elder at #46........ Also note that CJ Miles, the recruit we almost won over but opted for Texas, is getting some play in the draft..... This site has him ahead of Jack in draft position.....


On a separate note, interesting comments on the ATL Hawks and their draft strategies.

Beesball: Jackets take Game 3 vs Miami

The 1st nail-biter in the series as the Jackets beat the Hurricanes 11-10. They go into the 9th down 9-7 and score 4 runs, including a 2-run go-ahed HR by Matt Wieters. Then Wieters comes on and gets the save as well. That gives the Jackets the series victory, with 2 out of 3 games.


Some streaks:
- The Jackets win their 11th consecutive ACC series.
- Danny Hall becomes the winningest coach in GT history, with 505, surpassing the guy in Miami's dugout - Jim Morris.
- Tyler Greene has his 18-game hit streak snapped.


For comparison sake:


Jim Morris at GT: 504-244-1
Danny Hall at GT: 505-215-1


Next up for the Jackets: Western Carolina at home Tuesday at 7:00pm.

Softball Team Sweeps 3 from FSU

A double-header sweep, including a no-hitter from ace Jessica Sallinger. Then today, Sallinger does it again, tossing a 1-hitter. Wow - talk about dominant.

Beesball Notes

JACKETS EVEN SERIES WITH MIAMI


JACKETS EXACT REVENGE


TECH BATTERS UM PITCHING


SPORTS ROUND-UP


The series concludes today at 1:00, and will be televised by CSS.

Hoops: Where are they now - Chris Bosh

Where is Chris? In the ATL - that's where. What was he doing here? Well, aside from spending some time with Coach Hewitt, he was leading the Raptors to a 109-104 victory over the Hawks. Bosh scored 32 points, grabbed 11 boards, had 2 steals and a block. Hey, just one earlier Bosh had the following stat line - 24 pts, 22 boards, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks. I would say Chris is coming into his own.


Here's what teammate Jalen Rose had to say about him:

"Chris Bosh led us," Rose said. "He was the man down low. We feed off him. There are a lot of expectations on him."

Before the Hawks game, Bosh had a conversation with Paul Hewitt:

A short pep talk with his former college coach helped boost Chris Bosh's spirits. "Just stay positive, that's my biggest thing," Bosh said of his conversation with Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt. "No matter what happens, just stay positive. The minute you start forcing things, that's when you shoot yourself in the foot."

In fact, Coach Hewitt was at the game, sitting in the 2nd row of seats across from the Hawks bench. I am sure the hometown Hawks will give Coach Hewitt a call to thank him for his motivational speech to the "opposition".

Bosh's coach had this to say:

"I just want him to be aggressive and attack the basket as much as possible," Mitchell said. "When he does that, it opens up that 14- 15-foot shot and tonight he was making them. He can get past most people if you crowd him."

In addition, Bosh has talked to Jarrett Jack about his decision between GT and the NBA:

Bosh might live in another country during the season but he keeps close tabs on his former Tech teammates, particularly junior point guard Jarrett Jack, his best friend.


And Bosh is serving as a sounding board and confidant for Jack as he decides whether to pursue his own NBA dream or return to Tech for his senior season.


"I've talked to Jarrett and he's just being nervous right now," Bosh said.


"I told him not to be nervous. And whatever decision he makes, whether it's coming back [to Tech] or leaving, he has to make the best decision for him."

Word is that BJ Elde, Isma'il and J.Jack were at the game also.

Hoops: Austin Jackson Named District MVP

Congrats to our incoming freshman Austin Jackson. The two-sport star was named Districk 5-5A boys MVP:

Jackson averaged 22.6 points and 5.6 rebounds. He led or tied for the lead in scoring in 12 of the Raiders' 14 district games, helping him land on his fourth straight all-district team.


The Georgia Tech-bound guard was the District 9-4A newcomer of the year in 2002, a first-team, all-district selection in 2003 and the 6-4A offensive player of the year last season. He has led Ryan in scoring two straight seasons and started all four years.

Hoops: The Jack / D. Williams Connection

Sorry, nothing against Williams, but I'll take Jack 7 days a week and twice on Sunday:

He was overlooked in high school because of his backcourt mate, Bracey Wright, who went on to star at Indiana. He might have ended up at North Carolina, but the Tar Heels decided Raymond Felton had more upside. He was bound for Kansas until the Jayhawks signed Aaron Miles. When Georgia Tech signed Jarrett Jack, he was once more left at the altar.

Hoops: Marbury / Telfair family stress lower now...

... that both a reeling in fat paychecks. Marbuy comments on the Telfair family when Sebastian was younger.

According to the book "The Jump: Sebastian Telfair and the High Stakes Business of High School Ball," by Ian O'Connor of USA Today and the Gannett-Westchester newspapers, financial demands Telfair's family made on Marbury's before Telfair entered the league were one source of that disagreement.


"You can't take care and satisfy everyone," Marbury said before Friday's game. "It's impossible. ... Everybody wants something. You want a quote right now. Everybody wants something. That's just how it is."

The good news is that with all these media stories on the Ian O'Connor book, we don't actually have to spend a dime on that piece of drugstore trash. Actually, the more I think about it, who cares anyhow?

New Poll

Check out the new poll - who will lead the team in scoring next season (hoops).


As for the last question, most of you felt that making the sweet 16 would be a successful season. Well, we didn't do that, but the team can hold their heads high. What they did with all the adversity was admirable.

Jackets Take Down Miami in Game 2

A strong hitting performance by the Jackets leads to a 17-7 victory in game 2 of the 3-game set against Miami. With a Sunday victory, Coach Hall will set the all-time GT win mark for a coach.

UGAg At it again

The mutts are trying to get their penalties reduced in the infamous "Dumb Dawg" Harrick case. Story here. Of course Harrick Jr. has been branded for life:

That means any NCAA school that attempts to hire Harrick Jr. must appeal to the NCAA to do so. The Harricks will ask today that the order be lifted or lessened.

Maybe they should make any school interested in hiring him give him a test. I wonder if he could pass his own exam. After all, knowing how many points a 3-point basket is worth could be tricky if you think about it long enough.

Hoops: Where are they now - Dion Glover

Evidently he has some minor contract issues with his former team in Turkey that prevented him suiting up Friday:

Former Cedar Grove, Georgia Tech and Hawks swingman Dion Glover is on the Spurs' roster but did not play Friday night. A dispute over the breaking of his contract with his old team in Turkey will keep him out of action until Monday.

A "Hall-mark of success"

Nice story on Danny Hall. Of course to set the all-time GT win mark this weekend, he will have to take two games from the guy (Morris) who's record he will break. Story here.

Herb Sendek Rats out Georgia Tech

Well, it looks like the "brotherhood" of ACC coaches isn't what it's cracked up to be:

While Pitino may have mellowed in many ways, his competitive juices and the thought of losing still drives him. Before Louisville met Georgia Tech, Pitino noticed Herb Sendek's N.C. State team had beaten the Jackets six straight times. Pitino called his former assistant for advice.


Pitino's game plan was flawless. The players hit every mark Pitino put on the board.

Thanks Herbie. You know what - I don't feel so bad that you guys got dumped by the cheese-heads anymore.

Guess who was at the Chi-Town Regional?

None-other than our own Will Bynum, who watched Illinois and Arizona move on to the Elite-8.

"ACC Has big Tendency to fail"...

...expect more of this. Much more of this. When you have 2 #1-seeds and 1 #2 seed and 5 total teams in the dance, and only one makes it to the elite-8, AAANNNDDD everyone talks about your conference as clearly the best in the land all year long, then you can expect more slamming of the ACC. Guess what - it is deserved. You have to win when it counts. Now only UNC carries the mantle for ACC respectability.

Tennessee Fans are Delusional

Evidently U of Tenn. fans are actually speculating that Paul Hewitt is a candidate for the Tenn hoops job. Can you say ------ loopy?


How about this - hire Pat Summit to be your next coach. After all, she's the answer to your all-important question "who's your daddy". True dat.

Beesball Team Crushed

How do you score 9 runs in the 1st inning on one hit? Ask the Miami Hurricanes. They did just that against the Jackets last night, and finished things off with a 20-1 thumping of GT. It was U.G.L.Y. from the very start. How did this bizarre 1st inning transpire:

Miami scored nine runs in a bizarre first inning that included eight walks, two hit batters, three wild pitches and a passed ball. The Hurricanes swung at just seven of 68 pitches and had one hit in the inning. Miami scored the first seven runs without a hit before Ryan Braun hit a two-run single. Tech starter Jason Neighborgall (5-1) recorded just one out and surrendered seven runs without allowing a hit.

In fact, the "two" hit batsman was actually the same guy getting plunked twice, which had never happened in Miami history. Well, at least we set a record.


All I will say is that pitching and defense win championships. We committed one error and our TEAM ERA shot up almost a full 1/2 point after the 1st inning. Not Jason's - the TEAM's. Holy cow.


The good news is that they get to start fresh today at 0-0.


PATIENT CANES EXPLODE EARLY


CANES WALK OFF WITH EASY WIN


MIAMI ENDS GT'S WIN STREAK IN A ROUT

Jack a Man About Town

Jarrett Jack has been spotted around the ATL recently. Along with Ish and Elder they attended a Hawks game (hard not to spot them since there were only 5 other people there). Jack evidently made an appearance on BET's Madd Sports this week as well. Making the rounds....

Happy Easter All

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

Beesball on CSS

If you get CSS, tune in at 7:00 tonight. It will be televised. In fact, all 3 games will be:

GAME COVERAGE: Live statistics on the internet at www.ramblinwreck.com. Radio coverage available on WREK (91.1 FM) in Atlanta and on the internet at www.wrek.org. Friday and Sunday will be televised by CSS, Saturday game will be televised live by Sun Sports and on tape delay (4 p.m.) on FSN South.

Jackets Set For Titantic Battle

Well, Auburn ended our mini 12-game winning streak with a late rally to defeat the Jackets 7-6 in 11 innings........ However, the longer 25-game winning streak of ACC games is still in tact, but will be put to the test against top-10 power Miami in a 3-game set this weekend, starting tonight at 7:00pm.


Here's a nice story on the Jackets from Baseball America:

If freshman Michael Fisher starts at second base, Georgia Tech's entire lineup this weekend against No. 6 Miami will boast batting averages of .328 or better along with at least three doubles and two home runs. Even with junior Mike Trapani at second, his solid .411 on-base percentage will rank as the lineup's lowest.

But make no mistake - Miami brings the heat when it comes to pitching, so our bats better be ready. Their opening night starter, Cesar Carrillo, has a career record at Miami of 17-0. No, that's not a misprint. It gets worse. The Hurricane's all-time record when he pitches is 26-0. Wow!! ...... Here's more game notes.


JACKETS LOOKING TO WEATHER HURRICANES
Here's the irony of ironies. Coach Hall could pass former GT coach Jim Morris for all-time wins at GT by taking 2 of 3 games in the series. And of course, who is the Miami coach - noneother than Jim Morris...

In addition to keeping an unblemished mark in league play and its hold on first place, Tech hopes to secure Hall's spot atop the school career victories list. Hall, in his 12th season at Tech, has 503 wins. Miami coach Jim Morris, Hall's predecessor at Tech, won 504 games in 12 seasons as the Yellow Jackets' head coach.

UM SET FOR KEY HOME SERIES


BASEBALL FACES TOUGHEST TEST AGAINST TECH

Public Enemy #1..... just how he likes it

Break out the tissues for JJ Redick. Of course I have to admit - references to his younger sister are WAY out of line, no matter what a jerk he is...

The Origins of Madness

A New York Times article on March Madness:

If one goes by viewership, the madness is abating, something that Porter might have wanted to celebrate in an ode. In 1994 when Arkansas beat Duke, 32.7 million people watched the tournament's final game. Last year, when Connecticut defeated Georgia Tech, 17.1 million watched. In that period, the final's rating slumped from a 21.6 to an 11.0, while the overall tournament rating fell from an 8.3 to a 6.2.

More on the Siena coaching job

They are eyeing a lot of high level candidates, with reports of interest in Fran Fraschilla, Matt Doherty. We have mentioned Cliff Warren, and here is mention of Fran McCaffrey, of UNCG.

Recruiting - Hoops

Another player with solid interest in GT - Isaih Dahlman - who was named the AP Player of the Year. He's a 6'7" junior who averaged 28 pts and has led his team to a 58 game winning streak. His college preferences?

"Minnesota, Michigan State, Illinois, Iowa, Boston College, Georgia Tech," he said, not necessarily -- but perhaps -- ranking them by preference.

The Chicago Bulls

A Chris Bosh reference with regard to the Bulls, and how they have chosen to draft players with college experience and not the high school phenoms:

Part of the Bulls' recent strategy has been to draft more experienced young players. Their point guard, Kirk Hinrich, played four years at Kansas, while Gordon played three at Connecticut, and even Deng benefited from his single season at Duke, similar to how the Raptors' Chris Bosh got at least some growing up done in his single season at Georgia Tech.

It's funny. In some ways, players who stayed in college more than 2 years were starting to get a bad rap. You know - why aren't they good enough to leave early. But the tide is changing there for sure. With a 20-year old age limit, things could really change.

The Aussie Link Continues

With the emergence of Andrew Bogut, it is inevitable that Luke Schenscher gets tied to most stories when talking about Aussie hoops players.

Last year it was South Australian Luke Schensher who earned headlines as his Georgia Tech yellow jackets made it to the NCAA final. In 1989 it was Andrew Gaze who got there with Seton Hall, but put them both together and you don't have a fraction of the buzz Bogut has created over the past few months.


As one US columnist noted this week, " He's a superstar who just happens to need four other players on the court with him."


Gaze and Schensher needed to go all the way to the final to attract the interest of the US media. The Utes could lose to Kentucky by 20 points and head home on the next bus and Bogut will still be the most popular 20-year-old in the country. With the NBA scouts anyway.

100 Greatest College Football Endings

The year - 2000
The game - Georgia Tech vs Clemson
The final - Tech 31, Tigers 28.


So far on CFN's 100 Greatest College Football Endings, this game was ranked #92.

No. 92 Georgia Tech 31 ... Clemson 28, November 28, 2000
At the time: Georgia Tech had won three straight and was 5-2. Number four Clemson had started off the season 8-0 and was looking forward to a showdown with Florida State the following week with the hopes of securing an ACC title.


The setup: It was a tremendous game with long scoring drives and an 88-yard punt return for a score from Clemson's Brian Mance. The Tigers took a 28-24 lead with under two minutes to play on a Rod Gardner touchdown catch. Kelly Campbell finished with 209 receiving yards for the Yellow Jackets, but it was another Tech receiver that would steal the show.


The ending: Tech QB George Godsey, who finished with a school record 454 passing yards, had the ball on the Clemson 16 with time running out. He lofted a pass into the end zone for Kerry Watkins, but it looked out of reach. Watkins dove making a one-handed grab for the game-winning score with just seven seconds to play.


How they ended up: Clemson got steamrolled 54-7 by Florida State the following week before beating South Carolina in 16-14 classic. The Tigers ended up 9-3 after losing 41-20 to Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl. Georgia Tech won its next three games to end the regular season with a seven-game winning streak before losing 28-14 to LSU in the Peach Bowl for a 9-3 record.

By the way, I was there!!!


Also note the links to the other games in the countdown. Go to the homepage for the full list. They have not unveiled the entire list yet.

NBA May Impose an age limit

I reported a number of weeks ago that the age-limit issue was on the table with the NBA. Seems that David Stern wants it seriously discussed - story 1, story 2..... I still say is stands about a 10% chance of passing. Stay tuned.....

Recruiting - Hoops

Here's a prospect that's interested in GT - Devin Stewart, from Tuscon who averaged 23.5 ppg, 6.0 apg, 5.5 rpg.


Here's another prospect, Phil Nelson. The 6'7" wingman averaged 22.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game this season in leading the Celtics to a 23-5 record.


Here's a Point Guard with some interest in GT - Craig Austrie.....He averaged 23.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists this season for Trinity Catholic

Throwback - BJ Elder on the AAU Circuit

Ran across this BJ Elder reference:

By this time, it'll cost at least a couple of hundred dollars on eBay to watch North Carolina State's Julius Hodge and Michigan State's Kelvin Torbert play ball in the NCAA regionals this week, but savvy basketball fans in Las Vegas have never had to reach that deep into their wallets to watch guys like them hoop it up.


Hodge and Torbert are just two more graduates of Las Vegas' AAU summer basketball tournament circuit, Hodge having starred for the New York Ravens and Torbert for the Michigan Mustangs, two of the Big Time tournament's traditional powers.


Hodge still holds the Big Time record for field goals made (91) and with 218 points, trails only Carmelo Anthony (Baltimore Select, 227 pts.) on the all-time tournament scoring list.


Both Hodge and Torbert made the 2000 all-Big Time team. As did Kansas' Wayne Simien (Kansas City 76ers), Syracuse's Gerry McNamara (NEP AAU, Fla.), Georgia Tech's B.J. Elder (Atlanta Celtics), North Carolina's Shelden Williams (Athletics First, Okla.), Mississippi State's Lawrence Roberts (Houston AAY) and Oklahoma's Kevin Bookout (Athletics First).

BYU Students Out of Control ??

I don't seem to remember this:

In fact, the BYU athletic department has seen its share of controversy in recent years.

The 2003 football season opener against Georgia Tech ended with game officials voicing negative opinions about the school, and the LDS church after being harassed during and after the contest.

The ACC - Not Enough Road Games??

This writer asks that question.....

Don't compare the results of smalls against bigs in December. For one thing, it's always Small at Big. The 11 ACC teams played only seven games on the home court of a team outside the major conferences. Duke didn't play a true nonconference road game all year. Georgia Tech stuck its toe in, playing at Illinois-Chicago, and won by one.

Of course he fails to mention playing AT Kansas on New Year's day or playing in Las Vegas over the X-Mas holiday against Gonzaga. But then that wouldn't be convenient to his story would it?

Jack Named to "All-South Team"...

... by the Basketball Times......

A Case for Jarrett Jack to Stay

Ok, one arguement for Jarrett Jack to stay for his senior season is to cement his legacy as one of the all-time Georgia Tech great Point Guards. Ok to be fair, he has already done that. However, to cement his name in the history books and to get that jersey hanging from the rafters, we need just one more year.


DistrickJacket over at the Hive put together a great post projecting out Jack's career stats should he stay around. I am taking the liberty of putting it here, as it is well done. Maybe Jarrett will even see it.....

From The Hive
I took a look at what Jarrett can reasonably be expected to obtain statistically for his career if he adds one more year onto the pile he has amassed thus far. I think he makes a pretty good case for himself statistically without even considering the non statistical credentials.


I have projected a senior year output with the following assumptions:
Steals, FTs, FTA, 3FG, 3FGA: repeat of junior year per game rates (No progression).
Games: 33. Assuming a 3 game preseason/holiday tournament, 2 games in the ACCT and 2 games in the NCAA/NIT. Obviously anything more would improve his career stats above what I show below.
Assists: 5.4 apg. This matches his career average
Points: 17.0 ppg. This is an increase of 1.0 ppg over his junior year to reflect the increased scoring load he would likely take on in next year's line-up as the clear goto guy.


Here is where the above assumptions place Jarrett on various GT career lists:


Steals: 1st (243 projected; Price is current leader at 240)
Games: 1st (134 projected; Mackey, Lewis and McHenry are current leaders at 130)
Games started: 1st (133 projected; Mackey is current leader at 127)
Assists: 2nd with a great shot at 1st (721 projected. Jon Barry is current leader at 724 )
FTs: 2nd (487 projected; Harpring is current leader at 508)
FTA: 5th (598 projected; Alvin Jones is leader at 718, Yunkus is 4th w/ 614)
ft%: 6th (.813 projected; surpassed only by Price (.850) and Lewis (.840) in the ACC era)
3FG%: 7th (.384 projected; .001 behind Oliver, .001 ahead of Vinson)
Points: 9th (1826 projected; 18 behind Oliver, 8 ahead of Ferrell)
3FG: 10th (141 projected; 1 more than Shaun Fein)
3FGA: 11th (367 projected; 1 less than Shaun Fein)


And for my own, made up "Basics of basketball" stat:
Rebounds + steals + assists + points: 3rd (3381 projected, Harpring is clear leader at 3687, Yunkus is about 3430 /-)


Here is where those with retired jerseys sit:
1..........Matt Harpring..............3687
2..........Rich Yunkus.................3430 +/-
3..........Jarrett Jack (projected)....3381
5..........Mark Price.......................3274
6..........Tom Hammonds..............3194
15.........John Salley......................2801
29........Roger Kaiser....................2410 +/-


Finally (if you are still reading), here is what might have been if all of our early entrant guys had stayed:


Kenny Anderson.........4966
Dennis Scott..............4097
Stephon Marbury........4064
Dion Glover................3800
Chris Bosh..................3324

Download Dennis Scott's Famous 3pt shot...

... vs North Carolina..... Right-click and save-as.... Courtesy of JoltinJacket at StingTalk... Fantastic Stuff!!

Should Hewitt have Free Speech?

This writer thinks so, in a nice little editorial fighting for a coaches right to question bad calls after the fact.

the NBA Draft

We'll hear a lot of speculation in the coming weeks. However, you should fully expect that Jarrett declares for the draft. I believe he has until May 11 to withdraw his name from consideration. But this will give him time to tryout for some NBA teams and test his stock on the open market.


The bottomline is this - J.Jack will make his decision on a number of factors, one of which is what the draft board looks like. And that will not be clear until the underclassman start coming out. ESPN is already reporting that UConn's Charlie Villineuva is going to declare. The ACC is loaded with underclassman - UNC's Felton/May/McCants/Williams. Duke's S.Williams/JJ Redick. Wake's Paul/E.Williams. That's a lot of players. So don't expect any news quickly, particularly because Jack is not a slam-dunk first rounder. So he needs to watch the board, and so do we. If guys like Felton and Paul stay, you might see Jack go, or vice-versa....


Here's one look at the draft, with this on Jack at 23rd:

23. Jarrett Jack, 6-3, 200, junior, Georgia Tech. Big point guard who keeps improving

Check out the quotes on JJ Redick and Rashad McCants:

13. J.J. Redick, 6-4, 190, junior, Duke. One of the great shooters to come out of college ball. Only at 42 percent on 3-pointers because he forces a lot, but he scores 23 a game and carries a top team. Looks like a nice Clipper to me.


19. Rashad McCants, 6-3, 210, junior, North Carolina. Says a general manager: "Probably a lottery pick, but definitely a psycho."

Aussie Comics....

... and Luke Schenscher:

Luke Schenser, from Adelaide, plays for Georgia Tech and resembles Big Bird, although he's far more graceful.


If you met either of these youngsters in person, you'd realise instantly they were born for hoops. Their collective height is 4.4 metres. In a few years they'll both be NBA millionaires. And you can take that to the bank.

Funny way to liken Aussie hoops success to comic success, but so be it.

Jack Gets Honorable Mention All-American

Congrats to Jarrett Jack. Story here........ Chris Paul and JJ Redick make 1st team, while Sean May gets 2nd team. Sheldon Williams & Raymond Felton get 3rd team. Getting honorable mention along with Jack were Julius Hodge, Rashad McCants and Eric Williams.........A pretty strong showing for the ACC.

Honoring Wes Durham's Pop...

... nice story on the voice of the Tarheels. No doubt that is one talented family. I never thought I could get comfortable with another voice after Al Ciraldo. But I was wrong. Really wrong. Wes is clearly the voice of the Jackets.

Beesball - Moving up in the Polls

Georgia Tech is No. 4 in the latest Collegiate Baseball rankings, and No. 5 in Baseball America's Top 25. Moving on up........

How Sweet

Mark Richt sent a note to Chan Gailey:

NICE GESTURE: Richt sent hand-written notes Monday to Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey and former Ole Miss coach David Cutcliffe. Gailey suffered a heart attack last week, and Cutcliffe also has had heart problems recently.

Well, yes that was nice. I hope that Coach Gailey sends him a note back saying "Thanks Mark, see you at Thanksgiving. Make sure to fatten yourself up good, because we're going to eat you alive this year".......

Golf Team Grabs Lead...

... at the Oregon Duck Invitational.... Tell you what, this is a team that just might win the whole shootin' match this year.

Women's Tennis...

...ranked #6 in the country. Don't say we don't report it all...

Hoops Notes

TECH FACING YOUTH FILLED FUTURE


HEWITT PROUD OF SENIOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS


TECH SENIORS LEAVE PROGRAM IN GOOD HANDS


RIVALS ALL-ACC TEAM
Jack takes 2nd team.

Jarrett Jack: Georgia Tech, 6-3, junior, guard: The Jackets didn't meet lofty expectations this season, but Jack was tremendous, averaging 15.5 points, 4.8 boards and 4.5 assists, while shooting 51 percent from the field and 87 percent from the line.

SCOUTING THE NCAA TOURNEY

Jarrett Jack - GEORGIA TECH - PG

Jack rolled his ankle recently, so he was a bit slower, which factored into my analysis. Jack is a smart passer who finds his teammates well, and is smooth at initiating the offense. He protects the ball pretty well, too, which will be important at the next level. He can create his own shot with a basic pull-up jumper, and he appears to be a better shooter than advertised (he's a 51% shooter for the year, so I'm not sure why the word is he's not a good shooter). In fact, he was two of three from 3 pt range, so it looks like he's definitely a serviceable three point shooter (he's shot 44% from 3 point land for the year, which is certainly impressive). On the defensive end, he's tough, and he moves his feet well. Even with a bum wheel he did a pretty good job of keeping his man in front of him and denying passes. At the next level he'll be a solid floor general who can play defense and knock down open jumpers. Add to that, he’s a strong leader. Definitely a player of starting caliber at the NBA level.

FULL NELSON
Interesting notes about our former ACC ROY turned Huskie.


TARHEEL MAILBAG ON...
... how many players have their career day against UNC

After watching Will Bynum drain a career-high 35 points in the ACC Tournament loss to Georgia Tech, I've become curious as to how many opponents "bring it" when they play Carolina. How many times have opposing players recorded career-high numbers (points, rebounds, blocks, FG%, 3pt, etc.) when they've played the Tar Heels?
Brian McPhail, Chapel Hill


This has been a popular question lately, thanks mostly to Will Bynum, who of course scored 35 points in the ACC Tournament semifinals and then couldn't make a wide-open jumper the next day.


Unfortunately, Carolina doesn't keep track of "career highs against"--that's the kind of thing the other teams would record. But we reached into the Mailbag memory banks to try and come up with some players who have had career-type games against the Heels lately. A nowhere-near exhaustive list (almost all of which will make you shudder) in no particular order: Fred Vinson, both Barry brothers (Jon and Drew), Randolph Childress, Robert O'Kelley, B.J. Elder, Harold Arceneaux, Len Bias, Mark Price, Lakista McCuller, Mark Davis, Tom Gugliotta, Keith Friel, John Crotty, Richard Morgan, Shawan Robinson, Geoff Brower, Steve Alford, Glen Rice, Mark Macon, Darvin Ham, and Titus Ivory.


Thanks a lot, Brian, now you've ruined our day.

SURVEY: WHO SHOULD COACH SIENNA
Interesting comments with Cliff Warren once again mentioned.


RANDOLPH MORRIS - MEETING EXPECTATIONS?

Beesball Game Postponed...

Weather looming in the ATL has resulted in postponing today's game against Auburn. It is now schedule for Wednesday at 7:00pm

Beesball - Tech Hosts Auburn

A strong out-of-conference game.