Beesball Notes

On Austin Jackson................................... On Micah Owings..................... More on recent commit Chase Burnette...................


And the best news of all, another new recruit in beesball - Derek Dietrich

For Derek Dietrich, it was the biggest decision in his young life.


After all, the gifted middle infielder/relief pitcher from St. Ignatius High School had a lot to choose from.


Dietrich, after being recruited by more than 80 schools, has decided to play baseball at Georgia Tech. The two-time Plain Dealer seven-county All-Star says he will sign a national letter of intent with the Yellow Jackets during the NCAA's signing period in November.


"The coaches, the facilities, the climate, and of course [Georgia Tech] is right in downtown Atlanta," said Dietrich, who was recruited by Yellow Jackets coach Danny Hall as a shortstop. Dietrich, who turned 17 last week and will be entering his senior year at St. Ignatius next month, said Georgia Tech also plans to have him close games.


A left-handed batter and a right-handed pitcher, Dietrich has been selected to compete in the Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic on Aug.12 at San Diego State's Tony Gwynn Stadium. His coach for the Aflac game will be Kevin Maris, son of the late New York Yankees star slugger Roger Maris.

Revisiting the Changes in Recruiting

Well, a couple of weeks ago, I asked the question why recruiting has improved so much and took a shot at answering it. Now one of the "official" rags says Chan Gailey himself has opened up and shared some of those reasons, which of course strongly overlap. Of course what really matters is that we are debating why it has improved. That's new................. Meanwhile, here's a little on season expectations.


On a completely different note, RB Tony Hollings was cut by the Chicago Bears................Good news though, Levon Thomas has signed with the Colts.... again................ On another completely different note, if you're a gazillionaire, you better get you big athletic donations in quickly.

Where are they now - James Butler

A little more light on James Butler's situation:

Demps' presence the first two days also was key because S James Butler still has not been medically cleared to play because of a kidney condition that was discovered during the spring. Butler, who was a nice surprise last season, making the team as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech, declined to elaborate on the nature of his illness, which is a genetic problem involving blood flow to the kidney. He hopes to be cleared by next week

Well, that is certainly encouraging to hear. Let's hope it works out for James..........

Where are they now - Chris Reis

Chris Reis has a "dream situation" when it comes to making the Falcons squad:

Chris Reis (Georgia Tech/Roswell H.S.)
If Chris Reis’ body weren’t so sore every morning, he’d pinch himself upon waking up.
Reis is in a dream situation with the Falcons. Not because they are the hometown team, but because Reis’ skills match Atlanta’s two biggest needs: He plays strong safety and is an accomplished special teams player.
Atlanta has just three strong safeties in camp and needs to fill six spots on its special teams units.
“I’ve never been on a secondary with so many guys who have a chance to make the team,” said safety Chris Crocker, a fourth-year pro. “Most years, there are one or two guys who you pretty much know are the ones who have the opportunity to make the team. But with this team, there are two or three rookies who have a chance to make the secondary alone.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime for somebody like Reis.”
A chance is all Reis has ever needed. He showed a knack for adapting to changing situations in his Georgia Tech career, earning playing time his first two years with his tenaciousness on kick coverage teams and nickel and dime defensive sets.
He changed positions his junior year when the Yellow Jackets suffered a linebacker shortage. He recorded eight sacks and made All-Atlantic Coast Conference. He moved back to strong safety last season. He made 84 tackles and was again named All-ACC.
Reis is willing to evolve again on professional level.
“I can’t ask for a better situation,” Reis said. “Maybe I don’t play much at strong safety, but I can contribute on special teams or somewhere else.”
“Somewhere else” could also mean another team. Reis could impress the Falcons’ coaches and still get cut — who teams keep often has as much to do with depth at certain positions as it does talent. Coaches remember the cut players who impress them and are quick to recommend those guys when other teams have a hole to fill.
“There are 31 other teams that might want me if I don’t make it here,” Reis said. “I’m focused on never giving up, working hard and letting whatever happens happen.”

How long will Chan Coach?

Well, we know it won't be into his 70's:

"If I'm coaching at 70, you find those guys with the white jackets and come get me," Gailey said, "because I've lost my mind."

Football Team Preview

Another nice team preview from justcollegefootball.com - note the tabs at the top for more specifics about the offense/defense and the depth chart.

Where are they now - James Butler

Bad news - James Butler has been placed on the "unable to perform" list, and there is a note about a kidney ailment. Let's hope this doesn't turn into a Greg Gathers career ending thing.

Football - Depth Chart post spring

From the Ramblinwreck site, the post-spring depth chart. Any surprises in you opinion? How about Avery Roberson at starting CB? Coach Gailey was quoted recently as saying only about 4-5 starting jobs were still "in competition" going into fall practice. Not that many when you think about it. I have to think the secondary makes up a few of those spots.

Where are they now - Todd Ellis

Owner of an AIFL team, that's where. What is the AIFL? Why, it's the American Indoor Football League of course. Didn't you know that? Ellis was a member of the famed Black Watch Defense under Bill Curry.......

Quotes from the Past

I don't have time to find any gems, but thought you might be interested in these links, found by someone over at the Hive:

Chan Gailey quotes
Paul Hewitt quotes
Bobby Cremins quotes
George O'Leary quotes
Vince Dooley quotes

Football - Pocket Rosters

Worth the download from the Tech blog "In Dodd We Trust" - pocket rosters.........

Where are they now - Jarrett Jack

Cool stuff on Jarrett Jack from Mike Barrett:

As for Jarrett Jack, he is mixing workouts in with his class load at Georgia Tech. He made a promise to his mother, after he declared himself an early-entry candidate for last year's NBA Draft, that he'd continue with his studies and would earn a degree. He told me this evening he's about 7 classes shy of earning a degree in Business. He's got finals coming up next week.


Jarrett's workout tonight was on Cremins Court on the Georgia Tech campus, the home of the Ramblin Wreck. We were the only people in the arena, and I was even instructed earlier in the day by an official how to turn the lights out when we left. I talked with Jarrett about playing on the court where he starred for GT. He said that, yes, he does get a lot of attention on campus, and is truly the BMOC. He said it's not unusual for students to ask for autographs and pictures while he's walking to class. Jarrett lives in a condo on campus, one street away from the basketball arena. He's got a roommate, who's also a student.


In 2004, as a sophomore, Jack led Georgia Tech to the Final Four. His junior season ended on a sour note. In the 2005 ACC Tournament Jack injured his ankle, and then played his first NBA season basically on one leg. Earlier this summer he had surgery on that ankle. Doctors were amazed with what they found during the surgery. Medina told us that doctors said 85 percent of the tissue in Jarrett's ankle was "unhealthy tissue" and they wondered how he was able to play at all. The ankle isn't 100 percent yet, but Jack says it's getting there. Just this week he was cleared to play full-court hoops. He's been doing that in the mornings here in Atlanta with some other NBA and college players.


The one consistent theme we continue to hear, from all these players, is that they're coming to Portland earlier than usual to get ready for the NBA season. By the first of September just about every player will be in Portland, playing, and getting set for training camp. Jarrett said he'll be in Portland on September 3rd. He's got tickets to Georgia Tech's first football game, versus Notre Dame, on September 2nd here in Atlanta.

Football Preview

Ran across this Lindy's Preview on their website - for your reading pleasure.........

Football - Clinton Portis Wanted to Go to GT??

From someone over at this Hive.............................. Probably a joke, but on the Best Damn Sports Show Period, evidently star running back Clinton Portis said he really wanted to go to Georgia Tech but that he committed to Miami after they took him to a really good strip club (after which laughing ensued everywhere). A joke perhaps with John Salley there? Some truth to it about his interest in GT?

Where are they now - Dez White

Dez White joins a crowded group of wide receivers, as he signs a deal with the Minnesota Vikings........

Football Recruiting

UPDATE: Guess what, it turns out that Nick Claytor was yanking our chains. Well, actually yanking the AJC reporter's chain. Turns out he hasn't blocked Kyle Jackson's number at all - he just doesn't like talking to reporters. Kyle Jackson himself confirmed this fact over at the Hive.............. Awesome. I love that. Of course you know that could come back to haunt him one day if he does end up a Jacket. Reporters can be fickle - even about 17 year old kids.


This story doesn't bode too well for OL Nick Claytor. The fact that he had to block Kyle Jackson's number cannot be looked at in too good a light. Throw in a desire to major in sports psychology and things get a tad dimmer. He does have a lot of friend committing to GT and he likes to school and coaching staff so there are certainly pros for Tech. But time will tell....................... On a better note, here is an outstanding article on our new head recruiting coordinator Giff Smith and the positive impact he's had in a short amount of time.


Here's Giff's bio from the GA HOF site:

A four-year football letterman from 1987 to 1990. A three-year starter at defensive end and a three-year All-America performer. Named to Associated Press (first-team ‘89-90, honorable mention ‘88), Football Gazette (first-team ‘90, second-team ‘88-89) and Walter Camp (first-team ‘90) national squads. Was a starter in three consecutive NCAA Division I-AA National Championship Games (‘88, ‘89, ‘90) and played pivotal role in Georgia Southern's two national titles in 1989 and 1990. Part of team which recorded NCAA's first-ever 15-0 mark. Helped lead Eagles to 48-10 record (.828) during career. Set school single-game record with five sacks against UT-Chattanooga as a sophomore in 1988. Among Georgia Southern's top five single-season (10 in ‘88) and career (23.5) leaders in sacks. Credited with a career-best 131 tackles (65 solo) in 1988. Followed with overall 112-tackle and 89-tackle totals in 1989 and 1990, respectively. Recorded 34 sacks in three-year, 45-game span as a sophomore, junior and senior. Also was responsible for seven forced fumbles, four recovered fumbles and 12 batted passes. Established personal-best of 15 stops during 1988 NCAA I-AA National Championship contest against Furman in Pocatello, Idaho. Other double-digit notable defensive efforts include 12-tackle performances against Nicholls State and Central Florida (1989) and an 11-tackle day against Middle Tennessee State in 1988. Played instrumental role in Eagles' 45-15 win over Montana during I-AA semifinals at Paulson Stadium with career-best three sacks against Grizzlies. Posted 45.5 all-time tackles for loss. Strong playoff performer who posted 104 lifetime postseason tackles, an average of over seven per game. Made 10.5 sacks during playoff runs in 1989 and 1990, including a unit-best six hits as a senior. Rejoined Georgia Southern program as assistant coach in 1996 and helped Eagles to pair of Southern Conference titles in 1997 and 1998.

Beesball Recruiting

Ok, I admit - I have a few tiny mixed emotions about this. The Jackets just got a verbal commit from a left-handed rising senior slugger from Buford named Chase Burnette. Here's the slight rub. He grew up a UGAg fan. His dad grew up a UGAg fan. They're both still UGAg fans. UGAg coaches and fans thought he was in the bag to be a future Bulldog. But he "got a better deal" to come to GT. He and his dad claim that they will only root for YellowJacket beesball, but for UGAg in everything else. Here's a quote from this story:

"I was talking to (Georgia), but I just got a better deal from Georgia Tech," Burnette said.

"My dad is a Georgia fanatic," Burnette said with a laugh, "and he'll be just like me. He'll just be a Georgia Tech baseball fan and nothing else."

I hate to say too much because if the kid can help the Jackets win, then so be it. But come on. Chase, you're ASKING to be constantly ribbed by your teammates. You do realize that heckling and hazing could take a new form with your teammates?


Guess we'll have to wait until signing day to see if this one really sticks, but this story is going to be ripe for plenty of articles in the years to come.

Coach Gailey - Walking the Line

Major props to Coach Gailey if this is a true story. The following caption can be found underneath the picture of Chuck Amato signing a UGAg hat for some kid:

Jordan Rich, 11, of Atlanta has his Georgia cap signed by North Carolina State coach Chuck Amato on Monday in Ponte Vedra. Jordan said that he asked Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey to sign the hat, but Gailey refused.

If that is true - WAY TO GO COACH!!!!! Don't tell me coach doesn't come strong....................

Where are they now - Gerris Wilkinson

Congrats to Gerris, as he signs a 4-year $2.2mm deal with the Giants. He'll be roaming the defense along with James Butler. All the more reason to watch the Giants............ story here..................... On a down note, Levon Thomas was waived by the Saints and Gavin Tarquinio was placed on waivers by the Falcons.....

Football - Media Guide in PDF

You can now download the 2006 football media guide here. Very cool indeed.

Hoops - the old gaurd getting on the new

Cool story from Andy Katz - evidently Dennis Scott, Jarrett Jack and James Forrest are getting on the current players for their showing last season - story here.

There also seems to be Tech pride at stake. Former Yellow Jackets
Jarrett Jack, James Forrest and Dennis Scott were using their influence
with the team's returnees.

"I didn't even know that Dennis Scott had grabbed Mario West
to work on his shooting and Jarrett Jack got on [the returning players'
butts] a bit," Hewitt said. "It just let these guys know that it's not
just their program, but everyone's. Last year affected a lot of people."

GT Gets Some Respect

Calvin Johnson is voted by the media as the pre-season ACC Player of the Year, and Tech actually gets one vote for winning the ACC championship game. On the whole, Tech was picked to finish 3rd in the coastal, pretty much matching every other publication.


Scout.com: Tigers Picked Second in Atlantic Division


As a bonus, thanks to Kevin for this link to a GREAT article on Calvin Johnson.

Sitting in a room full of the best players in the ACC, Johnson still stuck out. Boston College safety Ryan Glasper had watched Johnson play several times, but never met him up close.


"When I saw him in person -- oh, my God," Glasper said. "That's a specimen."


Said Boston College Coach Tom O'Brien: "He's a giant. Thank God we don't have to play him."

ACC Media Days

It's that time again. ACC media days. Representing Georgia Tech was Calvin Johnson and Joe Anaoi. The result - a rash of CJ articles (oh and a few for Joe also)

Tech's Johnson humble yet confident ajc.com

A late bloomer but a good catch


Quality Time with Calvin Johnson (part way down page)


Trying Different Hold (Joe Anaoi article)


ACC expected to announce new bowl order


ACC bowl games will delivery league $27mm reward


These links from a poster over at the Hive:

Q&A with NC State center LeRoy Harris
FSU's 2005 ACC crown irks foesBC eyes bigger ACC prize
MADDUXSPORTS.COM — Free 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference College Football Season Preview
After tough offseason, Miami is eager to get the '06 season rolling
Tech center not lacking in confidence
Fresh faces grace Hokies, Cavaliers
Clemson's Adams Says "The Sky's The Limit" For Tigers
ACC football notes
Stuckey’s sticking power a blessing for Clemson
Tigers nip at ’Noles’ heels

Donley commits to Jackets | ajc.com

It's official, D.J.Donley committed to the Jackets, but it also looks like we'll have to wait awhile to hear about Jonathan Dwyer...................


Donley commits to Jackets | ajc.com

Football Recruiting - New Commit??

Well, multiple sources are reporting that DJ Donley has chosen the Jackets:

WR D.J. Donley (6-5 200) of Folkston, GA has committed to Georgia Tech according to his coach Rich McWhorter. Donley committed to Tech about a week ago shortly after returning from a camp at Georgia according to his coach. Donley also strongly considered USC and Florida.

Recruiting - PHil Kornblut

The AJC is reporting sort of the same thing, but basically saying he'll make his announcement Sunday. And this in that article as well:

Speaking of recruiting, Jacksonville defensive end Jacoby Monroe, who committed this week to the Jackets, said he's trying to persuade Jacksonville defensive lineman DeAngelo McCray, who's committed to Florida in the spring, into picking Tech instead.


McCray, ranked No. 43 nationally regardless of position, No. 7 overall in Florida and the nation's No. 4 defensive end by Rivals.com, is also friends with Mario Butler, a defensive back who's already committed to Tech. McCray may visit Tech soon. "I'm trying to get him to think about it," Monroe said.

Football Media Guides Available :: 208-Page Book includes player profiles, history, records

Haven't seen the online version yet, but you can order the paper version for $20..............


Football Media Guides Available :: 208-Page Book includes player profiles, history, records: "o"

Southern Pigskin Ranks ACC Uniforms

..... and they think Georgia Tech has the 2nd best uniforms in the conference:

2. Georgia Tech – A traditional program like Georgia Tech has to have a classy, clean look and the Yellow Jackets have just that. The helmets have remained the same for quite some time and the old gold coloring is apart of the unique history of the program. We are glad the school ditched the blue tops they used to wear.

Southern Pigskin

The Good Word :: Issue No. 6

From D-Rad:

The Good Word
Issue No. 6


July 20, 2006


TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of Georgia Tech Athletics


FROM: Dan Radakovich, Georgia Tech Director of Athletics


We had some great news to report earlier this week with the announcement that we are sold out of season ticket packages for the football season. Our total of 29,061 season tickets is clearly our highest figure in decades and represents nearly 2,500 more than we sold all of last season. It is crucial to the future of the program that we continue to grow that base.


If you're wondering how 29,000 seats constitutes a sellout in a 55,000-seat stadium, let me clarify. We allocate 7,500 tickets for our students, and per contract, our allocation to Notre Dame is 5,000. We sold nearly 12,000 of the three-game flex packs. The remaining tickets are held for the families of our players, bringing the total to 55,000.


We do have single-game tickets remaining for all home games except Notre Dame and Miami, including the Thursday night game against Virginia, which we have dubbed "Throwback Thursday." Our team will turn back the clock, so to speak, and wear 1970s-era uniforms, including gold jerseys, white helmets and white pants. We think this will add a unique twist to our popular Thursday night experience at Bobby Dodd Stadium/Grant Field. I will be interested to hear your feedback.


In answer to your questions which have been recently received . . .


To Dennis: Great idea on adding the name Georgia Tech somewhere inside Bobby Dodd Stadium. How many of you, besides Dennis, ever noticed that?! We are moving forward on that idea.


To Kyle: More financial information to come as we get more detailed figures that are comparable and reliable. We have had to contact many of the ACC schools by phone and email to get accurate information for our comparisons. Also, we are reconfiguring our financial statements and when complete, I will share them with you.


To Brian: I have several challenges this year but manufacturing passion and interest in the program is not one of them. We have a great fan base! One of our biggest challenges is to hold onto the ones we have and grow many more.


To Mike: I would love to add soccer but it is problematic on two fronts. First is sustainable funding for the program, but equally difficult is finding a place on campus for the team to practice and play. Hopefully down the road we can attack and answer those two issues.


To Casey: We have adjusted the price point for club seats and have now sold more than 90 percent of the gold seats in the lower East stands. My thanks to those who purchased the seats. I am sure we will see a marked difference in the enthusiasm and attendance in
that area.


To All: Thanks for the questions. From your emails, it is clear (88 percent) that night games are preferred when possible. We will continue to gather feedback in hopes of creating a policy for future non-televised game times.


Again, thank you for your positive response to "The Good Word." We welcome your feedback at goodword@athletics.gatech.edu While I cannot guarantee a personal response to every email that we receive, please know that they will all be read, so I do encourage your continued participation in this process. Some of your questions could become topics for future issues of The Good Word.


I also encourage you to share this letter with any Tech fan who may not have access to the Internet. Our goal is to inform and engage as many Yellow Jacket supporters as we possibly can.


I want to personally thank you for your continued support of Georgia Tech Athletics as we move forward with our vision for excellence.


Go Jackets!

The Good Word :: Issue No. 6

Football - CFN Ranks GT #23

These guys have us in their top 25 and here's the blurb:

23. Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Preview
2006 Predicted Finish: 9-3
2005 Predicted Finish: 7-4
2005 Record: 7-5


A few more big plays from the offense should mean a realistic shot at the Coastal Division title, and they should come this season with nine returning starters and one of the league's best offensive lines. QB Reggie Ball doesn't have to be Vince Young, but it's not a stretch to think the four-year starter can't be what Bryan Randall was to Virginia Tech a few years ago. Defensively, help is needed in the secondary, but the pass rush should ease the burden. Besides, few ACC teams can kill you with a passing game. The front seven should be a rock against the run led by a deep and talented line that'll get better and better as the season goes on.


Relative Strengths: defensive line, offensive line Relative Weaknesses: secondary, running back

My guess is that they look at PJ Daniels leaving and assume that RB will be a weakness. With Choice, Grant and Evans back there - and M.Cox - and a more experienced O-Line, I think most Jacket fans know this could quite a special year in the backfield.

Preview 2006 - CFN Rankings 21 to 29

College School / Rapper Connection

Interesting blog post trying to peg different football programs to different rappers. A bit off-color in the language dept. They have Georgia Tech as Method Man. I'll leave the jokes to you................


Results!: school spirit....m*&!*$@'s!

Great Wallpaper

Someone at the Hive posted this. Cool wallpaper if you're into that.........

Football Recruiting - Jackets land 4-star DE

Ok, this is another big get. Jacoby Monroe is a 4-star DE, a member of the Rivals National top 100, and he has verbally committed to the Jackets. In the most respectful way he is one of those freaks-of-nature. He's 6'2" 280lb, squats 850 lb, runs a 4.6-40 (well one site says that and another says 5.09) and is described by his coach as unstoppable. At one of the major combines, Scout.com said he would have easily been the best D-Lineman there had it not been for D'Angelo McCray, who blew everyone away. This is the first kid from Sandalwood High in FL that has committed to the Jackets, even though we were close with Maurice Wells, Marvin Sapp and Jamar Hornsby. Remember that the football coach there is Adam Geiss, the son of GT assistant Buddy Geiss. Adam says that Monroe is the best player to play at Sandalwood, per Rivals. He has something like 50+ scholarship offers, including all the Florida schools. Evidently Urban Meyer offered him after seeing him play one game.


Monroe has some interesting back-story. He actually did not play football as a junior. Why? Well, a little incident with a BB gun that resulted in getting dismissed from the team. This article touches on it and he says he wants to put it behind him and that's he's not a bad kid, just made a mistake. For clarification, he brought a BB Gun on school grounds, because after school he would go shoot cans at a lake behind his house. His mom knew about it and he knew he wasn't supposed to and he paid a price. All indications are that he's a good kid who's actually quite humble. His high school coach was quoted as saying he probably would have been the #1 player in the nation had he played his junior season. High praise indeed and a bit biased, but it's certainly impressive to end up in the Rivals top 100 (rated #55 in the nation) without even playing last year.


Now, Monroe grew up as an FSU fan, but claims that he's done with visits, although he will take calls. Remember, a verbal commit only sticks with ink to paper. I hate to say it, but it's going to take some work to make this one stick, but it sounds great.


Monroe Choses Jackets (free)


JacketsOnline.com - Tech lands a big one- Monroe is a Jacket


AMP video


I want you to focus on one quote from the free story:

"I know if I graduate and don't go to the NFL, I'll be able to get a really good job," Monroe said. "I've always liked Florida State, and I always will, but this was a life decision, not just about football. That was a big part of it."

I love that. What Jacket fan wouldn't? But let's go deeper. Read this story if you have Scout.com service. This is a story written by a U of Florida website basically slamming FSU recruiting with facts. They basically rip apart any claim that FSU can make about sending players to the NFL. It cannot be denied that FSU sends a lot of players to the league, but it can be argued that the REASON they got there was going to FSU. Face it, if you're a top kid, your chances of going league are no worse at GT than FSU. The real question is - if you are a borderline guy, which school is going to "coach you up"? The Florida website shows facts that basically prove that FSU does not help their kids - it's basically their freak-of-nature athleticism that gets them there.


Of course this is a rival site, but they make a great point. Let's visit PJ Daniels. Would FSU have EVER had a WALK-ON 7th string Running Back get drafted and sign an NFL contract? Hard to imagine, but Georgia Tech did. GT had a a walk-on, 7th string back lead the ACC in rushing and now he's impressing the staff of the Baltimore Ravens after signing a 3-year contract.


So recruits, take note. Pay close attention to who is REALLY getting "coached up". If you're a top kid with freakish skills, you can go league just about anywhere. Why not chose a school that will give you a top education in the process? If you are borderline kid, you definitely want a school / coaching staff that can take you to the next level. Chan Gailey has proven to be that guy. How else do you explain recruiting classes consistently near the bottom of the ACC, yet the team has gone to 9 straight bowl games? Even a modest amount of talent improvement in the recruiting area should result in tremendous results on the field.


Looks like we're going to get a chance to see! Another 4-star. GO JACKETS!!!!! Welcome aboard Jacoby!!!!

Where are they now - David Duval

Great interview with David Duval. Well worth the read. He's pretty dang honest about things.

ESPN.com - GOLF/BRITISHOPEN06 - Verdi: New life for David Duval

Where are they now - Ted Roof

Former Jacket Ted Roof drops the hammer when it comes to discipline. Have to give him props for not dancing around discipline, no matter what the impact on the team.

USATODAY.com - Duke quarterback suspended for season; 3 others dismissed


In a different story, a cautionary tale of the internet age. Many of you have seen certain recruit's MySpace pages. Don't post comments. Here's why. Impressive that people in Kentucky knew about the internet............. ok a cheap shot. I actually like the state and almost ended up there. Beautiful country.

Q&A with Patrick Nix

Rivals.com had 3 quick questions with Patrick Nix, and I thought one of them was interesting in terms of his offenive philosophy. while he said things would be a little different, they weren't going to overhaul the system that's been in place for 3 years. Then this on his offensive philosophy...............

What is your offensive philosophy?
Nix: "I'm not an everybody-go-long type of guy, but I want to attack the defense and keep them off balance. You don't have to go long and throw it up to do that. You can change formations and personality, move the pocket, throw short, throw deep to keep the defense guessing. We want to attack, but we want to be smart and don't take dumb risks."

Rivals.com College Football - Pitt's H.B. Blades sets lofty goals for himself

Notre Dame - hard to be humble

Someone at the Hive ran across this link on a Notre Dame discussion board. Wow. Doesn't their humbleness just overwhelm you. Just thought I would add a little juice for the opening game:

It's hard always to be the hot date, the wet dreams of all and the subject of vicious hate by those unpicked.


No other school is capable of shouldering the burden of having the preeminent football program. The burden is left for us. Fortunately, Notre Dame and righteousness are synonymous. We needn't accept the burden reluctantly because our humility is already etched in history. We alone have the historical accomplishments, the spirit of fair play, the sportsmanship, and the attention to doing things the right way. It must necessarily be our burden, and we should relish it as such.


And we have our own network.


We often think about the top programs as we stand for all. But it's the lesser programs, such as BC and Purdue and Penn State that reap the most from us being the standard bearer of college football. For instance, due to our elevation of college football, Penn State has been able to move from a relatively obscure average university to a more well-known average university.


Sometimes, it's worth reflecting on our place in college football and how magnanimous we really are.

It's hard always to be the hot date, the wet dreams of all

Where are they now - PJ Daniels

PJ Daniels agrees to a 3-year deal with the Ravens. Congrats to the former walk-on turned NFL back............

wjz.com - Ravens Cut Ricard, Sign Three Draft Picks

Tony Barnhardt Talks Football

Here's what Barnhart had to say about Notre Dame:

After their team went 9-3 with tough losses to Southern Cal and Ohio State last fall, Fighting Irish fans are convinced quarterback Brady Quinn will take them all the way this time around. Our friends at The Sporting News have put Notre Dame at No. 1. We respectfully disagree. The offense will be top-notch again with Charlie Weis calling the plays. But the defense, which returns nine starters, has to get better. The secondary needs more athleticism. The linebackers are average. Frankly, Notre Dame will be fortunate to win at Georgia Tech on Sept. 2 and should be an underdog when it goes to USC in November. Penn State and Michigan are also on the schedule.

NWAnews.com :: Northwest Arkansas' News Source

Radakovich to Appear on CSS SportsNite Monday at 6 p.m. :: Director of Athletics will discuss Tech athletics

Turn on your DVR's - D-Rad will be on TV tonight............


Radakovich to Appear on CSS SportsNite Monday at 6 p.m. :: Director of Athletics will discuss Tech athletics

What's the difference in recruiting?

With such a grand step up in football recruiting so far, the natural question is why? When we struggled to land our top targets in years past, why are we landing so much top flight talent this year? Nothing is official until ink is on paper on signing day, but this class is shaping up to be Chan Gailey's best without a doubt - at least in terms of high school credentials.


So I thought I would take a moment to explore the reasons why things have changed this season. The order presented below is my opinion of the order of impact.


1. Coaching Changes - Making Giff Smith the recruiting coordinator is looking like a stroke of genius. Bringing in Geoff Collins was another recruiting stroke of genius. These two guys have made THE biggest difference this season. Then throw in Jeep Hunter and Charles Kelly, who are excellent recruiters in their own right and you've got a winning combination. I won't name names, but the previous recruiting leads did not have the same level of energy, enthusiasm and effort. It all starts with people and that has made THE difference.


2. Philosophy - The staff has made some fundamental changes to their recruiting philosophy. First, they brought the focus back inside the borders, concentrating efforts to keep the in-state guys. Face it, UGAg has had their pick of in-state players and the Calvin Johnson scenario's were rare. The Brandon Miller outcomes were more common. Not so much the case so far. Throw in the fact that the in-state talent is very high this year and that helps. The staff still focuses on nation-wide recruiting, but seems to focus on Texas (who doesn't) and the midwest - and of course the southest. Another philosophy change seems to be going after the best players, offering early, and not backing off. The staff tended to wait longer to get offers out after completing their own detailed evaluations. When has this staff ever had 10 committments before mid-July? Never..........


3. Coach Gailey contract extension - never underestimate the impact of program stability. Never. Not only that, Coach Gailey signed a 5-year deal, so THESE recruits this year can say to themselves - it's likely that I will play for one head coach my entire college career. That means something to recruits. It means something to their families. No, players should not base their college decision on who their head coach will be, but we all know that the coach / player relationships are important. Sending a signal to ballers that Chan Gailey is going to be around for another 5 years is making a difference. To say otherwise is ludacris.


4. The NFL Draft - Face it - almost every one of these kids harbors dreams of playing in the NFL, even though very few will do it. So the SEC has a history of getting the best kids and sending them to the league. Well, this year's NFL draft saw the ACC obliterate draft records. There were more ACC 1st round picks that from any other conference............ ever......There were more ACC players drafted than from any other conference in any other draft............ ever....... Kids just saw a few months ago that they will not sacrifice their dream one bit playing in the ACC. We all know the impact of the "new" ACC, but this year's draft took that to a new level.


5. Patrick Nix. Here's my perception. Handing over the play-calling to Patrick Nix has NOT had a tremendous impact on recruiting (yet) because of recruit's fantasies of a wide-open offense. However, handing over the reigns to Nix HAS allowed Coach Gailey to spend more time recruiting. I am struck by how many recruits are commenting about how impressed they are personally with Coach Gailey. I've heard more positive comments about our head coach than I remember in any other recruiting season. Coach seems to be spending more time talking with recruits, visiting them on the road and talking with their families. He spends more time at camps and it seems to be making a difference. I am rarely seeing quotes to the effect "I met with my position coach but didn't have a chance to meet Coach Gailey". I'm just not seeing those quotes much this year.


6. Player relationships - This should probably be even higher on the list. The re-focus in-state has been effective because so many of these players are friends and know each other. The ones who have committed are really "working" the ones who haven't. Kyle Jackson seems to be a one-man recruiting force......... and it's working. These guys have bonded playing against one another and spending time together at camps. Now, if in fact this is a stronger force this year, then it could backfire in future years. Have we just hit upon the right blend of friends and relationships and talent? Guess we'll just have to wait and see.


7. The Internet - There's a different mojo on the 'net this season. The use of sites like MySpace and Facebook is starting to shift the recruiting landscape a bit. All of these recruits have a MySpace page and they talk. They talk a lot. They recruit each other. Kyle Jackson has been posting on all these guy's sites. Steven Threet has developed relationships with players through MySpace. It's a different vibe this year in terms of player networking. It just happens to be helping us. Tech coaches are taking advantage of this new medium as well.


On a broader scale, technology communications in general is playing a bigger role. Last year, Coach Gailey was quoted as saying he'd never used text messaging before and wouldn't know how to do it. Not the case today. Far from it.


7. Calvin Johnson - CJ is a force. He's a phenomenon. He's larger than life. These kids watch what he does (as do we) and marvel. He's an unbelievable showcase talent for this school. The top players see that top players want to come to Tech and excel. They don't have to imagine it - they can just watch him on Saturdays and listen to everyone bow down to "The Truth".


8. Wins over Auburn / Miami - beating two football factories on national tv in their house has an impact. Tech can play with the big boys. It opens eyes.


9. D-Rad in / D-Braine out - I don't want to make too much of this, but bringing in a guy who reigned over LSU's national championship in football doesn't hurt. Bringing in a guy who says we're here to win championships and sending out a guy who says we'll never win 10 games consistently helps. How much? I don't know, but it helps.


10. PJ Daniels - The PJ Daniels walk-on to NFL story is a Jacket fan favorite. It's also a recruiting tool that cannot be underestimated. A top RB can go just about anywhere, excel and make it to the NFL. Do you think Adrian Peterson would have hurt his chance by going to Podunk U? How about Calvin Johnson? No, but if you can demonstrate that you took a guy that NOBODY offered and build him into an NFL-back, that's saying something. Seriously, it's a big deal and a great story.


11. Selling the GT Story - I honestly think that the entire Tech staff has just gotten better at selling the Tech story. The city, the campus, the academics, the tradition, the whole thing. There's a great story to be told and I think they're just getting better at telling it.


12. Probation - I say this tongue in cheek. Going on probation does NOT give Tech "street cred". Just put that out of your thoughts. However, the changes that were put in place as a result are making a difference. The players are all commenting on the strong academic support at Tech. Much of that is a result of the embarrasing academic situation.


There are other factors that I considered, like Thursday night football, but we've been doing that for years. Why would it be making a difference now?


So there it is. What do you think? Did I miss anything? Did I get the order wrong? Thoughts?

Scout.com: Logan Walls makes it 10 for Tech

Well the weekend just keeps getting better. Logan Walls has made it official that he will be a YellowJacket. He chose the Jackets over UGAg in his final two, while fielding offers from Clemson, Kentucky, Ark, Auburn, Louisville, BYU, Ok.St, S.Carolina and more. He's a 6'2" 270lb defensive tackle that's a "3-star" by both recruiting services, for whatever that means. Congrats to Logan and congrats to the staff that keeps reeling in a fantastic class...................



Scout.com: Logan Walls makes it 10 for Tech

Football Recruiting - Another Outstanding Committ

Well, the good news keeps rolling in, as everyone said it would. Willie White has committed to the Jackets. White is a Scout.com 4-star / Rivals 3-star star safety and wide receiver prospect. His final 3 schools were VaTech, GaTech and S.Carolina. More later, but GT recruited him as a free safety. He is the #31 player in the state of GA in the Rivals GA top 50.


If you're one of those "star" followers, here's the scorecard:


9 commits
Scout.com (2 4-star, 3 3-star, 4 not evaluated)
Rivals.com (6 3-star, 1 2-star, 2 not evaluated)


Again, more later, but tons of good news just keeps rolling in. Congrats to Willie!!!! ....................

Georgia Tech Sports Blog

Where are they now - Will Bynum

Well, you can fully expect Will to be invited back to tryout for the team, but for now he's homeless again.


RealGM: Wiretap Archives: Warriors Waive Will Bynum

Where are they now - Darryl LaBarrie

Darryl LaBarrie gets an assistant coaching job. Congrats!!!!!

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Darryl LaBarrie, who played and later served on the coaching staff at Georgia Tech, has been named assistant coach at Campbell University, head men’s basketball coach Robbie Laing announced Friday.


A 2001 graduate of Georgia Tech, LaBarrie joins the Fighting Camel program after serving most recently as a coach with the highly-regarded Atlanta Celtics AAU program. He also worked the past year as a regional NBA scout for Marty Blake’s Court Report as well as serving as assistant coach at Stone Mountain (Ga.) High School.


"Darryl has a tremendous upside as a recruiter. He has great communication skills, is a very likeable person, and a good evaluator of basketball talent," said Laing, who was named Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year last March by CollegeInsider.com. "Having played at the highest level of Division I basketball and being associated with Coach Hewitt and Coach Cremins, Darryl has attained a high level of proficiency in a short period of time and has an excellent background. I expect him to have an immediate impact on our ability to recruit, not only in his home base of Atlanta, Ga., but throughout the Southeastern United States. He'll be a major contributor in our on-court preparations as well."


While pursuing his M.S. in sports administration from Georgia State, LaBarrie spent two years as a graduate assistant at Tech. He worked one year in general athletics administration (2003-04), then the following campaign with the men's basketball program (2004-05).


While working on Coach Paul Hewitt's staff, LaBarrie assisted with coordinating on-campus recruiting visits, supervised the student-manager staff, and assisted with team travel, equipment orders, and practice preparation. He also assisted in the monitoring of team academics and community outreach as well as pre-and post-season conditioning, player development and game preparation.


LaBarrie earned three letters at Georgia Tech, playing two years under former head coach Bobby Cremins, and one for Hewitt. He helped lead the Yellow Jackets to the 2001 NCAA Tournament and received his B.S. in management that year. He began his collegiate career at Florida A&M, where he earned Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference All-Rookie Team honors as a freshman before transferring to Tech.


A native of Decatur, Ga., LaBarrie was named first-team all-state and DeKalb County Player of the Year as a senior when he led Tucker High School to a state title.


"I'm excited to be working for such a well-known and respected coach as Robbie Laing," said LaBarrie. "The program is definitely on its way up, and hopefully we’ll be able to get over the hump soon and take it to the next level as Robbie has envisioned."


LaBarrie fills the vacancy on the Fighting Camel staff left by Brian Alexander, who resigned at the end of May after three years with the program. LaBarrie and his wife, Aisha, are parents of a six-month-old daughter, Sydney Ayelle.

Men's Basketball Archives

Gailey's best class in reach | ajc.com

Nice AJC article on GT recruiting. I actually have my own theories about the change this season which I will share when I have a chance. Well done Matt..........


Gailey's best class in reach | ajc.com

Where are they now - Will Bynum

Our boy Will Bynum is in a bit of a quandry as he tries to make the Golden State squad. He's fighting the good fight though...........


ContraCostaTimes.com | 07/14/2006 | Nothing is guaranteed for Bynum on Sunday


Also of note, Chris Bosh signed his 3-year contract extension - a popular choice as opposed to the 5-year extensions that were typical in years past.......

Curry to teach leadership at prep school | ajc.com

Bill Curry landed a new gig - at a prep school setting up a leadership program - something he would be excellent at doing........... Bill Curry is a Yellow Jacket to the core and a great representative of our school whereever she goes..........

Curry to teach leadership at prep school | ajc.com


Baylor School Press Release

Ex-Tech recruit glad he chose baseball | ajc.com

Nice short story on Austin Jackson, who's very happy he chose bsaeball. Can't say the same for Jacket fans, but you gotta do what you gotta do.........

Ex-Tech recruit glad he chose baseball | ajc.com

Football Recruiting - Jackets Get a RB

What a way to start the weekend. The Jackets get a commit from 4-star running back Roddy Jones. The guy ran a 4.42-40 at a spring combine. Here's his profile. More good news is expected before the weekend is over.............


Check out the neck on that guy (from Scout.com)






Scout.com: Jackets Add a Big One

Auburn investigates allegations | ajc.com

Let me get this straight - an SEC school being investigated for academic fraud. Wow. Go figure. These guys went undefeated a few years ago. Maybe we have some street cred after all with our little academic hiccup. I can't wait to find out if this is actually where Jim Harrick was teaching after he left UGAg.............


Auburn investigates allegations | ajc.com

Football Recruiting - Threet selects Georgia Tech

Thanks to "Droopy" for the link to this nice article on recent GT commit QB Steven Threet.......


Threet selects Georgia Tech

Gailey: Not easy to give up play-calling | ajc.com

Actually a very nice interview with Coach Gailey. He's pretty honest about the process of handing over play-calling to Patrick Nix. Well done..........


Gailey: Not easy to give up play-calling | ajc.com

Tragedy at Clemson

This story was sad enough when you had a dead coach and a young student-athlete having to deal with a lifetime of guilt. Now throw in a little involvement from a booster and you have a real potential mess. This story just gets worse and worse.......


The State | 07/12/2006 | Craft in fatal accident owned by boosters

Football Recruiting - More Good News Coming?

Found this blurb from Phil Kornblut that DJ Donley is close to commiting and GaTech is still his leader. Also interesting is the note that his teammate Seth Nettles really wants to go to Tech and claims an offer, although it is apparently his only offer at the moment...........

WR D.J. Donley (6-5 200) of Folkston, GA is getting close to making his decision according to his coach Rich McWhorter. "He doesn't want it (recruiting) to go on any longer than it has to," McWhorter said. "Georgia Tech is his favorite ahead of South Carolina and Florida. He went to Georgia this past weekend and found out what he wanted to find out and was satisfied with what he knew." Donley attended a USC camp in June. From a list of 12 offers, he has narrowed his list to USC, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Florida. And McWhorter said OL Seth Nettles (6-4 285) "wants to go to Georgia Tech and it's just a matter of time" before he commits. Tech his his only offer though he's also drawn interest from USC, Georgia, Duke, Central Florida, Wake Forest and Tennessee.

Folks, I'm telling you - Calvin Johnson is a recruiting magnet. Kids want to see him, meet him. He's really larger than life and you watch the video I posted below and you can see why. All I can say is thank heavens we have a QB that forces him to make unbelievably acrobatic catches or he might not be near the legend he has already become after two seasons.


PalmettoSports.com | South Carolina Recruiting | Phil Kornblut | GoUpstate.com

Tech foward Faye has surgery on wrist | ajc.com

Well, the legend of M.Faye will only get bigger. Looks like he fractured his wrist and won't see action until AFTER the season starts. Drats. We will have to wait to see his super-human feets. Maybe he will prove to have super-human healing powers as well.............


Tech foward Faye has surgery on wrist | ajc.com

YouTube - calvin johnson

If this video doesn't get your juices flowing for football, I don't know what will:


It's on...................

Hoops - Summer Prospectus is Here

For those wanting a fix on hoops - the summer prospectus is posted - link here.

Where are they now - Bryan Prince

The former Jacket beesball standout and "charity" assistant coach (volunteer with GT) now has a paying gig with Indiana as an assistant coach. Congrats to Bryan............


Prince Named Assistant Baseball Coach ::

WALKER FUNERAL:Death shakes proud clique

Ok, I didn't know this - our Danny Hall, AJC sportswriter Terence Moore, recently deceased NW football coach Randy Walker, Sherman Smith, Rob Carpenter and Ron Zook all played together in Miami back in the 1970's. Go figure. This article has some good quotes from Danny Hall about the death of Randy Walker, mortality and coaching..........


WALKER FUNERAL:Death shakes proud clique

Georgia Tech Names Downes and Tucci as Assistant Softball Coaches :: Both bring head coaching experience to the program.

The softball coaching staff just got beefed up, and it sounds like recruiting prowess was near the top of the list (as usual)............


Georgia Tech Names Downes and Tucci as Assistant Softball Coaches :: Both bring head coaching experience to the program.

Where are they now - PJ Daniels

Evidently PJ Daniels is impressing some folks in Baltimore. Of course there is heavy competition in the backfield.......


Daniels has had a great offseason at Ravens headquarters so far.

P.J. Daniels


2005: A former walk-on at Georgia Tech, Daniels had a very successful career as a Yellow Jacket. Starting all 11 games in 2005, he ran for 930 yards and three touchdowns for a 4.7-yard average. He added 21 catches for 174 yards. In 44 career games, Daniels has rushed for 3,340 yards and 23 scores and a 4.7-yard average, so he is capable of commendable numbers.


Forecast: The second of two Ravens fourth-round picks in the 2006 draft, Daniels has shown his versatility thus far in the offseason. He has great energy and an explosive burst to get down field. Daniels has also shown good hands and a quick turn upfield in the passing game. At 5-10, 214 pounds, he could be a great complement to the Ravens' backs.

news - NFL: RAVENS: The Competition: Running Back

Where are they now - Tyler Greene

Tyler Greene hasn't been tearing it up......

Quad Cities and Palm Beach have traded first rounders: last year, the Cardinals expended their first two first round draft picks on Colby Rasmus, a power-hitting high school center fielder, and Tyler Greene, a college shortstop. One would be forgiven for assuming that Greene, a collegiate type who hit .350 for Georgia Tech, would be quicker to adjust to pro ball. But one would still be wrong. He held his own in 2005, skipping all the way to high-A Palm Beach, but starting the year there he’s done nothing but struggle, hitting .224/.308/.325 before finally being promoted until he was demoted on July 1. He’s shown a ridiculous ability to steal bases efficiently, 46 of 50 since going pro, but absolutely nothing else.

Get Up, Baby! � I swear, there are good things to take from this loss.

Football Recruiting - Jackets Land a Linebacker

The Jackets just received another commitment from Georgia LB Kyle Jackson. Here are some facts:


- 6'0" 225lb
- 4.65-40.... 4.43 shuttle..... 11.2-100m
- 3.4 GPA (22 ACT)
- had offers from Miss.St, Wake Forest, UCF, Ball State. Also had interest from Clemson, FL, AL, Stanford and Notre Dame.
- all region 4-5A / all-legue, all-county (McDonough GA)
- just got the offer from GT today and accepted on the spot
- As a junior he had 110 tackets, 28 for a loss, 12 pass break-ups, 17 QB pressures, 6.5 sacks, 2 INTs, 7 forced fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries.
- he has really come on strong in recent camps
- Neither Scout.com nor Rivals.com has evaluated Jackson at this point. However, when Rivals.com updates their GA state rankings, he will be in their top 50 players in the state.
- Plans to work hard recruiting other standout players to GT.


Bottom line is that Jackson seems like another excellent pick-up for the Jackets. The ball is rolling bigtime on recruiting. Again, the shame in all this is that Coach Gailey doesn't have the full 25 to offer. He might have been able to blow it out of the water with that. As it is, this class is shaping up to be his best if the quality continues.


Rivals profile
Scout.com profile

JacketsOnline.com - Jackson commits to Georgia Tech

N.C.A.A. Schools' List Stirs More Controversy - New York Times

Interesting that Oak Hill Academy was on the latest list of schools that the NCAA would not accept transcripts from. My guess is that this one gets overturned quickly. Oak Hill has supplied MAJOR collegiate and pro talent for a number of years and GT potential recruit Howard Thompkins recently announced his intention to transfer there................


N.C.A.A. Schools' List Stirs More Controversy - New York Times

UVA Football - a mess?

Well, Al Groh lost about all his assistant coaches, lost a lot of talent at key positions, and now 7, count'em 7, players from his freshman class were ruled academically ineligible. Wow. The hits just keep on coming. Now if we can just beat them this year.....

NBC 12 - Virginia Sports - Seven Cavaliers recruits fail to clear admissions

The Notre Dame Bandwagon Starts Rollin'

Some guy I've never heard of at the Sporting News is picking Notre Dame to win it all. He had this to say about the opener:

But back to the positives: The schedule should perk you up. It is, in a word, "laughable." That's right. This is a one-game schedule -- at USC. That gives ND 11 "preseason" games to prep for its showdown in Los Angeles vs. USC.


Sure, the opener at Georgia Tech has "danger" stamped all over it. But, c'mon: It's Georgia-flipping-Tech.

Look, I know when Auburn was #1 in the country a few years back...... and we beat them........... and then when Auburn was ranked in the top 10 again in last season's opener......... and we beat them.............. and we beat Miami on the road last season ............. that those games are easily ignored when looking at the inconsistent losses. Buy hey media - go ahead and sleep on Tech. Go ahead and ignore us.....................

SportingNews.com - College Football - Notre Dame will be the national champion

Garciaparra wins final All-Star spot

Congrats to Nomar, who will be an NL All-Star............


Pierzynski, Garciaparra win final spots - Yahoo! News

Football Recruiting Ties

Those who follow Georgia Tech football recruiting know that GT assistant coach Buddy Geis has a son that is the head coach at Jacksonville FL's Sandalwood high. If you knew that you would also know that Tech has missed out on some high profile guys like Maurice Wells (chose Ohio St. over GT), Marvin Sapp (committed to GT then changed mind to go to SC), Jamar Hornsby (Florida), that came from that school.


What you may not have known is that Sandalwood's offensive coordinator and QB coach the past two seasons also happens to be a Georgia Tech grad - Scott Anderson - and he was just named the new head coach at East Gadsden High, near Tallahassee. Anderson has been an assistant coach at Duke, Kentucky State Indiana State, and West Texas State.

Tallahassee Democrat - www.tallahassee.com - Tallahassee, FL.

Text-messaging recruits getting mixed reviews | ajc.com

You can bet that the era of unlimited text-messaging is coming to an end. The NCAA willd definitly institute some form of structure around this pervasive form of communication in the recruiting world. Right now there are no rules as opposed to telephone and personal communication. That will change.

"[Before,] it was kind of like getting married without really knowing the person. Now we get to know more about who they are, and they can learn more about who we are." - Paul Hewitt on text messaging.......

Text-messaging recruits getting mixed reviews | ajc.com

Cremins surrounded by friends | ajc.com

Well, he's back at it already. Bobby Cremins is out on the recruiting trail................


Cremins surrounded by friends | ajc.com

Football Recruiting - Jackets Nab FL CB Mario Butler

It seems that Chan Gailey might be having the best start to a recruiting year since his arrival in the ATL. He just received a commit from 3-star CB Mario Butler, one of the top standouts from the state of Florida...... Butler is 6'1" 185lb, runs a 4.5-40, and helped his team win the 4A state title with 65 tackles and 3 or 4 INT's as he was consistently matched up with the opponent's top receivers. He also blocked 3 or 4 kicks last season.............. He had offers from Clemson, Louisville, Maryland, Ohio State, S.Carolina, VaTech, Cal, Nebraska, UCLA, Ill, UNC, BC, Vandy, WV, Ark, UCS, etc so the kid had major looks. He could basically go anywhere he wanted...... Virginia Tech coaches think his size speed combination is a lot like Jimmy Williams, which is why they were heavily recruiting him. He also runs track. UGA also recruited him very heavily as well. Mario's coach speaks incredible highly of the impact of Chan Gailey's involvement in recruiting. This is the first player from his high school to ever commit to the Jackets, which could help us in the future............. Academically, Mario struggled a little in the classroom, but worked hard to get his grades up and qualify from Tech. In fact, is "M.O." is that of a hard worker, both in the classroom and the weight room.


By the way, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were the first school to offer him a scholarship, showing that there is value in getting in early and staying on a guy. Buddy Geis was the lead recruiter from Butler.


So, why the bang-up start to recruiting this year? Is the 5-year contract extension (coaching stability) a factor? Is it the new coaching staff? Is there a new plan-of-attack for recruiting? Probably all of the above. Just keep it going!!! There's only one real tragedy in all this - a limit of 17 free rides. Give Chan the full complement of 25 and he just might stock the cupboards for years to come..........


Jacksonville.com: Sports: High School Sports: Story: Nease's Butler selects Georgia Tech 07/06/06

SEC Channel could be a reality by 2009 : Fanblogs College Football Blog

So what happens to the major networks when every conference ultimately creates their own cable tv channel?..........


SEC Channel could be a reality by 2009 : Fanblogs College Football Blog

YouTube - Beretta Xtrema2 Demonstration

Ok - non GT related, but remarkable. Check out the skeet demo by this guy - unbelievable.........

Chris Bosh gets a Point Guard

I missed this when it happened, but the Raptors traded Charlie Villanueva straight up for TJ Ford. Ford has been a bit injury prone and has never developed a good jump shot, but Chris Bosh told management they needed a pass-first PG, and maybe they got one in the super-speedy Ford. Not only that, they happen to be buddies from the great state of Texas..... On the surface it seems like the Raptors didn't get the good end of the deal, but in terms of fitting needs, both teams will probably improve. One caution though - Ford's game is much more suited to a run-and-gun team. He's not as effective in a half-court set, so I'm not sure how much improved the Raptors will really be........


globeandmail.com : Are the Raptors any better off now?

The Backstory on College of Charleston

In case you were interested in some of the backstory about College of Charleston prior to Bobby Cremins, check it out..........


The Post and Courier | Charleston.net | News | Charleston, SC

Are Stats for Losers?

Stats really aren't for losers if you ask me. They can be a rich source of insight into the success or failure of a sports program. The loser part comes when you try to generalize using one or two stats to characterize an athlete or a program. The use of statistical analysis needs to be an important tool for coaches and gameplanners.


Having said all that, someone at the Hive ran across this interesting football stat website. I haven't really dug into it, but I did find it interesting that by far our worst passing down was first down. We attempted 148 passes last season on first down with a 46.6% completion %. However, the result was 1 TD and 7 INT's. That is the only passing down last season where we had a TD/INT ration of less than 1........... and it wasn't even close to 1. On 2nd downs our TD/INT ratio was 2-to-1. On 3rd down it was 2.3-to-1. Was it all those "take a long-shot to Calvin on 1st down" attempts?


As far as the defense, I found this stat of bit weird. Check out our opponents average rush per carry against the Tech defense depending on field position:


Opp 1 To Opp 20 Yd Ln......2.29 yards/carry
Opp 21 To Opp 39 Yd Ln.....4.05
Opp 40 To Own 40 Yd Ln.....2.61
Own 39 To Own 21 Yd Ln.....2.92
Own 20 To Own 1 Yd Ln......2.83


What is it about being between the 21-39 yardline? That covers 117 carries, so it should factor out a few long runs fairly well.


Interesting stuff, and they claim they will be updating the site weekly during the upcoming season. I'll make sure we have a permanent link in the football section.


cfbstats.com - College Football Statistics

Scout.com: Men's Basketball Recruiting

Scout.com has updated their class of 2008 hoops top 25. Two of Tech's top targets, Howard Thompkins and Al-Farouq Aminu are in the national top 10. In fact, Thompkins is ranked as the #1 PF and Aminu the #10 PF. Could they become the "Post-er twins"? That would be quite a formidable front.......


Scout.com: Men's Basketball Recruiting: "Georgia Tech"

Paul Hewitt - Closet Soccer Fan

Ran across this blurb:

Closet soccer fan: USA assistant coach Paul Hewitt correctly predicted Germany's victory. "Home-field advantage," he said. For the betting types, Hewitt picks Brazil over France and England over Portugal in today's quarterfinals.


"I have to think Ronaldinho is going to have a big game at some point," he said. "And my wife's from England, so I have to pick them. They've got great tradition."

MySA.com: KENS 5: Sports

Luke Schensher to play in Bulls Summer League

FYI...........

Bulls pick up option on Allen

Everything you wanted to know about....

Jarrett Jack. In fact, pick any player in the NBA and this site lets you analyze every statistic imaginable. How he shoots at the 1, 2 or 3 spot. How his opponents shoot against him. His +/- stats. Which 5-man units for Portland were most effective. How he shot in the clutch. You name it. I've never seen this level of statistics available before. Pretty incredible actually.


What are your conclusions from Jack's stats? What about Chris Bosh?


Jarrett Jack of the Portland Trail Blazers, On Court / Off Court stats from 82games.com

Key QB commits to Jackets | ajc.com

Chan Gailey may have just landed the guy to REALLY get the ball rolling with Georgia Tech recruiting. Big QB Steven Threet, a 6'6" 220lb guy from the midwest, has pledged to the Jackets. Threet is ranked as the 3rd best QB in the midwest and was really starting to pickup steam from major schools. Some notes from various stories:


- 6'6", 220 lb
- from Michigan
- offers from Wisc, Miami-OH, NCST, Stanford, Indiana, Ill, Cincy, Central Mich
- above average arm strength
- accurate with great touch on all his passes
- 4.0 GPA, 27 ACT score
- junior stats - 108-238 passes complete, 1592 yards, 20 TD's, 11 INT's
- not overly fast.
- really raised his profile at camps
- very well liked guy by other recruits
- could be a very effective recruiter to strengthen the rest of the class.


Why didn't Mich or Mich St. jump on him? Well, they each have commits from top QB targets, so that played in our favor. Threet grew up a U of M fan and his mom is actually an alum, so timing is everything...


Bottom line is that Threet is a talented, rising senior with the size and skill set the Jackets really need. He has the tools to develop into something special. Congrats to Coach and staff and cograts to Steven. You made the right choice. GO JACKETS!!!!!

Key QB commits to Jackets | ajc.com

Bobby Cremins is back in coaching

Well, if this isn't a hoot I don't know what is. Our beloved Bobby Cremins will accept the head coaching job at College of Charleston next week. I could not be happier for him, as you could tell he wanted to get back in the game. He just wanted the situation to be the right one.


In the ultimate of ironies, he will be replacing someone who had the job for less than 24 hours, as Winthrop head coach Gregg Marshall "pulled a Cremins" after accepting the job and then changing his mind. Huge ironies and whackiness there.


At the end of the day, it's great news for BC and Jacket fans should be happy. It will be fun to see him patrolling the sidelines again. However, will it be possible to see him in anything other than a gold tie?????? Hard to imagine.


Cremins retired with a head coaching record of 452-303, so he's only 48 wins from 500.


Oh yeah - one more irony. Dennis Scott's son is a sophomore guard on the COC team. Small world...........


FOX Sports - COLLEGE BASKETBALL - Cremins to coach College of Charleston


Cremins accepts COC job


Hoping Cremins finds that old spark


The Colorful Cremins


Cremins back in the game

RIP: Mo Brittian

Sad news, as Maurice "Mo" Brittian passed away at the age of 37. Here was the death notice from his family:

Celebration of Life for Maurice Davon Ezzard Brittian (BIG MO), born July 18, 1968 in Atlanta was called home to be with the Lord on June 25, 2006. As we all wonder, when I'm gone what would people have to say about me and in his case, I know he was sure that every word would be positive and it would be true. Maurice resided in McDonough, GA where he worked for Nestle. Services will be held Saturday, July 1, 2006 at 12 noon at New Birth South Metropolitan Church, Jonesboro. Pastor Andre Landers, officiating. Interment, Fairview Memorial Gardens. Maurice's legacy will be carried on by his loving wife, Quovadis Denise Brittian and his son, Quinton Davon Ezzard; his adorable grandson, Quinton Antwan Ezzard; his loving mother, Mary Ann Ezzard Brittian; a sister, Tynisa Ann Brittian; his brother is a friend and major influence in his life, Tony Bernard Ezzard. Maurice was preceded in death by his father Walter Brittian Jr., who adored his son and supported his career every way possible. He played a major role in Maurice's life as a father which taught Maurice respect and character in which we all had a chance to experience with Maurice. Also Maurice will leave to celebrate his life his smiling mother-in-law, Brenda Joyce Roberts; sisters-in-law, Rhonda Ezzard and Quintrellis Sharee Jackson, and his favorite niece and nephew, Joyceline Pannell and Michael Pannell Jr., and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, teammates and co-workers. Family will assemble at 170 Courts of Hampton, Hampton, GA 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Maurice Brittian Foundation, 170 Courts of Hampton, Hampton, GA 30228. Young Funeral Home, 1107 Hank Aaron Dr., S.W., Atlanta, GA (404) 523-6606.
Published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 6/30/2006.

Big Mo started at center during the 1989/90 season. He came to Tech as a JUCO transfer and left after one season with academic struggles, before heading to Kansas State (I think). He was always well liked by fans and teamates. He had good hands around the basket and a soft turnaround jumpshot.


Rest in peace young man. Rest in peace.......


Mo Brittian died - www.scout.com