Prepare Yourself

Listen, I don't have any inside information on the situation, but I'm just telling you - to protect your fragilities, your heart, you just need to prepare for the fact that we are going to lose both Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton. Again, I don't know.................. but I just know.......... We're just not one of those schools that keeps guys who are top 20 or 30 picks. We're not the feel good stories where 4 first round draft picks just decide to come back for giggles and "go for it all". Rah Rah...... That just doesn't happen at Tech............. At Tech, they go. Dennis Scott left after 3, Kenny Anderson after 2, Stephon after 1, Bosh after 1 ........................ just prepare your heart and mind for the fact that these guys are gone.

Oh, you can get your hopes up. You can get them up in the same way that you were 100% certain that Austin Jackson was going to play PG at Tech. You can get them up in the same way that you were certain Randolph Morris was going to be a Jacket (in hindsight things work out, but it stunk at the time). You can get them up in the same way that you thought Chris Bosh was coming back. You can even harbor hope like that ridiculous part of you that thought there was a chance Calvin Johnson was coming back for his senior season. I mean really.....

Should I cite 20 other examples? Just accept the fact that they're gone, and if by some miracle they bomb at the NBA Draft camps and do decide to come back, then just be pleasantly surprised and ride that emotion into next season................ but it's not going to happen......... Accept it............. Deal with it now................... Move on................Let the 7 phases of dealing with grief start now. It's easier and the fall is smaller.

Isn't it funny - if Javaris Crittenton was 2-3" shorter, I don't even think we're having this conversation. He's another Tywon Lawson - a talented guard but shorter guy - "not ready". But at 6'4" with great potential as an NBA PG - all of the sudden he's a lot more interesting to NBA scouts.......... a lot............. 3 inches could be the difference between 1 year and 2-3 years in college. The NBA learned a lesson with Sebastian Telfair and small guards...... three inches..........Amazing really............

.................... of course having said all that...................... can you imagine how good we can be if they come back? Man, that would be grea--------- Dang it, I can't help myself.