Final Recruiting Rankings from Rivals

In Rivals hoops final recruiting rankings here is how our players stack up:

39......J-Smith
55......R.Dickey
94......A.Morrow

Interestingly in this ranking the SC POY Buck Fredrick is not even in their top 150. Don't ask my why - he is in the top 100 on virtually all the other ranking services.

You will also notice that Randolph Morris has moved up to #10.

ROY WILLIAMS YANKS JAMESON CURRY'S 'SHIP
Well, it is official. The young man who was busted for dealing dope in a raid at his high school that netted about 50 students has cost him a chance to play for UNC. Here is the press release. Jameson was #72 in the Rivals ranking above. He broke the all-time North Carolina state high school career scoring mark that stood since the 50's. The kid was a major scorer. Now Roy Williams faces an daunting possibility. He has two guys (Smith / Williams) who are in the Rivals top 11. Both are looking into the NBA as a possibility, so he could look at his only recruit being Quentin Thomas, a 6'4" PG ranked #96. With those 4 guys, he had a top 5 recruiting class. With only QT, he won't be in the top 30. My guess is that Williams and Smith end up at UNC although Smith's stock has risen dramatically in recent weeks, showing 30 foot range on his jumper and moster dunking ability, along with a 44" vertical. One guy described him as Vince Carter with a jump shot.

Nice story from 790...

... and a GT alum on the Jackets. Nice perspective.

Daily Swarm

TEAM GETS A WARM RECEPTION
Nice story on the reception the team got yesterday at AMC.

A BIT SNIPPY FROM THE MACON TELEGRAPH
A little edgy on the comments about Coach Hewitt, but overall he makes good points about the game. (story here)......... More on Hewitt from the Richmond-Times Dispatch........... Here is an article playing "what-if" scenarios, like what if Hewitt had actually been the Miami hoops coach when they hired Perry Clark 4 years ago (story here).

ELDER "DEFINITELY" GOING TO BE BACK
From the Macon Telegraph.

THE LATEST IN THE MORRIS SAGA
Well, the crazies over at the UK boards are now worried again that Morris's favor has swung back to GT. Who really knows for sure? We will just have to be patient until probably later this month to see what Randolph has decided. Honestly he cannot go wrong either way........... Should Morris chose UK, Coach Hewitt is working on a back-up plan. He is recruiting a JUCO transfer named Aaron Pettway, a 6'10" athlete. Interesting story, as RamblinRed has provided on some of the boards. He did not play high school hoops and spent 4 years in the Air Force, so this kid is about 23/24 years old, not a youngster. Here is his profile. His rep. is a strong rebounder, shot-blocker and a very good athlete. Not as polished as Morris on the offensive end, but probably a more conditioned athlete. He is being looked at by other big schools including Ok.St, MD, UGAg, Alabama and some others not on the radar like UNC. He will be taking 2 official visits in the coming weeks, one to GT and one to Ok.St. Word is that his offer is conditional on Morris's decision and has been on the table since January. Only one more 'ship is available between the two. The real question is if Pettway is willing to wait around long enough for Morris to make his decision. Just depends on how bad he might want to go to GT I guess. One last difference between the two - Pettway is very likely a 2-year guy wherever he goes, while Morris could end up one-and-done. Either of thse guys would be a fantastic fit into Coach Hewitt's system and Coach has proven his ability to develop bigmen. So stay tuned as the recruiting season winds down, hopefully with a bang for GT!!!!

THINGS COULD BE SCARY IN 2005/2006
Yes, P.Hewitt is loading up on talent. But let's think about what season after next brings:
- lose Elder
- lose Isma'il
- lose McHenry
- lose Luke
- lose Bynum
- likely lose Jack to the NBA
- if Morris comes to GT and is one-and-done, lose him too

That could mean 7 empty spots vacated in one year!!! Ok, the guys Hewitt is bringing in this season are really looked at as back-ups for the soon-to-be seniors. And the recruiting class for next season will be a big one also (probably 4-5 kids). But season after next, we become a young team again.

What this really means is that 2004/2005 is GT's best shot to go all the way in a LONG time!!! We will NOT be a secret next year.

BRAVES AND GT "ALL CLASS"
Nice article on GT linking it to throwing out the first pitch, which has been re-scheduled to Sat. night.

SO HOW VALID ARE PRE-SEASON POLLS?
The "experts" picked UConn in the pre-season and that came true. However there were 67 different schools that received votes in either the AP or the Coaches pre-season poll - while Georgia Tech was NOT one of the them. Believe it or not, Akron and N.Illinois received votes, as well as Arizona St., who finished last in the PAC-10. Throw in UCLA, who finished 11-17.

CALHOUN SCARED OF TOO MUCH COMPETITION
Check out this story - and this quote - "Calhoun, in fact, recalled an observation once made by John Thompson. The former Georgetown coach had his own idea of the perfect league, and he said it included "five really good teams." Then he said we need about four guys we can beat up on all the time so we can have two or three top-10 teams to make our league look good," Calhoun added. "(But) with the new teams coming in, not only will we have a lot of equal teams, they'll be equal at an exceptionally high level. "That concerns me greatly."

SPEAKING OF STRONG CONFERENCES
Here is an article from a Duke paper about the ACC future strength. The writer thinks Jack will use the NCAA tourney run to propel himself into the draft. While that is possible, I do not think it will happen.......... Here is a snippet on one of the strong Clemson recruits coming in next season, with a 7'1" wingspan.

YOU NEED EXPERIENCE TO WIN
Article form MSNBC.com on junior / senior leadership in the dance coming through.

LEARNING HOW TO GEL IN HALF A SEASON
Interesting comments from Coach Hewitt on not having the time to build a cohesive unit anymore, and trying to develop chemistry in much shorter time spans. Of course, everyone has the same problem.

JUST FOR YOU RONNIE
A salute to the Jackets from your hometown paper, the Gainesville Times.

WOW, IS ST.JOHN'S DELUSIONAL OR WHAT
Ok, we have made fun of their fans for being delusional. But it appears that even the selection committee has that problem. Even after Coach Hewitt called them to tell them he was not interested and would decline if offered, they still wasted time thinking they could get him. - "But there's no way to know for sure what's going on," the person said. "They were so intent on going after [Georgia Tech coach Paul] Hewitt that they didn't talk to anyone else. They could have been interviewing all along."

FOOTBALL: LOOKS LIKE CHRIS REIS HAS BEEN WORKING OUT
Dang, check out the guns on this guy. Someone has been eating their wheaties.


pic from the Hive

JAMES BUTLER ON COVER OF SPRING MEDIA GUIDE
Link here for story.

Daily Swarm

THE POLLS ARE OUT
We finish #3 in the ESPN / USAToday Coaches poll, behind UConn and Duke. In fact we were only 1 vote behind Duke (722 to 721). Congrats to the Jackets!!!.......... Something else to consider. We beat the top 3 teams in the country this year.

KENNY ANDERSON A COLUMNIST
Kenny has written about the Jacket team - here is the column. My question - does GT require a degree to have a player's number retired???

SALLEY GIVES US PROPS ON BDSHP
First his co-stars ripped him for his locker-room speech to the team telling them to be "aggresive". They even showed the Howard Dean speech and said it reminded them of it. But then he talked about the team. He said he was incredibly proud of them. Said he reached the elite 8, but never got that far. And they did it without a go-to guy - they just had 10 guys that wanted to win.......... they also did a skit on "things you wouldn't want to say to John Salley" - One was "Tech fans have suffered enough. After all, they had to watch you in those short shorts for 4 years.".

TURNS OUT THE AMAZING KRESKIN PICKED UCONN
So we were doomed from the start (start here). However, the real question - where did he pick Tech???

1000+ TURN OUT FOR TEAM RALLY AT AMC
Coach Hewitt pulled out the Jacket (story here). Personally, I think he is WRONG!! You can wear the jacket ANYTIME you want. For pictures, head here............. Here ://www.topfivephotos.com/media/2004.04.05.basketball-Coliseum_Watch_Party/">are more pictures...........

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME A RATINGS LOSER FOR CBS
Even though touney ratings were up 24% (of course last year coverage was interupted by Iraq coverage), the championship game was the lowest rated since 1982. (story here).

HOOPS RECRUIT ON THE RADAR - RICHARD HENDRIX
Alabama and UNC lead for this 6'9" hoops star, but GT is in the mix (story here).

PLEASE DO NOT USE THE PHRASE "OUTCLASSED"
There were plenty of catchy headlines about the game last night. However, one word I saw used over and over was "outclassed". I am sorry, but we were "out-played", not out-classed. This GT team has shown nothing but class all year and showed nothing less than class in the final game. Oh, we got our behinds handed to us, but we were classy, we were respectful, we were humble. Sorry to get on the soap box, but I hate seeing that term thrown around without much thought. Compare the GT post-game conference with this from Calhoun (story here). Now tell me about class.

WINNING A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IS A TWO STEP PROCESS
... based on this story. First you have to get there, then you lose, then you understand what it takes to win. Could this be a positive omen for GT? Time will tell, but the future is bright.

TED VALENTINE STRIKES AGAIN
Interesting USAToday story on the officiating in the dance. Also includes one version of the details of the Texas/Xavier game, where Barnes was tossed by Valentine.

IS THE BEESBALL TEAM USING UP ALL THEIR HITS??
First they couldn't find the bats. Now they cannot shut them up. They CRUSHED Auburn after scoring 20, win one of three from top 5 Miami, and now they score 25 against GaSt. (story here).

The Next Day

Well, the future is bright. The sting will wear off and what will be left are the happy memories:

- Crushing UConn in the pre-season NIT on national TV
- Crushing Texas Tech in the PS-NIT finals - having Bobby Knight say that this team had something special he hasn't seen in a long time
- Crushing Ohio St. in the ACC/Big10 challenge
- Beating Wake Forest on the road, ending their 25-game home winning streak
- Beating Duke at Cameron, ending their 41-game home winning streak
- Beating UNC in the ACC Tourney on Jack's buzzer beater
- The incredible run in the tourney, giving heart-attack and heart-attack but ending up one of the last 2 standing
- The fight at the end of the championship game, never giving up, to the end.
- Ish's high-flying ESPN-Highlight reel antics
- Coach Hewitt calling in the 790theZone and defending Luke
- Watching the fearless Bynum hit big shots and break ankles with his cross-over
- Seeing Jack develop and grow as a PG and floor leader
- BJ having some of the most incredible shooting streaks of the season
- C-Moore's absolute caring and enthusiasm and toughness.
- Coach Hewitt's absoultely classy leadership of this team

We all know I could go on and on. It was a special year. GT fans will remember this year forever. The beauty is that it should be just the beginning of big things for this program.

So let's move on the after-game coverage. I won't bother with the game re-caps. We all know what happened. I will try to focus on those stories that tell something unique.

HOW BRUTAL WILL THE ACC BE NEXT YEAR
You think the ACC was brutal this year? Think again. I feel very sorry for VaTech and Miami. On the whole, the ACC is losing very few seniors and NCST is probably the only team NOT improving next year. The ACC has once again landed the most top high school players to infuse even more talent. Here is a look from MSNBC at next year and how tough the ACC will be. Do not pay attention to the comment that Randolph Morris will go pro - there is no public info, so I think this is an inaccurate report................. Andy Katz over at ESPN has already put up his pre-season top 25. GT comes in at #3. Of course it doesn't mean much, but he has 5 ACC in the top 10, and throws in NCST at #14. Also, notice who is his #1 - Kansas, a team we beat and Nevada even makes an appearance at #25. However, it looks like Kirk Snyder will forgo his senior year and enter the draft, which will cause Nevada's stock to fall (story here). In all we beat 7 of the teams in his top 25 this season............. Stewart Mandel over at CNNSI.com has us his pre-season favorite (story here).

GREAT STORY FROM GREGG DOYEL
Thanks to Kenny on the tip for this story. A great piece on the Jackets and why they can hold their heads high. Here's what I love the most. This from Clarence Moore, who will not even be on the team next year - "That's why, 30 minutes after losing in the national championship game in his last college game, Moore wasn't crying or even frowning. Moore was talking big with assistant coach Cliff Warren, telling him that he planned to use his final summer on campus to get the incoming freshmen ready for another NCAA run. "I'm setting the tone," Moore said. "I'm going to elbow those freshmen. I'm going to be gritty and grimy. I'm ready to go, right now."...... That my friends is heart and soul............... Doyel has also posted his pre-season top 25, and has GT at #2. He also has 6 ACC teams in the top 25............ Here's a more general article from Doyel, but also complimentary of the Jackets.

ALL-FINAL FOUR TOURNEY TEAM
Luke and Bynum made the all-tourney final four team. Nice going guys.

NICE AP STORY ON THE FUTURE
Hope everything they say is true (story here), including the J.Jack will come back for his junior year.

HEWITT SHOULD BE PROUD
Decent article from Albany Times Union, the local paper where he coached at Sienna............ Here is a nice article on Hewitt, including his growing stature in college athletics, carrying on a legacy for black coaches started by guys like John Thompson, Nolan Richardson and George Raveling.

DREAM RUN OVER FOR THE AUSSIE
Nice story on Luke with a quote from his proud father.

LEWIS HEADED TO PORTSMOUTH INVITATIONAL
... for seniors, to help improve his stock with NBA scouts. (story here).

GET DOWN TO AMC TODAY
For the welcome party for the team.(story here).

ROBERT BROOKS FINAL FOUR DIARY
Nicely written journal by Brooks for his hometown paper, published at RamblinWreck.com. You can see the links to previous entires under his picture. Congrats Mr.Brooks on what you helped the team accomplish. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors. The car-door on the Wreck is always open for you.

BRAVES FIRST PITCH RE-SCHEDULED TO SATURDAY
Coach Hewitt was going to throw out the first pitch with the team tonight, but it has been re-scheduled to Saturday.

WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN ATL LAST NIGHT HAD WE WON??
Would we have done this???

BUCK FREDRICK READY TO ROLL AT GT
Nice story on Fredrick as he prepares to step on campus to begin his career at GT. Interesting comments on the possibility of Coach Hewitt leaving. Leads you to believe that Coach Hewitt did not call all these guys and tell them he was staying put.

ON THE RECRUITING TRAIL
In the post-game press-conference, Coach Hewitt said he and assistants would be hitting the recruiting trail on Wednesday of this week!!! Do these guys ever take a break??? That is why this team will stay a winner............... Here's more on the GT recruiting class, along with other schools........... Meanwhile, UNC's class could be falling apart - the all-time scorer in NC high school history is Jameson Curry, who just pleaded guilty to drug charges (story here). Rumor is that Roy Williams will revoke his 'ship this week after talking with his family. Two other highly touted recruits, JR Smith and M.Williams, appear to be possible NBA draft picks. My guess, Smith goes, Williams stays............... Texas center Lamarcus Aldridge has said he will attend Texas to play for Rick Barnes and not put his name in the lottery. This could bode well for Mr.Morris and his decision, as they are both top 5 centers out of high school.

MEANWHILE, IN OTHER SPORTS
Here is a blurb at ESPN on PJ Daniels and his off-season exploits............ In beesball, Clifton Remole was named ACC co-player of the week (story here).

MEANWHILE, IN NON-SPORTSHow about this story - G.Bush "pimping" for the Christian Coalition, straight out of the mouth of a GT prof. Ok then.

Bee Proud!!!

You know, it's funny. When the final horn sounded, I had this wave of good feelings come over me. Not anger, disappointment, frustration. Sure, the game gave me that whole range. But as soon as it was over, I smiled. I think it is the realization of the character, heart, pride and fight of this team. This special group of guys did something no other GT team in history has done, getting us this close to the pinnacle. Tonight we were outplayed by a better opponent, but what this team accomplished this year cannot be understated. A team picked to do nothing this season ended up among the last 2 standing.

"Family". This team will forever be linked with greatness in Tech history. There is Mo's fire and leadership, McHenry's suffucating defense and willingness to be what the team needed, Elder's scoring leadership, Jack's tenacity as floor general, Lewis's quiet marksmanship, Bynum's fear nothing attitude, Luke's long reach and humble attitude, Ish's flying circuis, Tarver's grit overcoming injury, Brook's team attitude and quirkiness, West's defensive hustle, Nystrom's shot and D.Nelson's & K.Jones's sacrifice to make others better. And of course, there is the Coach, Paul Hewitt. The rising star. No doubt he has proven himself and let's hope there are many special years to come. The future is bright for Georgia Tech basketball.

Family. This team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology with pride and honor. Hold your heads high team!!! GO JACKETS!!!!!

Was it a month ago since this morning

Is it just me or am I watching water boil here? Why does it seen like 1984 when I woke up this morning? Could the day possibly go ANY slower?

Upholding justice, fighting evil, and preserving the American way

That is us here at the 'Blog. We are out to set the record straight with all these stories on GT that are flat-out false. First, there was this story on Duke hatred that took a blatent pot-shot at GT players (from the ArizonaRepublic):

Here was my email to the writer:

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/colleges/0403ncaaboivin0403.html

I cannot believe what I read in your column:

"Contrast that with the media guide of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - thee of the 27 percent graduation rate - who seem to have to work at looking
smart. Each player is pictured hanging around campus with a professor. Riggghhhhht."

Not only was your comment ugly, it was ignorant. Coach Paul Hewitt has covered the "27% graduation rate" in major detail, if you haven't been paying attention.
There were 5 players cited in the study - of them ALL got degrees. Three graduated from GT and 2 transferred and got degrees from other schools. However, if you
transfer, you become a "non-graduate". One of them got his degree past the alloted time that the NCAA recognizes, and is also considered a "non-graduate". Coach Hewitt said that the graduation rate at GT during the years in the study was actually 60%, very close the actual regular student body average. He has said point blank - the study is wrong, inaccurate, incorrect, false, etc, etc.

You going to tell me Chris Bosh was "stupid" for leaving after one year to be drafted 4th into the NBA? He will eventually count against our graduation rates (not in the study cited), but he is one of the smartest, well-spoken, humble, nice young men you will ever meet. When he was here, he wanted to major in computer science, he comes from a stable, nice family. Yet you want to label him as "stupid" because the NCAA is a beauracratic bumbling mess that does not know how to change?

Lastly, your comment about players having to "work at looking smart" and laughing at hanging out with professors was just plain mean. Do not speak about things which you do not know. These guys DO go to class, they DO work hard, they DO spend time with professors. Marvin Lewis is graduating this year with a 3.4 GPA in finance. We are not talking bench warmer here. He is a starter and was the star of the final four game against OSU. He was voted to the CoSIDA Academic all-district team (link -http://ramblinwreck.ocsn.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/022004aaa.html). Lewis was also awarded a post-graduate scholarship (link here -http://ramblinwreck.ocsn.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/021104aac.html). He is a member of the ACC All-Academic team and has been for a few years. There is more but I do not want to bore you.

Six out of the fourteen players made dean's list last semester. If you know ANYTHING about Georgia Tech academics, you would understand how impressive this is. There are no hide-out majors at GT for athletes. The "easiest" majors are in business, and the business school is ranked high nationally. The players on THIS team will graduate - bank on it. Oh, we may have one or two that go to the NBA early, but so many of our players have come back to work on their degrees afterward. Of course the NCAA does not recognize thiseither.

I will not even go into the fact that of the four recruits we have coming in, three of them probably could have gotten accepted to GT on their own academic accomplishments. These are not idiots. Coach Hewitt is about more than just winning - he is about showing these kids that there is more to life than just basketball and growing them as men. If you do not believe that, then read this story about a field trip he took the team on yesterday.

http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/sports/colleges/georgia_tech/8356722.htm

I know you were doing a piece on "hatred of Duke" and I am sure you did not mean much by the comment, but it was misplaced, ugly and wrong. Please be more responsible next time when publishing something for an "official" paper for everyone to read.

Sincerely,

Scott
--------------------------------------------------------------
Next my friend and compadre Walt took on Mark Knobler at our "local support" rag, the AJC:

Mark,

First of all, thank you for your article about the Yellowjackets published on Sunday this past weekend. As an alumni who was on campus the last time the Jackets were in the Final Four, I appreciate the worldwide exposure that our team is receiving, as well as some at home in the AJC; however, I'd like to point out an inaccuracy in the article that I find offensive, and I'm sure that other alumni do as well:

"If they win, they'll become Tech's first NCAA championship team in any sport, because the football national titles Tech won aren't official NCAA championships."

I understand your comments in this day of the BCS and an "officially recognized" national champion now that the NCAA has gotten around to formally accepting one group's national champion over another, but your comment is more than a slap in the face to the 1990 national championship football team and goes to the heart of a proud tradition that these young basketball players are building on. I'm sure that you're aware of them, but here are the four national championships that Georgia Tech has enjoyed in football, the team records, and which organizations recognized them:

year: 1917 9-0 Billingsley Report
Helms Athletic Foundation
Houlgate System
Libby
National Championship Foundation

year: 1928 10-0 Billingsley Report
Boand System
College Football Researchers Association
Helms Athletic Foundation
Houlgate System
Libby
National Championship Foundation
Parke Davis
Polling System

year: 1952 12-0 Berryman
International News Service
Massey Ratings
Polling System

year: 1990 11-0-1 Dunkel System
Foundation for the Analysis of Competitions
and Tournaments
Massey Ratings
National Championship Foundation
United Press International

As a student during the last national championship, I can assure you that after the 11-0-1 Jackets whipped Nebraska in the citrus bowl and coaches overwhelmingly selected the Jackets as the best team in the land (without one loss, one tie, and five downs against Missouri, as well as a bogus clipping call that brought Rocket Ismail back from an upset victory against Notre Dame--but who's counting), there was no doubt in my mind about who the real national champion was.

Even if that championship is in doubt, your comment disrespects the fine athletes who competed for the Golden Tornado on John Heisman's outstanding teams in the early 1900's, Bill Alexander's championship team, as well as Bobby Dodd's excellent players leading up to the title in 1952. I believe that your comment simply has no place in any article about the Ramblin' Wreck, much less one in an Atlanta paper.

I would appreciate a clarification of your comment in a future article.

Go Jackets!

Walt

Duhon's final shot kills the betters

UConn up by 4 points and Duhon throws up a meaningless shot at the end as the buzzer goes off. It banks in and UConn wins by one. The shot didn't matter right? Wrong - how about $30 - $100 million in betting money that was lost by people trying to cover the spread. Wow - talk about a meaningless big shot that caused a LOT of money to change hands. (story here).

Daily Swarm

First, let me say that I cannot keep up with all the articles on the team and the game. No possible way. With that in mind, I'll try to give you a complete picture.

HOW ABOUT THIS?
GT's all time highest win total for one season is 28. We currently have 28 wins and there is one more left to play. HHHHhhhhhhhmmmmmmm. 'Nuff said.............. Wouldn't it be sweet to give UConn both their first loss of the season and their last???? Forty minutes separate dream from reality..... Fans certainly want just one more win.

MONDAY BLUES? NOT FOR CALHOUN AND HEWITT
Today could be the greatest day of one of these coaches lives (story here). And what did Calhoun have to say about Hewitt - "I'll tell you what I don't like about him. He's young, good-looking and comes across as being not competitive. I've talked to some of his former players and he's one son of a [bleep] at practice. I do think that should be revealed. "They were putting makeup on him today [before a CBS interview]. Why? They should've saved all the time for me. ... He's everything that [ticks] me off." I am sure all said in jest and good fun............ More on Hewitt and his compelling story................ Meanwhile, Coach Calhoun will not go to the HOF this year.......... Here' more on Hewitt.

HOW MUCH DOES COACH HEWITT LOVE THE KNICKS
Read this article to find out............ Here's a nice article about Hewitt with quotes from his college buddies at Fisher.

WHAT ARE THE MEDIA PICKS?
Well, most of the talking heads are going with UConn. Phil Martelli said that UConn will lead wire-to-wire. As a bad omen, Mike Jarvis has picked GT to win for once - crap........ More no-name writers pick UConn............. Las Vegas has installed us as 5-point underdogs though, fantastic!!!!............. This guy at PennLive.com gives us as much chance of winning as Spinx against Tyson.............. This article compares this game to the 1983 title match-up, when NCST shocked Houston - that is giving GT way too little credit. However, you can see a lot of comparisons with that game. Would love to see nothing more than Marvin Lewis to shoot an air-ball and Luke grab it, stuff it home for the W, then watch Hewitt run around trying to find someone to hug.

On Jim Rome's show today, he gave major props to G-Tech, talked about how they deserve to be there, how they beat a great OSU team, and how you don't "fluke" your way to 5 tourney wins. Talked about classy Hewitt and how he just looks destined to be successful. Having said that, he picked UConn, saying that just like Carmello last year, Okafor will not let his team lose - he will will them to victory.

THE INEVITABLE VS THE IMPROBABLE
That's the theme of this season - and here it is in print. Keep writing us off I say - one more game and that's it!!

THE ACC LOVES THAT GT IS IN OVER DUKE
... at least except Duke fans. From this article - "Flight from Atlanta to San Antonio: $932. Four nights at a decent hotel: $817. Souvenirs from Hoop City: $114. Average cost of a routine margarita anywhere on the Riverwalk: $7. Buying tickets to the NCAA Tournament championship game from Duke fans before they leave town on Sunday?.................... Priceless."

BIG EAST AND ACC GO TO BATTLE AGAIN
Good article on the teams going to war. A chance for the Big East to win back-to-back titles. A good chance for the ACC to win 3 of the last 4. Coach Hewitt sure does defend the ACC with a passion............ Also note in the article that Ed Nelson came and spoke with the team. I hope it was all business............. and you can tell at the end of the story about C-Moore's leadership - strong!!

JACK DOES IT ALL FOR JACKETS
Major props to JJ's mom (story here) - "To tell you the truth, I was leaning towards committing to Michigan State," he said. "They really sold me on their success over the previous couple of years. My mom was kind of the one and said, 'Wouldn't you like to be a part of rebuilding a program?' She told me that I would be looked at on such a greater plateau for doing that. "I thank her for that every day." .......... I see a lot of comments over at the Hive from fans who have spoken with his mom at games and they all express what an incredibly proud mother she is - a strong woman.

BYNUM A FINAL FOUR HERO
Did you know Bynum's left arm has a tatoo of an NBA logo? (story here). Have any doubts where he wants to be? Awesome quote from Jack - "We're like sharks in the fish tank,".......... and from Bynum's mother - "There's just something about Coach Hewitt that everyone likes," Bynum said. "My mom is on me the whole time: 'You have to trust him. You have to trust him.'........... Evidently Bynum's mom was crying the whole night after he made the game-winning shot against OSU (story here). Don't tell me a mother doesn't have an influence on their sons. You can see it in articles on Jack and Bynum. At the McDonalds AA game, Morris's mom said it would be a plus to have Randolph closer to home - no doubt that will carry considerable weight.............. It is obvious that Coach Hewitt does an incredible job of building trust with his players. He has built a team around "family", a group of guys that trust him and want to win over and above reaching personal accomplishments. Bynum is the perfect example.

THE BATTLE STARTS IN THE MIDDLE
Who says the true college center is dead - the game tonight starts right in the middle (story here)............ Luke has become "chic" as this article puts it. Nice to see Luke's girlfriend's mom packing a care package for him............. Another story about the battle in the middle....... Yet even more on our man Luke.......... And yet another one with this quote from Coach Dean Keener - ""He taught us a valuable lesson," Tech assistant Dean Keener said. "Never give up on a big man if he's willing to work." .......... Here's more on Okafor and how special he is as a person........ No to ping-pong back and forth, but here is more on Okafor............. and back to Luke again............. And back to Okafor............... Even Luke's Aussie papers are talking about him.

EVEN BOB RYAN OF THE BOSTON GLOBE GETS IN ON THE ACT
.... with this article on big men. From the article - "Luke Schenscher is an official work in progress (WIP), but at 7 feet 1 inch and 250 pounds, the Georgia Tech center is a charming throwback to the days when a young man who ducked through doorways didn't automatically harbor a secret ambition to become the next Isiah Thomas. You young-'uns may have a hard time comprehending this, but back in the day, as they say, tall people were taught to play basketball with -- pay attention, now -- their backs to the basket. People called them centers, or pivotmen, and they were the focal point of the team, offensively and defensively."

On that note, this article talks about how the Final Four has been college hoops at its best and for the NBA to take note of how the game should be played............. And here's more on this team being like the "throwback" NBA teams of past............. Here's even more on the throwback match-up.......... Here are more comparisons with the NBA, but please drop this re-seeding crap. If GT wins, I don't want to hear it again, because it will mean that GT has beaten EVERY team in the Final Four, and one of the twice. They deserve to be there - get over it.

DOES LUKE KNOW WHAT A POSSE IS???
Hilarious comments from Luke when asked if he knew what a posse was - "'I know what a posse is,'' he said. ''But I've never had one before -- not that I know of, anyway.''

GET LUKE'S FAMILY A SATELLITE HOOKUP AND BIG-SCREEN TV!!!
... or better yet, fly them here to watch the game. From Luke in this article - "It's funny," he says. "My big games this year, most of them have been when my parents and family are watching. That gives me an edge, helps me get motivation. All I think about then is making my family proud."........... Luke, can you fathom how proud your family will be if you show up big tonight????

NAME ONE STAR AMERICAN-BORN CENTER UNDER 30 YEARS OLD?
Interesting article on the fact that the US is not producing the center talent these days.

ELDER FRUSTRATED BUT KEEPING HIS HEAD UP
Nice story on BJ as he gets ready for the game.

FIVE KEYS OF THE GAME
For the Huskies - story here.
For the Jackets - story here.

DEEP JACKETS SWARM TO THE CHALLENGE.
Story on depth....... Even Robert Brooks is ready to step in and is ok with his role as long as the team is winning.

ON SUTTON'S SOUR GRAPES
When asked about Sutton's comments on OSU being a better team and being able to beat GT in a 10-game series, Jack responded - "We're the team that's moving on and they're going home," Tech point guard Jarrett Jack said. "That's pretty much what it boils down to. We're the team playing on Monday night." ..............

COACH HEWITT LOOKING AT THE BIGGER PICTURE
Also note that Coach Hewitt took the team to Carver Academy to meet with David Robinson (story here), and the team was impressed. (another blurb here).........

SORRY, BUT UCONN CALHOUN'S STATEMENTS ARE WEAK!!!
He basically says that the Big East will not be in better shape with addition of Louisville, Depaul, Marquette and Cincy, because the teams might "beat each other up too much". Give me a break. So you want a weak conference so you can look good on top every year. No doubt you would be scared to join the ACC if that is your attitude.

MORE EX-PLAYERS TO ATTEND MONDAY
On top of all the players mentioned already (Price, Salley, D-Scott, Dalyrimple, Barry, Domalik, Harpring, Kaiser, Babul, Cremins, Cantwell, G.Felton,etc), both Chris Bosh and Kenny Anderson will attend on Monday night. Stephon Marbury is a possibility. Also looks like Dion Glover, Bosh's teammate will attend (story in bottom notes)................ Don't tell me Kenny Anderson doesn't care about GT even though he only was here two years - (story here) - "Kenny Anderson was so nervous at the end of Georgia Tech's NCAA tourney win over Oklahoma State on Saturday that he couldn't stand to watch. So he left his hotel room and headed down to the lobby, missing the final five minutes. "I ain't going to lie," he said before Sunday's game against the Pistons. "I was a little nervous." Anderson, who played two seasons at Tech before entering the NBA draft, saw the highlights of its two-point win later. He's fully confident his former school will beat Connecticut for the championship tonight. "Oh, yeah, no doubt," he said. "They've opened the floodgates. They're playing with a lot of confidence."

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!
Look at the bottom of this article - "Together, they've matched the school record with 28 victories, and tonight they become the first Tech basketball players to wear the old gold, white and blue in an NCAA title game. If they win, they'll become Tech's first NCAA championship team in any sport, because the football national titles Tech won aren't official NCAA championships." If that's not the biggest load of crap I have ever heard, I don't know what is.

COACH HEWITT AND TEAM TO THROW OUT FIRST PITCH FOR BRAVES
Tuesday night is the home opener for the Braves and Coach Hewitt, with his team behind him, will throw out the 1st pitch. CONGRATS!!!! (story here).

UCONN READY FOR THE REMATCH
As you can see, the Huskies are ready. They have Okafor healthy, Villineauva in the line-up, Gordon playing better and a RED-HOT Rashad Anderson (hitting 53% of 3pt shots in the tourney).... while the Jackets have added Bynum and Tarver and a better playing Luke............ Here is "the book" on Ben Gordon, a tough match-up for Jack.............. Here is talk of Gordon going pro after this season........Another "UConn getting ready" article............ Here is a story about UConn's chance for revenge from the early season trouncing by the Jackets.......... Of course that Pre-Season NIT game seems lifetimes ago, even to the coaches.

COACH HEWITT BELIEVED FROM DAY ONE
No doubt his confidence sets the tone. It is not arrogance - it is genuine belief. (story here).......... Coach Hewitt also is a builder, as evidenced in this story.

INJURIES HOBBLE THE JACKETS
We all know about Elder. Isma'il is also nursing some tendenitis in his knee. (story here).Neither will be 100%. Remember the missed dunk by Isma'il against OSU - here is what he said about it - "That would have been a relatively easy dunk for me, but I wasn't able to get up because of the knee." Sounds like both guys will be around 80%. Jack also bruised his elbow, but that is not expected to be a factor.

POSTCARDS FROM WES
Interesting off-day notes from Wes Durham.

GO TO THE NBA YOUNG MAN - NOW!!!
Per this writer, he likes the game better with all the best players leaving. No doubt it blurs the lines between the top programs and the rest of the pack.

HOW'S THE MOOD ON CAMPUS
Getting more intense - as this article says.

Picture worth a thousand words

From AP wire.

The best picture is here - pic link - check out the caption - "Georgia Tech fan George Burdell of Atlanta, cheers for his team before their semifinal game in the NCAA (news - web sites) Final Four (news - web sites) against Oklahoma State, Saturday, April 3, 2004, in San Antonio. " Way to keep the tradition alive.

Here come the stories

SUTTON NOT EXACTLY GRACIOUS IN DEFEAT
Here was his post-game quote (story here) - "I am disappointed because I think we're a little bit better (than Georgia Tech)," Sutton said afterward. "I always judge teams. If you play a series, I think we're a little bit better than Georgia Tech, but we weren't in the game that counted. They are a tremendous team." Thanks a lot for the credit Coach Sutton - not! In that final shot of Sutton after the long-distance heave didn't go in - when he bit his lip I swear was a dead ringer for the Grinch. Another person dubbed it "bitter beer face".

HEWITT "PADDLES" SUTTON
You have to love Sportsline.com's Greg Doyell (well sometimes). In this case he writes a great article on the Jackets and how Coach Hewitt was able to expose the Cowboys. Best line - "In front of 44,417 people, with God and Billy Packer and an international television audience watching, Hewitt paddled Sutton and sent him home without his trophy." Also notice the intimidation factor Coach Hewitt played with the Cowboys, trying to get into their heads before the game.

REMEMBERING THE ALAMO
Great story on Coach Hewitt and the team from the Washington Post.

A TEAM OF TRANSFERS BEATEN BY A TRANSFER
Nice quote in this story from Coach Hewitt - "I told the players, coaches go through this every year," Yellow Jackets coach Paul Hewitt said. "But the players get this once. Now they're linked. Linked forever."

CHARITY COMMITTMENTS ARE STRONG
Interesting story about some students who didn't go to SA because of the American Cancer Society Relay for Life.

THE BIG AUSSIE COMES UP BIG
I am sure we will see more stories about the thunder from down-under. (stories here). Nice to see people cheering for the Jackets around the world......... A similar but slightly different story on Luke's game.......... More on Luke's game.

NOTHING BUT CONFIDENCE ON THIS TEAM
Here is the "official" story from the AP.
- from J.Jack - "Everybody thinks we're underdogs except for the people in this locker room. I think that's all that matters anyway," Tech guard Jarrett Jack said."
- from Coach Hewitt - "Never throughout this entire tournament run, in any of the five games, did I see doubt in their eyes," Hewitt said."........... Here's another AP story focusing on the Ok.St side of things.

THE BYNUM / ALLEN STORY
Well, Bynum got the best of Allen this time around. (story here)........... Here's a little more on Bynum and Ok.St.

BYNUM WAS NOT THINKING PASS
In the post-game conference, Bynum said - "If somebody is open, hit them. If not, take the shot. I was thinking, 'Take the shot' the whole time," said Bynum, a junior transfer from Arizona. "It's like a dream come true, making a shot like this." story here........... More on the final shot............ Might be a repeat, but another Bynum story........... From Bynum's hometown paper, the Chicago Tribune...........

MORE ON "THE BLUR" AKA...
... Will the Thrill. Interesting recruiting re-cap of Bynum before he headed to Arizona.......... SI.com gets in on the act - note the misc comments at the bottom.

PASS THE MARGARITAS
Some other writers over at AJC get into the act. Nice story on the team and fan quotes. A quote from Will Bynum that I liked - "A few minutes after his driving layup to win, Bynum was asked about the team's lack of NBA potential. "We don't care about that right now," he shot back. "We came to win."

THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
Nice story from the Philly Inquirer. Best line - "Tech is the Swiss Army knife of this Final Four - able to kill a bear, open a can of beans, dig a trench ... a million and one uses. Similarly, Tech can play your game or their game or someone else's game. Tech can run or slow down, play inside or outside, driveway or gym."

FIVE KEYS OF THE GAME
.... from the AJC.

FORMER GT PLAYERS SHOW UP STRONG
Some of the ones mentioned in this story - "And the pool of former players was plenty deep. Mark Price, John Salley, Dennis Scott, Duane Ferrell, Bruce Dalrymple, Matt Harpring, Drew Barry and Roger Kaiser also were there." Brian Domalik and Drew Barry also there I heard. Word is K-Anderson will be there Monday.

A LOOK AT LUCAS
Tough loss for Lucas and I am sure that last play will haunt him (story here). He shouldn't take it poorly - he hit the shot that tied the game and got them where they are in the first place.

A LOOK AT THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THE FINAL FOUR
And the "units" (no we're not talking Randy Johnson) - story here.

BOBBY CREMINS NOT DEAD AS POSSIBLE ST.JOHN'S COACH
At this point, the way St.John's act, I would be a bit disappointed to see him go there (story here).. Happy that he is able to get back into coaching, but not for those delusional whacko's. Notice that Matt Doherty is the lead-candidate but not a slam-dunk.

So who says centers don't matter in college anymore?

How many times have we heard it - with today's college game, the winners are the quick teams with strong guards and aggresive wing players. The days of the dominant center are over. Well certainly the NBA has had something to do with that, but Luke proved tonight that a big man DOES make a difference. Height and size DO matter. Luke was everywhere - scoring, rebounding, setting picks, defending, blocking, passing, you name it. Wow!!

Campus going crazy

Reports from the Hive are that the campus is having a huge impromptu block party. From VDGT07 - "this is great down here. i'm at the corner of techwood and 5th and its like a big block party. i'm sure everyone wishes they could be here. no riots, but lots of music, partying , cops (but theyre not doing anything) and cars honking. good times."

Holy Cow!!!!!!!! Holy Cow!!!!!!!!!

Has your heart slowed down yet? Simply AWESOME BABY!!! "Bend but don't break" - "Any given night" - "Luke has a posse" - all apply!!!! I'll write more when I can calm down.

Listen to the Press Conference

Click here to listen to the latest press conference:

Here are some highlights:

PH: Once again the media got graduation rates wrong - I am tired of seeing an inaccurate number in stories. GT had 5 players come into the program in 1996 and all 5 received degrees, 3 from GT and the other 2 transferred and graduated from other schools.

Will Bynum has made J.Jack a better player since he arrived last January. He is a competitor and is not afraid to fail when it comes to taking important shots. He is a competitor

Both teams are very similar. I am impressed with how well they screen and execute in the halfcourt offense. Our guys will have to be aware of them because they shoot really well.

On defense they are physical and strong. We will have to cut well - hard and strong. Can't get bumped off our routes

On the 8/5 rule: When I took over BC had signed a good class, including Brandon Plavich, a very good PG. He wanted out of his LOI and I could have been a tough guy and said no. But in reflecting on it, we decided that here is an 18 year old kid trying to figure out where he wants to be in life. I was happy where I was and he should be too. We let him out of his LOI, thinking the NCAA would honor our appeal to get another 'ship. We had 10 guys on 'ship that year and we were losing 5 to graduation. We appealed looking for a 6th 'ship. One of the young men who visited us was Omeka Okafor. We thought we had a great shot at him. He visited Rice, GT and Vandy. He was an outstanding student and would have been a great fit at GT. He wanted to sign late and we picked another center, but with a 6th 'ship who knows what would have happened. But we did not have a chance to play that out because of the 8/5. I think there is a better way to give kids a chance to mature in college by helping them through their early years.

The challenge is to get our kids focused on the next play when they make a mistake. All 4 teams had great years and deserve to be here. I have to rely on people I have relied on all my life. George Raveling is one of those guys. I talked with Tubby Smith about where he stayed and how to approach this with the players. It's a balance between letting your kids enjoy their time here and yet keeping them focused on the task at hand.

I am biased towards the ACC so I will be rooting for Duke. The ACC is what prepared this team to get to this point.

BJ instructed me to tell everyone his ankle is fine so you will stop asking about it.

On picking a favorite: I like our team. It was Duke in the beginning, but I like us now. I think we have the depth to handle any situation.

On Ok.St: You focus so much on the defense, you forget this team shoots 51% from the floor. That puts real pressure on us to get our team ready. Joey Graham has really been their X-factor after watching their 4 games.

On calling Raveling before the Kansas game: George said you have to force Simeon to guard someone, so you have to give Luke the ball. We had a couple of scripted plays to start the game, but we changed them after that conversation to get the ball to Luke.
Next JJ, Lewis and Luke answered questions

Fantastic comeback from Jack!!

I love it. After listening to reporters go on...and on.... and on about how tough the Cowboy's are and hearing about their drill with helmets and football shoulder pads, he responded with this - "I remember one day in practice we did similar drills," he said. "We did it without any protection." Frickin' awesome!!

And check out the rebounding drill Coach Hewitt uses called "war rebounding" (story here). From Marvin Lewis - "We have a drill called war rebounding," guard Marvin Lewis said, "where it's like three or four guys in the lane. "Coach throws the ball up. Anything goes. You can punch, you can push, you can do whatever. Just get the rebound and try to put it back in," he said.

A look back at the ACC's 2000 class

This guy doesn't see it measuring up to expectations. For the Jackets it incluced M.Lewis and R.Brooks.

Ouch - dissing K-Anderson

Remember the story this week about Kenny asking his coach for time off to go to San Antonio to see the Jackets and promptly being told NO? SI.com's Luke Winn is rough on Anderson here -

"In an ode to Georgia Tech's rich basketball history, Paul Hewitt has invited Yellow Jacket stars of yesteryear -- among them Mark Price, Kenny Anderson, Dennis Scott and Bobby Cremins -- to attend the Final Four in San Antonio. Anderson, who led the Wreck to their last Final Four, in 1990, is extremely interested, but has complications. He deemed it kosher to ask his current coach, Rick Carlisle, if he could bail on the Pacers' weekend games -- Friday vs. the Raptors, Sunday at the Pistons -- to make the trip to Texas. "I asked him if I could go to San Antonio and he laughed at me," Anderson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Then he asked me later if I was serious and I told him, 'Yeah.' " "I told him he has a better chance of seeing God than me allowing that to happen," Carlisle said. Hewitt opted not to send Carlisle a doctor's note -- best not to let Anderson have too much influence on Jarrett Jack, lest the Jackets' current floor leader leave Atlanta early, then toil on mediocre NBA teams for 12 seasons, living championship dreams vicariously through his old U."

Looks like no Hall-of-Fame for Calhoun

Sources say that Jim Calhoun was not chosen for the b-ball HOF - new members will be announced Monday.

By the Numbers

Some interesting ones:

- GT is 22-0 when giving up 70 points or less.
- Ok.St is 26-0 when giving up 70 points or less
- Neither team has scored more than 75 in the dance

Those and other numbers in this article.

Anyone remember the bonfire @ N.Ave in 1990?? Tearing down goalposts??

Well, looks like they are preparing more effectively for post-Final Four celebrations. This email was sent out by Wayne Clough - the prez.

Good Afternoon,

It's an incredible week to be a Yellow Jacket thanks to a series of
stellar performances by Coach Paul Hewitt and the men's basketball
team. I had the pleasure of being in both Milwaukee and St. Louis for
the first and second rounds, and it was a real pleasure to watch this
group of young men both on and off the court.

With only a week to plan, things are moving rapidly, so I wanted to
take this opportunity to inform you about a number of events open to
the entire campus community, around the Final Four. I hope that you'll
avail yourself of the opportunities available on campus this weekend
and enjoy something truly special in the life of the Institute. Please
take the time to read this entire message as it contains information
you will need to know.

On Saturday, there are two venues sponsoring game watching gatherings
for those of you who want to raise your voices with other Yellow Jacket
fans. Tip-off time for the game is 6:07 E.S.T and the Campus
Recreation Center will open its doors to all Georgia Tech students,
faculty and staff at 5:00 p.m. Those who want to attend must present a
Georgia Tech I.D. to be admitted. Concessions will be open throughout
the game, but they will not be showing the second game at CRC.

Also on Saturday, the Relay for Life at Georgia Tech, a 12-hour
run/walk relay benefit for the American Cancer Society, will take place
on the CRC fields. During the relay, they will be showing the game on
a 10 x 14 foot television screen. The fields open at 5 p.m. Saturday.
In the event of rain, the relay will take place inside the CRC,
essentially ending the outdoor game-viewing option.

If the team does not make it to Monday evening, they will return to
Atlanta on Sunday. We will then celebrate their successful season
during Sting Break festivities on Thursday from 11:00-12:00 at the
Campanile. Coach Hewitt and the team will be on hand so please come
out and congratulate them on an outstanding season.

But that's not going to happen. After we win on Saturday, we will
again have a group showing of the championship game. Monday night's
event will be at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Doors will open at
8:00 p.m. and tip-off time is 9:07 E.S.T. We will again require a
Georgia Tech I.D. for admission. Also, please make sure that you carry
your I.D. with you if you plan on re-entering campus after 7:00 p.m.,
as we will be restricting access to campus to faculty,
staff, and students.

After the game Monday, we will be throwing a street celebration at
Eighth and Fowler Streets. We'll be serving food and refreshments and
entertainment will be provided by a D.J. It will be a great way to cap
off a memorable evening. Of course none of Monday night's festivities
will happen if we don't make it to the title game.

After Monday's championship game, we expect the team to return to
Atlanta sometime late Tuesday afternoon. Rather than having a group
just meet the bus, we are planning a full-scale welcome home
celebration in the Coliseum for 5:30 Tuesday evening. The doors will
open at 4:00 and Monday's game will be replayed in its entirety on the
big screens without commercial interruption, as a warm-up to the event.
Tuesday's celebration will feature Wes Durham as MC and the entire
men's basketball team. The entire Tech community is welcome for this
event and no I.D. will be necessary for admission. Any crowd overflow
will be accommodated in the Russ Chandler Baseball Stadium for viewing
on the big screen there.

There is much to celebrate about this team. Their success both on and
off the court has been extremely impressive. It is even more
impressive when you consider the outstanding academics of this
Institute. They are excellent ambassadors for us.

So I ask that throughout this Final Four period, each of you serve as
an excellent ambassador for Georgia Tech as well. We have become all
too familiar with tales of celebrations run amok on campuses where
teams have won or lost in the championship game. Those incidents take
a wonderful event, and forever leave a sour aftertaste.

That is not who we are. This is a unique place, unlike any other
university in the Final Four. Let's make sure that we conduct
ourselves in a fashion that reflects well on our reputation. Be safe.
Have fun. Be responsible. I know that you will.

This is a lot of information. If you can't remember all of this, you
can click on the Final Four link on the Tech home page. There, you
will find this, and lots of other information about Tech's first trip
to the Final Four in 14 years.

Have a fun, safe, and enjoyable weekend, and Go Jackets!


G. Wayne Clough
President

A Cautionary Tale

While we spout off about what kids should and should not make the jump to the pro's, there is always "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say. Sebastian Telfair could become the first high school PG to jump to the pro's and certainly would be the shortest at just shy of 6-feet. He has signed with Louisville. This guy happens to be Stephon Marbury's cousin. But look at his family situation and you realize this is not just about skills. He grew up in a Coney Island housing project, a rough neighborhood to say the least. His brother was just arrested and charged with attempted murder this week. His father, who is a Vietnam vet, has done time for 2nd degree murder and manslaughter. (story here).

You know what - if the NBA had a spot and I was him, I would say "...sorry Mr.Pittino, but I have more important things to worry about than making loads of money for Louisville.". I would be signing shoe deals and drinking Gatorade, even if I had to sit on a bench for 3 years.

We may not like what the NBA is doing to the college game but that is life. College is not for everyone. We let Jennifer Capriata play tennis at 14, send high school baseball players to the minors, let Freddy Adu play soccer.... and the list goes on. And guess what - the college gravy train in football is over too. Better get used to that - the best players ain't gonna be around 4 years. That is free market economics and there is nothing wrong with it.

Ultimately the NCAA just needs to find ways to be more competitive. Does that mean paying players - I don't know. Here's an idea. How about developing a program that allows colleges to bring in high school seniors (prior to their senior year) and let them play a year early in the NCAA. We allow braniac child prodigies to go to college. We take gifted golfers and tennis players and send them to special schools to develop their skills at a young age. Instead of the Lebron nationwide tour watching him dunk on a bunch of short high-school no-talents, why not give him a year playing in the NCAA, honing his skills at a higher level and getting his high school degree at the same time. The colleges can develop a senior year curriculum to accomodate those players - heck, home school the kids. The colleges win because they get the best of the best high school players, the players win because they get to develop their games against higher competition and find out where they really stack-up. The NBA wins because they don't have to bet the farm on "up-side".

If the NCAA does not do something it will get worse. The only thing that will slowdown the losses in the influx of European and global talent to the NBA. If the Euro players are truly more advanced in their basic skills they will continue to put more players in the bigs - and there are only so many jobs available. Time will tell. Will we ever see a high school 7-footer with talent in college? As long as there are Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Jermaine O'Niell and Kobe Bryant stories, I suspect not.

The Stakes getting higher for recruits and grades

.... and more importantly on schools. NCAA prez Myles Brand is laying out his vision, which means if a player leaves early due to academic problems, a coach cannot replace that scholarship. No doubt that will have an impact on recruiting and which players get signed. Not only that, it is not clear how players leaving early for the NBA would be handled. Let it be said right here - they will make an exemption for that - no doubt. If a coach could not replace a scholarship when a player heads to the NBA, that puts the most talented recruits in a tough spot. Will they be recruited by the top schools, if the Coach K's and Hewitt's of the world know they will only last a year? Of course in the end it would penalize the school and the athletics programs.

A Thrill-ride to the Final Four

A nice rah-rah story on the Jackets and their run to the Final Four.

Great story on Coach Hewitt

Very nice write-up from NYNewsday.......... Here's another one, and yet another one.......... and with risk of repeating material, here is one from the Washington Post.

"Hack-a-Husky" might be key strategy against UConn

Remember our game in the pre-season NIT - I think they were something like 9-30 from the foul line. They are only marginally better since then. (story here).

Here's an overall look at all 4 teams.

More people who know Jack

Another story on Jack - can we please continue to re-cycle the same stuff about the PG legacy at GT - After 5 days in a row, I bet there is a deeper story in there somewhere. Only Wayne Drehs at ESPN has found one if you ask me (see link below).

Here's a little better story, looking at ALL of our guards. Is it just me, or does the LA Times have some of the best Jackets coverage in the nation? And that begs the question - why?

Dickey and Fredrick get a peek at the future

Nice article on 2 young men that are part of our future - both picked GT / UConn in the final bracket (like me). However, they picked GT to go all the way (I picked UConn - call me a cynic).

from theState.com photo file:

Thank goodness we know what Mike Jarvis thinks

Jarvis breaks down the game over at SI.com (story here). Wow, thanks for gracing us with your opinion of the game. So the keys for GT are make 3-pointers, score in transition - brilliant analysis. Do the GT players think they have already over-achieved? He hints at that. Thanks Mr.Jarvis, although I'm not sure you know what over-acheiving is about.

Jarvis isn't the only one favoring the Cowboys - Jay Bilas over at ESPN is also. This is a nice summary of both teams and some of the strengths and weaknesses.

USAToday did a nice review of all 4 teams also (story here).

More on Morris

Will he come to GT? Will he be a Cat? Only time will tell. This article from a UK paper looks at the McDonalds AA game and here is what it said about Morris:
------------------------------
UK may benefit from a player not going to the NBA. Randolph Morris, a 7-foot center from Fairburn, Ga., indicated that he wants to attend college.

Morris said he was debating between UK and Georgia Tech.

"Ultimately it's going to be based on what I can do in that system or where I fit in perfect," said Morris, who had eight points and three rebounds for the East.

Two All-Americans headed to UK were trying to convince Morris that fit is with the Cats. Joe Crawford, a 6-4 guard who had a team-high 15 points for the West, said he spoke to Morris. Rondo, who also played with the East, was Morris' roommate during the week.

"Every night I've been asking him what he's going to do," said Rondo, who had 14 points and four assists. "He said he's coming, but you never know."

At least Morris was clear in saying he wasn't going to try the draft. Some McDonald's players may have put too much pressure on themselves to perform in front of the many pro scouts, which included Pat Riley and B.J. Armstrong.
------------------------------

Now, Morris said it will be based on "where I fit perfect". In thinking about that statement and looking at both teams on the court, I don't get a warm-fuzzy. Now, "perfect fit" could mean a lot more than just on the court, so I will leave it at that for now. After his decision I will expound - but for now - Mr.Morris - GT IIIISSSS the perfect fit - can't you see.

Injury Report - Elder

Elder returned to practice Thursday (story here), and reports are that he is a little sore, but will be ready to play.

Coach Keener headed to JMU

It is true (ESPN story here) - Keener signs a 5-year deal worth in the neighborhood of $200,000 as the head man at James Madison U. How much you wanna bet they show up on our schedule in the next 3 years? Just a guess. Well, he will be missed in the A.T.L. One thing that bugs me is why this has to be announced during Final Four week. JMU wanted to put this thing to bed, but I hate having it as a distraction this week. I guess we'll deal with it.

So what does this mean for other coaching jobs. Here is my guess. Matt Doherty turned down the JMU job, so he is probably targeting the St.John's job (story here). That also means Bobby Gonzalez (Manhatten) will probably end up in Miami as they join the ACC. Just guesses, but stay tuned....... It is also true that Pete Gillen will be back as HC at Virginia. (story here).

G-Day Mate

Nice article on our man Luke. Did you know that his entire family is at least 6' tall (sisters included). They will all be watching along with aunts and uncles in his hometown Saturday (Sunday morning in Austalia). Wait a minute - if they will be watching the next day, they should already know what happened - hey... give us a call!!!

Glad to see after having sophomore year frustrations that Luke decided to stick with it. A great young man who represents GT well, and gives us a bit of character.

Coach Hewitt's new deal becomes official

They have made Coach Hewitt's new deal official. Probably a good idea so that this constant press about where else he might go will stop. Good move by D.Braine, and this should help solidify recruiting. Terms of the deal include raise his annual pay package to the range of $1 million annually, up from about $750k. It is a 6-year roll-over deal to keep him through the 2010 season. Here's the AJC article. Congrats Coach Hewitt - it is well deserved!!

Anthony Vasser gets a little hometown press

Who is that you ask? AKA Anthony McHenry from Woodlawn HS in Alabama. (story here).

Get ready for the mascot rodeo

Being announced by our own John Salley (press release here). Buzz on a bronco - could be interesting.

Looks like Keener will accept JMU job

Hopefully this is an April fools joke, but this story is reporting that Dean Keener has accepeted the James Madison U. hoops coaching job. Exciting for him, disappointing for the Jackets. Evidently the first choice, Matt Doherty, turned down the job. Guess he is waiting on the St.John's gravy train to come rollin in.

If it is true Coach Keener, best of luck to you in your new endeavors - cheers!!! We will miss you!!!

Looks like Pete Gillan might keep his job

Official announcement coming today, but the Washington Post reporting uncited sources that it looks like he will be around again.

More on the coaching carousel

From the Robesonian in NC. While I wish Dean Keener the best if he gets the JMU job, I selfishly hope he ends up back with the Jackets.

Best GT Game Ever???

The Poll results are final and your vote was this year's victory over Duke at Cameron, ending their 41 game home winning streak. In 2nd place was our 1955 victory over Kentucky, ending their 129 game home winning streak. Sorry, but the 1955 victory is hands down the biggest victory in our history. The problem of course is that none of us really remember it - nothing on TV, etc, etc. The Duke victory is fresh, was exciting and everyone remembers it.

VOTING RESULTS (% of vote, #votes)

17.8% 63.......2004 - 76-68; over Duke; ending 41 game home winning streak
17.6% 62.......1955 - 59-58; end #1 KY's 129 game home winning streak (A.Rupp coach)
16.1% 57.......1990 - 81-80; NCAA T over in OT Mich St (K.Anderson shot @ buzzer to tie; D.Scott in OT to win)
13.9% 49.......1989 - 76-74; over UNC reg.season (D.Scott steal & 3pt shot @ buzzer)
13.3% 47.......1992 - 79-78; NCAA T over USC (Forrest shot @ buzzer)
3.4% 12.........1986 - 64-62; ACC semi-final over MD (D.Ferrel steal/dunk)
2.8% 10.........1985 - 57-54; 1st ACC championship over UNC
2.5% 9...........1990 - 112-105; triple OT over UGA (K.Anderson scores 40; can you say Domalik/Munlyn?)
2.5% 9...........1993 - 77-75; over #1 UNC in ACC tourney final (Forrest 27/10)
2.3% 8...........1993 - 80-79; over #1 Duke; end 23 game win streak;
1.7% 6...........1990 - 94-91; NCAA T over LSU (comeback over Shaq, C.Jackson)
1.7% 6...........1992 - 87-85; over Louisville (J.Forrest 3pt shot @ buzzer)
1.4% 5...........1984 - 72-71; triple OT over #19 UVA
1.4% 5...........2000 - 86-84; over KY; (H.Lane scores 23 off bench; Fein jumper w/1.3 seconds)
0.8% 3...........1955 - 65-59; become 1st team to ever beat #1 KY twice in same season
0.3% 1...........1987 - 78-77; over UGA (Anthony Sherrod putback @ buzzer)
0.3% 1...........1996 - 73-71; over Duke in OT (Marbury jumper w/12 seconds)
0% 0..............1988 - 71-70; over nat'l ranked Depaul (D.Scott 3pt shot @ buzzer)
0% 0..............1989 - 93-92; over Pitt ACC/BE Challenge (D.Scott hits 8 footer w/6 ticks; scores 42)

Morris was roomies with a future KY Cat

I got you a little more excited by reporting the comments about Morris and the interview from his mom. That was good for GT no doubt. Here's the other side. His roomate during the festivities was evidently R.Rondo, who has verballed to KY. Word was he did his best to try and sway Morris. But he wasn't the only one. Joe Crawford, who has signed with KY, is another McDonald's AA who spent time trying to sway RM. Time will tell. In the meantime, Randolph can cozy up in his den and watch Georgia Tech in the FINAL FOUR. Maybe he could even sit with the current KY team since I'm sure they don't have anything better to do.

Here is a nice recruiting article about the Jackets from the UK website. Talks about our team and each recruit.

April Fools

Looks like the joke's on UGAg - very creative by some Jacket fans. (site here).

Former teammates share in the glow of success

CHRIS BOSH
Another story about Chris Bosh and not being with the team. Very gracious no doubt. I love that he is giving some crap to Vince Carter (UNC) and D.Marshall (UConn), his teammates.

From the article - "He trash talks with Raptors teammate Vince Carter of North Carolina. "We put that to rest for this year," said Bosh, referring to Tech's two victories over the Tar Heels. And Donyell Marshall of Connecticut. "We got into a couple of discussions," said Bosh alluding to Tech's victory over UConn in the preseason NIT."

DENNIS SCOTT
Great quotes from 3D in this article on how excited he is for the team:

From the article - "Watching our guys win all those close games made all the memories come back," said Scott. "But 14 years is a long time to wait. It's time for Tech to make some new memories."

How about this from D-Scott on what he will tell the team - "I'm going to tell them that Mark Price and John Salley got this thing going," said Scott. "Then Lethal Weapon 3 raised the bar and got us to the Final Four. Then guys like Matt Harpring kept the tradition going. But now it's their turn. They've got a chance to raise the bar to a whole new level. And every guy who has ever played basketball at Georgia Tech is pulling for them. Lethal Weapon 3 had its time, but that was 14 years ago. We wrote our chapter in Georgia Tech basketball but people have been talking about it for too long. It's time for these guys to write a new chapter."

I'm sorry but that honestly brought a tear to my eye. INCREDIBLE!!!!!

BOBBY CREMINS
Coach Cremins was on FSN this morning talking about GT and their success. Talked very highly of PH. Said he tried to stay in the background. When they wanted to honor Coach Cremins, Cremins said "just put a banner up there next to Al Ciraldo and Whack Hyder, but Paul Hewitt insisted they name the court after me - what an honor". In the article above about D-Scott there is a blurb about Cremins being a nervous wreck. Don't doubt for a second that he doesn't bleed gold!!............ Here's another story on Bobby Cremins and a look back at Lethal Weapon 3.

The Photoshop Masters are at it again

Wow - this time it is Chris Duhon - check it out here over at the Illinois board. Ain't technology great? For more hilarity check this out.

Coach Hewitt has "the look".

"Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt has the look of a coach who will likely make this Final Four thing a habit." - from this ESPN article. No doubt he has the look. It also spreads some sanity about this whole re-seeding argument - don't do it!!! Like I said, if UConn is truly the best, then they will have no trouble winning two games in a row. And don't give me this "UConn & Duke will beat each other up" argument. You telling me that game will be more physical that GT/OS ??? I think not. These teams run and bang hard.

Evidently Everyone DOES know Jack

We saw the signs - "You don't know Jack". Well, everyone does now. Gets more PR, with this story in the USAToday. Did you realize that everyone of Jack's points against Kansas came in the paint or at the free-throw line. Anyone remember even one outside shot?

And the press parade continues, this time from the Star-Telegram, a Dallas paper.

Latest Web Experiment

Ok, in my latest experiment, I have added a "Tag board" to the left. Kind of like a comment system only it is always present in the upper left. A little more along the lines of a chat-room, although you will have to re-fresh your browser to see if others have added comments. Add some comments - let's see how this thing works.

Check out CollegeBall Blog

Spreading some linkage around - check out this Blog on college hoops - discussion of GT and the other remaining teams. I have also added the link under "Basketball Extras".

Where are they now - Nomar Garciaparra

Looks like Nomar is out for at least 3 weeks with a hurt achilles tendon. Wow, does this sound familiar?

More from the dance floor

WHO HAS THE EDGE?
Well, the folks over at Sportsline.com give GT the slight edge in the game. Edge in the frontcourt, and a wash in other categories (point, coaching, etc). Story here.

READ BARK MADLEY'S LAST FREE COLUMN
Good article on Coach Hewitt, but guess what - from now on you will have to pay for the right to read his stuff - along with other columnists. Count me OUT.

MORE ON THE BYNUM / ALLEN CONNECTION
More PR from ESPN on the friendship between Will and Tony.

YOU THINK THIS YEAR'S RECRUITING CLASS WILL BE GOOD - WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR!!
As this AJC article points out, beating Duke, UConn and others and getting the Final Four has long-term benefits FAR beyond this season. It has been written that we lost at least one high-profile recruit (rumor is Russell Robinson) because he was told (and believed) that GT would never beat Duke, so why go there. Here is Hewitt's response - "Last year, those things stuck with kids," Hewitt said. "This fall I don't think it sticks. Any coach with a straight face who tries to say that to a recruit is going to lose all their credibility."........ Speaking of that.......

MORRIS SAYS FINAL FOUR WILL INFLUENCE DECISION
Well, at least that's what an announcer SAID that Morris said. While watching the McDonald's All-American, the announcer was talking about Morris, about how GT lost both bigmen this year (Bosh and Nelson) but that Luke has been coming along well and helped the team get to a final four. Announcer said that Morris said that the fact that GT is in the Final Four would influence his decision.

Then at halftime they interviewed his mother. She basically said that both GT and KY are great schools, that it would be a plus to be closer to home, but that it is now up to Randolph and what he wants. Talked about how she and Randolph got up at 4:00 am in the morning during the summer to work on weak parts of his game - whatever coach told him to work on. Did I mention a 1270 on the SAT? Stay tuned.

On a side note, a couple of future TarHeels showcased their talents - JR Smith and Marvin Williams. Smith started the game hitting about a 27 footer, then followed up with a 30-footer - all net. In the 2nd half he had three whirling dunks in a row. Williams then followed up with an outside swish of his own. Just what we have to look forward to (unless of course one of these guys wants to go pro). Also - Josh Smith - sick!!!! My guess - NBA here he comes. Sorry Mike Davis at Indiana.

NOW WE'RE TALKING
I think this guy gets it. Whoever wins the NC this year will truly be called the N.Champion. Even GT has already beaten UConn and Duke, proving our ability against the best.

"PAUL THE NEOPHYTE"
Sounds like a character right out of the bible. (story here). Quote from Coach K on Hewitt - "He's just with a bunch of old guys," Duke's Krzyzewski said. "He's going to be the most enthusiastic, probably the best-looking, the best-dressed ... and he may have the best team."

YOU DON'T KNOW JACK
This guy is a video film freak. It is well chronicled his film sessions over the summer watching every one of Tech's games again, replaying each play 3-4 times. He's at it again, watching the film preparing for the Cowboys. (story here).

MORE ON THE ACC REPRESENTING
Not only is the ACC representing in the dance, it has consistently been the best when you look at the tourney since it expanded to 64 teams. From this article - "By contrast, the ACC hasn't gone two straight years without a Final Four entry in the 64-team era. And its dominance extends well beyond Final Four entrants. The ACC has the most national champions since 1965 (5 ... nobody else has more than 3), the most Sweet 16 teams (56 ... nobody else has more than 44), the most tournament wins (202 ... nobody else has more than 164) and the best NCAA winning percentage (68.0 percent ... the best rival is 63.3)."

CHRIS BOSH HAS NO REGRETS
As he points out in this article. He had millions of reasons to leave and we can't blame the kid one bit. All we can hope is that he continues to feel the kin-ship with GT and help promote the school as his career blossoms. A great young man and still best of friends with J.Jack.

THE LATEST ON DUHON'S RIB
Evidently Duhon's rib is going out for the Democratic presidential nomination. Running on a platform of better healthcare, national security and mustard-based BBQ sauces.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - NAT DORSEY
A look at Nat Dorsey again, as he prepares for the draft - "Georgia Tech's Nat Dorsey is a tall, thin left tackle who is technically sound and intelligent, but has also gotten by on his natural skills and now must dramatically improve his strength and conditioning. He's a prospect to go late in the third round. He ran a 5.48 40 and jumped 28.5 in his workout, but he plays much better than his measurables and should improve those numbers substantially following a conditioning program."

BEESBALL TEAM GETS REVENGE ON AUBURN
This crush the Tigers 20-5. Looks like they found their bats. Let's hope it continues.