Monday, June 07, 2004

MLB Draft - Day 1

A lot of surprises today for Jacket fans. Here' is how the draft went for the Jackets:

Round1..#28.....Blake Dewitt.....Dodgers.....high school....signed w/GT
Round3..#82.....Eddie Prasch......Pirates.....high school....signed w/GT
Round4..#111....Brandon Boggs...Rangers.....GT
Round5..#133....Andrew Kown....Tigers......GT
Round5..#141....Mike Nickeas.....Rangers.....GT
Round8..#246....Eric Patterson....Cubs........GT
Round11.#323....Clifton Remole..Angels......GT
Round14.#409....Kyle Schmidt.....Orioles.....GT
Round18.#547....Jeremy Slayden...Athletics...GT

Micah Owings has not been drafted through 18 rounds, which certainly might surprise a lot of people. Word from Baseball America is that he is asking for a $1 million signing bonus and trying to use his strength as a draft-eligible sophomore. Looks like he has successfully scared a bunch of teams away........ Micah's brother, John Mark Owings, was drafted in the 17th round (#521) by the Braves, and he has committed to Clemson. JMO is also a big power hitter like his older bro. Looks like we know who has bragging rights in the Owings' household this week.

Eric Patterson is drafted by the same team (Cubs) that his brother Corey plays for - guess nepotism is alive and well.

The Texas Rangers seem to have a thing for Georgia Tech. Not only do they draft both Brandon Boggs and Mike Nickeas, but don't for that they also have former Jacket Mark Tiexiera (thanks K-Dogg for the reminder).

A high school player, Matt Bush, was chosen with the #1 overall pick. He is a RHP and a shortstop - an all-around player. Story here. This was a bit of a suprise, but a couple if the other guys thought to be higher picks were represented by a guy (Boros) asking for more money than the Padres thought they were worth.

The top 8 picks were all pitchers, with 7 of them right-handers. In fact 20 of the 30 1st round picks were pitchers.

Last year's defending National Champion, Rice, has 3 right-handed pitchers drafted within the 1st 8 picks. That has never happened before. Makes you wonder how on earth these guys got eliminated from their regional.

There were 13 high school players taken in the 1st round.

Want to read a fascinating article by Peter Gammons on the draft - click here. A bunch of very interesting comments, points and stats about the draft. For instance, this about high school draftees:

One club's study shows that from 1993 to 2001, $191 million was spent on first-round high school players, and $123.4 million of those dollars have never seen the big leagues. From 1991 through 2001, 49 percent of No. 1 picks out of high school made the majors, and of those 24 percent were regulars.

Please tell me you are kidding

Check out these scouting report comments on draftee Brett Smith, taken by the Yankees, from UC Irvine:

42 BRETT SMITH U CALIFORNIA-IRVINE RHP R/R 6'5" 220 1983-08-12 4YR
COMMENT: TALL, RANGY, RAW-BONED PHYSIQUE. LONG ARMS, LEGS. SQUARE SHOULDERS. STRONG, DEFINED LEGS. HIGH REAR. LONG, LOOSE MUSCLES. NO WINDUP, HIGH 3/4. SIDE STEP TO BEGIN, HIGH LEG LIFT. ML FB W/ SMALL TAIL, SINK WHEN DOWN. FLASHES ML CB, SLIDER. GOOD DOWN PLANE ON BOTH. GOOD MOTION ON TAILING, SINKING CHANGEUP. AROUND PLATE W/ ALL PITCHES. GOOD COMPETITOR.
Are we talking about a baseball player or a dog? I swear to you this sounds like something you would hear at the Westminster Kennel Club. A "high rear". Please tell me someone really didn't put that in his description. Link here.

Coach Hewitt and Coach Cremins co-hosting golf event

Link here. The Jimmy V Atlanta Celebrity Golf Classic.

Where are they now - Kyle Bakker

This from insiders on the Braves farm system and the draft:

Finally, Kyle Bakker, Atlanta’s last pick in the 20th round last June, has settled into a nice role in the Rome bullpen.

Under normal circumstances Bakker would get a chance to start, but for now he’s getting innings in relief. The Braves hope to continue to work out some mechanical flaws Bakker developed in his last year at Georgia Tech
Certainly not a good advertisment for a Kyle's pitching coach at GT.

Is the Big East better off without Miami?

Nice try Matt Hayes. I don't buy it. You said it best:

The Big East lost the nation's best program, the nation's most overrated program (Virginia Tech) and the Boston television market. Hardly disastrous.
Maybe not disatrous, but as a football conference the Big East will not be better. In hoops they will be strong again with the raiding of C-USA. But whether or not success in hoops and struggling in football will result in equal or greater revenue for the conference remains to be seen. I don't see how it can. TV markets = money, so you cannot just disregard losing Miami and BC.

One thing you do have right is that winning is the ultimate cure. But to win you have to get the horses. The ACC will get the horses, along with the other power football conferences. We continue to load up with the top hoops talent. The Big East will definitely compete here - but in football I don't see it. I would not be surprised to see the Big East lose its BCS spot and even your ties with Notre Dame don't mean what they used to now that they are in a downslide. Will they even stay with you? I doubt it.

The ACC appears to be developing into one of the most successfull balanced winning conferences when all major sports are considered. The "new" ACC should only take that to the next level.

MLB Draft

Found these profiles of our draft eligible players over at MLB.com:

BRANDON BOGGS GEORGIA TECH CF S/R 5'11" 190 1983-01-09 4YR 56K | 350K
COMMENT: BODY SIMILAR TO MARQUIS GRISSOM. OPEN AT PLATE FROM BOTH SIDES. COLLAPSES BACK HALF. CREATES SOME BAT SPEED W/ STRENGTH. LINE DRIVE, GAPS TYPE HITTER. QUICKER STROKE AS RHH. GEARED FB. AVG RUNNER UNDERWAY. EASY THROWS, GOOD CARRY & ACCURACY. PLAYS HARD.

BRIAN BURKS GEORGIA TECH RHP R/R 5'9" 178 1981-05-29 4YR 56K | 350K
COMMENT: SAME BODY TYPE AS JEFF BRANTLEY. HIGH WINDUP, HIGH 3/4. SLIGHT SHORT ARMER. FALLS OFF TO 1B W/ SOME HEAD BOB. LOCATES FB, MOST 87-89, NEVER STRAIGHT, GOOD ARM SIDE SINK & RUN. THROWS CUTTER WHICH IS TRUE SLIDER. GOOD ARM SPEED ON SINKING CHANGE UP. CB MEDIUM DEPTH. K'S W/ ALL PITCHES.

ANDREW KOWN GEORGIA TECH RHP L/R 6'7" 210 1982-10-07 4YR 56K | 350K
COMMENT: SAME BODY TYPE AS JASON DAVIS. NO WINDUP, HIGH 3/4. SHORT ARM ACTION. THROWS OFF STIFF FRONT LEG. FAIRLY CLEAN DELIVERY CONSIDERING SIZE & STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT. SLIDER AN OLD FASHIONED CUT FB, LATE, HARD, LEGIT K PITCH. SOME RUN TO FB, 88-92 & VELOCITY CLIMBING AS OUTING ENDED. LOCATES W/ BOTH PITCHES, ESPECIALLY FB. LIKES TO WORK INSIDE. VERY EASY DELIVERY.

MICHAEL NICKEAS GEORGIA TECH C R/R 6'0" 205 1983-02-13 4YR 56K | 350K
COMMENT: BODY SIMILAR TO JOE GIRARDI. SLIGHT OPEN AT PLATE, HANDS AT RT PECTORAL. TOE TAP TIMING MECHANISM. SLASHING TYPE GAPS HITTER, SHORT STROKE W/ SOME BAT SPEED. STRONG DURABLE BODY W/ OVERALL QUICKNESS. SOFT HANDS. GETS OFF ACCURATE THROWS W/ CARRY. WILL BLOCK BALL. CATCHER W/ SOME APTITUDE WHO MAKES PITCHERS THROW BETTER.

MICAH OWINGS GEORGIA TECH RHP R/R 6'5" 220 1982-09-28 4YR 56K | 350K
COMMENT: BODY SIMILAR TO KRIS BENSON. HIGH WINDUP, 3/4. SLIGHT PAUSE AT TOP OF DELIVERY, SLIGHT LEAN BACK TO CF BEFORE DRIVE TO PLATE. NEEDS TO STAY TALLER. MOST FB'S 89-90 W/ ARM SIDE SINK & RUN, SOME CUT. ABILITY TO LOCATE FB. GOOD WRIST OUT FRONT. ARM SPEED, SINK, FADE CHANGEUP. SLIDER FLASHES TIGHT, LATE BITE. EASY ARM & DELIVERY. ATHLETIC RHP. A MAN, PHYSICALLY. CONFIDENT. WANTS BALL.

ERIC PATTERSON GEORGIA TECH SS L/R 5'11" 170 1983-04-08 4YR 56K | 350K
COMMENT: BODY SIMILAR TO POKEY REESE. EXTREMELY OPEN AT PLATE. HANDS AT LEFT PECTORAL. WRAPS BAT, HITCHES & DIVES IN. SHORT STROKE, HITS DOWN ON BALL TO UTILIZE SPEED. MAKES CONTACT. QUICK 1ST STEP. EASY RUNNER. GETS TO GB'S. QUICK, SOFT HANDS. SOME LEAN STRENGTH W/ POTENTIAL TO GAIN. YOUNGER BROTHER OF CUBS' COREY PATTERSON.

CLIFTON REMOLE GEORGIA TECH 1B L/L 6'0" 197 1982-10-24 4YR 56K | 350K
COMMENT: SAME BODY TYPE AS J.T. SNOW. OPEN AT PLATE W/ WEIGHT BACK. HAS IDEA ABOUT LOADING HANDS. DIVES IN SOME. GOOD HAND/EYE COORDINATION, TAKES FAT PART OF BAT TO BALL, LIKE WILL CLARK. BAT SPEED, DRIVES BALL. MOST HR PWR PULL. PRETTY AT 1B, SOFT HANDS, GOOD FEET. SAVES SOME ERRORS. HAS GAINED STRENGTH IN COLLEGE YRS & HAS ROOM FOR MORE PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT.

JEREMY SLAYDEN GEORGIA TECH RF L/R 6'0" 185 1982-07-28 4YR 56K | 350K
COMMENT: SIMILAR BODY AS GEORGE BRETT. OPEN AT PLATE, WEIGHT BACK SOME. HANDS AT LEFT PECTORAL. BAT HEAD, BACK ELBOW UP. TOE TAP, DIVES IN SOME. FLASHES FLUID, EASY, SHORT STROKE W/ LOFT. CAN TURN ON BALL & DRIVE OPPOSITE GAP. WAITS FOR HIS PITCH. RUNNING LIMITS POSITION TO CORNER OUTF, BUT ADEQUATE. SOME THROWS CARRY.

Luke makes it to the cut of 17....

... for the Aussie Olympic team !!! Congrats. Story here. The really shocking news? Luke has cut his hair off - check it out in this picture:


Picture from ramblinwreck.com.

Outstanding Luke!! Keep it up.

Beesball Stories

POTENTIAL HIGH SCHOOL DRAFTEES
Small blurb on incoming frosh...

Montgomery Bell Academy center fielder Michael Fisher, a switch-hitting Georgia Tech signee who hit .418 with a .755 slugging percentage....
Supposedly the team is not worried about the draft - yeah right. Story here.

Kown extends streak.
One Georgia team is headed to the CWS - which will it be?

SORE APPLES OR A REAL BEEF
Did GT assistant Bobby Moranda recruit for the Jackets while he was still with WF? Link here.
Wellman said he has learned his lesson about setting deadlines for hiring a new coach. "We have begun the pro-cess," Wellman said. "I have no idea how long it's going to take. But as with all other processes like this we will do it as quickly as possible, but do the best job possible." One name certain to surface is that of Bobby Moranda, who was the Deacons' pitching coach and head recruiter before leaving for Georgia Tech four years ago. But Moranda, for all his talents as a coach and recruiter, disappointed some at Wake Forest when he left for another ACC school during recruiting season. There are officials at Wake Forest who suspect that Moranda was, in fact, recruiting for Georgia Tech while still being paid by Wake Forest, a charge that Moranda, in past conversations, has adamantly denied. But Wellman, if past performances are any indication, probably already has a list of candidates, most of whom are largely unknowns to the rank-and-file Deacons fans

Sunday, June 06, 2004

Jackets will face the SFKA-UGA

The Jackets took care of business and SFKA-UGA squeeked out a victory over Clemson after losing the first game to them. It look 10 innings, but the sniffers got the W. So, it means rival time. This weekend is more than bragging rights. It's more than out-of-conference schedule strength. This weekend is about all the marbles. It's about moving on - win 2 and we're in.

Here are details about the super-regionals, which will be announced Sunday night on ESPN.

Get Ready for the Shotgun

I have to admit - I like the thought of the shotgun with Reggie Ball. Seems as though it could expand our offense so much more and give Reggie more time to look at his receivers. Of course the question mark is - how do you fit in the shotgun with a hard-pounding runner who likes to get the ball 7 yards deep? In my mind, it will do good things for the offense, since the defenses we face will have to adjust to a new wrinkle. This from FoxSports:

Georgia Tech will use numerous shotgun sets this fall to give dynamic QB Reggie Ball more options earlier in each play. The staff thought Ball missed too many reads in the passing game and too many opportunities to tuck and run last year because his back was to the defense on play-action fakes. Tech didn't run the shotgun last season because Ball still was learning the offense and because C Hugh Reilly, who since has departed, had problems with the snap. . . .
Speaking of QB's, what ever happened to Al Pena, the talented QB who committed with the Jackets along with Ball and Pat Carter (who transfered before the season started). Well, he is still competing for the starting job, but likely to never get it with incoming frosh Bobby Reid - story here.

Jackets win the ATL Regional

Congrats to the Jackets as they take down Texas Tech to win their ATL regional. The final was 5-3 (5-1 going into the 9th). Kown was on target, throwing 90+, getting his 10th win and keeping Texas Tech off track all day. He goes 7 innings, get 7 K's, 1 er, 3 bbOn the offense, Boggs and Greene go deep, which means the team hit 8 HR's in 3 games, by 7 different players. Only W.Robbins hit 2 - impressive!!

Jackets on the All-Tourney Team (Regional)
W.Robbins
E.Patterson
T.Greene
C.Remole
M.Owings
A.Kown

E.Patterson most outstanding player for the regional.

Bottom-line in this regional was pitching. GT gets all starters to pitch 7-8 innings and that makes all the difference. They all pitch well, and give their team a chance.

Congrats to the team - tickets for the super-regional are already at the box office.

Beesball Notes

Kown healthy again.
A win away from the title.

Some Real Perspective

So as we get emotional about the Jackets playing beesball, we have to remember those who fought for our country so that you and I would have the freedom to cheer on the Jackets. We should all honor those who gave up their lives and those who continue to fight for us around the world.

Here is a story about D-Day with a YellowJacket connection - one of the transport planes piloted by a GT grad.

Peek's pilot, a Georgia Tech graduate, had named their transport the "Rambling Wreck." On the eve of D-Day, it was loaded with 18 paratroopers, each carrying about 70 pounds of equipment. With a parachute, the men weighed an average of 100 pounds over their body weight. The plane slowed to near stall speed at the inland drop zone south of the beaches.

"When it got time, they'd stand up and hook up. Their ripcord attached to a cable, and each one would check the other one. They'd count off '1-OK, 2-OK ...' and when the green light went on -- boom, they were out within 18 seconds," Peek said. "We were down to 800 feet by the time the last man was out. We came up the coast, looking back into the bay. It was like the Fourth of July."

After the drop, the transport headed back to Barkston, then turned right around the next morning to resupply paratroopers on the ground with more guns, food and medicines.

The paratroopers had nerves of steel, as long as they didn't have to land, Peek said. "They were all afraid the plane would get hit, and they wouldn't get to jump out."

As for the flight crew: "We never even carried parachutes. We had a .45 revolver and hoped we could get the plane down."

Saturday, June 05, 2004

Jackets win again

Well, another day, 3 more HR's. The long ball is showing its face bigtime. Couldn't have picked better timing. Owings goes 8 innings and gets the win. Robbins / Nickeas and Blackwood go deep.

Championship game Sunday at 1:00. GO JACKETS!!!!

Story on the game........... AJC version.

Kudos to Micah Owings for "stepping out on his faith":

Owings shares his faith

It's become a Sunday ritual at Georgia Tech in recent years, and is fast on the way to becoming every bit as much a school tradition as Buzz or the Ramblin' Wreck itself.

"My life is in you, Lord

My life is in you, Lord

My strength is in you, Lord

My hope is in you, Lord"

Standing up and clapping in rhapsody to the praise song "My Life is in You, Lord" has come to be part of the routine for Tech fans every time Micah Owings comes to the plate on Sunday afternoons.

Owings, a pitcher/designated hitter, inherited the practice from former Jackets star Matt Murton, who originated the routine as a way to express his faith.

"I think it's something we're going to pass on from now on," said Owings, who was the starting pitcher and added two hits in the Jackets' 9-3 win over Texas Tech on Saturday. "It's just kind of stepping out on your faith, letting everybody get a glimpse of what you believe in. I think the crowd just feeds off it."

Unlike the regular season, NCAA rules prohibit host schools from playing music that is partial toward individual players.

Owings, however, is hopeful that a nearby fraternity will do it for him as it did for Murton two years ago and blast the music from outside the stadium.

Ted Roof may have those Devils back soon

In the span of 3 days, Coach Roof has gotten two talented QB prospects to commit to Duke. One is considered tp 5 QB in the state of NC. The other, from Delaware, just committed - Delle Donne - and is 6'5 220lb. Not exactly a little guy. Congrats to Ted Roof - I wish him all the success at Duke, except of course when we exact revenge this season.

Coach Gailey sheds a tear

Coach introduced Jimmy Hightower, his coach at Americus High School, as a new member of the GA Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Gailey, the Georgia Tech head football coach, was introducing Jimmy Hightower, his coach at Americus High School. Gailey began to choke with emotion as he told the audience of 300 how Hightower was there for support after the death of his father.

"It says on his placque that he had an impact on a lot of players," Gailey said. "I stand here today as one of those he impacted."

Football Strength of Schedule

Over at NationalChamps.net, guess who they have listed as the #2 SOS in the country this fall? None other than GT, only behind Arkansas. Link here. Here's what they had to say about the ACC:

With the ACC only one year removed from becoming a 12-team conference (Boston College joins in 2005), the current 11-team version already demonstrates why the ACC is the toughest it's ever been throughout the league's history. All but two ACC teams (nine) dot our SOS Top 25 for 2004 - the most of any conference. Of course, this only makes sense considering five ACC teams sit in the Top 20 Preview rankings. We find it quite amazing that teams such as NC State and Georgia Tech, while being ranked in the Top 40, are being predicted to finish in the bottom half of the pack. But it's more than that...the ACC has managed to keep the non-conference slates full of big time opponents such as Florida, Georgia, Ohio State and USC
This site had GT at #7 in the nation SOS last season.

Daily Swarm

BEESBALL NOTES
Last year's lowly performance in the ATL regional is starting to fade, with a strong victory last night over Jax.St. (story here). GT could head to the title game Sunday with a victory over Texas Tech today starting at 3:00 pm. Story here. Do you remember back to the beginning of the season where the coaches and players vowed to avenge their performance last season? They said this year will be different. Let's see what Coach Hall and the boys can do........ The bats were evidently not cooled off in our 2 losses to FSU - story here......... Texas Tech's victory yesterday was paced by Josh Brady, who also became a father recently and this was his first game as a "father". Story here. Sorry Josh, but there's another lesson you will have to teach your baby girl - life's not fair. Having a baby girl is the best thing in the world, but we're still going to try and crush you back into oblivion.......... More on the game, including our whacky calisthenics in the 3rd inning.......... More on getting back to the winning ways........ The AJC John Hollis version........

COACH HEWITT HONORED...
...by the Black Coaches Association. I mentioned it a month or so ago, but he is formally honored tonight in Indianapolis. His mentor, George Raviling, will be there, and will be honored with a lifetime acheivement award. Here's a nice story with lots of quotes from both men.

COACH HEWITT SPEAKS TO GT FOUNDATION
Click here for the link. Thanks to GT1951. Turns out Jeremis Smith is already on campus, getting a head start in school.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - JOE HAMILTON
This has to be one of the best articles I have seen on a former GT player. A lot of details on Joe, a lot of quotes, and who wrote it - a South Carolina paper. Well, I guess he is from SC - story here........ Here's a short bio.

RECRUITING - FOOTBALL
Interesting recruit named AJ Curtis, that the Jackets are interested in as a 2-sport start - football and track (discuss). Story here.

That something is Georgia Tech, which has entered the recruiting picture for the 6-foot-5, 280-pounder. The school is the first to discuss the idea of him competing in football and track and field. <

"(Football) is still up there at the top over track," said Curtis, who has drawn football interest from Northern Illinois and track and field interest from Iowa State and hopes to learn the University of Wisconsin's interest at a camp for instate prospects this month

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - RICHARD LEWIS
Traded by the Braves to the Cubs, he is now on a tear in their farm system. Story here.
Lewis went into the weekend hitting .356 with 30 RBIs for West Tenn and had a .607 slugging average thanks to 19 doubles, seven triples and five home runs. The 23-year-old from Pope High School had committed just one error in 49 games.

The 40th overall pick in the 2001 draft, Lewis had a .255 career minor league average coming into this season. But he hit .404 in the Arizona Fall League.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - FELIPE CLAYBROOKS
Last year the Browns gave Claybrooks over to NFL-Europe and he is currently 2nd in sacks with 9. Maybe he will get a return ticket in the fall.
Former Georgia Tech and Decatur High star Felipe Claybrooks went into this weekend second in NFL Europe in sacks with nine in as many games. Claybrooks was allocated to NFL Europe by the Cleveland Browns, for whom Claybrooks played seven games last season.

Friday, June 04, 2004

NCAA BEESBALL - FANTASTIC

A nice day for the ACC as it turns out - even though things looked wavy early on. The Jackets trample Jax.St 16-3 most importantly in an HR-derby. Patterson / Remole / Robbins all went deep. Looks like Patterson was everywhere with an HR, 2 walks, a SB, 3 hits, 2 runs, 4 rbi's,

NCST and UNC both win with bottom of the 9th rallies. FSU and Clemson both won as well as well as future ACC member Miami. Can't see an update on UVA. The SEC fared well also with UGA / Vandy / LSU / Ark / SC / FL all moving on. Other games in progress.

Could Canadian Mike Nickeas be "held back", heh?

Did you know that the quote for Canadian players in the minors has already been filled for the year? Wonder what the situation will be when Nikeas is ready to leave - he will probably be drafted next year.

Mike Nickeas, a catcher born in Vancouver but raised in the States, is another strong prospect following a solid career at Georgia Tech.
Story here.

Hey, Nickeas, how about some gravy with THOSE fries?

Tiexiera in small company

Mark Tiexiera is only one of 5 position players that has been drafted by MLB among the first 10 picks out of high school. Link here.

In 2000, only three college position players were taken in the first round, none among the top 10. In fact, in the past five years there have been only five college position players taken among the first 10 picks in the draft:

- 2003: Weeks to Milwaukee.

- 2002: Shortstop Drew Myers of South Carolina, No. 10 to Texas.

- 2001: Third baseman Mark Teixeira of Georgia Tech, No. 5 to Texas, and shortstop Chris Burke of Tennessee, No. 10 to Houston.

- 1999: Catcher Eric Munson of Southern Cal, No. 3 to Detroit in 1999.

It's not like they were late bloomers.

Munson was a second-round draft choice of Atlanta when he came out of Mount Carmel High School in San Diego in 1996.

Teixeira was a ninth-round pick of Boston when he came out of St. Joseph High School in Severna Park, Md., in 1998 and turned down more than $1 million to attend Georgia Tech.

Deng will hire an agent

Looks like the Dukies can forget all hopes of Deng coming back. Story here. Actually, what I found interesting in the article was a rule about high schoolers and the draft that I was not aware of:

High school seniors can stay in the draft and get picked while still retaining their amateur status if they haven't signed with an agent. But the team that picks the high school senior owns his rights until a year after his college eligibility expires, which makes this option highly unlikely in the case of a player like Livingston.

Fantasy Football - Running Backs

CFN.com has PJ Daniels listed at #27. Link here. PJ should have every opportunity to excel, but it will interesting to see how many carries a game he gets. It looks like his numbers will probably go down as C.Woods and R.Grant get more carries.

Beesball Update

To see scores of games, click here.

UNC beats Coastal Carolina 6-5 by scoring 2 in the 9th
UGA winning 14-0 over M.Tenn
NCST losing 4-2 to Fl.At.

Coaches on the hot seat

Interesting list by Sportsline.com of college football coaches and how they rank them on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being "on the hot seat". 0-0.5 is "don't even think about it. Can't be touched".

Coach Gailey comes in at a 2.5, which is "Safe. Solid position".

I can buy that. Bowl games each year he has been here. Weathered a ton of storms / injuries / setbacks, and seems to have the program once again headed upward. Will it be fast enough? time will tell.

Another interesting site looking at the top football programs based on final standings in the polls from 1986 - 2003. GT comes in at #32 - link here.

Further ACC Expansion

Over at Southern Pigskin, they are debating possible future expansion - story here. Personally, I think they are nuts talking about SC, GA or FL joining the ACC. Notre Dame I could see, but Rutgers or UConn - hugh???

Golf Team Finishes in 5th Place

A very respectable finish, behind Cal, UCLA, AZ and Texas. The Jackets finished +31 for the tourney, while Cal won with a total of +14. The Jackets were very consistent all 4 days, scoring 289, 285, 287, 290. As far as I could tell, these were the most consistent 4-day scores of any team in the tourney - with only a 5-shot spread.

Congrats to the team - they can bee proud!!! The best finish by an East Coast team and a team with no seniors (2J, 1S, 2F - thanks okeefe). Maybe more good things to come.

Final Standings

Final Round of NCAA Golf Championship

The Jackets have made the turn and are currently in 3rd place, with no hope of catching the leaders Cal / UCLA. Those two teams are battling it out for the crown and are at least 10 strokes ahead of GT. But with a strong showing we could finish 3rd - very respectable to say the least.

Story - 3 GA teams make final cut.

CoachGailey.com - new update

Matthew, thanks for the tip. Here's the link. A general update - talked about summer school and academic support and high expectations for the incoming recruiting class.

Georgia Tech Offensive Line Coach Joe D'Alessandris......

.... a guest speaker at U of W.Alabama dinner - story here. Interesting background notes on Coach D. Also, note that 5 O-Line players he coached at Duke went on to play in the NFL - not a bad track record for a Dukie team.

Beesball team plays today

Well, today is the big day. Game one of the NCAA Tournament regional. Game time at 7:00 pm. Here are some links to get your appetite going:

Story from RamblinWreck.com.

Info on the starting rotation. I have to say, this quote is questionable from Coach Hall:

"Had I felt like winning the ACC tournament was important I would have started Burks" in Sunday's title game, Hall said. "But I didn't want to do anything to jeopardize our ability to be ready for this week."
Ok, I'll agree that the NCAA's are more important, but let's not say the ACC Tourney is not important. A little strongly worded there Coach. If you believe what all our starters are saying, they are ready to go and well-rested........ Here is another story on Burks and the stronger confidence in the bullpen this season.

Story on the game from Demopolis AL......... Story on a couple of high school teammates playing on different teams in our regional this weekend.

Here is info on ESPN's telecast of the regionals and superregionals.

GT Tries to start a new winning streak

This story points out something very interesting. Check out this quote:
They're on pace to set a school record for fielding percentage at .974, a mark which would top the .968 compiled in 1994 by a team that included current major leaguers Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Varitek.

"The constant throughout this whole season was our defense," Hall said.
Ok, so Coach Hall says defense is the key, Coach Hewitt says it's all about defense, and what does Coach Gailey say - same thing. Are we sensing a pattern here?

Did you know that the host team for a regional has won the regional 70% of the time in the past 6 years? Did you know that the Superregional host has gone on to college world series 77% of the time? Sounds like good odds to me - story here. Funny quote from Texas Tech head coach, when asked about Jax St -
"They're from Florida, so they must be good."
Whoops - try Alabama.

In this story, Jax.St talks about the game today........ GT will face a HOT pitcher today......... And Jax has their own hitting / pitching star, like GT. Story here.

To get us start we need E.Patterson to get on base and mess with opposing pitcher's heads. Nice story on EP.

Thursday, June 03, 2004

Daily Swarm

RECRUITING - HOOPS
Chicago PG Bobby Frasor commits to UNC, giving them a very talented shooter. He is likely to play the 2-spot at UNC. One of his favorite players is Kick Hinrich, who of course was coached by Roy Williams and plays for his hometown Chicago Bulls, and he even wears Hinrich's #12. Similar games. Here's the story. What is disappointing for GT is that this is the type of kid Coach Hewitt wants to get, because not only is he strong on the court, he has a 4.5 GPA, is 7th in his class, both parents are school teachers... you get the point. He can handle the load at GT........... Here's an overall update from ESPN........ Here's a hometown paper story.

FIRST MONDAY NIGHT ABC COLLEGE FOOTBALL TELECAST
Know who played in that game? How about GT and Notre Dame.

The next didn’t occur until 1974, when the defending national champs under Ara Parseghian were moved to ABC’s first Monday night college football telecast, at Georgia Tech. The Irish won, 31-7.

UNC CONSIDERS CORPORATE ADVERTISING AT VENUES...
...but will not stoop to GT's level. Well, that's not what they said, but here's the quote:
"I can't imagine that we would change the names of our facilities ... I think we'll always be the Dean Smith Center and Kenan Stadium," he said at a forum in April. "We won't use floor logos like the McDonald's one on the Georgia Tech court."
Is it just me, or do you hate "McDonald's Arena" or whatever it is called? I don't like it at all. We have AMC, we have Cremins Court - not sure where Mickey D's is supposed to fit, but to me they don't fit in ANY official name. It just smacks of crass commercialism. I know it happened during the Olympics and all, but I still am not a fan of the logo on the hoops court. Just my opinion.

NATE MCMANUS
Blurb on him as this incoming football recruit prepares for a Birmingham area all-star game. Quote:
Nate McManus, Mountain Brook (73): The 6-4, 280-pound All-State offensive tackle is projected to be a center at Georgia Tech. He's been working there as well as tackle this week during All-Star Classic workouts. He plans to major in engineering.

BEESBALL NOTES
Nice story on Brandon Boggs and his time at the Cape Codd league....... Here's the same article but a longer version, also mentioning the upcoming MLB draft (next week) and his relationship with S.Blackwood, since the two played high school ball together.

FUTURE RACING HOPEFULL WANTS TO TRANSFER TO GT
Interesting story about an 18 year on the racing circuit who wants to transfer to GT in a couple of years, but also wants to make the NASCAR circuit.

IS THE HOPE SCHOLARSHIP GIVING GT AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE?
That is what Mississippi St. HC Ron Polk says. Story here. You know what - technically he is correct. It does give GA schools an advantage. But maybe the solution isn't figuring out ways to take money away from kids in GA but figuring out how to lobby your own state to put in similar programs. Here is the quote I found particularly amusing, from UGAg HC David Perno -
"While Georgia baseball coach David Perno admits the HOPE scholarship gives his program an advantage in recruiting in-state players, he said Georgia has more stringent academic requirements than most SEC schools, making it tougher for him to get players into school and keep them there.

"Mississippi State waives out-of-state tuition for players who score 1,200 on the SAT," Perno said. "I've had players with 1,200 on the SAT who can't even get into Georgia. The standards are tougher at Georgia than Mississippi State."
Sorry, I couldn't resist. But I will refrain from sarcastic commentary, because of course this stuff writes itself. However, there is an interesting quote at the end from Polk:
"The SEC says it's a complex issue. If it was a football or basketball issue, do you think they'd have it solved by now?"
I think the rule in football and hoops is that you can use HOPE money, but not in addition to athletic 'ships. So if someone gets a HOPE 'ship in hoops, it still counts against your limit of 13, whether it is academic or athletic. Still no more than 13 'ships. In baseball, that is not the case. Interesting.

IN A STRANGE COINCEDENCE...
... GT loses a beesball recruit, Ryan Moore, because of money. Story here. He choses Middle Tenn St instead. Quote -
"It was basically Middle and Georgia Tech,'' Ryan Moore said. "I chose Middle due to the money situation. I couldn't go wrong either way.''
Moore is quite the athlete, likely the get drafted by MLB next week and also a football QB star. As far as the draft, here is his stance.
"If I get enough money, I'll sign professionally,'' Moore said. "I've given some teams a dollar amount. They know exactly what I'll sign for. If I don't get that, I'll just go to MTSU.''
He especially wanted to go to GT to get a meteorology degree.
Moore, who would like to be a meteorologist, said his decision between MTSU and Georgia Tech was made even more difficult because Tech has a meteorology school.
Did you know GT had a "meteorology school"? Does he mean a weatherman? Who'd a thunk it?

NEPOTISM - LUKE MANGET'S COUSIN
Well, Will Manget is a star high school soccer player. His cousin Luke earned all-ACC honors with his foot for GT in football. Guess what - he is going to Georgia Tech!!!! Guess what else.... he ain't going to play football OR soccer. He is giving up his athletic pursuits to focus on academics.
Manget also played football for Salem and kicked a 35-yard field goal this past season. He said he has no plans to walk onto the football team at Georgia Tech.

"I never really enjoyed football as much as I did soccer," Manget said. "Georgia Tech does not have an NCAA soccer team, but they do have a team that plays club level. I may try to get involved with that at sometime or even help coach somewhere."
Well all I have to say is - Will, welcome to GT. Glad you decided to join us.

GOLF TEAM FINISHES DAY 3
Well, we finished the day +7 and +21 for the tourney. As of lunch, that puts us tied for 8th place. UCLA was on fire, shooting 5 under today and handily in the lead by 5 strokes.

SEC TAKING STEPS TO DISCOURAGE CHEATING - YEAH RIGHT!!
Thanks to YellowB at the Hive for the link - story here. Sorry but this article is a joke.
Four SEC schools -- Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn and Kentucky -- are currently on probation. Georgia and Mississippi State recently admitted to rules violations but have yet to be sanctioned by the NCAA.

Over the past decade, nearly every league school has been accused of malfeasance, some more than once. The SEC's reputation for athletic excellence has been tarnished by recruiting scandals and academic fraud.
The biggest joke in my opinion?
A centerpiece of the new policy: If one school suspects another of violating NCAA rules, they must follow a strict protocol for reporting the allegations.
You are telling me that on SEC school is going to turn in another every time a violation occurs when they all know about each other's orgy of violations.

I particularly love this quote from former ACC turned SEC coach:
When Odom was coaching in the Atlantic Coast Conference, he was amazed at all the rule-breaking that seemed to prevail in the SEC. Coaches talked openly about paying for players and bragged that they had their own system of checks, balances and avoiding the NCAA.

"I'd say, 'How in the heck do you get by with that stuff," Odom recalled. "They'd say, 'Hey, local rules prevail. We take care of our own."
So, "we take care of our own", but the new rule says you have to rat out your own. RRRRRRRIIIIIIGGGGGHHHHHTTTTTTT.

ESPN'S TOP 59 IN THE NBA DRAFT
Interesting list with some commentary about the changing stock of these players.

Wednesday, June 02, 2004

Awesome Wallpaper

If you are a GT fan (and I know you are), then you NEED to click on this link and download this cool wallpaper. Thanks to jratjacket over at the Hive. Here's a small version:

Recruiting Update - Hoops

Anthony Goods. A kid from the west coast with ties to ATL. Profile here. A 6'3" PG who lived in ATL for 10 years (from age 4 to 14 - thanks RamblinRed). He will likely take an unofficial visit to GT in July when he is in town, but it looks like even with the coaching change at Stanford, the family is definitely impressed with the school. Story here. By the sounds of the article, mama is definitely in control of this process....... Here is another reminder about his talent. We are talking about a kid who shoots over 50% from 3pt range in AAU league play, and over 55% last summer.

We should have a decent chance to land him. And I know just who should host his visit, based on Goods' own quote:

"And Isma’il Muhammad (Georgia Tech) is awesome. He’s more of a small forward and doesn’t shoot from three but I love to watch his game. I’ll drop whatever I’m doing if Muhammad is playing."


I've been posting about Bobby Frasor - well, you can probably forget him. Looks like his final 3 are Stanford, Marquette and UNC. Another PG who can flat out shoot the lights out. Really the mold Coach Hewitt seems to like in a big guard, but alas, it does not appear to be in the cards.

Jackets have a decent day on the links

Well, they made a move mid-round getting into a tie for 4th place, but dropped back to a tie for 9th (all rounds are not finished). The Jackets are +14 over for the tourney and +5 today, on the strength of a couple of par 5 Eagles. I believe everyone plays again Thurs, but then there is a cut, with only the top 15 teams advancing to Friday (from winningjacket over at the Hive).

Leaderboard
Individual GT scores.

I have to give props to Kevin Larsen. After going +12 on day 1, I said he better bring his A game on day 2. He did - shooting -1 for the day. Way to redeem yourself under tough conditions and come through for the team. (I almost sound like Jim Rome). I'm out.

Daily Swarm

BEESBALL NOTES
The whole Eli Manning rigging the NFL draft is not new. Even one of our own in beesball held out. Check out this article:

The Phillies, after losing J.D. Drew in 1997, faced a similar dilemma in 2001. Mark Teixeira, a power-hitting third baseman from Georgia Tech, may have been the best player at number four. But Teixeira was a Boras client, and Boras told the Phillies he wouldn't sign. So the Phillies happily "settled" for Gavin Floyd - who was only there because Tampa Bay thought both Floyd and Teixeira too pricey and took Middle Tennessee State's Dewon Brazelton at number three. Brazelton may have been cheaper, but his ERA at Triple A is over 6.00.
Speaking of Mark Tiexiera, here is a Q&A with fans with a writer from the Dallas Morning news:
Q: Mark Teixeira has pretty much been struggling with the bat all season. Adrian Gonzalez did a great job when he was up in the majors. Does Teixeira need to spend some time in the minors getting back on track? I’m also a little concerned about how injury prone he seems to be.

GRANT: The Rangers are concerned about his injuries, too. The problem with "freak’’ injuries actually goes back to his last year at Georgia Tech, when he fractured his ankle and missed most of the season.

Those injuries -- a neck strain in spring and a rib cage strain earlier this season -- haven’t helped him get on track at the plate. But that’s not the only reason. Scouts think the slight uppercut in his swing has become much more pronounced. All those factors have led to the slow start.

But as mentioned in previous questions, this is the season to allow him to work through all those problems in the majors while Adrian Gonzalez can have the year to try to master Triple-A pitching. That way, whatever ends up happening -- whether Teixeira moves to the outfield or one of the two gets traded -- can only benefit the Rangers long-term.

SHANTRELL MOSS - LADY HOOPSTER / TRACK STAR
She will be coming to GT. Nice story on her and her drive to succeed in the classroom.
... Moss, who will run track and play basketball at Georgia Tech, will be remembered as one of the best athletes in Pompano Beach's history.

Moss, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Class 3A-2A-1A Girls' Basketball Player of the Year for 2003 and 2004, averaged 33.6 points per game. She was part of the Tornado track team that won a state title and she was the MVP of the golf team.

A member of the National Honor Society, Moss is hoping to study biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech and would like to eventually become a cardiologist. She was a member of the French Club and was active in Teens Against Tobacco Use and Students Against Destructive Decisions.

For Moss, being involved in extracurricular activities and studying to keep up her 3.9 GPA was a big part of her athletic success....

WAKE FOREST ATHLETES STILL HAVE TO PAY $16,000 PER YEAR
Wow, I guess a scholarship ain't what it used to be.... at least at Wake Forest. Interesting article pointing out how the beesball team will have a hard time getting competitive again without new facilities and a different 'ship structure.
...Wake Forest, a team stocked with players required to pay an annual bill of at least $16,000 - and often much more - to play baseball on scholarship...

PROTECT YOUR BORDERS
That is the theme of college recruiting. "Close the borders". All big colleges are trying to do that with the best in-state athletes, including in Georgia. There is a reason why Tennessee has not returned to their glory days - part of which is that they are having a hard time reaching into the state of Georgia and picking off the players they want. Here's a story on the state of Texas and their football talent being recruitied by out of state schools.
According to Max Emfinger -- leading high school football recruiting guru -- 15 of the top 100 high school senior football players ranked nationally, reside in Texas. Of the other 49 states, 10 reside in Florida, 10 in California, nine in Georgia, six in Louisiana and five each in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Thus, 70 of the 2005 top high school football recruits come from nine states.
Certainly GT is estabishing a solid base from Texas in both hoops and football. Chris Bosh and now Jeremis Smith and others in football as well. GT is certainly recruiting better in the state of GA but UGAg is doing a better job. But each year Coach Gailey gets better with guys like Calvin Johnson and Coach Hewitt just landed Alade Aminu from Stone Mountain and of course we were close with Randolph Morris.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS DAVID DUVAL
He had a room reserved for the Memorial, but never showed up. Here's a story from GolfWeb on the MIA. They are now guessing he won't make a showing until August.

RECRUITING - HOOPS
Short article on Amir Johnson, a 6'9" recruit interested in GT. He is from Los Angelas:
When asked about recruiting, Johnson said there are a few schools that he’s interested in that are showing him interest. “Louisville, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, North Carolina and Arizona are the schools I’m thinking about,” Johnson said. “I want to leave, get away from home, and I’m looking for a good environment.”
. Looks like grades could be an issue:
Johnson said that before really thinking seriously about recruiting he needs to think first about academics. “Before thinking about which college, I’m trying to get to college. I’ve raised my GPA to a 2.5 and I’m taking the SAT for the first time in June. I’ve been studying with a tutor and I think I’ll do well.”
Sounds like Louisville, UNC and Syracuse are more his favorites though.

Tuesday, June 01, 2004

Golfers Tee of on Day 1 of NCAA Tourney

What started out as a promising front nine ended terribly as the Jackets struggled on the back 9. Currently the Jackets are tied for 12th at +9. Actually, holes 9-15 were a nightmare, with 12 bogeys and a double bogey between the 5 teammates. Nicholas Thompson shot a -1, Wongluekiet and Barbosa both +1, Castro +4 and Kevin Larsen a +12. Needless to say, he will need to pick up his game.

Leaderboard
GT Individual scorecards.

Recruiting - Courtney Fells

Well, we are in his top choices, but NCST is the clear favorite based on this article:

He said he would likely visit Georgia Tech and Maryland, then make a collegiate decision sometime in November. When asked if he had a top three list of favorites, Fells answered quickly with a smile on his face.

“NC State, NC State, NC State."


Also, here's a review of the Bob Gibbon's Tournament of Champions last weekend.

Interview with Duke's AD

Interesting interview, discussing things like how they don't like the fact that Duke finally got screwed in this whole early-departure NBA mess. I also found the last couple of paragraphs interesting:

Q: You mentioned two summers ago that you wanted to establish an endowment program for football similar to the one in place for basketball.

A: We've actually started that. We're in very preliminary stages right now of planning a fund, an Excellence Fund, that will help pay for football needs just like the Legacy Fund pays for basketball needs.
Is there really any doubt what program comes first at Duke????

Recruiting - Football

Coach Gailey is once again trying to dip into the state of Texas. Here is a story about Corey Hall, a very talented DB prospect who is getting looks from the Jackets. Of course based on Corey's quote, we are on his list but not near the top:

As for the recruiting process for this Lonestar Defensive Back:” I like Notre Dame, Maryland- they have already offered me, Texas ATM, Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma. Probably Georgia Tech too. Those are the main ones right now.”

Miss St. Coach Looks forward to ATL

Coach Ron Polk remembers his days of facing GT when he coached at UGAg. From this article:

"I worked with Texas Tech coach Larry Hays on Team USA and we saw Georgia Tech four times each season when I was coaching at Georgia. This weekend ought to be like old times."

Daily Swarm - Part 1

MORE ON BEESBALL
On the Jackets getting #4 seed.....More on both the Jackets and UGAg.

RECRUITING - HOOPS AND DEPARTURES
A look at recruiting class rankings both before and after early departures. The good news is that he gives GT the #1 class AFTER departures, which of course is all that matters - who will show up on campus........ Here's another article on the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions and re-caps of some players. Note that the 2006 class continues to standout over and above the 2005 class with the amount of talent available. That is a bit disappointing, since GT will of course likely sign anywhere from 5-7 players next season fromt he 2005 class. One mention for next year's class is Courtney Fells -

Courtney Fells, a long, lean 6-6 wing player from Shannon, Miss., visited N.C. State earlier in May and liked what he saw, but he also said that he's not close to making a decision.

Fells plans to visit LSU, Georgia Tech, Maryland and maybe Texas before making his choice early next fall.

TOMMY HAMMONDS JR SIGNS WITH ECU
Congrats to Jr., who is a 6'4" wing player. He signed with East Carolina. Link here.

MORE ON MIKE SOUTHALL
Story here.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - K-FOX
Well, KC Chief's defense was terrible last year, but will K-Fox actually make the line-up (blurb here).
Kansas City didn't sign any defensive free agents, and while it drafted three defensive players in April, it would be a surprise if any of them (Oregon DT Junior Siavii, Georgia Tech LB Keyaron Fox and Idaho State DE Jared Allen) saw anything but reserve and special-teams duty this season.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - MATT MURTON
Nice blurb on him here:
Former Eagle's Landing High School standout Matt Murton is one of the best power hitters this season for the single-A Sarasota Red Sox. He's second on the team in home runs (nine) and RBI (25). He's currently batting .268. Murton played at Georgia Tech and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2003 after his junior season. He played in the short-season New York-Penn League last year.

Monday, May 31, 2004

Potential UGAg / GT rematch in place

Well, if you noticed the brackets (and some of you did) a rematch is a strong possibility with the school formerly known as UGA. Should UGAg and GT advance, we will be facing them in the superregional. Personally, I welcome the challenge and look forward to a re-match. Of course, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Time to start a new winning streak and win our regional first. And of course the mutts will have to do the same.

Scouting report for beesball games

Check out this thread for detailed scouting reports on the weekend's games. Good work from the Hive........ Here's their home page....... Check out this article. What strikes me the most is this -

Parking for the NCAA Atlanta Regional is free of charge and is available in the following areas: Alexander Memorial Coliseum (8th Street off Fowler Street) O'Keefe Parking Lot (6th Street off Fowler Street) Peter's Parking Deck (Fowler Street at 4th Street)
In other words, all you students who paid however many hundreds of dollars for a liscence to look for a spot will have to look harder. Parking must be an even more sore spot today that when I was there back in 87-92 - more buildings and less spaces.

Jackets get the #4 Seed

Well, here's the official bracket. The Jackets will host a regional next weekend, with Jacksonville State, Miss St and Texas Tech coming to ATL. We will play Jax 1st. The great news is that we get teh #4 seed in the country, and the superregional host teams will be announced June 6. This means will will be a host site for one of the superregionals. Here's more from the NCAA website. From the USAToday. The SEC received a record 9 bids, while the ACC got 6...... Currently we are ranked #7 by Baseball America, and #5 by Collegiate Baseball. More on the details as it pertains the Jackets.

Recruiting - Bobby Frasor

Unless Coach Hewitt can get this guy to campus, I am not sure our chances of landing him are great. He could make a decision as soon as this week........ or not. Story on Frasor.

Money and the ACC

We have talked about the TV package and expansion. How about some data. Found this on the WF board, citing numbers out of the ACC Sports Journal (which I did not see):

Numbers pulled from the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act by the U.S. Dept of Education for athletic budget profit.

Here's how it breaks down for the past three filings combined :
ATHLETIC BUDGET PROFIT:
1] Clemson-----$31.9 mill
2] UNC---------$20.4 mill
3] FSU---------$16.6 mill
4] NC St--------$16.1 mill
5] GaT----------$8.1 mill
6] UVa----------$2.3 mill
7] Wake---------$1.7 mill
8] MD----------- $.3 mill
9] Duke----------$ [ 476,000 ] loss
I cannot speak to the accuracy of those numbers.

From the Orlando Sentinel, a look at who are the real cash cows by conference. While the SEC and Big 10 garnered more total conference money, the ACC actually reeled in far more PER SCHOOL. So it will be interesting to see what happens with expansion:
Over the same period, the ACC paid out $97.6 million to its members, just behind the total of the Big Ten and SEC. But individual ACC members reeled in more than almost every other school in the country. That group of individual winners was headed by Florida State ($11.4 million) and Wake Forest ($11.3 million), highest of any schools documented by conferences and the Sentinel.
. here is how all that revenue breaks out per school:

ACC REVENUES
Clemson $11,074,338
Duke $9,908,358
Florida State $11,435,885
Georgia Tech $11,279,962
Maryland $11,104,031
North Carolina $9,834,452
NC State $10,856,505
Virginia $10,832,114
Wake Forest $11,292,168
Total $97,617,813

Want to know how much the commisioners are paid:

Conference Commissioner Compensation

Atlantic Coast John Swofford $538,369
Big East Mike Tranghese $413,675
Big Ten Jim Delany $567,002
Big 12 Kevin Weiberg $434,500
Conference USA Britton Banowsky $216,868
Mid-American Rick Chryst $192,500
Mountain West Craig Thompson $318,000
Pac-10 Jim Hansen $381,810
Southeastern Mike Slive $425,000
Sun Belt Wright Waters $219,737
Western Athletic Karl Benson $308,453

Sunday, May 30, 2004

Jackets Crash and Burn - Crushed by FSU 17-5

Ok, on one hand I can sit here and talk about how great the team has played this season. I could talk about the 20 game winning streak. But I have to be honest. I was extremely disappointed in today's game. The Jackets played a terrible game. The pitching was terrible. The fielding was terrible. The hitting was terrible. The hustle was not there. I expected more from the Jackets than what we saw today. I was going to let them off the hook for last night's game, even though the only reason we had the lead at all was FSU's comedy of errors. But I saw some of their fight last night. Today was embarrasing.

Some will talk about how losing is a good thing. "Clear the slate" so we can start a new winning streak. I really disagree, particularly because the manner in which we lost. I didn't even see a fight in them. Coach Hall has a real task ahead of him, getting the minds of the players where they need to be. I sure hope that the "clear the slate" people are right, and that this allows us to start a new winning streak. But I have my doubts. It just kills me that we win 20 straight to end the season and lose 2 in a row when they count the most. Have to give FSU credit, but we should have sealed the deal.

The good news is that Hall was able to walk into the lockeroom afterwards and tell the team that they will be hosting a regional. That was announced today. Tommorow we will learn who the top 8 seeds will be.

GT and UGAg to host regional........ Here's a complete list of regional hosts....... Here's the RamblinWreck story on hosting.........AccessNorth article on game........ AP Story....... C.Remole was the only Jacket on the all-tourney team - that seems like a major shaft if you ask me........ Story on GT signee John Michael Vidac, a very talented pitcher / hitter, but has already had "Tommy John" surgury and is still playing high school ball.

Saturday, May 29, 2004

Daily Swarm

RECRUITING UPDATE - HOOPS
Joey Cameron verbals to Tenn. This is the young man who had earlier committed to Clemson, only to change his mind, and put GT among his leaders. Now he has made a choice again. As always, nothing is binding until he signs in the fall.

THE SAD STORY OF MIKE SOUTHALL
The diehards remember clearly the story of this promising recruit that Coach Hewitt decided to give a 2nd chance. Well, he ruined his 1st and 2nd chance, and it looks like he has just ruined his 15th as well. Southall will be serving a 1-year prison sentence for violating probation on his 2000 drug conviction. Another story of a wasted talent. Sad for him.

DID YOU KNOW SCHOOLS PLACE BIDS FOR BEESBALL REGIONALS ?
Maybe I have just been in the dark on this. I didn't realize schools actually bid money to be a regional site host. I thought it was a little bit more of a pure process. Just one more example of how money makes the sports world go round. Story here. Wonder how much GT bids to get a regional?

Speaking of the regionals, the Jackets will learn today if they will host a regional next weekend, as expected. The full NCAA field will be announced Monday, including the 8 top seeds.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - STEVE KELLY
The former GT pitcher is working his way up the minor leagues and having a decent year. His story here shows that timing a luck are important as well.

With three days left in spring training, Kelly, a starter at Fairfield, Georgia Tech and each stop he’s made as a pro, was sent to the bullpen, the place where starting pitchers go to die. Less than a week later, though, the Lookouts’ fifth starter went down with a blown-out arm, and Kelly was put back in the rotation before ever making a relief appearance.

“You never wish anything bad on anybody else, but it was an opportunity,” he said. “I tried to turn it into a positive. I started that fifth game, and everything’s been going well since.”

Kelly’s success lends itself to the big question folks around Fairfield keep asking: When will he get moved up again?

Kelly admitted that the same question goes through the head of every minor leaguer. The key, though, is not to dwell on it.

“It will beat you up down here if you think about that the whole time,” he said.

WANT TO PLAY GOLF WITH COACH CREMINS ?
Check this link out -
If you want to play in the Gene Corrigan celebrity tournament at Glenmore on June 21, then contact Mike Comer (434-973-8397) as soon as possible. Players will be invited to a celebrity auction party on Sunday, the 20th at Glenmore, where they can bid to play with Virginia football coach Al Groh, Cavaliers basketball coach Pete Gillen, Wahoo hoops legend Barry Parkhill, former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins and some other surprise celebrities.

DID A UF PLAYER LOSE HIS PANTS IN THE GATOR BOWL?
Urban legend from the 1967 Gator Bowl where Florida and GT locked horns. Interesting article about these fact-or-fictions stories.

COACH GAILEY TO ATTEND WEEK OF CHAMPIONS
Since it is for a good cause I won't rail on the fact that once again, we are "Georgia Tech University". On 2nd thought, the writer is the problem - what a boob. Sounds like a good cause and Coach Gailey will be there along with Sid Bream and Jose Alverez. Hey, and a few days at Hilton Head ain't all bad - I just got back from a week there myself.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - DAVID ELDER
The former GT pitcher was released by the Greenville Braves. For a look at his career, click here.

THE AJC ON ALADE AMINU
Short blurb on our newest hoops recruit.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - STEWART CINK
Cink is looking strong (leaderboard) at the FEDEX St.Jude Classic, currently tied for 3rd at 10 under. He won't catch the leader, but should have a strong showing. Notice that Matt Kuchar is tied for 30th, Michael Clark II is tied for 39th, Bryce Molder is tied for 48th and Tripp Isenhour is tied for 62nd. How about that - 5 former GT players on the PGA - and David Duval might make his appearance at the Memorial (next weekend I think).

Jackets finally lose 8-7

FSU started the game looking like the Bad News Bears, comitting 4 errors in the 1st two innings. The Jackets took advantage, taking a 6-1 lead. But it would not hold. FSU broke through bit by bit, then hit it big in the 8th, scoring 4 runs. All the while, the bats for GT disappeared. The heart of the order Owings / Boggs / Remole went a combined 0-9.

The Jackets have not lost since April 18, so I hope they can bounce back.

So, these teams will suit up again on Sunday and try again - winner take all. No more 20 game winning streak. Time for a new one boys. Let's start with #1 on Sunday

Where are they now - Joe Hamilton

Nice story on little Joe (thanks to kman81 for the link from the Hive). Nice stat line -

Hamilton has started 13 games for the Predators this season (missed two games with an injury) and passed for 2,654 yards (218-of-334) with 52 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s also made plays with his feet, rushing for 145 yards and eight scores, including a 42-yard scamper.

Hamilton doesn’t given himself enough credit as a quarterback.

“I think I’m a quarterback that just moves the chains,” he said. “I don’t have a (John) Elway-type arm but I think when it’s time to make a play that I can get it done. I played a lot of football in college and then in the NFL but (the AFL) is still a new game to me. I guess heading into week 16 I’m not really a rookie anymore, but I’m still learning and trying to get better.”

Where are they now - Dean Keener

Here's a link to that article about the top 25 recruiters in the country - only assistant were eligible. Of course our guy Dean is now HC at JMU.

Coach Hewitt Talks NCAA Reform..

... with the Boston Globe. I thought I posted this article a couple of weeks ago, but couldn't find the link. Here it is again. Once again thanks to Yoni over at Collegball.blogspot.com for the link again.

Georgia Tech basketball coach Paul Hewitt, who guided his team to the NCAA men's title game against the University of Connecticut this past season, says the new guidelines will force him to make a choice between taking a player he knows has qualifications to succeed and someone he thinks might have them.

"It is not easy," said Hewitt. "Do I give a kid a chance or do I not recruit him? I'll have a decision to make."

According to Hewitt, if the NCAA were truly serious about its academic commitment, there would be changes in scheduling. For instance, it could curtail basketball games in the first semester -- have none during the week -- and extend the season well into the second semester in April, when television has cash cows such as the Masters and major league baseball.

"It would be the right thing to do for kids," said Hewitt, knowing full well that the loss of television revenue for the NCAA would prohibit such a dramatic change.
Personally, I like the suggestion of requiring the athletic programs to match the grad rates of the student body of the school they are attending. The would certainly normalize things since some schools are meat-grinders - easy to get in, but hard to get out. Others are hard to get in, but if you're in, it's highly unlikely you won't graduate.

The real interesting point to all this for me is that the NCAA has created this framework for major change but have not filled in ANY of the details. That is completely in the air at this point.

Recruiting Update - Bobby Frasor

Nice article on Frasor and his positive AAU experience, even though it is common to hear all the negatives about the AAU summer circuit.

Make no mistake - if Coach Hewitt lands this young man, it will be a major win. He is currently in the national top 25 for his class and considered one of the top PG's. Competition will be tough, as teams like UNC / Stanford / Kansas / Marquette / Mich St are pushing hard. With Kansas signing Mario Chalmers, this hopefully puts them out of the running, but old Roy Williams seems to really be putting the full court press on this kid. Stay tuned.

If you want to see some impressive video footage of this kid for free, click here. Of course he makes every shot in the clips, but the kid can flat out shoot.

Where are they now - Nomar Garciappara

Nomar starts his rehab assignment on Sunday at Pawtucket. I sure hope Nomar isn't turning into another Ken Griffey Jr / Grant Hill type of career. It would be sad if he goes through his entire career fighting injuries, but it seems like the past few seasons it is a common theme.

Where are they now - Andy Hall

Well, the road to success just got tougher for Andy. The Eagles just signed Jeff Blake, which means Hall will likely end up on the practice squad for next season and not the active roster. That also means a significant pay cut. My question - if a team drafts a player and elects NOT to sign him to the roster, why should they retain rights on the "practice squad"? Why shouldn't these guys be able to test the free agent market with other teams? Or is this actually a good thing for recruits? I can't tell.

Friday, May 28, 2004

Where are they now - Kyle Bakker

The 6'9" lefty is pitching well in the Braves farm system. In this article, Baseball Writer and ESPN special columnist John Sickels talks about Bakker:

James from York, Pennsylvania, writes: In the 20th round of last year's draft, the Braves took left-handed pitcher Kyle Bakker, a 6-foot-9 beast out of Georgia Tech. I remember he was supposed to be a draft-and-follow, his stock having dropped that year. Well, he signed, and so far has looked like a steal. Of course, it's far too early to tell whether or not his signing was a good deal or not, but what do you think about Bakker?


Bakker was considered a potential first-round pick going into the spring of 2003. But his mechanics got fouled up (not unusual for a 6-9 pitcher), and his command wavered. Most teams thought he would go back to Georgia Tech for his senior year, but the Braves managed to sign him with a 20th round pick.


Bakker has a 1.65 ERA and a 3-0 record this year for Rome in the Sally League, being used in relief. In 16.1 innings, he's given up 13 hits, and has a 10/12 K/BB ratio. That's not a good K/BB, and calls into question his projection for higher levels, though the sample size is very small at this stage.


Despite his size, Bakker is not a hard thrower. He can hit 90 mph at times, but his fastball tends to flatten out and lose movement at that velocity. He does better at 86-88 with movement, though it appears faster due to his size. His breaking ball and changeup are OK, not great, but when his command is on he can zip through a lineup. I'm concerned about his high walk rate this year, and his future at higher levels is uncertain.

Where are they now - Ryan Stewart

Anyone in the Atlanta area knows that he and his bro host a very popular radio show called "2 Live Stews". Looks like their style might get them into the bigtime, with a syndicated show across many markets. I guess all the suburban kids like me who grew up listening to Public Enemy, EPMD and the Beastie Boys find their humor entertaining. This article talks about their appeal, even though the stiff-shirts were scared of too much street.

Jackets Advance to ACC Tourney Final

Broken record time - Jackets win again. Although I never tire of saying it. The Jackets took down FSU tonight 13-4 on the strength of a 7-run 2nd inning and a 5-run 8th. While Kown pitched solidly, it was Jordan Crews who came in a tossed 4.2 innings of shutout ball - only gave up 2 hits. Just outstanding. The offensive heroes were many, but once again Clifton Remole stood out with 4 RBI's, and 2 hits. Greene and Blackwood both had 3 hits, but 7 different guys knocked in runs. Talk about spreading the wealth.

So, this means GT advances to the ACC Tourney Finals Saturday Night. If the Jackets win that game, they are champions. If they lose, they will play in one more game Sunday at 1:00 for all the marbles. So the Jackets still have to lose 2 to NOT win, but only win one to bring home the trophy. Who will they play. Well, Clemson / UNC are playing tonight. The winner plays FSU at 3:30 Sat. The winner of that game plays the Jackets. Clear as mud. Link here for details.

Where are they now - Dez White

Looks like Dez has become #1 on the WR depth chart already. Link here. Pretty impressive - he will play opposite Peerless Price. Here's his profile.

Coach Hewitt gets 1st Recruit for 2005/2006 - Alade Aminu


Photo from Insiders.com

Well, Coach Hewitt is getting into the "early signings" game. We just learned that Junior Alade Aminu has committed to GT. A tall, young, smart, growing power forward with strong defensive skills and developing on the offensive end. Seems to be a multi-year player so he should really get a chance to develop in Hewitt's system. Seems like a great pick-up. Here are some facts (thanks to RamblinRed, JuniorNT at the Hive):

Pronounced "All-a-day A-mee-new"
6'9" - 6'10" - and growing, 215 lb
Wingspan of a 7-footer
Only 16 years old
Plays on the same AAU team as Louis Williams / Mike Mercer
Is the state triple-jump champion in GA, so he can jump
Goes to high school at Stephenson (where Reggie Ball played)
Averaged 18 ppg, 13 rpg, 4 bpg, 4 steals/game as a junior
Has only played 3 years of organized ball
Rivals ranks him 102, 29th best power forward
Prepstars / Insiders have him in top 150. Will probably rise in rankings during summer
Hoopscoop has him as 10th best player in GA
Recruited by Cincy, KY and UConn
Good student, 3.0 GPA, both parents are teachers
Interested in architecture. (aka architorture)
Can shoot out to 15 feet; offensive game raw
Very solid defensively, good shotblocker
Will need a little time to fill in his frame

Rivals Profile here.
Insiders Profile.

State triple jump champ in Georgia. Long and just starting to tap into his vast potential. Will reject shots and rebound and offense is coming around.

Article from Rivals.
On Georgia Tech: "They’re an engineering school, and I want to become an architect. I like their style of play. I like how they get out and transition and get after it on the defensive end. Georgia Tech is just a good all around program."

He runs well, has good hands, has good touch from 15 feet in, and has a bouncy athleticism. As he gets stronger and develops a better feel for the game, he could be an impact player on the high major level.

"I’m working hard on my small forward skills this summer,” Aminu said. “I’m working on my ball handling and am continuing to work on extending my range. I’m also hitting the weights hard to get stronger but not lose any of my quickness."
His AAU team home page.

The 2004 GA High School Association Track and Field Championships were finished May 13. Aminu finished 4th in the triple jump with a jump of 45-11.5. Link here.

Here's a link to his high school hoops team. They actually have him listed at 6'9", 175 lb. If so, gaining weight is an understatement.

This from coasttocoastbasketball.com -
6’9” center Alade Aminu has a wing-span which similar to that of a 7 footer and he is beginning to learn how to use it. It’s a good thing, because with no help in the post Aminu has seen and will continue to see many opponents flying through the lane.


From Rivals on his commit to GT:

May 28, 2004
Aminu Staying Close to Home
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Justin Young
RivalsHoops.com

The coaching staff at Georgia Tech has used their trip to the National Championship game to their advantage by recruiting more on a national level than they usually have. But late Thursday night, they didn’t have to travel very far to land one of the top players in the southeast.

Alade Aminu, a 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward from Stephenson (Ga.) High School decided to stay close to home and play for the Yellow Jackets, according to sources close to the ACC program.

Aminu, who is ranked as the No. 102 player on the Rivals150, is the first commitment for Georgia Tech in the class of 2005. He is the first major in-state recruit for the program since B.J. Elder and Isma‘il Muhammad.

He was recently offered a scholarship and decided to end the recruiting process before the busy summer months. Aminu and his parents made an official visit last weekend to the Atlanta school.

He was unavailable for comment due to travel with his Georgia Stars AAU program. The team will be playing in New Orleans for the Nike Memorial Day Classic. Norman Parker, the head coach of the Stars, said the Jackets landed a well-rounded player.

“Coach Hewitt that they not only liked him as a player but as a player,” Parker said. “Alade is a great kid. He’s just scratching the surface as far as basketball goes. It think it is a good fit for him going to GT.”

With Aminu, the Yellow Jackets add a player with strong upside and improved post skills. He has been playing basketball for just two years but the rising senior has made big strides in his game. He averaged 18 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and four steals as a junior at Stephenson High School. He admitted in the past that he needs to add strength and more time in the paint in order to become an effective four man in the ACC.

Where are they now - David Wright

Former GT beesball recruit (but signed with the Mets instead - was the 38th pick), talks about his experience getting drafted. Here' another story. Here's his profile.

You may ask - why am I dwelling on a guy who signed with GT and never showed up? I'm just a glutton for punishment I guess.

David Stern doesn't want college players - yeah right!!!

He actually wants an expanded minor league basketball system for young talent. Looks like he wants to expand the NBADL - developmental league. Off the top of my head, this seems like it will provide a safety net for even more talented recruits to declare early. I could be wrong, but I'll have to think about it more.

Dawgs are cursed - picked #1 by Sporting News

Wahooo !! The Dawgs are picked #1 by the same organization that picked Auburn to win it all last season. Will the curse live on? Will "the school formerly known as UGA" be able to shake it? Stay tuned. Story here.

What do we call UGAg now?

I mentioned earlier about UGAg severing ties with their powerful fundraising arm, the "University of Georgia Foundation". If things weren't weird enough, check this out. The Foundation is now claiming that they have ALL the rights to the name "University of Georgia".

UGA's already messy divorce from its fund-raising organization took a nasty, unexpected twist Thursday: It turns out that the university doesn't hold the trademark to its own name. Instead, in papers filed last year, the University of Georgia Foundation has declared itself the owner of all things labeled "University of Georgia."

In doing so, the nonprofit foundation asserted control over every commercial use of the university's name, from UGA-embossed coffee mugs to boxer shorts — to "education services, namely providing instruction at the college level," according to its trademark papers.
So what they heck do we call "them". Are they "that other state school". Well, let's be realistic - it was a gift to call them a "university" anyhow. Maybe it should be the "Athens Social Club". Maybe the "Red & Black Society". Of course, society is a really long word. Over at Stingtalk, Techfowl and GTg8r went the Prince route and came up with "the School Formerly Known as UGA", or maybe just use a symbol

Ok, I'm being hard on them, but that's what we do. I cannot help but derive a certain amount of pleasure out of this.

Where are they now - George O'Leary

Interesting story on O'Leary and where he is taking his new UCF team. I like his quote about recruiting big guys:

The smallest of the nine offensive linemen, Frank Reina of Miami, is 6 feet 5 and weighs 275 pounds.

"I like big guys, they make me feel safer," O'Leary said. "If they're small, they better be fast. Don't tell me they have big hearts. We're going to sign big guys with big hearts."

Hoops Recruiting

Blurb on Bobby Frasor, who just got back from his official visit to Stanford. Looks like he did not meet the new HC. This weekend he will play in a Bob Gibbons tourney in NC, and will take an unofficial visit to Chapel Hill.

Check out the blurb in this Virginia online paper about Randolph Morris - I love it!

An “A” for candor: Kentucky basketball boosters were thrilled when 7-foot prep All-American Randolph Morris picked the Wildcats over Georgia Tech, but fans grew cranky when Morris said one of the reasons for his decision was Kentucky’s less demanding academic standards. This sort of honesty is rarer than a Rhodes Scholar in the NBA lottery draft pool.

Football Recruiting - Steven Smigelsky

Nice interview with this standout Linebacker / Fullback from the state of Florida. He attended the GT Nike Camp. He is considering GT, UGAg, VaTech (father went there), Clemson, SC among others. GT coaches have come to see him.

Q: Talk about your experience at the Nike Camp.

A: That was awesome. They got us up there and they were only expecting 300 kids. Instead, they got 550 or so. It's a good campus (at Georgia Tech).
GT wants him as a linebacker, while VaTech wants him as a fullback. As far as academics, looks like GT might have a slight edge:
Q: What would you like to major in when you go to college?

A: I am kind of undecided right now. I've always liked cars and I'm good with computers, so I'd like to do automotive design. That's why I am so interested in (Georgia) Tech. On the other hand, I like talking to people so I am interested in psychology, too. Maybe I'd like to get a minor in psychology.

Thursday, May 27, 2004

Jackets win a marathon

No, we're not talking track-and-field. We are talking the diamond - baseball. The Jackets took down Clemson in 13 innings, a game that did not want to end. It looked like the Jackets had it wrapped up in the 9th - with Owings going the distance. But 140+ pitches was just too many, as Clemson finally broke through for 3 runs to tie the game. Then over the course of the next 3 innings, Clemson flirted with scores, but never broke through. The 13th was the lucky number, as EP singled, stole 2nd, then advanced to 3rd on a groundout. Then Owings hit a goundball that brought home EP. The bases were then loaded to setup the dp, and Clifton Remole came up and broke it open. A bases clearing double sealed the victory.

On a sidenote, I have to say #1, Gametracker sucks. The idea is awesome, but that dang thing cut out from the 9th inning on, leaving many in the dark. Second, if you are on a modem connection like I am this week on vacation, then internet radio sucks. No doubt that high speed connections cannot be taken for granted as I sat last night, taken back in time, to the stone ages.

AJC Story
AP Story
TheState, a South Carolina paper.
Jackets to face FSU Friday at 5:00 in the winners bracket.

Owings / Patterson Focus on College...

... at least we hope. Not so sure they were doing a good job of that early in the season, but things seem to be clicking in the 2nd half. Story here on these two guys.

Where are they now - Nick Ferguson

Just when he had fought hard to win a starting job, the Broncos bring in John Lynch on the free agent market. So his role is uncertain, but he is maintaining his positive attitude. Story here. Here's a profile on Nick from the Broncos site.

Where are they now - Andy Hall

Nice story on Andy Hall as he prepares to make a name for himself with the Eagles. I wish him all the best, even if it took getting away from GT to find the right situation for him.

The Eagles liked him enough to make him a sixth-round pick, the 185th overall selection in last month's draft. Now he is competing with Ohio State's Scott McMullen and former Lehigh star Phil Stambaugh for the No. 3 quarterback spot vacated when the Eagles traded A.J. Feeley in February.

All of this, of course, is possible only because Hall decided to transfer out of Georgia Tech and attend Delaware, a school and a state he knew nothing about before his decision.

Wednesday, May 26, 2004

Wall-paper

Stumbled across this Final Four wallpaper for your computer if you are interested.

If you want to see some really cool wallpaper of some NBA players - head to this link. Here's an example of a Chris Bosh wallpaper I found:



Southern Pigskin Preview has GT #7 in Football

Well, last year we were picked to finish 7th to 8th in football. We surprised a few people along the way. Southern Pigskin Preview is picking GT to finish #7, but they do admit picking 4-8 in the ACC is a crap-shoot. Guess what - we are back to 7th again. Of course, we know the value of pre-season prognosticators. Just ask last year's football team or the hoops team.

7. GEORGIA TECH

After losing three of their last four to finish the regular season, Georgia Tech rebounded emphatically with a 52-10 thrashing of Tulsa in the Humanitarian Bowl. The win ended last season on a positive note and prompted high hopes for 2004.

Reggie Ball
Quarterback Reggie Ball was thrown into the mix as an 18-year true freshman last season. As expected, his response was erratic at times, but for the most part Ball played with poise and leadership well beyond his years. He is a true dual-threat talent, and should only improve with a year of experience under his belt. Joining Ball in the backfield will be 1,000-tard rusher P.J. Daniels. The junior exploded on Tulsa last season, rushing for over 300 yards, and is a complete back with no real weaknesses. The offensive front features four senior starters, including stalwarts Brad Honeycutt and Kyle Wallace. At receiver, Nate Curry is the leading returnee, but look for Xavier McGuire to make a run at being the go-to target.

Few teams in the league are as consistent on defense as Tech. Whether it's scheming, coaching or personnel, that's debatable, but this year should be no different. It all starts up front where the Jackets will feature a line as feisty as any in the conference. Eric Henderson is a true All-American candidate with astounding pass rushing skills. Mansfield Wrotto is an inside space-eater and Travis Parker is a nice compliment to Henderson on the outside. Gerris Wilkerson is the only incumbent at linebacker and will have to tutor newcomers KaMichael Hall and Nick Moore. While Tech's front seven has garnered much of the attention in recent years, it's a defensive back who may be this team's best player. James Butler came out of nowhere in 2003 to record 119 tackles and five interceptions. He and budding corner Reuben Houston help make up a strong secondary.

With parity in the ACC at an all time high, Georgia Tech may get shuffled back a notch or two. Consistency, or lack thereof, has plagued the Jackets recently. In the new-look ACC, that variance could prove especially costly.

The also said that GT has the best defensive line unit in the ACC -
Defensive Line: Georgia Tech - Eric Henderson is the best lineman in the ACC, and Travis Parker and Mansfield Wrotto are both solid players. From end to end, it's a talented and sound group


Eric Henderson and James Butler make their All-ACC pre-season team, and Reggie Ball gets named the best running QB in the ACC. Of course what we would all like to see is Reggie become a better passing QB, so that he doesn't have to rely on his legs so much.

Hoops Recruiting

A look at the 2005 and 2006 classes relative to the needs to the tobacco road teams. Also, here is an interesting new hoops recruiting site with free video of a bunch of recruits........

Lastly, here is an interesting NBA Draft projection site, Draftcity.com. Notice that under the 2005 draft, there are 3 Jackets listed a draft picks:

#27.... J.Jack
#33.... L.Schenscher
#58.... Isma'il Muhammad

Now, nothing against the site or against Isma'il, but Elder is that guy missing fromt the list, and he has more of a shot of getting drafted that Isma'il imo. Interesting anyhow.