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FOOTBALL
Interesting article on recruiting combines, with mention of one at Georgia Tech......... Ok, we're last in this poll, but anyone who doesn't vote for Miami or VaTech is basically trying to stuff the ballot boxes (like I did).............. Dave Wannstedt consulted with Chan Gailey prior to taking his job at the U of Pitt head coach, and evidently Chan talked about building a staff............... Note Travares Tillman on the Dolphins Training Camp Roster......... Looks like Tommy Bowden is handing over complete control of the offense, including play-calling, to new OC Rob Spence......... According to CFN's college fantasy football scouting report, Calvin Johnson is the #8 WR in the nation you want on your team for stat purposes I guess. Reggie Ball chimes in at #42 for QB's. PJ Daniels comes in at #16 for RB's................. Looks like one of James Butler's records has been broken - for the high school triple jump.........
On April 9 at the Taco Bell Track and Field Classic in Columbia, S.C., he broke the school triple jump record with a leap of 47 feet, 8 1/4 inches. His leap broke the record of former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets All-Atlantic Coast Conference safety James Butler, who is now with the New York Giants.
Butler set the record in 1999 as a BHS sophomore, leaping 47 feet, 7 3/4 inches to win the state championship at the state Class AAAA Meet in Jefferson.
Looks like we were a year too late for the BIG payout for the Champs Sports Bowl. Now it's a cool $2million per team. It has now passed the Sun, Alamo and even Gator in terms of payout and is in the top 10. It still won't be a New Year's Day game, but it is closer, moving to Dec 28 or 29..................... Do you want to talk the height of stupidity? CFN has already released bowl projections for the upcoming season. Did you know that they have Georgia Tech playing UAB in the Autozone Liberty Bowl. Buy your tickets now before they're all gone. Nuts. Just nuts.........
HOOPS
Mike DeCoursey of the Sporting News talks about a stronger need to "sell" the college game to high school kids. Bring in the marketing guru's............... Meanwhile, coaches debate the merits of the "one-and-done" players. The bottom-line - if it's Marvin Williams or Carmello Anthony and you win a national championship, it's a great thing. Go for it! Well duh. What else do you think Roy Williams is going to say? Heck, he might even throw a few gifts Marvin's way, even though he didn't actually graduate. For the one-and-done players on teams that didn't go far, it is less certain. However, in Georgia Tech's case, I think the benefits outweigh the negatives. After all, the cachet that goes with being Chris Bosh's college is going to mean more and more as that kid becomes the next NBA star. We all know that the Stephon Marbury fiasco sent the Cremins era spiraling downward. However, the 1-year Marbury and the 2-year Kenny Anderson are major reasons why guys like Jarrett Jack and Javaris Crittenton are interested in Georgia Tech. Make no mistake, Georgia Tech is the REAL "Point Guard U". Arizona fans, don't even go there.......... BJ Elder heated up yesterday, scoring 10 points in his summer league game.............. Here's a very interesting article basically slamming the shoe-camp circuit and Sonny Vaccaro, the guy who pioneered the concept......... On the recruiting front, here's a kid Georgia Tech is looking at - Quincy Pondexter............... Jim Calhoun unviels his exhibit at the Basketball Hall-of-Fame in Springfield Mass, with a giant picture of him cutting down the nets after beating Georgia Tech for the national championship..........
Well, we haven't seen the new Georgia Tech schedule, but I do know we'll by playing the Centenary Gents. It will be the 1st of a 3-game / 3-year deal. The first game will be on the road Jan 10, and the following 2 years the "Gents" will come to ATL. The nice part of this story of that Coach Hewitt was looking for a team to play in North LA because that's where Theodis Tarver is from - Monroe High School..
"Georgia Tech doesn't go in and play many smaller D-I schools so we were lucky to get them," Flaska said. "We wanted to upgrade our home schedule and getting Georgia Tech and Houston, along with a Northwestern team that probably will be picked to win the Southland, does that."
Flaska was able to secure the Yellow Jackets when he heard that they were wanting a home game in north Louisiana because of a player on their team. Coach Paul Hewitt has senior Theodis Tarver from Monroe's Carroll High School listed on his roster.
"Georgia Tech recruits a lot over here and in Dallas, so this game worked well for them," Flaska said. "This is going to be a tough schedule, and I like to win. But being the only D-I school in Shreveport, I felt that we needed to give the community a quality schedule."
That's very nice and all, but this is a team coming off a 3-24 season with only one returning starter. Can you say CREAM-PUFF CITY BABY!!!!!!!!!
OTHER
Chaunte Howard came in 2nd in the voting for ACC Female Athlete of the Year, behind Wake Forest field hockey player Kelly Dostal. By the way, Sean May wins the men's award............ Nicholas Thompson was named to the Walker Cup team - congrats.............. Sounds like coaches are not exactly pumped about the new APR progress report on academics, and Coach Hewitt comments on page 3.
Said Georgia Tech Coach Paul Hewitt: "Anytime you have a rule that has 30-40 different waiver possibilities, there is something flawed in the rule. There are so many real-life scenarios that have been brought up that the people who put together the rule never thought of because they are not involved in the day-to-day operation of an athletic team."
I like Jim Boehieim's quote at the end:
To other coaches, the reality is this: "I can have a 1000 APR every year," Boeheim said. "I can graduate every guy. I won't be coaching here very long. You're not going to win."
To match expectations of winning at the highest level you have to have players. You have to have NBA caliber players - period.........