Thursday, May 24, 2007

Hoops Reminder - Remember Your Hopes? Don't get them up.

I told you right at the beginning of this month - DON'T GET YOUR HOPES UP. I told you to prepare your mind for the eventual truth that Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton will not be coming back to Georgia Tech. I want to reiterate that truth. Go back and and read my post and kick yourself if you maintained hope. Decisions are starting to be announced about guys staying in the draft or coming back. You'll be hearing about our guys soon enough........... and you won't like it.

Again, maybe I'm wrong........................... but I'm not.......................... I'm just not.

Your 2007/2008 Point Guard will be a battle between Mo Miller and Matt Causey. Start thinking about how that will play out, because it's going to be one of those guys. The hometown, homegrown kid is gone, and we'll barely know that he was even there..................... Your new small forward is likely to be a mix of guys like Anthony Morrow and D'Andre Bell - now that Lewis Clinch will be back on the team. The dreams of super-frosh leading us to the promised land is over. Just accept it.

Folks, all I'm trying to do here is prevent heartbreak. Georgia Tech probably has more one-and-done and/or early departures to the NBA than any other school. I don't know the facts, but we have a who's who of early departures. At Georgia Tech, they just don't stay. They move on, and they do it quickly........... JC and TY will follow in that tradition.

Stephon Marbruy (1 yr)
Kenny Anderson (2 yr)
Dion Glover (1 yr)
Chris Bosh (1 yr)
Dennis Scott (3 yrs)
Jarrett Jack (3 yrs)
Thaddeus Young?? (1 yr)
Javaris Crittenton?? (1 yr)

Now, to write off next season as a result of those guys leaving would be a MAJOR mistake. We all know what happened after the departure of Chris Bosh and Ed Nelson. That's why you have to play the games. But the media reports will all be the same - Tech is going to struggle and they're likely to be picked middle of the ACC pack AT BEST.......................... all the while Coach Hewitt tries to convince everyone that it would be a mistake to think this team cannot compete. Watch the spin, then watch the counterspin............. all in the game of managing expectations.

Stay tuned..............