Tech tipping off in first ACC road game at UVa
CHARLOTTESVILLE – Greetings from ‘Hoo-ville and the home of the Virginia Cavaliers, where Tech plays its first ACC road game of the season tonight at 7.
The game is not on TV but will have a live video broadcast on TheACC.com. I’ll try to blog some as we go to keep you updated until my newspaper deadlines start coming into play, so come on board.
And let me just say, the grounds here at UVa are quite lovely this time of year, with snow still on the ground from a recent storm. And from everything I’ve seen of John Paul Jones Arena, it’s first-rate, right down to – yes, the media work room. Hey, we have our priorities.
(I’m told, by the way, they don’t call it a campus round here, it’s got to be called the grounds, the students are first year, second year, etc, instead of freshmen, sophomores, etc., and well, they refer to a certain founding father of ours as Mr. Jefferson.)
I’m a little nostalgic that I didn’t get to see University Hall, having seen it so many years on the tube, but the security guard who walked me to the media workroom (folks are nice around here, I have to say) said something about asbestos. Enough said.
Anyway, the game. And so the Yellow Jackets begin a stretch of back-to-back road games this week, with No. 12 North Carolina coming up on Saturday. And actually, by the rankings, this game is the “easiest” thing Tech will have in a while. After tonight’s matchup, Tech faces three consecutive ranked opponents in No. 12 UNC, No. 24 Clemson at home and No. 25 Florida State on the road.
So this is one the Yellow Jackets need to win to continue the momentum they started with their win over No. 5 Duke on Saturday and to get a running start on this tough stretch with three of four games on the road.
Out of the ACC first’s 14 games heading into tonight, the home team has won 11 of them – the lone exceptions were Florida State’s win at Tech on Dec. 20, Virginia’s win at N.C. State on Saturday and N.C. State’s win at Florida State last night.
Tech’s last road game was pretty much a dud, as you know, in Athens. Coach Paul Hewitt said after that loss to Georgia, he regretted not pressing more and forcing the issue on defense. That’s something the Yellow Jackets came out doing against Duke and it worked to perfection, wearing down Duke’s thin backcourt and taking their legs out of their jump shots.
It would seem like a good idea tonight, to get the energy flowing on the road, but I’m not sure if that’s the best strategy either. Virginia plays three and four guards and is a pretty good ball-handling team. Shoot, 11 of the guys on Virginia’s roster have a “G” by their names.
In fact, the Cavaliers average only 10.5 turnovers per game, which is tops in the ACC. They are also second in the ACC in team free throw percentage at 74.7 percent, trailing only Duke (76.8 percent). (Georgia Tech is fifth by the way, with a 69.3 free throw percentage as a team. And Tech is 11th out of 12 teams in turnovers per game at 16.5)
Virginia made 19 of 20 free throws in its win over NC State Saturday. So the Yellow Jackets will need to move their feet on defense tonight to keep Virginia off the foul line.
As Hewitt said earlier this week, the game should prove to be an interesting contrast in styles with Virginia’s strength playing small, and Tech’s strength playing big. It’ll be interesting to see who has to give into whom. And D’Andre Bell, as usual, will draw the toughest defensive assignment, guarding sophomore Sylven Landesberg, who is averaging 17.0 ppg.
Hewitt recruited Landesberg out of high school and is very familiar with the defending ACC rookie of the year. He’s what Hewitt had to say about Landesberg, leading into tonight’s game.
“Sylven’s a guy who is just a dynamic scorer,” Hewitt said. “He can score a lot of different ways. He’s shooting the 3 better this year. He’s always been able to go to the basket. He’s an outstanding free throw shooter. And you put him at the power forward position he creates a big matchup problem.”
Virginia is trying to go to 2-0 in the ACC for the first time since 1994-95, which for a point of reference was Junior Burroughs’ senior year. Just showing off some old ACC knowledge, and I can do it without Mark Bradley here to put me to shame with his. Talk at you as we go, if there are folks interested in chatting.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
177 comments Add your comment
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:00 pm
Hewitt is George Jefferson on The Flats
StingerSplash
January 13th, 2010
9:01 pm
Another underwhelming performance by Tech.
The line to drive the moving van to Hewitt Manor starts … here.
ND
January 13th, 2010
9:02 pm
WHy is Nick Foreman on the floor? Anybody? Carroll, can you ask Blewitt why his best player is on the bench when the game is over and only 2 fouls.
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:02 pm
Techno- You are right, it is a lack of discipline. We have at least 2 current players on this team that will be 1st round picks at the next level. at times, he has BOTH on the bench.
Meadowlark Lemmon
January 13th, 2010
9:03 pm
No, Hewitt is the Willie Martinez of Basketball. Tons of talent, poor results.
ND
January 13th, 2010
9:03 pm
Technophobia: The numbers don’t lie. No one can defend Blewitt.
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:05 pm
Remember when we were scared that someone would “steal’ Hewitt away from us?
Technophobia
January 13th, 2010
9:05 pm
I’d also like to know how Tech gets only 11 shots from the free throw line and UVA gets 26. That’s right 26, and they made 23 of em. All the other stats are fairly even. We got 3 points from the line they got 23. That’s your ballgame.
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:05 pm
His dream job was the Knicks.
Meadowlark Lemmon
January 13th, 2010
9:05 pm
If Hewitt was Obama he’d be impeached.
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:06 pm
DRad has to clean up Braine’s mess.
BooBoo Man
January 13th, 2010
9:08 pm
B-ball team is not good again, D-Favors would have had a nice pay check that he would have blown in the same amount of time it would have took for everyone to forget about him, this isnt sixteen year olds and more Derrick, this is real talent, not high school……SORRY!
Meadowlark Lemmon
January 13th, 2010
9:08 pm
Had the Jackets shot the same % from the foul line as UVA they would have won – even with only 11 shots.
Technophobia
January 13th, 2010
9:12 pm
Meadowlark, UVA shot 88% from the FT line. Not many teams can do that.
Technophobia
January 13th, 2010
9:12 pm
Enter your comments here
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:14 pm
How many mcDonald’s All-Americans does UVa have? Not many coaches can coach a team down like Hewitt.
GoJackets
January 13th, 2010
9:16 pm
Seriously? 3-11 on free throws? We made 20 less free throws then them. Its nearly impossible to win games like that.
GTGuy44
January 13th, 2010
9:16 pm
You have to question all these rating services of high school athletes. There is no way that Favors is the best freshman in the country or even in the top 10. The services grossly overrated him. Yes he is a good player, but seems lost at times on the court like he was against Duke on Saturday. Tech has had many freshmen that have been better than he is. To name a few Mark Price, Stephon Marbury, Dennis Scott, Kenny Anderson, Tom Hammonds, Travis Best, and Chris Bosh to name a few. Too many people pinned our potential success this year on Favors and it was too much to expect. Tonight is just another example of Hewitt demonstating how poor a coach he is. Very sad and I pray we make a change and get someone like the Villanova coach who gets much more out of much less. He is just one example another is Wisconsin’s coach.
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:17 pm
Maybe Landesberg? Any others?
ND
January 13th, 2010
9:17 pm
His name is Blewitt. Blewitt, Blewitt, Blewitt.
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:18 pm
Favors had a double-double tonight. Don’t blame him. He can’t score or rebound more from the bench.
NotAgain
January 13th, 2010
9:18 pm
We have seen this before. Hewitt team wins big game and loses next to inferior team. RPI is mediocre , so ACC 8-8 won’t get NCAA bid unless Tech wins at UNC, at Duke etc. Too much talent for Tech to be in this mode again. Really am starting to wonder about Hewitt. I have been defending him forever.
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:19 pm
Love when Hewitt calls the T.O after a GT basket and the other team hits a 3 less than 10 seconds later.
Technophobia
January 13th, 2010
9:20 pm
We hit 22 out of 28 free throws vs Duke and 3 out of 11 vs UVA. So, I guess Hewitt’s free throw coaching was terrible the last 4 days and UVA plays much better defense than Duke? (eyes rolling)
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:20 pm
Again…..has anybody looked at the frontcourt that will be here next year? Our only experience is Brad Sheehan.
the buck stops somewhere
January 13th, 2010
9:22 pm
CPH…now a career 61 – 86 in the ACC…
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:22 pm
Techno- ANYBODY that has followed Tech basketball knows that 22/28 FT came out of nowhere. That is not a trend. Otis Nixon hit 2 HR in a game one time. That doesn’t make him a slugger
Technophobia
January 13th, 2010
9:23 pm
There’s not a single player on our roster that has the hunger that Jack or Bynum had.
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:26 pm
Bell does.
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:27 pm
CPH recruits them. CPH “coaches” them. If CPH coaches the Virginia team tonight, GT wins by 20.
Still Sick
January 13th, 2010
9:27 pm
I rarely blog on here but I am done with Paul Hewitt. His post game comments were disgusting, trying to blame his team for not “hustling”. Guess what Paul, sometimes you have to man up, and take the blame on your shoulders. You have lost to 2 of the 3 worst teams in the league. Do what is right and step down. You have lost 2 games in a row to teams with new head coaches and you have no clue why you lost. D Rad, please do the right thing. I will not renew next year as long as this clown is on the sidelines. I am just glad I was able to make enough selling Duke tickets to cover my season ticket costs. Sick.
NotAgain
January 13th, 2010
9:27 pm
Why can’t we ever get a kid who is 6 foot and can shoot the lights out of a jump shot? Seems every good team has one because those kids aren’t real quick. This goes against Hewitt’s athletic system. But we need someone who is a pure shooter. We have had very few of them since Hewitt has been here ( A Mo, Fein, etc). Bennett is doing quite nicely at UVa with lesser talent. And as far as Favors, kid can’t score from the bench. This is just pathetic on Tech’s coaching not getting this kid the ball.
Technophobia
January 13th, 2010
9:28 pm
Luke had a posse. These guys have agents.
Technophobia
January 13th, 2010
9:31 pm
Notagain, we have one coming next year. Unfortunately, we’ll also be starting over cause these NBA prima donna’s will leave.
ND
January 13th, 2010
9:31 pm
What are Bradley and Schultz gonna be spewing tomorrow?
Still Sick
January 13th, 2010
9:33 pm
If Hewitt makes it to his 9th ACC loss this year, Hewitt and D Rad should be fired on the same day.
Anthony Morrow
January 13th, 2010
9:33 pm
I was a good shooter in fact better than JJ Redick but my coach didn’t put me in the position to shoot the ball.
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:33 pm
I think we will make the Tourney and Hewitt will get exposed on a National stage. We will get beaten by a slow but disciplined team.
Reggie Ball
January 13th, 2010
9:34 pm
Hey I am still across the street on the fry station. Might as well give me the interim BB Head coaching job…….It can not get any worse thats for sure
ND
January 13th, 2010
9:36 pm
If Jerry Wainwright can get fired midseason why can’t Blewitt?
NoCoach Hewitt
January 13th, 2010
9:36 pm
We are trying to solidify the greatest two stats to win again this year….Worst FT % in the ACC and highest avg. for turnovers a game…..GREAT JOB BLEWITT
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:36 pm
Your typical doofus roll-the-ball out AAU coach could probably do better than finger-sniffin’ Hewitt.
Still Sick
January 13th, 2010
9:37 pm
Clemson is beating UNC by 20. Any predictions on the next 2 games? I see 1-4 going into Talahassee.
Derrick Favors
January 13th, 2010
9:38 pm
I came to Tech to be the 100th player to have his talent decrease under the tutelage of BLEWITT
NoCoach Hewitt
January 13th, 2010
9:39 pm
Still Sick……..u really think BLEWITT will out coach Williams on the road??? Mark it down as a sure loss
B.J. Elder
January 13th, 2010
9:40 pm
My stats decreased each year from sophomore to senior. Ironically, the only thing that improved was my FT%
Anthony Morror
January 13th, 2010
9:43 pm
Remember me??? If you are a Tech fan you may not because under BLEWITT I didn’t do jack squat. Now I am pouring in 50+ in a game in the NBA….who woulda guessed?? I am up here with my buddy Will Bynum who can say the same thing exactly!!!!!
Anthony Morrow
January 13th, 2010
9:44 pm
Look I cant even spell my own name
RAMBLE ON!!!
January 13th, 2010
9:45 pm
I knew our f/t% was too good to be true.
It will be too late in the season when we win on the road.
I can see Blewitt trying to sell the NIT as a good thing, come March.
Alan
January 13th, 2010
9:46 pm
Nice free throw shooting Hewitt. You’d think he’d learn. 3/11 . 27%. Wow. That is unbelievably pathetic. And va goes to the line 26 times and makes 23. Keep coaching them that way Paul. Your days here are numbered idiot. How many games have you lost because you can’t teach the most basic fundamental of basketball. A set shot.