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.
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177 comments Add your comment
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:46 pm
This was supposed to be OUR year. We will be a bad basketball team next year.
Still Sick
January 13th, 2010
9:46 pm
NoCoach, A blind squirrel will find a nut every now and then. Where did carrol go? I wish someone would press Blewitt on some tough questions. I really thought Wes would have the gumption to call him out at some point. Blewitt is stealing money from the Institute and should be taking a pay cut like the majority of corporate America. I helped my company increase revenues last year but I had to take a pay cut. How is sub-standard performance worthy of such in these times?
RAMBLE ON!!!
January 13th, 2010
9:46 pm
I hear ya Anthony!!!
Paul Hewitt
January 13th, 2010
9:48 pm
We are talking about PRACTICE???? PRACTICE?????
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:48 pm
They come in as prized recruits dreaming of NBA stardom. Under Hewitt’s guidance, the play pro ball…….in Turkey.
BrokeBackJacket
January 13th, 2010
9:49 pm
Didnt get to see the game….please tell me we didnt lose to Virginia?
Did we get Al Groh?
At least our sorry a$$ recruits form the Gailey era are getting outta here so CPJ can get some players that fit his “system” !
Ra'Sean Dickey
January 13th, 2010
9:49 pm
Thanks coach. It’s beautiful in the Ukraine this time of year.
NoCoach Hewitt
January 13th, 2010
9:51 pm
I have to go check out practice one day…. What the hell do they do all week??? I mean BLEWITT will say something like we are young and this is a great learning experience for us blah blah blah blah…….he would say the same BS with all JRs and SRs too
NoCoach Hewitt
January 13th, 2010
9:52 pm
Hey Ra’Sean at least your learning some basketball skills now
Still Sick
January 13th, 2010
9:52 pm
Brokeback, we played an ACC road game and Paul Hewitt was on the sideline. That is all you need to know.
Zam Frederick
January 13th, 2010
9:53 pm
I thank the good lord everyday since I made the decision to get away from BLEWITT!!!!
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:53 pm
Can’t we just start calling him “Coach Les Moore”?
Paul Hewitt
January 13th, 2010
9:55 pm
I wonder why all these recruits leave after only one year??? Surely it isnt my coaching
get off hewitt nuts
January 13th, 2010
9:56 pm
GT will be ok, But lets speak facts people, in the ACC, GT gets no calls every night out..Did u morons notice the free throw diffrence in the Virginia game?.And evem though we won against duke did anyone notice how bad the game was officiated…Saturday at north Carolina will be the same….The only reason people talk bad of CPH is because he is black…
Roy Williams
January 13th, 2010
9:57 pm
After the game tonight I can’t wait until Saturday….Ii’ll come out smelling like a bed of roses!!!! Welcome to Chapel Hill BLEWITT stay as long as you’d like
Need my prosac
January 13th, 2010
9:57 pm
After 27 years of being a season toicket holder I am done! This program sucks under CPH. He’s got to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hewitt Can't Coach
January 13th, 2010
9:58 pm
WOW….Another year of underachieving talent further wasted by a perennially underachieving coach….(yawn)
I’d trust Paul Hewitt with my children for the weekend (and there are characters in my own family I wouldn’t)…..But REALLY NOW….Is there ANYONE left out there who doesn’t think he’s overstayed his welcome? Can’t we just move on? How about DanRad giving him a list of written performance goals, like maybe:
1) Have at least a .500 record in ACC play this season.
2) Make it through the second round of the ACC Tourney.
3) Get invited to the NCAA Tourney.
4) Make it to the Sweet 16.
Those are not some unbelievably difficult goals for someone with the talent at this disposal that Hewitt has (once again). Think of how many coaches would still be undefeated or have 1-loss with a stable of horses like this. It’s like a train wreck in ssllloooooooowwwwwww motion. The same agonizing one that rears its ugly head every season…
Maybe he just needs a little motivation since he’s grown roots on North Ave longer, stronger and deeper than a California Redwood…..Then again, maybe not.
NoCoach Hewitt
January 13th, 2010
9:58 pm
get off hewitt nuts…….how would more free throws help when we shot 27% from the FREE THROW LINE….pee wee BB players are better than that!!!!
Still Sick
January 13th, 2010
9:59 pm
We still have to play Duke once and UNC twice. That gives us 5 league losses no matter what. That means we have to go 7-3 outside of those games to end up 8-8 in the league and only 5 of those 10 games are at home. Why should we hold out any hope for the remainder of the year?
groundfog
January 13th, 2010
9:59 pm
I didn’t watch tonight’s game but knew they were not going to win. Paul Hewitt s one of the worst road coaches ever. His teams are just awful on the road.
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
9:59 pm
And now we have it….The race card has officially been played.
get off hewitt nuts
January 13th, 2010
10:00 pm
If GT is stupid enough to fire him he will have another job in a week, because he can recruit and he preachs defense..The fans in ATL are the worst fans in this country, thats why the braves only won 1 title and that was during the strike season…the falcons just had the first back 2 back wining season and never have won a super bowl….and even though the hawks are doing good they get no support from the ctiy…
NoCoach Hewitt
January 13th, 2010
10:01 pm
At this point we might as well forfeit the rest of our road games…I think we avg. about 3 road wins a year under BLEWITT….i mean if we just forfeit it would save myself a lot of beer and be a great thing on my overall stress level
NoCoach Hewitt
January 13th, 2010
10:01 pm
get off hewitts nuts is obviously a UGAy fan
NoCoach Hewitt
January 13th, 2010
10:02 pm
How can he be a good coach when year in and year out we average more turnovers than all ACC teams and have the worst FT % as well???? Please get off hewitts nuts i have to hear your expert opinion on this one
Baba O'Riley
January 13th, 2010
10:03 pm
Oh, so the FANS are the reason the Braves have won only one title?
Still Sick
January 13th, 2010
10:03 pm
Get off hewitt nuts, you must be related to the old ball coach. Please give me one reason, other than bad officiating, that would lead one to believe we should get off his nuts? So 9 years of sub-par performance is no indication of future performance or coaching ability? Maybe he is just having a run of 9 years of bad luck. Or maybe not.
JR
January 13th, 2010
10:04 pm
When did MARTA get wifi?
groundfog
January 13th, 2010
10:07 pm
Paul Hewitt has gotten more mileage out of one season than any coach in history. He is outcoached even when they win. he is terrible and deserves to be fired. His teams are gutless on the road, usually can’t shoot free throws or 3 pointers and always turn over the ball.
When Radkovich gets some guts and fires him i will donate money again to Tech and go to the games. I quit going 2 years ago-had it. I’d rather get my toenails pulled than sit through a game coached by this guy.
Technophobia
January 13th, 2010
10:08 pm
Obviously there are some UGA fans here. You can smell it. But explain one thing to me oh genius’s of basketball. How do you get to the NC game with lower quality players and the same coach and it all be the coach’s fault?
get off hewitt nuts
January 13th, 2010
10:09 pm
no coach hewitt,
Can u read dude? Virginia shot 20 more free throws than Tech and they were playing 4 guards without an post presence…..
Baba O’ Reily,
yes this is very racist, is it his fault that he cant never get any calls in the ACC….? But just to let u in on a little secret, When Cremins was here it was the same thing, i can remember the line up we had with Best, Barry, Forrest, Geiger and i think vinson and Gt still finished barely 500 in the leauge…have u notice that no ACC team has won a game on the road this year? I wonder why?
Technophobia
January 13th, 2010
10:10 pm
Oh yeah, the racial comment was pure nonsense. Tech fans have every right to be ticked off.
Still Sick
January 13th, 2010
10:11 pm
D Rad just announced that if Hewitt was able to get inside the final 2 minutes of a game with at least one timeout remaining, he would get a contract extension. Oh wait, that happens no matter what.
NoCoach Hewitt
January 13th, 2010
10:13 pm
Get Off Hewitts Nuts…….IF WE SHOT 50 FT we might have made 12!!! Whippppiieee
If they have four guards why does BLEWITT not call plays to get the ball inside everytime???? Thats right because he doesnt call plays.. he acts like he does but all it appears to be everytime is walk around until something happens (which is always a great play)
get off hewitt nuts
January 13th, 2010
10:15 pm
no coach hewiit
No im a die hard GT basketball fan since the Lethal weapon 3 days…The Matt Harping era, hell even the Alvin Jones, Adkins days, Im just tired of u so called GT fans who be on here always bad mouthing CPH…. Regardless of who the coach is at Gt we will not climb to the top of the ACC because of the refs.and because the players needed to win the ACC like bosh,young, Jevaris. and now favors only stay one year.. Did u hear John Salley saturday say” U know they dont call nothing on Duke” well he wasnt playing…..
Free Willy
January 13th, 2010
10:15 pm
HIRE ME!!!!! I at least know with the two best players being in the frontcourt to get the ball inside
NoCoach Hewitt
January 13th, 2010
10:17 pm
If you constantly turn the ball over and miss 80% of your free throw attempts the refs do NOT have any influence in the game
Also last time anyone on GT hustled and moved until they got open on offense??? oh yeah matt harpring before BLEWITT came to town
Still Sick
January 13th, 2010
10:18 pm
Here is a stat for you guys, Hewitt is 4-5 against the last 3 UGA basketball coaches. That means 2 of them were fired and still had at least a .500 record against Hewitt. We haven’t won in Athens since he has been here. I you gave me 5 tries against UGA’s basketball team in Athens, I could win with the Gwinnett County High School champion at least one of those times.
Still Sick
January 13th, 2010
10:20 pm
Salley also said he wanted to be the next head coach at GT. He obviously is sick of losing.
NoCoach Hewitt
January 13th, 2010
10:21 pm
At least we will win one more….Kentucky State
get off hewitt nuts
January 13th, 2010
10:23 pm
Harpring was with Cremins, who also recieved no calls, but u people sat around for 4 years of losing with cremins and did not complain, and Cremins had veteran teams every year
Techfan78
January 13th, 2010
10:26 pm
D-Rad, you have done an excellent job getting coach PAUL JOHNSON, and showing him we want him to be here for a while. Now can you PLEASE save yourself some embarrassment and fire that no coaching, waste of talent, racist head coach we have. He doesnt know how to coach! All he can do is recruit. Duke of all teams, regardless of their high recruiting classes every year is not as ATHLETICALLY gifted as Tech but look at what coach K does with his talent. Top 10 every year, final four, and national championships. In the late 80’s then early to mid 90’s Tech was a consistent top 15 team every year and they beat the good teams that they werent expected to beat then they beat the bad teams that they couldnt beat now. What the heck? It can only be one thing…Paul Hewitt! He sucks as a basketball coach. He is a great recruiter but he couldnt coach a team to a championship in rec ball. Paul Hewitt makes Chan Gailey look like Vince Lombardi. The games that we have won this season is not because Hewitt coached us to wins, it is because we have SUPERIOR athletic talent on the floor and sometimes that will win games for you regardless of how poorly you are coached and how confused on the court. Go Jackets!! Get rid of Hewitt!!
NoCoach Hewitt
January 13th, 2010
10:30 pm
BLEWITT record on the road in the ACC??? 17-58 a whopping 22% which matches our FT shooting tonight
65-95 vs ACC in BLEWITT’s GT career 40%
Still Sick
January 13th, 2010
10:34 pm
Yeah no coach hewitt, I guess it was just bad officiating that made his record that bad. We should give him a pass for 9 more years.
get off hewitt nuts
January 13th, 2010
10:34 pm
Tech fan 78,
u said exactly what i have been trying to tell these idiots, how in the hell do Duke win with no talent? THE REFS….I can remember the duke- kenucky game when CL hit the shot of the 90’s…but the real fact is he stomped a player for kentucky and wasnt even ejected from the damn game….but when uconn and duke played and a player stomped a duke player he was suspended…the NCAA is full of Sh#t…and in the ACC if you have a black coach, u recieve no calls, Clemson, Fla st, Miami and GT do not recieve any calls..
NoCoach Hewitt
January 13th, 2010
10:36 pm
Clemson and FLA St makes the tourney and wins road ACC games….how is that possible when the refs are against their black coach? Why cant BLEWITT pull this off?? we have more talent than Clemson
Still Sick
January 13th, 2010
10:37 pm
You moron, they win with superior coaching.
Techfan78
January 13th, 2010
10:38 pm
How can anyone defend what Blewitt has done? He has done nothing with this program. He blames players leaving early on lack of success…He is the one that recruits these one and done guys. He knows they are one and done when he gets them, but yet he makes excuses when these guys leave school and were stuck without a point gaurd to run the O that doesnt run set plays anyway. I dont really see how he gets the players he gets. If Derrick Favors was playing for Rick Barnes or John Calipari he would be averaging 20 points a game. Never in my life have I witnessed someone who can do so little with so much. Paul Hewitt, SUCK OUR BALLS AND GET OUT OF TOWN!!
Still Sick
January 13th, 2010
10:39 pm
Hell, leonard hamilton and stan heath are still hanging on beacuse they can beat GT.
NoCoach Hewitt
January 13th, 2010
10:40 pm
BLEWITT and Reggie Ball will soon be co-workers across the street from the campus….they will have to fight to determine who will be on fry duty