Who’s hungrier now, Tech or UNC?
RICHMOND, Va. – I’m staying on the road since Tech plays up here at North Carolina Saturday, so we’ll just move right along to the next thing.
The No. 12 Tar Heels (12-5) just got pounded by No. 24 Clemson last night. Two games prior to that they lost to College of Charleston and a familiar shaggy-white-haired guy. So is this a good time or terrible time to play Carolina? Should the Tar Heels be a little shaky in their confidence, feeling vulnerable, or feisty now, with their backs against a wall? You tell me?
I kind of put that to Tech coach Paul Hewitt this morning, that Tech would be facing a wounded cat in North Carolina on Saturday, and he said so would Carolina. Not a bad point. He also said he thought Tech and Carolina’s teams had a lot of similarities, some youth in the backcourt, a good inside presence.
Carolina turned the ball over 26 times against Clemson, which matched the most by a Tar Heel team in Roy Williams’ seven years back in NC. Tech knows a little something about not securing the ball (20 turnovers vs. Georgia, 24 turnovers vs. Winston-Salem State).
The inside duo of Deon Thompson (15.1 ppg, 7 rpg) and Ed Davis (14.8 ppg, 9.9 rpg) combined for only 9 points against Clemson. Carolina trailed by as many as 23 points in that game, which the Tigers won 83-64. They were basically blown off the court at times.
Now that’s something that hasn’t happened to Tech this season. As up and down as it’s been between the Georgia loss, the Duke win and the road loss to Virginia last night, Tech shouldn’t have big cause to doubt itself and doesn’t.
The way Hewitt was talking today, his focus is on the Yellow Jackets finishing games, to play the same way when they’re up as when they down. You saw (well you didn’t, you might have heard if you listened on the radio) Tech break down offensively once Virginia built up a lead of 4 to 6 points. The Yellow Jackets got rattled, and that’s something they’ve got to iron out if Tech is going to go into the Dean Dome Saturday and turn things back around.
Would it be just like Tech to beat Duke and North Carolina in the same week, while losing to Georgia and Virginia in between? It just might be. It’s hard to predict. But until the Yellow Jackets prove they can win tough games on the road, and in the ACC, you can’t take it for granted. They haven’t won an ACC road game since March of 2008 when they won at Boston College in their last regular season game two years ago.
Some food for thought
As much as we hear Gani Lawal talk about how he thinks Tech’s frontcourt of Derrick Favors, Zachery Peacock and him, can match up with anybody in the nation, there is at least one bald-headed announcer, who doesn’t quite see it that way. Or at least Dick Vitale didn’t include Tech is his midseason picks for best frontcourts that ran in the USA Today on Wednesday.
Judging by his list, I’d think Lawal and Favors could go a long way in changing his mind if they play well against Carolina. Here’s what Dickie V had to say about what he thinks are the top five frontcourts in the nation.
Kansas: Led by Cole Aldrich, Xavier Henry and the Morris twins.
North Carolina: Deon Thompson and Ed Davis are positive forces while coach Roy Williams has so much young and talented depth.
Syracuse: I love the physicality of Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson to go with the smooth play of Johnson.
Kentucky: Patrick Patterson, DeMarcus Cousins and company can clean the glass and put up points in the paint.
West Virginia: Da’Sean Butler, Devin Ebanks and Kevin Jones are unsung nationally. Wellington Smith and John Flowers contribute off the bench.
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66 comments Add your comment
ramblingbuzz
January 14th, 2010
3:36 pm
first?
ramblingbuzz
January 14th, 2010
3:39 pm
Yep. Haven’t seen UNC play much, but GT’s road record is horrible. As much as I would like to see GT beat UNC in Chapel Hill, I just don’t see it happening.
ZamBonE
January 14th, 2010
3:47 pm
Our big men don’t get the ball enough for Vitale to say Tech has one of the top front courts in the game. Based on talent alone, there is no doubt we have one of the better front courts in America, but when all their points come from getting offensive rebounds, there is a problem.
Playing at unc is going to be a major challenge, and with CPH’s track record for conference away games, we are not in great shape.
Go Jackets
GT2002
January 14th, 2010
3:49 pm
Doug, to answer your first question. As long as PH is on the sidelines coaching this team on the road it makes no difference when we play Carolina. And what makes Tech anymore of a “wounded cat” at this point in our season compared to any other years? All I hear are the same old excuses game after game. You should ask Hewitt if he is feeling more pressure to perform than his players since you have 3 days on your hands. That would make for a good blog. Why does he continue to get a free pass from the media around here?
sidewalk74
January 14th, 2010
3:55 pm
As long as Hewitt is around you never know what to expect in any given game. They can beat the best team in the country or lose to the worst. I’m just waiting for the day when he is no longer the coach.
Captian Obvious
January 14th, 2010
3:57 pm
Hewitt SUCKS.
collegeballfan
January 14th, 2010
4:02 pm
UVA out rebounded GT. Can you believe that?
Gordon
January 14th, 2010
4:02 pm
If you’re Paul Hewitt, it’s always a bad time to play another ACC team. Does everyone realize how bad this has gotten? If Tech loses to North Carolina, they will be exactly .500 since the beginning of the 05/06 season. That’s .500 with several NBA players and McDonald’s All Americans that includes games against the Arkansaw Pine-Bluffs and Winston Salem States of the world. He is over 20 games under .500 against the ACC in that time, hasn’t won an NCAA game, and played in only one NCAA game (10 seed in 2007). March 6th against Virginia Tech will be the last time in my life I witness a Tech game where Paul Hewitt is the coach.
juvenal
January 14th, 2010
4:09 pm
the b-ball 1/2 of the braine trust, at least chan made the post season..
Born2Buzz
January 14th, 2010
4:17 pm
I’ve lost all will to be emotionally attached to this team. I will pay attention, watch the games and go to the home games but I can’t spend any more time and effort in wondering if Hewitt is going to succeed or not.
Sad to say but it has gotten to the point that I am almost rooting for us to lose just to get the guy ousted, similar to Gailey’s last days. Of course I want my team to win, but really, it’s so frustrating to watch them play. Even the Duke win, as good as it was, was fraught with poor play. Enough already.
Gustopher
January 14th, 2010
4:26 pm
Thanks for the new blog Carroll. It should be a good game, but it will be weird not seeing Pyscho T out there.
Tech Forever
January 14th, 2010
4:40 pm
I AM SHOCKED……SHOCKED. I’m shocked Tech lost an ACC road game. I’m shocked Tech’s best player once again shot below 50% from the floor. I’m shocked Tech was abyssmal from the free throw line. I’m shocked Tech got outrebounded. I’m shocked Tech roughly shot 2 to 1 from the perimeter as opposed to going inside. I’m shocked, shocked, shocked.
What’s going to happen in the UNC game? Easy. UNC has lost 5 times on the road. They followed the 1st four losses with a BLOWOUT win at home. Put down #5 this Saturday. Carolina by 15+.
CanHewitt
January 14th, 2010
4:49 pm
Hewitt’s ACC record since the Final Four run in 04 is 30-53. That’s 36% winning percentage. During that time, we had 6 players currently playing in the Association (probably more than Duke or UNC in that time period and we’ll probably have 4 more soon), 2 in NBDL, and 6 playing professionally in Overseas. His salary was $1.35 mil. And ACC record last year was 2-14. He’s getting paid like a good coach but he’s not delivering like one.
I respect him as a person. Players seem to like him too. Coach Hewitt is a nice guy who’s apparently classy from what I’ve heard. But he’s not a good coach. What does he teach these kids during practice? Why do they keep losing to lesser teams like Georgia and Virginia? How long will this continue? Will this team’s record be any worse than 12-4 if a good high school coach is coaching this team? We’ll lose all the big men next year. What would Tech record be next year without a single legitimate big man?
yellarjacket
January 14th, 2010
4:54 pm
I will say that both Lawal and Favors are very talented. Both are probably NBA first round picks. However, they don’t get the ball enough to be considered an elite frontcourt and that falls on our lack of guard play and coaching. Paul Hewitt should demand his guards to get Favors and Lawal more touches. If they shoot an ill-advised shot without at least trying to get the ball inside, then he should sit their butt on the bench. Once we fell behind at UVA, our guards settled for contested jumpshots instead of trying to pound the ball inside to your best players. We got away from what was working and it cost us the game. Hewitt has to get the message across to his young guards. Get the ball inside or come have a seat!
Don’t see Roy’s boys losing two in a row. Plus, Tech can’t win in Chapel Hill. Hell, they can’t even win in Charlottesville.
Ozzy
January 14th, 2010
5:23 pm
So Hewitt said he thought UNC and Tech’s teams had a lot in common huh? Here’s one thing they don’t have in common – a competent ACC level coach.
Get Mike Anderson from Mizzou D-Rad! Make the call tonight. Get it done, time’s wasting.
Let us know what he says. Thanks.
NoCoach Hewitt
January 14th, 2010
5:24 pm
Whatever it takes to get rid of the worst coach in America BLEWITT………hopefully we lose this and the rest of the ACC games so DRAD has no other choice
I wish I could succeed at my job under 40% of the time and maintain my job for 10+ years
Carroll Rogers
January 14th, 2010
5:57 pm
Yellar, that’s exactly what bothered Hewitt, the rushed outside shots in crunch time, rather than getting the ball inside. so you’re getting at the heart of the matter. I do wonder if you sit some of the young guys on the perimeter where you go. Last night in Charlottesbille, it seemed every time Brian Oliver or Glen Rice touched the ball, they were swarmed. thoughts? Though maybe you call on Moe if you need it.
Robert Barron
January 14th, 2010
6:26 pm
George O’Leary was a very mediocre coach until he added or was forced to add Ralph Freigen to run the offense.
Why can’t Hewitt add someone with a better offensive mind than he has?
Why didn’t we offer Mark Price a deal to be a consultant with us too, if not a job running the basketball offense?
Or coaching the point guards.
Bring back point guard u.
This is my first season with season tics and I am picking up on long term fans unhappy with a lack of improvement and it is more on offense than defense.
Robert Barron
January 14th, 2010
6:39 pm
I would be happy with anyone playing point guard who can keep the turnovers down and run the offense.
I see a lot of paases forced into the low post.
Why can’t we runa screen to the other low post and let that freed big man come over and get the pass when we are having trouble getting it in.
Instead we force the pass and get a turnover.
Other teams are determined to stop that pass into the low post and so far, many have.
Chicken farmer
January 14th, 2010
7:13 pm
I’m married to a devout Tar Heel, but she does pull for Tech with that one exception. We watched last night debacle at Clemson as the Tar Heels were carved up six ways from Sunday. Had Tech beaten Virginia as they were supposed to, I would feel better about my Saturday night in front of the big screen, but that ain’t the case. NC will carve the Jackets into little bitty pieces as Coach Roy never has two games in a row as the one he had with ClemPson and sadly Coach Paul has them quite frequently.
juvenal
January 14th, 2010
7:15 pm
the guards pick up way too soon, too far from baseline & then don’t look in for the bigs fast enough-1 more dribble, then bounce it in…i wasn’t going to get season tix again while ph is coach, but i told my wife i thought even he couldn’t screw up this bunch…maybe if he could find 7 or 8 that could actually play as a team? they aren’t good enough to play up-tempo without a ton of to’s, with plenty of easy buckets the other way…i’d hate to go the boycott/booing route that happened to chan, we can’t afford it till chans paid off, but it is painful to watch this man’s teams..i’ll go some, tix are easy & cheap,but no moreseasontix, i’ll take the chance on being shut out of tourney tix…at least it won’t cost a ton to get some hungrey young coach to come to the ACC,,
Son of a Bush
January 14th, 2010
7:15 pm
Funny how all of you can care less about the team but take time to read a blog and then post. Leave the hate at home or at stingtalk. http://www.stingtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40566&page=2 See post 16.
Gordon
January 14th, 2010
7:19 pm
Robert Barron,
Welcome to our (long term fans) world.
Here are other things you will come to love:
1) Full-court press that rarely generates a turnover but often leads to a 4 on 3 break and an easy basket.
2) Trouble getting the ball inbounded, many times causing a wasted timeout or turnover.
3) Calling a timeout just after Tech has scored and the crowd is getting into it.
4) Running out of timeouts with 3 minutes to go.
5) Hewitt yelling “Motion, Motion” and waving his hands while everyone stands around, especially when the other team is playing a 2-3 zone.
6) Hockey style substitution patterns.
7) Losing to teams with far less talent (UGA, UVA).
You’re one of us now, brother! Welcome.
Tech Forever
January 14th, 2010
7:42 pm
Son of a Bush,
There is ONE post in this whole thread who has said he is disheartened with GT basketball and will no invest any mor emotion. Generalizing is for 13 year old girls. If most of us didn’t care about Tech basketball we wouldn’t 1) bother to read this, 2) bother to post, nor 3) bother to express our opinions that GT basketball can do so much better than Paul Hewitt. I am loyal to the school and athletic department, not to any particular individual within. And when one rears his head as a cancer (Lewis, Gailey, Hewitt) I don’t mince words about their needing to be irradicated.
I support our players and the program, but I will not support the continued decision to keep Paul Hewitt on board. It is NOT all one in the same. Far too many Tech people believe it is and that’s exactly why Lewis lasted until ‘94 and Gailey until ‘07.
juvenal
January 14th, 2010
7:53 pm
care too much, but blind loyalty is more blindness than loyalty..don’t matter how hungry you are if all you are gonna’ do is choke…
Son of a Bush
January 14th, 2010
7:56 pm
See your first post.
UGAissolastyear
January 14th, 2010
7:59 pm
Yes, but their 2 losses were on the road, weren’t they? They are going to crush us. Our team is so poorly coached. We lost to a team, with a 1st year coach, that was picked to finish last in the ACC. This by a GT team that was the 5th best recruited class and has one of the best veteran players (Lawal) in the country. Quality players, poorly coached = more and more losses. 2-14 all over again???
Ivano Newbill
January 14th, 2010
8:00 pm
Bush has a point. Win a game and find few posts. Lose a game= the team sucks, the coach sucks, to many TOs, not enough assists, inbounds play, etc. Let the season play out and get a life.
superDawg
January 14th, 2010
8:02 pm
Howdy. WHO CARES!
UGAissolastyear
January 14th, 2010
8:06 pm
Lose ‘A’ game? Check the record so far, we’ve lost 4 with 1 already being a home ACC game. to win the ACC, you need to win ALL your games at home and at least 1/2 on the road. It isn’t a myth – it’s the facts.
Ivano Newbill
January 14th, 2010
8:09 pm
Read the entire post again.
Gordon
January 14th, 2010
8:18 pm
Ivano, Bush,
Your points would be well taken if this were year 1 of underachievement, but it’s year 5! Read my 4:02 post and tell me that it is a reasonable assumption that things will improve under Hewitt. Anybody can have a bad year, but at some point reality must be faced. Hewitt does the off court things well, does right by his players, and unlike some people I think he is doing his best. He just isn’t winning near enough basketball games, and hasn’t for some time. Attendance is dropping, and frustration is rising. It is past time for him to move on.
NoCoach Hewitt
January 14th, 2010
8:22 pm
Gorden that list is perfect….number #5 probably gives me the most fits but seeing it written cracked me up for some reason…Probably cuz BLEWITT acts like he is calling a play but yet 90% of our possessions look identical
Anthony Morrow
January 14th, 2010
8:27 pm
I DROPPED 50 IN A NBA GAME!!!!! Finally I have a coach who knows how to use the talent he has
Ivano Newbill
January 14th, 2010
8:32 pm
http://www.stingtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40566&page=2
wow I saw this and this is bad.
Mark P
January 14th, 2010
8:34 pm
I can’t coach anything. Tech fans like me because I will never be Prez of the BCA.
NoCoach Hewitt
January 14th, 2010
8:40 pm
I still defy anyone to name ONE player that has improved under the tutelage of BLEWITT????
Marvin Lewis
January 14th, 2010
8:44 pm
I improved. End of story!
Marvin Lewis
January 14th, 2010
8:45 pm
Gani Lawal
NoCoach Hewitt
January 14th, 2010
8:46 pm
Gani Lawal was the same player he was his first year…..his improvement is solely based on more experience not coaching
Marvin Lewis
January 14th, 2010
8:52 pm
And so you say. I don’t think you know basketball stick to being an academic advisor.
NoCoach Hewitt
January 14th, 2010
8:55 pm
Paul Hewitt’s practices consist of SUICIDE WALKS, WHO CAN STAND STILL THE LONGEST, WHO CAN TURN THE BALL OVER THE QUICKEST, HOW TO IGNORE LAWAL AND FAVORS INSIDE, HOW TO BRUSH OFF MY FAKE PLAY CALLS, and finally HOW TO THROW THE BALL AWAY ON AN INBOUNDS PASS WITH NO DEFENSE
NoCoach Hewitt
January 14th, 2010
9:00 pm
How much is his buyout anyways???
Tech Forever
January 14th, 2010
9:07 pm
What’s wrong with my first post? Pointing out the facts and the truth is “hate”? Give me a break. Get some thicker skin lefty.
Here is the bottom line:
1) Jarrett Jack is about the only player who truly benefitted from a multi-year stay at Georgia Tech under Paul Hewitt, and I contend he improved because of HIS hard work and nothing Hewitt did.
2) With the 2004 FF run Hewitt STILL has a losing record in the conference and even that year we finished 1 game over .500 in conference. Without iincluding the 2004 run his record is ABYSSMAL
3) We have no had an offensive identity since 2004 and even then it was “if B.J. can’t hit the shot we’re in trouble.”
4) This program hasn’t had a leader on the court since Jarrett Jack left for the NBA.
I contend that Cremins coaching his worst team could beat Hewitt coaching the 2004 squad at least 5 out of 10…..and Cremins is no great floor coach.
Marvin Lewis
January 14th, 2010
9:07 pm
Jon B is that you?
Son of a Bush
January 14th, 2010
9:16 pm
Oh don’t lefty me Hannity!
Dawg Hater
January 14th, 2010
9:22 pm
Hewitts still the coach–so I look for the usual in Chapel Hill–another loss. When does this so-called player of the year Favors start playing ball?
NoCoach Hewitt
January 14th, 2010
9:26 pm
22-46? Blewitt’s record in the ACC since the 2004 season..and he still has a job?? Wish I could have a 32% success rate at work and maintain my job
NoCoach Hewitt
January 14th, 2010
9:32 pm
Just over 7 Million buyout….Get the collection plate started
Tech Forever
January 14th, 2010
9:40 pm
Oh Son of a Bush that was too easy. “The Terrible Truth About Liberals” by Neal Boortz….read it once, can pick them out of a lineup every time
The Real Son of a Bush
January 14th, 2010
9:45 pm
I didn’t post that.
The Truth
January 14th, 2010
9:52 pm
Hewitt is the Ray Goff of Basketball…….Can recruit like crazy but can not coach a lick.
NoCoach Hewitt
January 14th, 2010
10:10 pm
http://firepaulhewitt.wordpress.com/
Jeff Grady
January 14th, 2010
10:14 pm
The Tar Heels just don’t have the right pieces this year. That doesn’t mean that they are not capable of beating any team on a given nite. Next year the Heels will be back in the NC picture as they will be a much improved team with the really good freshmen they have coming in, plus Davis will very likely stay another year since this year is not really improving his NBA stock. Drew will also be much improved next year. I think the game on Sat. can go either way.
kshizzle
January 14th, 2010
10:16 pm
We should be able to compete with this North Carolina team however how could anybody be confident in our chances? Maybe we win this but quite honestly I can’t remember the last time we played well at the Dean Dome. I wonder if the young guys will be in awe and that might be the toughest thing. For a division 1 freshman to play on the road in Virginia is one thing but to be playing on the Road at UNC is something completely different. I am frustrated with Hewitt as well. How can Mark Fox and the new Virginia coach take a team with only a few decent players and start winning with them? Oh yeah they must actually know HOW to coach.
Taco
January 14th, 2010
10:21 pm
Paul Hewitt has become Bobby Cremmins. He can’t coach a lick and can recruit like a genius. What has happened? We look lost. He is so bad right now that poor Derrick Favors is going to have to play two years of college to recover his spot in the pro draft. The next coach should get him the ball next season!
Aleksandr Blok
January 14th, 2010
10:22 pm
Tech is to BB what UGa is to FB.
Nancy Reagan
January 14th, 2010
11:13 pm
Tech Forever, it hurts huh? You are probably mad that CPH speaks well and represents the school well.
Fire Paul Hewitt
January 15th, 2010
12:39 am
NoCoach Hewitt (January 14th, 2010 10:10 pm EST): http://firepaulhewitt.wordpress.com/
Appreciate it.
Go Jackets.
Fire Paul Hewitt.
Fire Paul Hewitt
January 15th, 2010
1:12 am
Dawg Hater (January 14th, 2010 9:22 pm EST): Hewitts still the coach–so I look for the usual in Chapel Hill–another loss. When does this so-called player of the year Favors start playing ball?
Please. He’s a freshman. And he’s averaging close to 9 rebounds a game. Favors ain’t the issue. I think we all know what is….
GTJet
January 15th, 2010
7:20 am
fire hewitt, so i can watch GT hoops again
Carroll Rogers
January 15th, 2010
8:41 am
Tech Forever, Not sure if you meant Tech hasn’t had a floor leader since Jack, as in a good guard to run the floor, but I think Gani Lawal is a good leader, from everything I’ve been told.
CanHewitt
January 15th, 2010
9:38 am
“Among coaches who have verifiable annual salaries above $1 million and at least four years of tenure at their current schools, a Wall Street Journal analysis shows Georgia Tech’s Paul Hewitt provided the least value. Mr. Hewitt’s team caught fire during the 2004 NCAA tournament, making it all the way to the championship game where it lost to Connecticut 82-73.That June, Georgia Tech rewarded Mr. Hewitt with a new contract that now pays him $1.3 million. A provision calls for the term to always remain at six years.
Mr. Hewitt, who declined to comment, has missed the NCAA tournament twice in the past four seasons, has won one game in the Big Dance since 2004 and hasn’t cracked .500 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. This season the Yellow Jackets turned in their worst performance since Mr. Hewitt arrived, compiling an 11-18 record and winning just two conference games. With an average RPI the past three years of 54.5, Georgia Tech is paying Mr. Hewitt $288,888 for each point beyond the threshold of mediocrity.” -Wall Street Journal. Mar 19,2009
Billy Donovan who won 2 national championships makes slightly higher than Hewitt. Roy Williams who also won 2 national championships makes about $1.4 milion. Coach Hewitt is getting paid like a big time champion but his team plays like big time chumps.
Sporty Black
January 15th, 2010
10:01 am
You are right Carroll. I’ve known Lawal (and his family) since he was in the 7th grade. He is a fantastic young man.
Hewitt has three problems…
1) He won too fast, too early. He raised the level of expectation of Tech fans (which is good). Now after a few down years, its bitting him in the butt.
2) He has recruited too well… Getting the “one and done” guys does not allow the program to sustain.
3) Bad Luck and Injuries. Anthony Morrow had back issues his JR and first part of SR year. Mario West tore up his knee his Sr year. Ra’Sean Dickey injured for season and didn’t come back. Deandre Bell coming off sergury for spinal stenosis. Kammeon Holsey is out for this year. Iman Shumpert just got back in the groove. Maurice Miller is coming off injury. Louis Clinch academically inelgible last year. That just what I can remember… Most of these bloggers are so short-sighted.
Tech will go at least .500 in ACC play and at least to Sweet 16. No one was complaining when Tech beat Duke last week. That’s a glimpse of what’s to come. Trust me. I think this is Hewitt’s make/break year. Just be patient. Tech is gelling and will be alright. If not, then we all can say “Paul, it’s been real. Holla!”
Baba O'Riley
January 15th, 2010
10:05 am
I would feel more comfortable if Ollie from the movie “Hoosiers” was shooting free throws for us.
Jon H. Blake
January 17th, 2010
8:18 am
Give Paul this one last chance.He has the talent but the guards are VERY young. The two wins against Duke & NC should be followed by a few more suprises (HOPEFULLY GOOD ONES), so lets see how he does the rest of this year. Lets support our guys not castigate them.