Archive for June, 2010

Cooper Taylor’s request for a medical redshirt for the 2009-10 season was recently granted by the ACC. As a result, he will receive an extra year of eligibility.

“I am very happy and thankful to get back a year of eligibility,” Taylor said in a statement. “I appreciate all the work done by our medical staff to get me back healthy again, and by our compliance staff for their work during the appeal process.”

Taylor experienced an extremely rapid heart beat and dizziness during the first quarter of the Miami game Sept. 17. He was diagnosed a day later with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome and missed the rest of the season. Those diagnosed with WPWS experience a loss of synchronization between the upper and lower chambers of the heart. The condition can become progressively worse if not corrected.

Taylor said in October that he had experienced symptoms in the past, but thought he was just out of shape. He said the episode during the Miami game was the most severe. He underwent …

Continue reading Good news for Cooper Taylor — updated »

Golfer Matt Kuchar headlines the latest Georgia Tech Hall of Fame class.

Joining Kuchar in the Class of 2010 are Drew Barry, Chris Brown, Chuck Crowder, Beth Old and Jonas Motiejunas.

They will be inducted Oct. 15.

“We are pleased and excited to announce this class joining the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame,” athletic director Dan Radakovich said in a statement. “They are all great ambassadors for the Institute and now rightfully take their place amongst join the greats of Georgia Tech Athletics.”

• Kuchar won seven collegiate titles, in addition to the U.S. Amateur in 1997.
• Barry was a member of the 1993 ACC tournament champion basketball team and the 1996 regular-season conference championship team.
• Brown was an All-American at offensive tackle in 2000, helping the team share the ACC title in 1998.
• Crowder, an All-American pitcher, ranks among the top-three in Tech history in wins (third, 33), strikeouts (third, 377), innings pitched (second, 346.2) and shut outs (T-first, …

Continue reading Georgia Tech’s next Hall of Fame class… »

Continue reading A look at Georgia Tech’s special teams »

Brandon Reed, a former basketball standout at Whitefield Academy in Mableton, has transferred from Arkansas State to Georgia Tech.

A 6-3, 180-pound guard, Reed was the Sun Belt Conference freshman of the year last season, averaging 15.1 points a game.Per NCAA transfer rules, Reed will have to sit out the 2010-11 season.

Reed led Whitefield to a Class A state championship as a senior, the fourth consecutive year the private school played for the title. He averaged 21 points and eight rebounds as a senior.

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For more news:

Dan Radakovich, MaChelle Joseph rewarded

Scouting Tech’s linebackers

Please follow me on twitter @ajcgatech if you want up-to-date news on Tech athletics

Continue reading Georgia Tech hoops picks up former Atlanta star »

Athletic director Dan Radakovichdzwszz and women’s basketball coach MaChelle Joseph received five-year contract extensions through 2015, the Georgia Tech Athletic Association announced on Tuesday.

Radakovich’s contract stipulates that he will receive a guaranteed $600,000 in 2011, increasing annually to $680,000 in 2015. The guaranteed salary for years 2011-13 didn’t change when comparing terms of the old contract to the new. There is no buyout clause.

Joseph will receive a guaranteed $363,000 in 2011, increasing annually to $453,000 in 2015.

Radakovich, 52, is in his fifth year at Tech. During his time, he has hired football coach Paul Johnson, oversaw the construction of Shirley Mewborn field, the Zelnak Center, and is in the beginning stages of the renovations to Alexander Memorial Coliseum.

“I am extremely appreciative of the confidence that (Georgia Tech President) Dr. (Bud) Peterson and the Board have shown in me,” Radakovich said in a statement. “And I am very happy to …

Continue reading Radakovich rewarded — updated with terms »

Switching from the wide receivers, we take a look at Georgia Tech’s linebackers:

THE LINEBACKERS

• Returning starters: Anthony Barnes, Julian Burnett, Brad Jefferson, Kyle Jackson, Steven Sylvester.
• Others to watch: Anthony Egbuniwe (converted from DE), Albert Rocker, Quayshawn Nealy, Jeremiah Attaochu.
• Key losses: Outside linebacker Sedric Griffin.
• Key fact: Tech’s linebackers totaled five sacks last season, including three by Sylvester.
• Key question: Will the switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4, which places an emphasis on pressure from the outside linebackers, produce more sacks from this position?
• Key question 2: Who will be those outside linebackers? Barnes and Egbuniwe were the starters during spring practice. Nealy and Attaochu could push for playing time. Attaochu, specifically, was recruited specifically by new defensive coordinator Al Groh to play OLB in this system.
• Key question 3: Who will start beside Jefferson at the inside linebacker spot? Sylvester ran with the first …

Continue reading A look at Georgia Tech’s linebackers »

Switching from the safeties, we take a look at Georgia Tech’s wide receivers:

THE WIDE RECEIVERS

• Returning starters: Kevin Cone, Stephen Hill, Tyler Melton.
• Others to watch: Quentin Sims, Daniel McKayhan, Jeremy Moore.
• Key losses: Demaryius Thomas, who is now with the NFL’s Denver Broncos.
• Key fact: Four Tech receivers, not including A-backs or B-backs, caught passes last season for 1,355 yards.
• Key question: Thomas was responsible for 1,154 of those yards. Who will replace that?
• Key question 2: Who will become quarterback Joshua Nesbitt’s go-to guy, not only for those long threats but when crucial first downs are needed? Hill and Melton will likely be the starters. Hill seems to be the player everyone thinks will be the next Thomas, but until the games start it’s hard to say. All of the wide receivers have similar builds, though none are close to Thomas’ 6-3, 230 pounds.
• Outlook: It depends upon expectations. If it’s expected that someone is going to come in catch 1,000 …

Continue reading A look at Georgia Tech’s wide receivers »

Switching from the front of Georgia Tech’s defense to the back, we take a look at the safeties:

THE SAFETIES

• Returning starters: Mario Edwards, Cooper Taylor, Rashaad Reid, Dominique Reese, Jerrard Tarrant.
• Others to watch: Jemea Thomas, Isaiah Johnson, Lance Richardson.
• Key losses: Morgan Burnett, who is now with the Green Bay Packers.
• Key fact: The defense gave up 66 plays of at least 20 yards last season.
• Key question: Can the safeties put themselves in the right place at the right time to cut down on those big plays?
• Key question 2: How will Jerrard Tarrant handle safety after starting eight games at cornerback last season? He said he was recruited as a safety. Also, can he be the ballhawk that Burnett was the past two seasons when he intercepted 11 passes?
• Key question 3: Charles Kelly has taken over coaching the entire secondary, after he had the corners and former defensive coordinator Dave Wommack had the safeties last season?
• Outlook: Really, and not to be flip, but …

Continue reading A look at Georgia Tech’s safeties »

It’s been an odd few years since Georgia Tech has had a player selected in the NBA draft.

But that should be corrected Thursday night when Atlanta natives Derrick Favors and Gani Lawal will likely become the sixth pair of Yellow Jackets to be selected in the same NBA draft, which begins with Thursday’s talentapalooza.

Favors, a power forward, is projected to be a top-five pick. Lawal, also a forward, is projected as a late first-rounder.

The other pairs of draft picks:

1985: John Salley and Mark Price

1990: Dennis Scott and Brian Oliver

1992: Jon Barry and Matt Geiger

1996: Stephon Marbury and Drew Barry

2007: Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton

Tech’s history of lottery picks (from 1985):

1985: John Salley, 11th to Detroit

1989: Tom Hammonds, ninth to Washington

1990: Dennis Scott, fourth Orlando

1991: Kenny Anderson, second to New Jersey

1996: Stephon Marbury, fourth to Milwaukee (then traded)

2003: Chris Bosh, fourth to Toronto

2007: Thaddeus Young, 12th to …

Continue reading Georgia Tech and the NBA Draft »

Continuing our positional analysis of Georgia Tech’s football team:

THE DEFENSIVE LINE

• Returning starters: Ben Anderson, T.J. Barnes, Izaan Cross, Robert Hall, Jason Peters, Logan Walls.
• Others to watch: Emmanuel Dieke, Euclid Cummings, J.C. Lanier.
• Key losses: Derrick Morgan, who is now with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.
• Key fact: Morgan had 12.5 sacks last season.
• Key fact II: The rest of the defensive line produced seven sacks last season.
• Key question: What effect will the switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 have on the defensive line’s production?
• Key question 2: Who will replace Morgan’s production? Dieke and Cross are the young guns at one defensive end spot. It would be a lot to ask them to match Morgan’s body of work.
• Key question 3: Who will win the crucial nose guard job? Barnes is figuring out how to turn his 330-plus pounds into leverage. Anderson has experience but is recovering from his knee injury. Lanier has potential but is still working his way back into football …

Continue reading A look at Georgia Tech’s defensive line »