How can Tech turn things around?
BLACKSBURG, Va. — Georgia Tech lost its fifth consecutive game, 102-77, on Sunday to Virginia Tech. It hasn’t beaten an opponent on its court in more than a year, a stretch of 14 games.
Other than by winning the ACC tournament, the Yellow Jackets have no hope of playing in the NCAA tournament. Even the NIT tournament seems a long shot at this point.
While the postseason seems a long way away — there are still six regular-season games remaining — what Tech do to avoid a losing season for the second time in three years?
Getting off to better starts might help.
During its past six losses, the Jackets have found themselves behind by at least eight points in the first half of each game. The Hokies had an unfathomable 25-point lead with 7:41 remaining.
When a team is having trouble scoring, like the Jackets are, that’s not a recipe for success.
FSU was able to race out to a 20-4 lead with 10:37 remaining in the first half. Clemson had an 11-point lead with 2:58 left. That came after Tech led by 12 with 10 minutes remaining. Miami led by 11 with 9 minutes remaining and eventually pushed it to 21 in the second half. Maryland led by eight just five minutes into the game. Virginia led by 16 with less than a minute left.
Even in its wins Tech has had to come from behind. The Hokies led the Jackets by seven with less than 12 minutes remaining when Tech’s jump shots finally started to fall in the 72-57 victory in Atlanta.
“Offense is just not clicking,” coach Paul Hewitt said. “We aren’t making shots.”
No, they aren’t. Tech is hitting just 40.7 percent of its field goals, including a miserable 29.3 percent of its 3-pointers.
The Jackets had some good looks early against the Hokies on Sunday, but the shots wouldn’t fall. As a result, Virginia Tech bounced out to a 9-0 lead less than two minutes into the game. Hewitt said he called a timeout at that point to tell the team to keep running the offense and the shots would fall.
By the time the shooters found the range it was too late.
“We started chipping it away and then I had the error in judgment that I had,” Hewitt said, referring to the technicals he received with 7:53 remaining. The Jackets were trailing by 20 at that point.
Iman Shumpert said the players didn’t follow the game plan. That has been a common reason given for losses by a few of the players during the streak. He also said they weren’t aggressive enough.
“We need to come out and play hard,” Shumpert said. “This had nothing to do with coach Hewitt, this had nothing to do with the system. They played harder. They wanted it more.”
Now, Georgia Tech is left to ponder how to break this streak with Chattanooga coming to Alexander Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday, and a game at Duke next Sunday.
“We can’t do anything about this game,” Hewitt said.
– Doug Roberson, AJC
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154 comments Add your comment
markprice
February 13th, 2011
9:36 pm
Paul Hewitt will not be satisifed till he runs this program into the ground. As a man he should resign now. We know that want happen meanwhile all the talent in georgia is leaving the state.
south
February 13th, 2011
9:43 pm
markprice – if Hewitt resigned and took another job, he would owe Tech 3M. He is not resigning…give that pipe dream up.
GssiT
February 13th, 2011
9:46 pm
Bring in a coach who can recruit more than one player who can play on a national level. Shumpert could come off someone’s bench, maybe even start at a few places, but there is no room on a college roster for “specialists” @ zone buster-defensive specialist-etc. Todays players must be complete players. ph can not deliver.
Kevin
February 13th, 2011
10:17 pm
Hey, I know, fire Hewitt – oh, that’s right, they can’t – he’s got a LIFETIME contract! Too bad Paul “Triple Chins” Johnson didn’t have as good of an agent as Hewitt or tek would be “stuck” with ol’ “Fish Fry” forever too!
Moosic Mauler
February 13th, 2011
10:31 pm
What’s a wussy from Scranton doing on an AJC blog? Must be a dropout from Westside
Michael
February 13th, 2011
10:32 pm
I know what Paul Hewitt is thinking now…
Thank goodness for Wake Forest!
Coach Hewitt, “Hey, we won’t finish last in the ACC, I think that speaks for the success of myself and my wonderful staff”
I still want the first phone call to be to Mark Price after firing/buying out/resigning Pault Hewitt.
I would welcome back Cremins too…even if he targets only one recruit a year and has only 7 players on the bench (depth was always his teams handicap). At least the talented players he got could play well under him and most could shoot. Hewitt hasn’t recruited more than one or two decent shooters in 8 years. I am tired of 6′4″ slashers that can’t do anything well.
Last year Tech had two of the better big men in the country and had a below-average inside game. How pathetic is that? I can see that of a high school team whereby the head coach is also the chemistry class teacher, just kind of helping out in his spare time, but a coach payed over a million each year, that is horrible.
The fans aren’t any worse now, but the product is…fans will come back like in the 80s and early 90s if the play comes back to levels that are worthy of our pride.
Clarks Summit Comet
February 13th, 2011
10:35 pm
Moosic Mauler is wrong – Scranton Strangler was probably a rich kid from Scranton Prep who couldn’t stand losing to Abington Heights all the time.
Buzz-in or buzz out
February 13th, 2011
10:54 pm
How low can we go? Hewitt is a cancer to GT BB program. The answer is simple fire Hewitt. I know the problem is $,$$$,$$$ but the longer we keep him the more it will cost to fix the problems. New gym etc is not the answer, I’d rather have a new Coach than a new building (empty). Players thats don’t play hard are not worth keeping, thats Bewitt fault.
Drads needs to get with Alum and come up with the money…..In other words get a pair on B- – -s and do you job! The Fans want a winner and want action Mr. AD.
Fire hewitt
February 13th, 2011
11:05 pm
Hewitt ejected in Texas………should be ejected by GT.
Hewitt's Hero's
February 13th, 2011
11:14 pm
This team sucks! They have given up and don’t give a crap. What the hell is the AD waiting for………he end of the season? I hope the new coach brings in new players who understand HEART!!!
pcb mike
February 13th, 2011
11:25 pm
Fire Hewitt, fire Hewitt, fire Hewitt. How many times do we have to say the obvious. Nothing personal Paul, we need a change. You should resign, that would show some class.
bigstack19
February 13th, 2011
11:30 pm
I would have fired him when they lost to Kennesaw State!
GT fan
February 14th, 2011
2:02 am
Right on, hire a new HC.
drew
February 14th, 2011
6:05 am
I can answer that questions in two words: FIRE HEWITT!
If D-Rad wants folks to show up for the final game at AMC, he knows what needs to happen.
Time to pull the trigger and cut our losses.
brent cunningham
February 14th, 2011
6:30 am
MARK PRICE IS THE MAN…HE WILL COACH FOR FREE UNTIL THEY PAY OUT DUM-DUM’S CONTRACT.
St. Richt
February 14th, 2011
7:46 am
How can Tech turn things around? Isn’t that obvious by now? FIRE HEWITT!!!
JROLL1
February 14th, 2011
7:53 am
IM WITH CRB…FIRE HEWITT
GT Grad 1995
February 14th, 2011
8:21 am
Business Proposition for Radakovich – I’ll be glad to take Hewitts place and you can pay me half what you’re paying Hewitt. There’s a 100% chance I’ll win at least one more game than he does.
gt
February 14th, 2011
8:26 am
I have come to the conclusion Hewitt has decided to hijack our basketball team. He has that buy out clause and he is not leaving until someone pulls that trigger. I don’t think Hewitt has ever been too sold on a college education being a ticket out of a situation and he very well may be giving Tech an education itself. In what real world business does the “smarter” college educated take a beating like this. As far as we know he is losing on purpose to escalate the matter. He is like the wife that stops having sex with her husband hoping to run him off so she can not only have the alimony but a new lover too. His newest trick is to not coach at all, just get kicked out of the game, still collect the check. Hewitt and his one and done guys are making a joke out of college education. They even got me leaving the dust on my diploma a little more often. Maybe I was a fool wasting my youth on such extravagance, maybe they will give some of that money back, Hewitt is helping me win that case. I knew he had a purpose.
Chuck Allison
February 14th, 2011
8:58 am
Tech fans have been telling Dan Rakadovich for 4 years that Paul Hewitt just has to go. He is disloyal and has his own agenda which is above the Tech athletic program. He is an NBA groupie and he has to go. Even if Paul took us to the national championship, we would still want him gone. There will continue to be many empty seats until Rakadovich starts to listen.
Hewitt Fan
February 14th, 2011
8:59 am
when CPH leaves I will be so happy!..Finally He can get out of the “Coach K” basketball confrence..Hewitt always has talent..last year he had a championship team..but…The refs made sure that Gt would not do that..Lawai and Favors both stayed in foul trouble and neither could take the bad calls so they left.. same with young,Bosh, and Javaris Critt..GT is the only school in the ACC who get top talent..Not top players want to play in the ACC…Most of duke and NC players are bust in the NBA but shoot 200000 free throws in college and you idiots say nothing about it..the ACC sucks , its all about the coaches not the players..the refs control the game..CPH has to sub every 30 seconds to prevent fouls from piling up…He had big LUC and the Acc refs let people just hammer this kid for 4 years….I remember in 2004, CPH heard a ref tell Coach K ” I got you” during the game, you guys did not back CPH at all….Last year Singler shot more fts than the whole GT team in the confrence championship.the refs let them play the first game, and .GT beat Duke easily at home last year, the 2nd game, Favors and Lawai were both hammered with 2 fouls 3 mins into the game..You guys said nothing..i know 100% that when GT hires another coach unless its coach K, they will never win..No one cares about the ACC anymore….just check the ratings..i dont blame CPH for not taking the St Johns job..Which is a better job in a better fair confrence…Its all about $$$$..He knows he will get another job easily..Until you so called ‘GT” fans stand up and grow some basketball balls and complain, GT will never win the ACC
WOW
February 14th, 2011
9:15 am
P.O.A.D. You take being ignorant to a new level…calling Hewitt AND his wife a cancer?? Do you even know them? Do you have ANY idea at all what kind of people they are? Criticizing a coach for doing a poor job is fair game by all means, be ruthless…but calling members of his family a “cancer” is just plain ignorant…get your priorities in line.
Rambleloser
February 14th, 2011
9:31 am
What the HECK GT basketball is what the Football will look like starting next year!!! Can we spell LOSERS!!!
GT B-Ball fan
February 14th, 2011
9:31 am
Unfortunately, GT is stuck with Hewitt thru the 2011-12 season.
After the 2011-12 season, Hewitt’s contract enters a 5th year
“re-negotiation period, where the 7 year rollover can be voided.
So, as a FORMER B-Ball season ticket holder, I know that it will likely be one more year of this.
Which highlights the #1 point I’ve been making.
Hewitt has NOTHINIG TO LOSE by trying to get fired, which it certainly seems like he’s doing.
I suspect that D-Rad and Hewitt might comes to terms on a buy-out after this season because…if Hewitt DOES NOT GET FIRED, then he will enter next season with NO CONTRACT EXTENSION OPTION. That means no big dollars.
So, I would look for some kind of agreed-upon buy-out after this season
or Hewitt behavior and GT’s performance is going toget dramatically worse in the next two weeks.
BartBuzz
February 14th, 2011
9:40 am
I guess it’s too much to hope that Paul Blewitt would have enough shame to resign. But even with a coaching change the basketball program will take a few years to turn around.
Yurtle_the_turtle
February 14th, 2011
9:46 am
Is it possible to screw up a program any worse than Blewitt has with this one? I’m praying that Chattanooga beats us Wed. That will seal the deal!!
BartBuzz
February 14th, 2011
9:53 am
All these postings about Tech’s sports program being second tier are getting old. You guys need to come up with some new material. Tech football won the ACC championship a year ago and the basketball program has it’s share of glory too. So give me a break. I’m as frustrated as any other Tech fan but I don’t feel a need to tear down the entire sports program. We compete at the highest levels in baseball and golf. Our football team will rebound too. But unless there’s a change at the top in basketball I’m afraid DRad’s hair will only get grayer.
Ramblin Man
February 14th, 2011
9:53 am
GT B-Ball fan,
I agree and hope you are right. My main concern is can GT get a good coach with the money they will be able to offer depending on the Hewitt buy out. It is amazing that this guy cannot or will not coach up the talent he has. Shumpert can’t carry this team all year on both D and O and how in the world is there nobody to step up when Oliver got hurt?
Mike!
February 14th, 2011
9:54 am
Hey 4Jacks, you say go back to N.Y., I say to you, go back to school! Two words. . . PROOF READ!
Doug Roberson
February 14th, 2011
10:01 am
GT fan, that is not accurate.
Mike!
February 14th, 2011
10:04 am
I agree with WOW! Regardless of the the poor job he is doing and/or the lack of success of the team, cancer? Come on man, if it’s that serious, when the GT coaching job becomes available. . . apply for it! Guess what, I’ll bet you don’t get the job.
GTSteve
February 14th, 2011
10:13 am
Doug, what you think the chances would be that Hewitt is fired after the season
RAMBLE ON!!!
February 14th, 2011
10:17 am
Hewitt Fan, that was the dumbest post I’ve ever read. Excluding 80% of the UGA post, of course.
Doug Roberson
February 14th, 2011
10:17 am
GTSteve, I couldn’t say. That’s really not for me to do as the team’s beat reporter. That’s more of a topic for our columnists, one of whom has weighed in on this.
Hewitt Fan
February 14th, 2011
10:19 am
Doug,
Are you ok with the refs in the ACC?..Just admit it, He has always had problems with the refs..never seen you defend CPH..Are you a Gt fan or just a writer?
Reality Bites
February 14th, 2011
10:22 am
I seem to recall that when Hewitt went 1-15 in ACC play 2 or 3 years ago, he promised it wdnt happen again. Well, we r staring at 3-13 this year. Not only is he a bad coach, he is bad liar as well.
DawginLex
February 14th, 2011
10:23 am
By April 1st, the 2 happiest fanbases in America:
1.) St John’s-Happy that Hewitt didn’t come instead of Lavin
2.) GA Tech-Happy to finally be rid of Hewitt
Who are the candidates?
Is Mark Price really on the list?
Good grief, you hire that guy and I may start pulling for y’all except when you play us.
Supersize that order, mutt
February 14th, 2011
10:29 am
GT B-Ball fan, your post was 100% WRONG. The contract rolls over EVERY YEAR. The 7 million dollar payoff caps off at 8.1 million, but Tech will have to pay that much if at any time it terminates Hewitt’s employment without cause, and the contract specifically states that wins/losses are not cause. Unless Hewitt quits, agrees to settle for less, or is found “guilty” of reasons of “cause,” then Tech will owe him 7 million dollars this year, and more if we wait. It is, for all intents and purposes a self-perpetuating lifetime contract.
Hewitt Fan
February 14th, 2011
10:29 am
@RAMBLE ON!!!
Everything i said were facts..During a game at Duke, CPH over heard a ref telling Coach K ” i got you” after that Gt was in foul trouble he reported it to the ACC..they did nothing..the ajc did nothing..you did nothing…if you dont believe me look it up for your self….In the Acc championship game Singler shot more free throws than the whole GT team…Look it up..He complained for 4 years about the punishment big Luc recieved….He has to sub every 30 seconds to keep guys out of foul trouble….He cant press like he did at siena due to foul trouble..Also, every coach in the Acc has a losing record out side coach K and Roy Williams…..look for him to leave NC very soon…He hates this league…Other than Tech, No other Acc teams get super players..The top players go to the big east,sec and big ten…Duke had no NBA starters on their roster last year..they shot 400 more free throws than their competition..Oliver purnell got the hell out of the ACC quick…He never got any calls…
Saban
February 14th, 2011
10:30 am
How`s richt`s recruiting of the Florida penal system going?
Like Crowell`s facebook page. Goe`s with Richt`s religious views.
Supersize that order, mutt
February 14th, 2011
10:30 am
Mark Price has NO experience coaching basketball at the college level. I love him for what he accomplished at Tech and in the pros, and for what he has contributed to Tech since then, but he is NOT the man for the job.
Reality Bites
February 14th, 2011
10:35 am
Hewitt Fan, ur blogs smack of ole timey rhetoric about “The Man” keepin us down. I aint buyin it brah….Hewitt suks, his players dont respond to his coaching, and Tech suffers as a result. It aint “The Man”. Oh btw, we can all sit where we like on the bus now too.
Doug Roberson
February 14th, 2011
10:37 am
Hewitt fan, you are correct about the ACC records. I wrote a story about it last year.
Here are stats from last year:
ACC in the past 10 seasons
Paul Hewitt took over at Georgia Tech for the 2000-01 season. A look at how ACC programs have fared during the time Hewitt has been at Tech:
School
Coach (seasons)+Overall+ACC+NCAAs+Best finish
Boston College
Al Skinner+215-109+94-66*+7+Sweet 16, 2006
Clemson
Larry Shyatt (3)+40-49+11-37+none+none
Oliver Purnell (current)+138-88+50-62+3+First round
Total+178-137+61-99
Duke
Mike Krzyzewski+293-60**+120-40+10+NCAA champ, 2001
Florida State
Steve Robinson (2)+21-38+8-24+none+none
Leonard Hamilton (current)+153-106+57-71+2+First round
Total+174-144+65-95
Georgia Tech
Paul Hewitt+177-144+67-93+5+NCAA runner-up, 2004
Maryland
Gary Williams+225-110+96-64+7+NCAA champ, 2002
Miami
Perry Clark (4)+65-54+26-38***+1+First round, 2002
Frank Haith (current)+108-86+37-59+1+Second round, 2008
Total+173-140+63-97
North Carolina
Matt Doherty (3)+53-43+23-25+1+Second round, 2001
Roy Williams (current)+194-53+77-35+6+NCAA champ, 2005, ‘09
Total+247-96+100-60
N.C. State
Herb Sendek (6)+118-74+51-45+5+Sweet 16, 2005
Sidney Lowe (current)+71-62+20-44+none+none
Total+189-136+71-89
Virginia
Pete Gillen (5)+85-65+32-48+1+First round, 2001
Dave Leitao (4)+63-60+27-37+1+Second round, 2007
Tony Bennett (current)+15-16+5-11+none+none
Total+163-141+64-96
Virginia Tech
Ricky Stokes (3)+30-54+10-38+none+none
Seth Greenberg (current)+132-94+55-57**+1+Second round, 2007
Total+162-148+65-95
Wake Forest
Dave Odom (1)+19-11+8-8+1+First round, 2001
Skip Prosser (6)+126-68+52-44+4+Sweet 16, 2004
Dino Gaudio (current)+61-21+27-21+2+Second round, 2010
Total+206-100+87-73
* Member of Big East from 2001-05
** Still playing
*** Member of Big East from 2001-04
Hewitt Fan
February 14th, 2011
10:48 am
@Reality Bites
I said nothing about race…I said he does not get any calls..you brought up race….I wonder why?….Oliver Purnell took a pay cut to leave the ACC .. ..CPH would love to leave but GT owes him plenty and he will have schools beating down his door the moment he leaves the ACC..you guys say he cant coach, but Steve Lavin was not st Johns 1st choice, it was CPH.. he turned them down..And St johns is a wayyyyyyy better job than GT..you know it and i know it… if Hewitt had some of the teams he has had at Tech in the big East, he would be a legend now…they let the kids play over there…its not about the coach
Hewitt Fan
February 14th, 2011
11:00 am
@Doug Roberson
Its sad at what this league has become..they dont play good bball in the ACC anymore..its almost like a wrestling match…I know Derrick favors..from AAU….He hated the refs the moment he played his first ACC game..He feels very bad for CPH…He just could not stay another year in the Coach K conference…I remember the year we had Bosh…oh my god!…It seem like that was the 1st year it started.He left asap lol..the year tech made the championship game they were barely 500 in the ACC..They had a monster team that year with 3 or 4 NBA players but still could barely win on the road in the ACC due to foul trouble..I cant wait until next year, unless they hire a Duke assistant i know they will be worse, and CPH will leave at least 2 nba players next year to the new coach (Iman,rice Jr)
Paul in RDU
February 14th, 2011
11:13 am
Hewitt Fan – I can’t believe you posted this
Also, every coach in the Acc has a losing record out side coach K and Roy Williams…..look for him to leave NC very soon…
Gary Williams has a winning record in the ACC and Hank Greenberg is exactly 0.500
The idea that Ole Roy is going to leave his alma mater is ridiculous.
Road Warriors
February 14th, 2011
11:13 am
Road Losses avg 14 pts
KSU by 17 (down by 20 at one point)
NW by 20 (down by 26 at one point)
Siena by 5 (largest deficit)
BC by 11 (down by 13 at one point)
Clem by 25 (down by 29 at one point)
UVA by 8 (down by 18 at one point)
Miami by 2 (down by 21 at one point)
VT by 25 (down by 30 at one point)
GPB
February 14th, 2011
11:25 am
New coach for a new court. I really wanna like Hewitt but his loyalty to the other coaches on the bench is killing me. Notice the dropoff after Warren and Keener left. And notice how no one’s been fired since we’ve bottomed out. If he’d replaced a couple of people two years ago, I might have a little more patience.
Dadgum......
February 14th, 2011
1:04 pm
I mentioned this in a prior blog and I will repeat: Hewitt will be fired on or before March 14th. Based on my source I am 110% confident in that. While certainly it is not in official print nor will the source be divulged it also is not gleaned from water cooler gossip. Part of the credibility and only a small part is that Hewitt’s salary amount is not listed listed as a liability on the business plan submitted for the new stadium construction. Drad will not fire him until the ACC tourney is over however.
Further, the new coach will not have the pedigree you might expect. Think more along the lines of young, up-and-coming, exhubirant, good recruiter type. Somebody like a Rick Barnes in his early days if you will. That’s the word I am getting….The Good Word!
wesleywhatwhat
February 14th, 2011
1:15 pm
if radakovich doesn’t negotiate a buyout of hewitt’s contract at the end of this season (for no more than 2 years wages), we’ll know he is completely alseep at the wheel and his priorities are too skewed to properly represent GT athletics.