Tech’s Oliver to transfer
Georgia Tech basketball player Brian Oliver will transfer, leaving the Yellow Jackets with eight scholarship players for coach Brian Gregory’s first season.
In a press release issued by the school, Oliver, a forward, did not give a reason for leaving Tech.
“We are very appreciative of the two years Brian gave Georgia Tech and this basketball program,” Gregory said in a statement. “Brian is a talented young man and will do well, athletically as well as academically, wherever he lands. We wish him nothing but the best.”
Had Oliver returned, playing opportunity almost certainly wouldn’t have been a problem. Oliver was the third-leading scorer on last year’s team at 10.5 points behind Iman Shumpert (who left school for the NBA draft) and Glen Rice Jr. Further, Tech returns just one other forward, Kammeon Holsey. Incoming freshman Julian Royal, from Milton High, is the only other forward on the roster.
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138 comments Add your comment
from a concerned citizen
June 17th, 2011
1:40 pm
Dear AJC … just don’t bother writing blogs about GT sports anymore. Clearly, as you can see on THIS blog among others … there is never any hope for a rational, mature discussion. The GT blogs get absolutely littered with hatred and childishness from UGA “fans”, or others such as “Hewitt Fan” (who needs to get banned permanently BTW). Why keep laying out a blank canvas for all the morons to keep littering with verbal graffiti?
moboman
June 17th, 2011
2:18 pm
@HewittFan My brother went to Duke, and I am constantly chiding him on the calls Duke gets and the no calls the opponent gets, the Duke “mystique” is hard to justify at times. Cant lay that on the GT fans. They boo plenty when the calls suck, but what can they do about it?
But there is no arguing that Duke wins because they play great sound fundamental basketball. They hit FT’s, and they run a visible offense. And they make in game adjustments. And Coach K leads with a fire in his belly that is visible on the bench and infects his players.
Im sorry, but CPH didnt get fired by the officials. He got fired because his performance no longer justified his tenure as coach. Theres no one else to blame in this business.
Genius Jacket
June 17th, 2011
3:17 pm
Hewitt Fan has an interestng perspective.
As an older Tech fan, I don’t care about basketball. We need to be good in football every year. I hope P Johnson can do it.
BTW, Tech fans need to stop calling Mark Richt a bad coach. He may be, but he can sure beat Tech.
T3
June 17th, 2011
3:52 pm
It has begun = UGAG Troll
0-26 with a smile
June 17th, 2011
4:30 pm
I’m fairly confident that we’re going to absolutely suck this year and I’ll sit through all of it with a smile knowing that Paul Hewitt isn’t our coach any more.
Expect deserters when coaches switch, not a big deal. It’s easy to play for a coach that doesn’t demand accountability of his players or even take accountability for his own coaching. Oliver leaving just proves that he needed to be weeded out anyway.
Hewitt Fan is awesome – I’m actually impressed with the research efforts in defending his argument. The logic is flawed but I’d rather he use his lack of life to post here rather than go out and picket with the Westboro church or something. Duke gets calls, yep – no news there but not sure how it relates to Hewitt. And I never really read Mark Bradley but apparently his opinion was shared by everyone here who had eyeballs and watched GT, so not sure how he brainwashed me to think that Hewitt was a terrible coach – I knew that a long time ago.
So kudos to you Hewitt Fan for trying to convince the world that the sky is purple. (I’d get a 2nd opinion before trying to form thoughts on anything important with that brain though)
Tech is Sad
June 17th, 2011
6:02 pm
The problem with some Tech fans and students is they think that they are better than everyone else in the world. I speak from experience because I attended Tech and have been a fan since I was a young child. The attitudes that you see presented here do not represent all of the Tech population. This seems to be a fringe element here that cannot let the Paul Hewitt thing go. He has moved on, it is time we moved on as well. Some of you say he can’t coach but he got us farther than any other coach ever did. His last few years were not so great, I understand, but stop with the attacks on him. Hewitt had nothing but good things to say about the school when he left. Why do some of you think that he would try to get some of the players to leave? The man cares about his players and former players. He would want Brian Oliver to stay and get his degree. Stop with the hate and trying to figure out who Hewitt Fan is. He’s probably Karl McKray, Korey McKray’s dad, just let him talk. We always did and laughed when he was done.
michael
June 17th, 2011
6:32 pm
we MOVE ON. remember cremins? he began to collect a paycheck. heck so did i. oh….i retired-MOVE on and let gregory try his dig!
Buzzzed
June 17th, 2011
7:24 pm
Hewitt Fan is right about ACC refs. They do have an agenda and its about keeping the big conference money makers on top at the expense of the other teams. The big money by far is with Duke and UNC. GT benefits financially from this too when we get our cut on the ACC pie. This won’t change with a new coach. It would be great if we could afford to leave the ACC or at least go independent with basketball. I don’t believe the ACC has a “favorite” in football though – thank God.
All the other stuff from Hewitt Fan is garbage, but he/she is dead on about the ACC refs.
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 17th, 2011
7:43 pm
Can this kid apply for a waiver out of the one year sit out, because his school changed the coach. I know if he goes to a lower div. he can, but am wondering whether he can get a waiver for DIV. I. I have read about a few football players doing it, but not sure what the requirement is.
Outside Observer
June 17th, 2011
7:50 pm
Rocket Science, to transfer without penalty, the player must have graduated from college and entering grad school, but in a degree that the current school does not offer. Like Greg Paulus transferring to Syracuse from Duke because he had graduated from undergrad, had a year left of eligibility, and took a Master’s Program not offered at Duke.
ormewood
June 17th, 2011
8:23 pm
Referees have zero to do with Tech’s mediocre record in a fairly weak ACC during the last decade. The following schools have somehow overcome ref’s calls and won 10 or more conference games in that span: UNC, Duke, FSU, BC, MD, NCSU, Clemson, VA, VA Tech, Wake.
The Price was right
June 17th, 2011
8:30 pm
I’ll give Gregory a fair chance but I still think Mark Price should have been hired as the coach. He would have been a great recruiter and motivator. Oh also a great coach. Hewitt blew it was a terrible coach. With the talent we’ve had at Tech throughout the Hewitt yrs. Tech should have had far better teams. Hewitt was a nice guy but sucked as a basketball coach.
yellow britches
June 17th, 2011
9:02 pm
GT basketball is and will remain a mess for a couple of years. I stopped going to the games after fifteen years because I just could not take it anymore. The identity of “Hewitt Fan” should not be all that hard to determine. Just look at the crowd pictures for the last five or six games that Hewitt coached. He or she or it would be the only person in attendance at each game. Narrow it down to five or six people. Say what you will about Paul Hewitt’s coaching skills. One thing we know for sure, he destroyed the fan base in Georgia Tech.
juvenal
June 17th, 2011
9:38 pm
like pro baseball, we get the tv $ now whatever…more interested in if CPH has ever heard of the words “innovation” & “flexibility”………….
Tommy
June 17th, 2011
10:30 pm
Tech is sad, Hewitt didn’t care about anyone getting a degree. If he did, he wouldn’t have gotten Tech put on probation twice for low graduation numbers
BehindEnemyLines
June 17th, 2011
10:38 pm
OMG, the troll just said something I actually agree with.
re: “if Coach Gregory gets good players to come to GT( which i know for a fact, he won’t)”
Sadly, GT replaced a chronic underachiever whose persistent incompetence removed all doubts about his lack of coaching ability with another chronic underachiever who has glaring questions about his suitability for even mid-major college basketball.
bobby cremins
June 18th, 2011
12:21 am
I have to agree with Hewitt Fan on Gregory…he is a terrible coach, on the same level as Hewitt and he van’t recruit which is a program killer! It will take 5 or 6 years to undo the damage caused by Hewitt/Gregory which might sink the basketball program all together considering how terrible the Tech fan base is when their teams start losing.
sports
June 18th, 2011
12:29 am
great move for that kid…you don’t want to hang with losers
Sorry Dogs
June 18th, 2011
7:10 am
Uhhh Bobby, the Tech fan base has been watching losing Bball for years under Phew. And yeah, they’re going to suck this year too. But at least there’s some hope for the future. At least Gregory appears to care about academics and graduating players. If we’re going to suck, at least have some academic integrity which is another thing Phew sucked at. Personally, I got tired of watching Tech lose with a bunch of tatted up hood rats who had no business at the Institute. If you can’t get out, you shouldn’t get in. And no it’s not a black / white thing. Tech should NEVER lose scholarships due to poor academic performance. To me, that was more embarrassing than the Won/Loss record under Phew.
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 18th, 2011
9:29 am
Thanks for the info. outsider. I did a little research on it later and he could have applied for that exemption also, if he were a true freshman and had never played for the team or in an unusual case, if he had a hardship case. I guess he figures it is better to sit out a year, than play under a system he might not be comfortable with. Good luck to the young man.
ToeMeetsLeather
June 18th, 2011
1:26 pm
I’m with you “Sorry Dogs”, bring back the atmosphere we had with the Harprings, Prices, Hammonds, Petways, Barrys, Ferrells, etc. Kids that played hard for four years and put the Institute’s interest above their selfish aspirations. Let the one-and-dones go to Memphis, Kentucky, etc.
That’s what those “schools” are there for. Why go to TECH if you have no interest in an education.
thanks to phew this is what he left...
June 18th, 2011
5:22 pm
‘On top of having only eight scholarship players, half of them are guards. All four walk-ons are also guards.’
this is what our team would have looked like even if phew had stayed. of course bo prob would have stayed.
this is the situation our 7 million dollar man left our team and program in.
for those of you who state that he had nothing but good things to say about tech i say…… give me a 7 million dollar buy out and ill like phew fans toes. than again….
but you get the point.
thanks paul for nothing…….
Stinger
June 18th, 2011
8:00 pm
It’s not like Oliver was a supertstar. He got worse the longer he played for Hewitt. If anyone else is not happy, let them leave too. Start from scratch and get the type players we need to rebuild the program.
Farewell B.O.
June 19th, 2011
9:45 am
Oliver had a beautiful stroke, could possibly have been one of the best 3 point shooters in the conference, but highly inconsistent. With Gregory’s focus on defense and running the floor, B.O. would have been out of his element, so maybe that was one of his reasons to go.
We will miss the numbers in 2011, but Gregory will rebuild this team. Don’t get all worked up if we lose to Duke and UNC next year. But wait 2 or 3 and we will give them a run.
At least we may come up with an inbounds play that works in 2011.
Hit a Single
June 19th, 2011
10:45 am
Oliver leaving, just another example of why Hewitt couldn’t win. He recruited prima donas that played with no heart. Oliver is just another example of me and not team.
bobby cremins
June 19th, 2011
1:35 pm
@farewell bo…..Unless Tech still planning to hire another coach after their done paying Hewitt’s buyout, they surely won’t be competitive in 2 or 3 yrs.
Trigeek
June 19th, 2011
1:41 pm
>>>>Hewitt Fan
June 16th, 2011
6:53 pm
this is just the start,When a program turns their back on a coach that the year before, made it to the ACC Championship game and won a NCAA game. One of his former teamates play for the GREAT ATLANTA CELTICS and it has been confirmed..All of Gt players hate the GT fan base.Thats why Shump left early also…Next time please don’t let Mark Bradley determine who should be head coach!
————————————————————–
Is this guy for real??? Hewitt’s last season with a winning record in the ACC was the 2003 – 2004 season…………….his ONLY season above 500 in the conference in his forgettable eleven seasons at Tech (72 – 104 overall). And only two NCAA appearances in the last six seasons. Those are the facts. And THAT is why the fan base is unexcited and no one comes to the games. Any respectable program without the fear of being labeled as racist would’ve fired him loooonnnnnng before he ran the program into the ground with ten of eleven losing seasons.
Stinger
June 19th, 2011
6:27 pm
Cremins use to win with 6 or 7 players. Gregory can too.
Farewell B.O.
June 19th, 2011
9:04 pm
“Next time please don’t let Mark Bradley determine who should be head coach!”
Actually, I think an 8-23 Kennesaw State team determined that.
Hewitt Fan
June 20th, 2011
9:01 am
Trigeek
“And only two NCAA appearances in the last six seasons. Those are the facts.”
If that makes you so mad, how do feel about your new coach?..CBG had been to the NCAA’s 2 times in 8 years, one year was with Oliver Purnell’s players in the ATLANTIC 10, and unlike GT fans, Dayton fans camed to the game and he had maximum support!..So basically he has a problem finding ball players, or he can’t coach!…Hewitt main problem was the refs, sure he had a couple of bad teams, last year was one of them, the year with Causey was another, but most years the guy just simply could not any calls in the ACC!
Clueless @ the AJC
June 20th, 2011
9:13 am
If it walks like a duck, it’s a duck and if it quacks like a duck well…………………this was a lame hire and everyone knows it, but this newspaper. (Same for the Tech Football) Neither program is going to be able to attract elite players because neither coaches are elite.
KeepDreaming
June 20th, 2011
9:32 am
Calm down nerds, we now know that Oliver only left the team to follow his coach. You watch, he’ll end up at G. Mason.
Jackets 2011
June 20th, 2011
10:20 am
Please punish me too, Hewitt haters.
Let’s see: he was working for us at 1.3 mil a year.
Now he gets, per his contract provisions, 1.7 mil a year from us plus whatever George Mason is paying him which is likely at least 500K.
So running Hewitt off actually obtained for him an approximately million dollar a year raise.
I’m channeling Hewitt as we speak and he wants me to tell you “thank you”.
GTVegas
June 20th, 2011
11:22 am
Hewitt had to go. His results did not justify his salary. I just think he changed once he got his Golden Contract. Only person to blame for that is Dave Braine. GT will suffer in many ways because of that contract, financlially initially and not being able to get the big name coach until that burden has been eased.
What do I think of Gregory? I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for 4-5 years, enough time to get past the Hewitt hangover and, hopefully show a positive trend. Was he the person I would have picked? Probably not, but every situation is different and the jury is still out.
Hewitt fan – I really do not know why you persist on justifying Hewitt staying? IF GT will never get “your” players and GT will never win because of the refs, why would we continue paying Hewitt’s ever increasing salary/buyout? It just doesn’t make any sense.
Hewitt was/is a nice, classy guy, but why should I pay a multiple for the same results?
last time i heard
June 20th, 2011
2:04 pm
phew hired Hewitt Fan to shine his shoes….
and cook his fries…. and clean his toilets…. and wash his brown stained underwear.
who says that loyalty doesnt have its rewards.
hell Hewitt Fan is not only getting a raise but a bump up from his current responsibilities as the local AAU basketball crack ho.
ok I admit it...
June 20th, 2011
2:17 pm
I am a Hewitt lover. My nic on the hive is IndianaJacket. Paul and I have been exchanging wiener pictures for years. Every time i get a picture from Paul I get goose bumps all over my body.
Stinger 2
June 20th, 2011
2:19 pm
Someone above said GT and Wake will battle for last place in the ACC.
It will be no battle. GT has already won last place. They will be lucky to win one or two ACC games.
Tech’s Oliver to transfer » CNN Nwes - A Nation of News
June 23rd, 2011
1:09 pm
[...] Tech’s Oliver to transfer [...]