Live from Tech-FSU hoops, along with 25 NBA scouts!
One of the 25 clubs represented here today. (Extremely artistic photo by M. Bradley)
The press section is jammed today, and not with press. Twenty-five NBA scouts have been credentialed for today’s game — Georgia Tech is playing Florida State — and there are only 30 NBA teams. I conclude from this that the absent five are simply slackers.
The scouts are coming to see three big men who could wind up in 2010 first round — Solomon Alabi of FSU and Derrick Favors and Gani Lawal of Tech. Indeed, DraftExpress has two in the lottery. Favors is No. 2 behind John Wall of Kentucky, and Alabi is No. 14. And Lawal sneaks into Round 1 at No. 29.
Nine games into his one and surely only collegiate season, Favors hasn’t disappointed. He’s not going to be voted the freshman of the year nationally — Wall, who’s not just the best freshman but the best player in the land, will be — but that’s because Tech hasn’t needed him to score big every night. Lawal actually leads Tech in scoring and rebounding, but there’s no question who’s the bigger talent.
And to have two such big men at a time when big men are so scarce — ask Illinois coach Bruce Weber how much he’d trade for either of Tech’s guys — is the key reason Tech should have a splendid chance of reaching the Final Four.
That’s correct. I didn’t say the NCAA tournament. I said the Final Four. Tech has more talent than it has ever had under Hewitt, and early returns indicate there’s mesh being strung together. Iman Shumpert is out until January after knee surgery, but point guard Mfon Udofia has been better than advertised — among Jacket insiders, he was considered the key to the famous signing class — and rookie Brian Oliver has proved he can hit enough jump shots to keep defenses from zoning everything up.
(Tech fans know this already, but here, for newcomers, it is: This Brian Oliver is not the son of the Brian Oliver who helped drive the 1990 Jackets to the Final Four. They’re not related. Although Glen Rice Jr., yet another freshman, is indeed the son of Glen Rice, who helped drive Michigan to the 1989 national title.)
Tech fans will also recall that last season ended in despair after a last-gasp loss to FSU in the ACC tournament at the Georgia Dome. Shumpert took the last shot that day and missed. I’m pretty sure he won’t take a shot of any kind today. And I have great faith that the Jackets will win today. For one thing, Toney Douglas no longer plays for the ‘Noles. For another, Tech is good.
But I am, as we know, wrong on occasion. Indeed, I was wrong just last night at the Arena in Gwinnett. I figured the Illini would win that one going away. Georgia won and deserved to win. So just because Joe B. Hall and I got together and invented college basketball doesn’t mean I’m always right.
Join me for today’s proceedings and we’ll see how wrong — or, as happens once every 20 years , right — I am. I’ll be here until someone other than Shumpert takes the final shot, and I’d be obliged if you’d ride along. Thanks in advance.
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443 comments Add your comment
EEJacket
December 20th, 2009
7:54 pm
Seriously, MB? Why would ANYONE in their right mind think that this team could ever get to the F4? Seriously!
ST SIMONS
December 20th, 2009
7:55 pm
MY church is louder than the AMC!
wardo
December 20th, 2009
7:55 pm
Playing like a well coached team. No ball movement. 1 man basketball, another Hewitt staple.
Mark Bradley
December 20th, 2009
7:56 pm
FSU wins. The team with the better players lost.
ST SIMONS
December 20th, 2009
7:56 pm
FIANL FOUR.. FINAL FOUR… FINAL FOUR..FINAL FOUR, MAYBE TECH PLAYS FSU FOR THE NATL TITLE!!!!!!
wardo
December 20th, 2009
7:56 pm
Gonna be a long year. I was hoping that all the talent would be able to overcome our coaching. It ain’t looking good.
BCWRECK
December 20th, 2009
7:56 pm
Don’t worry, we will win some of these type games; 8-8 is still not out of the question.
Tech is fully able to become a NIT team, just like the Chris Bosh team.
dawgfan13
December 20th, 2009
7:57 pm
What a horrible game! Tech bball fans have to watch another long year of getting beat really bad by Carolina, Duke, Miami, Wake, Clemson, maybe STate and V tech. What a terrible coaching job by Hewitt. They couldnt get a score against a 2-3 zone. Top players in ATlanta would have to be foolish to ever want to play for a guy like Hewitt! He has stolen pay checks from Tech for the last 4 years. Again what a joke!
BHAMJACKET
December 20th, 2009
7:57 pm
Hewitt, you gotta go.
wardo
December 20th, 2009
7:57 pm
MB, now your earlier smart a$$ comment about Hewitt being on the bench in 2004 looks really dumb. What are you thinking now? Still going to the final four?
Scott
December 20th, 2009
7:59 pm
Feel free to erase your article when you back to the office, nice prediction.
Rob
December 20th, 2009
7:59 pm
Same old story…this will be another 2–14 ACC season. Georgia Tech basketball is finished as long as Paul Hewitt is the coach.
Another year with PH
December 20th, 2009
8:00 pm
Seriously, at what point do they fire this guy? M.B., you are right – they team with the better players lost. But that team has a coach that has proven he can lose with any amount of talent. Way past time for him to go.
BCWRECK
December 20th, 2009
8:02 pm
NO way this team is 2-14. Their talent level, and Hewitt’s close game tendency, will carry them to 8-8.
The Bradley Curse
December 20th, 2009
8:03 pm
“Tech’s lucky to be in overtime. But should win.”
That was the kiss of death. lol
GT MAN
December 20th, 2009
8:04 pm
Its time for Hewitt to go—no way, with this team and the super Favors do you lose to FSU at home. Here goes another 6-8 season, also had hoped Tech could win in Athens this year –guess not now.
DTECH
December 20th, 2009
8:04 pm
I will not spend another dollar on GT Basketball until Hewitt hits the road…
30-24 Dawgs - WE RUN THIS STATE
December 20th, 2009
8:04 pm
Dawgs run this state, Jackets can’t even win a conference game.
TECH = FAIL
OldJacket
December 20th, 2009
8:08 pm
You can give Hewitt Michael Jordan, Lebron James, and Kareem Jabar and he still can’t coach them to a victory
Decatur Tech Fan
December 20th, 2009
8:08 pm
Ok…..can we spin this any other way…Hewitt still has a job because of the color of his skin….you want to be treated like a man…DO a man’s job! Fire this POS NOW…….Otherwise we suck for 2 more years!!!! CPH cant do it with 5 star recruits…he SUCKS!!!!!!!
ToldUso
December 20th, 2009
8:10 pm
All those poor all stars who signed with Tech. Favors, Udofia, Rice and whoever else. They still have to be coached by PH. He just can’t coach. Nice guy and great recruiter though.
it is what it is
December 20th, 2009
8:12 pm
well, I told you so as in YOu(those on these blogs preaching a sermon how next season with the signing of Favors and Rice would be the key)I gave up last year, it was enough after 6 years of nothingness and winning two games in the ACC, it was all she wrote for me. But oh no some of you were so sure, Paddy for one but he’s a dog fan so who cares)
So let me get this straight, we have 2 players that can go first round and we canot hit the side of a barn..gee , do you people think its direction aka coaching now? Not to mention Mo do nothing Miller who Matt Causey ran circles around.
1.25 million a year for this, nice real nice…
BHAMJACKET
December 20th, 2009
8:13 pm
Things dont seem to change
Hewitt is terrible
Richt coaches a classless team (ala FSU)
Lets get a new coach and because of techs history and location we will be fine with recruiting
THWG
"Chef" Tim Dix
December 20th, 2009
8:13 pm
Who is more talented:
Hewitt
agent
Braine?
BCWRECK
December 20th, 2009
8:15 pm
The absolute only reason PH is not fired is because of the number of digits in his buyout.
Steve
December 20th, 2009
8:15 pm
Unless Tech turns it around this year, agree Hewitt has to go. Lawal and Favors gone next year, then what will we have?
Jo Bling
December 20th, 2009
8:16 pm
Hewitt’s career ACC record just dropped to 60-85. OMG! How can he still be coaching at Ga. Tech? It’s not the color of skin, Decatur Tech Fan; it’s the lightning-in-a-bottle lucky run his team went on in 2004.
I wasn’t able to tune in until four minutes left in overtime and I never saw Favors on the floor. But it doesn’t look like he fouled out. Mark, do you know why Favors wasn’t on the floor at the end of the game?
Benjamin
December 20th, 2009
8:17 pm
“The Braves will be pulling away by Labor Day.”
“Tech should have a splendid chance of reaching the Final Four.”
Two reasons I’m glad my comments are found in the comments section rather than in the article being judged.
Georgia Tech is a talented young team, and they’ve got, as you say, the second-best freshman in the land. But this team won’t be challenging for a national title this year. As usual, though, MB, your article was fun to read. Have a good night and get ready for the Falcons to make a push for their first ever stretch of back-to-back winning seasons. (Hope you got to see Ryan pull the rabbit out on the last drive today….)
PJ
December 20th, 2009
8:18 pm
GT will not succeed with this coach on the sidelines. Have not missed a home game since ‘71 and have not seen anyone mismanage the game and the talent like this gent. He is in a league of his own… and I would like to see him go where that league might be.
jim of 65
December 20th, 2009
8:18 pm
hewitt takes us back to the bottom of the acc again this year. you ask why I don’t renew my season tickets? Todays game is a good example.
JJ
December 20th, 2009
8:18 pm
“Team with the better players lost”
Hello, Mark – meet this broken record.
Same story for the past decade with Tech hoops. Most overrated head coach in the history of collegiate athletics.
ccrider
December 20th, 2009
8:19 pm
I am a Tech Fan, but Freshmen or not, Hewiit has done less with more than any coach I have seen in quite awhile. He is still trying to coach every team like the one that went to the NCAA championship game. Slow it down, work for a good shot and play good defense. It was effective with that team, but every group is different and he stifles any creativity in the guard play and thusly almost never gets easy baskets on the fast break or on penetration and dishing.
I appreciate, just like I did Bobby Cremins, what he has done for Ga. Tech, but the time has come to buy out his contract and move forward.
DAY ONE OF THE PAUL HEWITT WATCH BEGINS 12/20/09
OH BROTHER
December 20th, 2009
8:19 pm
one more time …you can go out and hire a high school coach and pay him 75,000 a year to coach these GT players and he will win more games this season possibly produce a top 1 or 2 team in the conference. grab anyone….who cares who it is
mid town
December 20th, 2009
8:20 pm
Well the genius is at it again in the coliseum on 10th street.
We can not score because 1. no patience 2. no discipline 3. can not shoot
And the sad thing is with his contact he is not going anywhere.
Oh well, we will see
BCWRECK
December 20th, 2009
8:21 pm
Lawal didn’t play much in the second half because he was outclassed by FSU’s size. Favors was average against it.
We will have to get used to it. The ACC is big this year.
DRC
December 20th, 2009
8:22 pm
McDonalds All-Americans to Waffle House no shows. Way to coach these guys up Hewitt! How much longer do we have to put up with this crap? I apologize to uga fans for going on their blog today and making sarcastic remarks about their team after watching this debacle tonight. Please bring Mark Price back to teach these guys how to play college basketball.
can' take it no more
December 20th, 2009
8:23 pm
MARK PRICE MARK PRICE MARK PRICE MARK PRICE MARK PRICE
Dawgs2009
December 20th, 2009
8:24 pm
Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of losers.
Coach Cremmins
December 20th, 2009
8:25 pm
Georgia Tech is underachieving and UGA is overachieving. We lost a lot of close games last year and will do the same this year. We need a new coach. CPH is Tech’s Willie Martinez! Loads of talent and no results.
Rodney Dangerfield
December 20th, 2009
8:26 pm
Same ole Tech, different year. It is hard to get excited about Tech even if they have 5 five star recruits on the team. Like when I heard that Favors signed with Tech – who cares, gone after a year and then what? More bottom finishes in the ACC.
Jo Bling
December 20th, 2009
8:26 pm
Can someone tell me why Favors wasn’t on the floor at the end? What is going on?
What amazes me is how nothing has changed. Same ineffective offensive sets. Same pathetic shooting (33 pct. from the floor, 31 pct. on threes). What does this team do in practice? Do they even practice shooting? Still can’t shoot free throws. Meaningless presses.
Lots of empty seats from what I could tell, and, ultimately, that will be Hewitt’s undoing.
Rodney Dangerfield
December 20th, 2009
8:27 pm
And what will be this year’s excuse?
GT Hoops fan
December 20th, 2009
8:27 pm
Yesterday, I bought tix to see GT vs. Winston Salem State. Looks like I’ll be seeing a nailbiter!!
michael
December 20th, 2009
8:28 pm
get the idea that hewitt can’t coach? talent isn’t the problem….GET RID OF HIM!!! i’m aging!
Red Foreman
December 20th, 2009
8:30 pm
Well, Tech keeps taking one up the Azz fro the ACC officials…We are effed!
About seminoles, acc play, georgia tech, florida, game, fsu, jackets | Find me About
December 20th, 2009
8:32 pm
[...] The press section is jammed today, and not with press. Twenty-five NBA scouts have been credentialed for today’s game — Georgia Tech is playing Florida State — and there are only 30 NBA teams. I conclude from this that the absent five are simply …Read Original Story: Live from Tech-FSU hoops, along with 25 NBA scouts! – Atlanta Journal Con… [...]
willie martinez
December 20th, 2009
8:34 pm
another bee loss. tears me up inside.
Gary
December 20th, 2009
8:34 pm
The “we have a bunch of freshmen argument is wearing thin”. Paul Hewitt recruits top talent and lets them run a playground offense. Lots of standing around on offense and constantly getting out hustled. Always poor fundamentals from Mr. Hewitt’s teams. I have been a Tech fan all my life and I can honestly say that I am beyond disgusted with Paul Hewitt. Pleas keep losing so we can possibly get a new coach next year……..
willie martinez
December 20th, 2009
8:35 pm
mark, what’s the oxymoron for this game?
Mark Bradley
December 20th, 2009
8:38 pm
Oxymoron for tonight: Let me think about that one.