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
GT Fan
December 20th, 2009
10:01 pm
Fire Paul DA Hewitt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DRC agree on Mark Price.
woogidy
December 20th, 2009
10:05 pm
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Atlanta-GA/Bring-the-SnuggieTM-Pubcrawl-to-Atlanta/213133429672
FullMetalJacket
December 20th, 2009
10:06 pm
As much as I respect Mark Price, and would love to have him on board to coach shooting and set a socially responsible tone for the players, I would like to see more evidence of his coaching and administrative abilities. I think CPH was hired without sufficient experience as a winner, and even though I believe MP would be an improvement, I would not want to get into the same potential situation of hiring a nice guy who can’t coach.
GT76
December 20th, 2009
10:08 pm
I’m ready to drive the bandwagon to take Hewitt out of the state for good. Who is with me? This team looked horrible….I was there. Too much talent for this kind of performance. FSU did not look all that good either so I have to put most of the blame on our coaching. What’s with all the timeouts? Ugly, ugly, ugly…..have not seen the stats but I’m guessing we shot no better than 35%.
Buzzsaw
December 20th, 2009
10:11 pm
These guys are being coached down, not up. So much talent should not lose at home to FSU. FSU has talent but the coaching is not solid. I just do not get it. Why do we seem so mediocre with such great talent. Hewitt can recruit, he just can’t seem to coach his players up to a higher level. I think if we play this way all season, we may win 4 games in the ACC and that would not get us in the Tournament. At that point Hewitt should be gone. Obviously, we have some young talent but the mix is solid. Lawal, Peacock and Bell are solid upper class leaders. This win cannot be attributed to young inexperienced players. Several times Lawal was double and triple teamed. This has got to be expected. He needs to be coached to get the ball kicked back out to the open man for a good look at a three. If any team chooses to double our big men, there are many options and they should pay dearly for it.
WreckHornGoesTHWUGA!!!
December 20th, 2009
10:13 pm
Paul Hewitt was always a coach
Who lost without DRad’s reproach
From Jamaica he hails
(He’ll return when he bails)
And no AD’s will ever approach.
WreckHornGoesTHWUGA!!!
December 20th, 2009
10:14 pm
I liked the roach line better.
Biff Pocoroba
December 20th, 2009
10:16 pm
It is funny that Paul Johnson got a huge ovation when they showed him on the screen tonight. When they showed Hewitt on the screen at the Tech – Georgia football game, no one even clapped for him anymore.
Ozzy
December 20th, 2009
10:21 pm
Coach Eddie Martin was there (Norcross/Greater Atlanta Christian). He’d be better than Hewitt. Probably do it for half a mil per too.
WreckHornGoesTHWUGA!!!
December 20th, 2009
10:22 pm
GT76: I’m in, but we’ll need a warwagon more than a bandwagon….with a healthy war chest to buy him out also. It is amazing how “supportive” DRad and the GTAA is of CPH. Granted, if they are “stuck” with him they probably feel the need to back him up, but it seems he still has some of them charmed. A lttle healthy criticism might put a little healthy pressure on him. I wonder if they could limit his degree of control over the team and coaching staff??? At least maybe force a play for a negotiated buyout. But honestly, he has no, I mean NO motivation to leave: No reputable school would hire him now after his failure at Tech and he will never make even a fraction of this kind of money again…and for apparently a minimum of effort.
IndyGT
December 20th, 2009
10:24 pm
Yea.. I like Mark Price but coaching in the acc is a lot more than being a great shooter. Look at glen jr.. His dad was lights out as a shooter but that’s not jr’s game. I like CPH as a person just not as a coach. This is a down year for the ACC but I don’t see us as a top 3 acc team. And when 60 percent of your starting lineup are burger boys (once shumpert is back) that’s a disgrace.
Mark Bradley
December 20th, 2009
10:25 pm
I don’t the press corps in-town is especially critical. I mean, who criticizes Hewitt other than me?
Mark Bradley
December 20th, 2009
10:28 pm
And to Fan of Larry Bird: Tech has lost four consecutive ACC openers. Three at home, two to Florida State.
Mark Bradley
December 20th, 2009
10:29 pm
Writing a little something about Georgia basketball. What do y’all think I should say?
Ozzy
December 20th, 2009
10:30 pm
Mark,
You should say the have more up side potential than Tech under CPH.
FullMetalJacket
December 20th, 2009
10:33 pm
Thank God Coach Johnson and the football Jackets are giving us a couple of more weeks to enjoy before HAVING to focus more on basketball. DRAD, I know you are not listening, but this year I am one of those who did not renew season basketball tickets. I debated spending the extra money to upgrade my Football tickets, but decided to just keep it in the bank for now. After today’s game, I am convinced more than ever that it was the right choice. Perhaps Ma Tech can’t afford to pay off Hewitt, but we really can’t afford to continue to not sell out ACC games in the smallest home venue in the conference.
GT Falcon
December 20th, 2009
10:33 pm
College Bball is just sloppy. Guess I’ve been watching too much hawks ball.
Biff Pocoroba
December 20th, 2009
10:34 pm
Write about how Hewitt should resign if Tech loses to Georgia again this year. Of course the game is the same night as the Orange bowl, so no one will know who won except for the 40 or 50 people at the game. The Tech fans will be watching the game and the Georgia fans will be on here blogging about how they are the ACC champions since they don’t even know they have a basketball team.
FullMetalJacket
December 20th, 2009
10:36 pm
Biff: In our section of season ticket holders at Bobby Dodd, there were even noticeable booing of Hewitt at the game this year.
WreckHornGoesTHWUGA!!!
December 20th, 2009
10:39 pm
College Bball is sometimes sloppy. And High School Bball is absolutely chaotic sometimes. But Hewie Bball is much, much worse.
Born2Buzz
December 20th, 2009
10:40 pm
Come on MB, admit that we just got out-coached big time. Hewitt never figured out how to beat FSU’s zone. We will see this over and over this year. Two of the best big men in college Bball and they are completely neutralized.
1. Why was Lawal and/or Favors on the bench during the last 8 minutes of the game?
2. Why are we out of time outs with 3 minutes left?
3. Why is Bell jacking a 3 at the end of the game?
Answer to all of those Q’s, poor coaching.
I was a big Hewitt fan when he first got to Tech, and he did great things up until the year after the Final 4 season. I can’t tell you why, but he has lost his ability to be an affective coach.
And for those wondering, this is definitely a make or break season for Hewitt. If he doesn’t produce (meaning at least finishing 4th in the conference and getting to the sweet 16 of the NCAA) then he is gone, no matter the buyout amount. The loss of revenue due to poor ticket sales is a bigger issue than the buyout. There is no reason that a team in the ACC in the Atlanta market shouldn’t be sold out for every game.
Biff Pocoroba
December 20th, 2009
10:41 pm
Mark, you should write about how Hewitt should resign if he loses to Georgia again this year. He is lucky that the Orange Bowl is the same night so the only people that will know who won are the 100 people who will be at the game. Tech fans will be watching the football game and Georgia fans will be on here blogging about how they won the ACC this year and how excited they are that Bill Lewis is coming back to coach their defense since they don’t know they have a basketball team.
Born2Buzz
December 20th, 2009
10:44 pm
Oh, and I have 6 season tickets and if not for the stellar recruiting class we would not have renewed.
Hewitt- Poor Game Coach
December 20th, 2009
10:50 pm
Typical GT loss. Lots of turnovers, poor fg percentage. Welcome back to reality. AD needs to start scouting for a new coach. One and dones still can’t get it done. Sorry to be the poor sport here but Tech hasn’t done crap since 04 and Hewitt can’t win w/ a top 5 class (that will stay for one year).
WreckHornGoesTHWUGA!!!
December 20th, 2009
10:50 pm
Winston Churchill on CPH:
Never in the field of human conflict has so little been accomplished, by a man making so much.
William Shakespeare on CPH:
Now is yet another winter of our discontent.
Chaucer on CPH:
And e’en the basest, carbuncled, corrupted lecher did pity Tech’s fans.
Dante on CPH:
Abandon all hope ye who enter the Thrillerdome, for there is a special circle of Hades reserved for inept coaches, wherein they spend every hour of every day in mediocrity only to lose in the final minutes before midnight.
WreckHorn on CPH:
Now, Hewitt, he really blows!
Kenmore on CPH:
Actually, he really sucks!
Hemingway on CPH:
The bull entered the ring. Then a sharply dressed matador entered the ring. As the matador neared, the bull saw it was CPH. The bull began trembling…with laughter. He sat back on his haunches and laughed even harder. Finally, he died laughing, as the matador fumbled for his sword. The matador finally won one.
willie martinez
December 20th, 2009
10:52 pm
maybe say basketball wont be as good without me to offer advice.
willie martinez
December 20th, 2009
10:54 pm
i dont mean to say mark everything is always about me.
dennis felton
December 20th, 2009
10:59 pm
Mr. Bradley,
I do wish you would write a story about how badly mistreated I was by the University of Georgia.
Mark Bradley
December 20th, 2009
11:00 pm
Well Coach Felton, I dont like to lie.
dennis felton
December 20th, 2009
11:00 pm
Mr. Bradley,
what do you mean?
WreckHornGoesTHWUGA!!!
December 20th, 2009
11:01 pm
I never liked the CPH hire because I believed it was a political hire, not an informed athletic decision. I supported him and was encouraged by the early success. But after the big contract re-negotiation, CPH has become increasingly involved in off-campus causes and activities. No one would accuse him of being a hard worker or task master on campus. If he was graduating players and representing the university better with just a few more wins and few less excuses, then I could understand a reluctance to fire him. But you can’t represent a program when you are always losing, and losing in the worst ways. The upper echelon of the ACC looks at their schedule and knows they have an automatic “W” when they play Tech, whether in AMC or their own place. The rest of the teams know they have a good shot at a “W” regardless of how bad they are themselves. Just keep it close and wait for CPH to shoot his own team in the foot in the end.
Mark Bradley
December 20th, 2009
11:01 pm
Coach, I think the Georgia folks gave you longer than you deserved. Plus I hated interviewing you with that raspy voice.
dennis felton
December 20th, 2009
11:02 pm
Mr. Bradley, I do recall several of your columns praising me and my coaching at UGA.
t
December 20th, 2009
11:02 pm
GT = Better Talent FSU = Better Coach
Mark Bradley
December 20th, 2009
11:03 pm
I did praise you in print coach. And now those columns are in my “Greatest Whiffs” collection.
dennis felton
December 20th, 2009
11:04 pm
Mr. Bradley, I think you are the lowest kind of journalist.
Mark Bradley
December 20th, 2009
11:04 pm
Coach Felton, I think you are the lowest kind of coach.
willie martinez
December 20th, 2009
11:05 pm
hey felton, bradley NEVER wrote a kind word about me.
dennis felton
December 20th, 2009
11:05 pm
Willie, shut up and get out of here.
willie martinez
December 20th, 2009
11:07 pm
hey felton, i lasted a year longer than you did bub!
Mark Bradley
December 20th, 2009
11:07 pm
Hey both you guys get lost. No room for losers on this blog.
dennis felton
December 20th, 2009
11:08 pm
yeah willie. but how much is your buyout?
willie martinez
December 20th, 2009
11:08 pm
you tell me first
dennis felton
December 20th, 2009
11:09 pm
part of my buyout is UGA basketball season tickets until Fox gets fired.
willie martinez
December 20th, 2009
11:10 pm
well coach, i think you got snookered with only 2 seasons of tickets.
WreckHornGoesTHWUGA!!!
December 20th, 2009
11:10 pm
Churchill on CPH:
Never in the field of human conflict has so little been done, with so great talent, by a man making so much money.
Chaucer on CPH:
E’en the most carbuncular, poxed, corrupted wench did frown with pitie on Tech fans at their unfortunate plight in hoops.
Shakespeare on CPH:
Now is yet another winter of our discontent.
Dickens on CPH:
It was the best of teams. He was the worst of coaches.
Hemingway on CPH:
The ring was dusty and hot and loud. The bull entered, angry and snorting. The sharply dressed matador entered. As the matador approached, the bull trembled. The bull trembled with laughter when he saw the matador was CPH. Eventually the bull fell over dead from laughing so hard. CPH had finally won one.
dennis felton
December 20th, 2009
11:11 pm
huh?
Mark Bradley
December 20th, 2009
11:11 pm
I see we’ve been conducting interviews in my name without me. Don’t know how I feel about that. Probably not too swell.
willie martinez
December 20th, 2009
11:11 pm
i mean i went to the first few basketball games. pitiful.
dennis felton
December 20th, 2009
11:12 pm
i always thought the real comments were highlighted.