UGA wins a shocker, but should we really be so shocked?
Tech's Paul Hewitt was brought low in Athens yet again. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
ATHENS – There’s a good team in there somewhere. Maybe it’ll show itself Saturday when Duke comes to Atlanta. It needs to show up soon. We’re into January now, and Georgia Tech still acts as if it’s just another collegiate aggregation. It could, and should, be much more.
“This team still has a pretty high ceiling,” Paul Hewitt said Tuesday night. He said this moments after his tall and talented team had run face-first into a closing door.
The Jackets came to Stegeman Coliseum to play a game not many folks watched — another Tech team was busy elsewhere — and for that Hewitt can be grateful. Tech fans, as we know, have seen it all before. But here, for late tuners-in, is a recap:
Once again the Jackets allowed a lesser opponent to dictate tempo. Once again Tech seemed determined to match every basket with a turnover. Once again it lost.
Yes, yes. We must credit Georgia at the same time we castigate Tech. The Bulldogs have one player (Trey Thompkins) who would make the Jackets’ 10-man rotation. Mark Fox is doing brilliant things with this undermanned team. And Hewitt … well, he’s not looking so brilliant.
Three days ago Georgia lost to Missouri by 28 points. On Tuesday it beat Tech and was the better team throughout. You kept waiting, as is always the case with the Jackets, for talent to have its way, but talent, as is often the case with these Jackets, meant little without direction.
Tech’s best play was an offensive rebound — it had 19 of those and 18 second-chance points. It didn’t make a trey until the game’s 33rd minute. Its famous freshman Derrick Favors finished with more turnovers (five) and fouls (four) than baskets (three). I hate to keep harping on coaching — really I do — but if you’re ranked 20th in the land and you can’t handle the team picked to finish last in the SEC East, what does that say about the man at the top?
It wasn’t as if the Stegasaurus took on the charged ambience of Cameron Indoor Stadium. The place was barely half-full. But Tech allowed Georgia to become the aggressor early, managing but 12 points in the first 11 minutes. You can’t do that on the road. You have to hit the other guy harder sooner. Tech did nothing but counterpunch.
The Jackets finished with 66 points. With their size and speed, they should be playing games in the 80s. But they don’t know how to press the issue without throwing the ball away. (They finished with 20 turnovers against 23 baskets and eight assists.) They’re young on the perimeter, sure. But they act even younger.
In the end it came down to Georgia making the assertive plays and the Jackets being unable to guard Ricky McPhee, who’s listed as 6-foot-1. When in doubt, the Bulldogs put the ball on the floor and made something happen in the lane. Thompkins drove for a huge hoop at the shot-clock horn, and McPhee, of all people, shook free down the lane for an underhand banker to clinch it.
Tech, by way of contrast, did its stand-around thing. When it got the ball low to Gani Lawal, it was OK. (He had 21 of the Jackets’ 66 points.) When it couldn’t, it was at sea. And that, sad to say, is the impression Tech has left after 14 games. It has won 11 times, but when put to the test by Florida State and now Georgia it failed. FSU is a decent-enough team. Georgia still has miles to go before it can lay claim to decency.
But say this for the Bulldogs: They know who they are and how they have to play, and they keep doing it. “We have limitations,” Fox said, “but we know what they are.” Contrast this with Tech, which has assets almost everywhere but doesn’t seem to know where to turn.
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451 comments Add your comment
Hab Dawg
January 5th, 2010
11:13 pm
Mark, just wanted to thank you for censoring the worse of the posts. Having been on blogs where there is no censorship, your efforts are appreciated.
30-24 Dawgs - WE RUN THIS STATE
January 5th, 2010
11:13 pm
Josh Nesbitt throwing it there looked just like Jayblow Shaw when Reshad Jones picked it off en route to 30-24!
Hab Dawg
January 5th, 2010
11:15 pm
Ekim, I will be using your comment in the future and claiming it as my own.
JESUP
January 5th, 2010
11:16 pm
Techies might want to fire both pauls after tonight…
willie martinez
January 5th, 2010
11:17 pm
paul hewitt josh nesbitt paul johnson
willie martinez
January 5th, 2010
11:18 pm
paul also told mick jagger the stones wouldnt last
GA Sucks in FB & BB.
January 5th, 2010
11:18 pm
What does that tell you about Tech? By the way, Iowa also sucks in FB.
IndyGT
January 5th, 2010
11:19 pm
Mark, what do you think happened to Hewitt? At one point, he lead us to the national championship game. He took a team that no one expected to the final four. I personally believe it was losing Keaner and Warren that did us in. And then hiring Darryl LaBarrie as Asst. coach… what is he thinking? Taking a look at the schedule, Hewitt is in for a lot more trouble.
Pecan
January 5th, 2010
11:20 pm
Iowa playcalling is terrible.
JESUP
January 5th, 2010
11:20 pm
This is the point in the game you wish they might have practiced a lil 4 wide throw the ball down the field offense…..this aint highscool
Son of a Bush
January 5th, 2010
11:21 pm
Mark, Tech fans are undercover racists. It is just starting to show. Most of the anti-PH posts on the Hive and sheet talk speak about hiring a white HC and ACs. On poster Ned thinks PH is a racist because he is Pres. Of the BCA.
Tron Carter
January 5th, 2010
11:21 pm
……………….and we won the basketball game
30-24
73-66
ALL YEAR LONG
BBBBBBWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHAAAAAHHHAAAAAAAAAAA
BBBBBBBBBBWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAHHHHA
Bark Madley
January 5th, 2010
11:22 pm
Hey Mark, how about giving just a little credit to Mark Fox and his determined band of Bulldogs? You said you witnessed the Illinois game, and still you can’t consider Georgia to be “decent”? Oh that’s right, you were very critical of the Fox hire and you can’t admit the obvious, after only 13 games coaching the Bulldogs. And you are supposed to be the college hoops expert at the AJC, and a native Kentuckian to boot???
And by the way…
30-24 30-24 30-24
73-66 73-66 73-66
And yes WE RUN THIS STATE!
Tron Carter
January 5th, 2010
11:22 pm
No Gold Rings This Year
Only Free Hotdogs and Cokes
TECH
IS
A JOKE
BBBBBBBBWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHAAAAAAA
DaveDawg
January 5th, 2010
11:24 pm
I know Norm Parker is an old-school Midwestern guy near the end of his coaching career, and therefore probably not looking to leave Iowa after 10 years. But man, Iowa’s defense is impressive. Also, Iowa is one of the least penalized teams in the country, which screams great disciplined coaching to me and something that’s sorely missing in Athens of late. I’d say he’s at least worthy of consideration (even if it just gives him a raise at Iowa). Aim high, because you never know.
Tron Carter
January 5th, 2010
11:24 pm
WE RUN THIS STATE ——————GRASS OR HARDWOOD
BBBBBBBBBBWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAHHAAAAAAA
Tron Carter
January 5th, 2010
11:26 pm
live game updates @
http://www.thetripleoptionisajoke.com
bake
January 5th, 2010
11:26 pm
i don’t play on the blog as much as some of you UGA and Tech fans…but i believe the proper response at this point is
30-24
73-66
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
NCBULLDAWG86
January 5th, 2010
11:27 pm
I sure hope this silences the damn Tech fan base for the rest of the year, as dealing with them last year was hard enough. Do you all hear that? Yeah, they are crickets.
Bye, Yellow Jackets, maybe we will hear something come September.
*This is to the many GT fans that have been slamming on the Dawgs for the past year(2009). For those upstanding GT fans, I offer my condolences and wish you better luck on down the line. Well…. kind of. 2010 is already better than 2009. Go DAWGS!!!!
Robert
January 5th, 2010
11:27 pm
I can’t tell you how many time I’ve asked Mark a question, just to have him ignore me. But here goes again….CMR or CPJ?? (I know this isn’t a football blog….)
We run this state!!!!!
Beat Tech!
January 5th, 2010
11:29 pm
Oh, wait! UGA’s already done that–again, and again…bwhahahahahahahah!
Robert
January 5th, 2010
11:30 pm
I don’t think it’s true, but I believe that Mark thinks that you may be a moron. Not sure, just guessing. But, I don’t believe you are.
#1DawginMississippi
January 5th, 2010
11:32 pm
TD Iowa, Tech SUXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The Other St. Simons
January 5th, 2010
11:33 pm
This just in:
Tech sucks. Iowa 30 GT 24
Way to represent the state.
#1DawginMississippi
January 5th, 2010
11:34 pm
Oh and by the way all you Tech Morons that talked smack about UGA going to the toilet bowl, at least we WON, you and your 6000 fans went to the Orange and got the chit whooped out of you !!!!!!!!!
LOL ON A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP NEXT YEAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Poor ol' Tech
January 5th, 2010
11:35 pm
Even when they go to a WARM weather bowl it’s cold! Bwhahahahahahahah!
#1DawginMississippi
January 5th, 2010
11:37 pm
WAY TO GO IOWA, IT SURE IS A GREAT NIGHT TO BE A DAWG !!!!! GO DAWGS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Robert
January 5th, 2010
11:38 pm
High school offense….clap clap clap clap clap.
woodie
January 5th, 2010
11:38 pm
Dang- The Atlanta curse lives- Braves,Falcons,Thrashers,Hawks,GT,Georgia all suck this year !!!!
bawhahahahaha!!!!!!
January 5th, 2010
11:40 pm
Yech absolutely sucks at everything!!! What a joke!!!
Iowa really was bad.
January 5th, 2010
11:40 pm
They had a better record, but were as bad as Georgia.
The Other St. Simons
January 5th, 2010
11:41 pm
Ramblin’ Wreck…. that’s what that offense looked like.
30-24. No bowl win. Hoops loss.
Bad year to be a nerd.
Tech just sucks
January 5th, 2010
11:41 pm
Wow, I knew they were overrated at everything, but I didn’t think they’d get exposed this bad!!!
Fire Johnson
January 5th, 2010
11:42 pm
0-2 in bowl games and can’t win the big ones. Sure, he won the ACC this year, but half the conference was .500 or worse. It’s time to make a change. This ship is sinking fast
NA Trade School is a JC Program
January 5th, 2010
11:43 pm
Great day all around. Mediocre B10 school b!tch slaps the trade school in football and loses to the 10th best bball team in the SEC in one night. All is right in the world
nothing new
January 5th, 2010
11:44 pm
Wow, an overrated GT basketball team gets pantsed in Athens, and an overrated GT football team gets prisonraped in Miami. Nothing shocking about either
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
January 5th, 2010
11:44 pm
Hewitt is a joke….a bad joke. He couldn’t win if he had Dream Team #1 to coach.
keep crying, tools!!!
January 5th, 2010
11:44 pm
A new year, same old failures!!!!
Jaded Jacket
January 5th, 2010
11:45 pm
We suck at everything! Even I can’t deny it anymore
Top Dawg
January 5th, 2010
11:45 pm
Tech has managed to lose a game in two different sports tonight!!!!!!!!!!!
which do I like better...
January 5th, 2010
11:45 pm
30-24 or 73-66….hmmm……
luther
January 5th, 2010
11:45 pm
NA NA NA NA….NA NA NA NA….HEY HEY HEY….TECH SUCKS ! ! ! ! Stick to what you do best and thats creatiing new technology ! ! !
I love Man boobs
January 5th, 2010
11:46 pm
The more things change, the more they remain the same. Tech still suxxxxxx.
luther
January 5th, 2010
11:46 pm
Now this is the way to start the new year ! ! !
FalconUGAFan
January 5th, 2010
11:47 pm
Wow Mark only took you five paragraghs to name the school that GT lost to. Thanks for covering the State. I like your stuff for the most part, but sometimes you let your bias creep in. May want to watch that.
NoleDawg
January 5th, 2010
11:47 pm
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!
Lost to the Dawgs AGAIN!
And a pathetic flop in the bowl game to boot!
Jaded Jacket
January 5th, 2010
11:47 pm
I’m going to take a few years off from GT sports. Someone email me when Hewitt is gone and when GT wins a bowl game. I’m devoting my time to gardening.
Meanwhile...Mark an elephant never forgets
January 5th, 2010
11:47 pm
Mark I refer you to a point I made last year about a potential Achilles heel in CPJ’s offense.
As the broadcasters of the game pointed out, three of the last four teams that beat CPJ had more than a week to prepare. Jimmy Johnson pointed it out as well, saying it wasn’t that the layoff hurt Tech so much as it gave Iowa time to prepare.
Willing to rethink your position on this?
Barkin'Dog
January 5th, 2010
11:47 pm
The Dawgs are building a TEAM. GT has a bunch of supposed all stars. I’ll take a team effort over individual efforts every season. Congrats, Dawgs!! I knew you could do it. Now go win the SEC!
buzz
January 5th, 2010
11:47 pm
Congrats uga. Paul is wrong, this team has no a pretty low floor. I hope we lose every f#$%ing game in 2010 so his sorry behind can be run out of ton on a rail.