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
GT Brill
January 6th, 2010
12:22 am
yea, I’m about tired of Hewitt. This game means everything to UGA and nothing to him. Tech will be in the tournament, UGA has no shot at all in the foreseable future. This was their Super Bowl. Hewitt doesn’t care cause it isn’t even a conference game and he is from New York and doesn’t understand the rivalry. Can’t Tech find someone who can coach ?!?!
jellybeandawg
January 6th, 2010
12:22 am
Yea lay off the racist remarks you stupid ignorant rednecks and be more like jellybeandawg.He loves jellybeans AND womens of all flavors, regardless of color
MorningJacket
January 6th, 2010
12:27 am
Most of the Georgia grads I know are sensible about all things Georgia or Tech. Unfortunately, most of the alleged UGA fans who come here didn’t even go to the university and have the broken down pickup trucks and trailers to prove it. I’ll talk to true Georgia fans and grads any day…they have class. I won’t talk to the drooling trash who have taken over this forum.
Ezekiel
January 6th, 2010
12:28 am
You look at the way Tech plays offense and it is worse than a lot of playground games. There’s no flow, no continuity, now clue. There’s no substitution patterns and nobody that can hit an outside shot. Shumpert was 1 for 7 with 5 turnovers. Hewitt says he’s going to put the 5 best players on the floor. So what is Shumpert doing out there? You can discuss more Tech hoops at: http://www.bbuzzoff.com
GiveMeABreak
January 6th, 2010
12:29 am
When is Tech going to fire their coach. UGA wins in football and basketball over Tech. And when are they EVER going to paint the outside of that rusty arena at Tech. It at one time look cool when it was gold.
ss
January 6th, 2010
12:35 am
Tech is so overrated
That70sGAdawg
January 6th, 2010
12:36 am
Cry on Bradley, your bugs lost again.,oh and in the Orange Bowl again…….
jellybeandawg
January 6th, 2010
12:37 am
MorningJacket as much as I hate to admit it you speak the truth. At least 80% of UGA fans are inbred droolers that wouldn’t even be allowed into Georgia Southern, much less UGA or GT. I agree that it is best to just ignore them at all costs.
LAKE OCONEE DAWG
January 6th, 2010
12:40 am
CORN FED HAWKEYES BEAT UP ON JACKETS…140 YARDS OFFENSE FOR THE GAME…PAUL CAN’T BLAME THE DEFENSE TONIGHT…DEFENSE PLAYED PRETTY WELL….BEFORE LONG, IT WILL BE “THANK GOD AND GREYHOUND” WITH PUGNACIOUS PAUL….THE ALREADY AFTER COACH HEWITT AFTER GT LAID THAT EGG TONIGHT AGAINST THE GA. BASKETBALL TEAM….PAUL’S OFFENSE AT GA. SOUTHERN WAS BETTER THAN TECH SHOWED TONIGHT…PAUL AIN’T GOT THIS BOWL THING FIGURED OUT YET…TECH TEAM OFFENSE DIDN’T RESEMBLE THE OFFENSE THEY RAN DURING THE SEASON….BUT PUGNACIOUS CONTINUES TO BE THE “BEST LITTLE PLAYCALLER” THAT BARK EVER SAW, ALONG WITH FURMAN, WHO ARE FOR SOME STRANGE REASON, BOTH OBSESSED WITH GEORGIA TECH…
Glenn
January 6th, 2010
12:44 am
If old Fox can recruit it will be exciting on the hard court in Athens. GO DAWGS
Bill
January 6th, 2010
12:50 am
It’s PJ’s second year. Any Tech fan worth his salt knows what it had been like before he came. Yes, this loss is rough. But things will get better because PJ will get better kids up front to come to the Flats. The away schedule next year is brutal, so don’t expect a repeat. But Tech will return to the BCS soon….now can someone explain to me why Favors is being taken out of the game when Tech has the ball in the last 2 minutes and put back in only for defense? I have been behind Hewitt since Day one, but losing to Ga this year is an abomination. Better find a way to stun Duke.
THe days are starting to get smaller for Hewitt as Tech coach. He has to know it.This is disgraceful. Congrats to Ga, but they should never have won this year. Disgraceful. INEXCUSABLE.
BuLLdawg
January 6th, 2010
12:51 am
73-66 UGA Bulldogs’ Men’s Basketball team, with a far better Academic Progress Rate APR than GA tek’s men’s basketball thugs, beat GA Tek tonight 73-66. GA tek suffers only a 914 APR, and Paul Hewitt who has a LOSING RECORD to UGA Bulldogs, has been put on NCAA PROBATION with only 11 Scholarships allowed. GA tek has not beat UGA in Athens since 1976. Who has the better coach ? Clearly, UGA’s new basketball coach Mark Fox, who does NOT have a LOSING RECORD to GA teak as GA tek’s coach Paul Hewitt always has bad against UGA Bulldogs both on the court and in the classroom. Our players are NOT thugs. This team still has a pretty high ceiling,” Paul Hewitt said. That is a POOR SPORT. He should congratulate UGA on a not so surprising victory at all. Paul Hewitt is now 4-6 vs. UGA. Paul Hewitt is a bad coach and would have been fired years ago at UGA. At GA tek, they try to cover up his NCAA PROBATION and NCAA limiting him to just 11 Scholarships.
56-50 Women’s Basketball UGA Lady Bulldogs also have a far higher Academic Progress Rate than the GA tek women’s basketball team. Also, UGA Lady Bulldogs have NEVER lost to GA tek in Athens in women’s basketball. The GA tek coach, after last year refusing to shake Andy Landers’ hand after he beat the crap out of her team, this year did. It resonated throughout the college sports what a horrible POOR SPORT MaChelle Joseph is as GA tek’s women’s basketball coach. The score this year was 56-50. The better coach ? Without any doubt Coach Andy Landers.
30-24 Forcing Paul Johnson to scrap his high school offense, GA tek Heisman hopeful Josh Nesbitt threw 4 incomplete passes as wounded ducks to end the game. It was a devastating loss, leaving Paul Johnson to tell the GA tek fans (both of them) to hit UGA fans in the face. This is a POOR SPORT. This, while, Coach Richt beat GA tek for the 8th time in 9 years of 90-27 football including 2 BCS Bowl Championship Game WINS. GA tek has not won a Major Bowl Game since 1955, a span now in excess of 55 years. It also marked the 60th defeat of GA tek football and coupled with their bowl loss to bring Paul Johnson to 0-2 in bowl games, while Coach Richt is 7-2, it is a bitter pill to swallow for a football team at GA tek under Paul Johnson who has a far worse Academic Progress Rate APR than Coach Richt’s football team’s APR. The better coach ? By far Coach Richt.
It has been a BAD YEAR for GA Tek. A complete clean sweep. In all major sports UGA has far exceeded the Academic Progress Rate of GA tek. And, oh yeah, while we are on the topic, we have BEAT GA tek for this year :
73-66 men’s basketball UGA wins over GA tek.
56-50 women’s basketball UGA wins over GA tek
30-24 football UGA wins over GA tek.
A day to go down in Infamy for GA tek. It could not have happened to a worse group of losers, thugs, college drop-outs and POOR SPORTS. Congratulations GA tek, a clean sweep, in every possible fashion.
BuLLdawg
January 6th, 2010
12:53 am
73-66 UGA Bulldogs’ Men’s Basketball team, with a far better Academic Progress Rate APR than GA tek’s men’s basketball thugs, beat GA Tek tonight 73-66. GA tek suffers only a 914 APR, and Paul Hewitt who has a LOSING RECORD to UGA Bulldogs, has been put on NCAA PROBATION with only 11 Scholarships allowed. GA tek has not beat UGA in Athens since 1976. Who has the better coach ? Clearly, UGA’s new basketball coach Mark Fox, who does NOT have a LOSING RECORD to GA teak as GA tek’s coach Paul Hewitt always has bad against UGA Bulldogs both on the court and in the classroom. Our players are NOT thugs. This team still has a pretty high ceiling,” Paul Hewitt said. That is a POOR SPORT. He should congratulate UGA on a not so surprising victory at all. Paul Hewitt is now 4-6 vs. UGA. Paul Hewitt is a bad coach and would have been fired years ago at UGA. At GA tek, they try to cover up his NCAA PROBATION and NCAA limiting him to just 11 Scholarships.
BuLLdawg
January 6th, 2010
12:55 am
73-66 UGA Bulldogs’ Men’s Basketball team, with a far better Academic Progress Rate APR than GA tek’s men’s basketball thugs, beat GA Tek tonight 73-66. GA tek suffers only a 914 APR, and Paul Hewitt who has a LOSING RECORD to UGA Bulldogs, has been put on NCAA PROBATION with only 11 Scholarships allowed. GA tek has not beat UGA in Athens since 1976.
Who has the better coach ? Clearly, UGA’s new basketball coach Mark Fox, who does NOT have a LOSING RECORD to GA teak as GA tek’s coach Paul Hewitt always has bad against UGA Bulldogs both on the court and in the classroom.
techfan
January 6th, 2010
12:55 am
hewitt is a joke…hopefully he joins willie martinez soon
BuLLdawg
January 6th, 2010
12:56 am
73-66 UGA Bulldogs’ Men’s Basketball team, with a far better Academic Progress Rate APR than GA tek’s men’s basketball thugs, beat GA Tek tonight 73-66. GA tek suffers only a 914 APR, and Paul Hewitt who has a LOSING RECORD to UGA Bulldogs, has been put on NCAA PROBATION with only 11 Scholarships allowed.
Old School
January 6th, 2010
12:57 am
MEMO TO MARK: So do you still think that Tech has a shot at making the Final Four as you commented in your column before the loss to Miami? A few weeks have passed and I still can’t believe you made that comment. Why? Because you have watched Hewitt up close since he came here. Obviously, talent overcame coaching in the mirage called the Final Four visit 6 years ago. But now, not only is Hewitt’s coaching still a major weakness in the Tech program, but I say again as I did in my post the night of the Miami game—although you disagreed— that Derrick Favors is either vastly overrated or he is one lazy bum. Eight freakin’ points and 5 turnovers tonight from supposedly the #1 prep player in the nation last year?? What a joke! I have seen him play in person twice and on the tube a few more times, and I repeat: he is either terribly overrated or downright lazy! If he continues to play like he has in the season’s first 14 games, then there is no way he will be “one and done” unless some NBA team has totally lost its mind. Is the guy coasting while waiting for the draft and pay for play or what?!?! Don’t mean to beat a dead horse, but for someone who supposedly knows what comprises good basketball and coaching, I still shake my head when thinking of your Final Four comment. What in the world were you thinking?!?! Yeah, I know, regarding Favors you are far from the only one who was on this guy’s bandwagon.
1
Tech fans
January 6th, 2010
12:57 am
73-66 UGA Bulldogs’ Men’s Basketball team, with a far better Academic Progress Rate APR than GA tek’s men’s basketball thugs, beat GA Tek tonight 73-66. GA tek suffers only a 914 APR, and Paul Hewitt who has a LOSING RECORD to UGA Bulldogs, has been put on NCAA PROBATION with only 11 Scholarships allowed. GA tek has not beat UGA in Athens since 1976. Who has the better coach ? Clearly, UGA’s new basketball coach Mark Fox, who does NOT have a LOSING RECORD to GA teak as GA tek’s coach Paul Hewitt always has bad against UGA Bulldogs both on the court and in the classroom. Our players are NOT thugs. This team still has a pretty high ceiling,” Paul Hewitt said. That is a POOR SPORT. He should congratulate UGA on a not so surprising victory at all. Paul Hewitt is now 4-6 vs. UGA. Paul Hewitt is a bad coach and would have been fired years ago at UGA. At GA tek, they try to cover up his NCAA PROBATION and NCAA limiting him to just 11 Scholarships.
falcon5
January 6th, 2010
12:57 am
Hewitt is the worst coach ever. How long can this guy keep getting free passes for a fluke season 6 years ago. He should be fired tonight. I will never give money to the Tech program until he is gone. Gutless on the road, cant shoot 3 pointers, turnover the ball, no heart, cant make free throws. Every year its the same. i dont even have to watch anymore to know what happened.
Tech fans
January 6th, 2010
12:58 am
Thugs.
Tech fans
January 6th, 2010
12:59 am
73-66 UGA Bulldogs’ Men’s Basketball team, with a far better Academic Progress Rate APR than GA tek’s men’s basketball thugs, beat GA Tek tonight 73-66. GA tek suffers only a 914 APR, and Paul Hewitt who has a LOSING RECORD to UGA Bulldogs, has been put on NCAA PROBATION with only 11 Scholarships allowed.
GT Fan...
January 6th, 2010
1:02 am
Seriously GA fans, don’t put too much into this win over GT tonight. Paul Hewitt is a bad coach. The guy is something like 38 games UNDER .500 in ACC play over his GT coaching tenure. He’s had WAY too much talent to do that. It’s pure & simple about his coaching/leadership ability with this talent, and he hasn’t got squat.
Yeah, be happy that you beat your some guys wearing GT uniforms, but seriously, check back at the end of the season and see how bad this Paul Hewitt led team is. This win tonight won’t be that impressive. These kids are wasting their time coming to GT to be coached by this clown.
LAKE OCONEE DAWG
January 6th, 2010
1:02 am
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO GA. TECH???? CAN’T BLAME THIS ONE ON THE DEFENSE..OFFENSE WAS TERRIBLE….155 YARDS TOTAL FOR THE GAME, LESS THAN 50 AT HALF….NESBITT HAD REAL PROBLEMS THROWING THE FOOTBALL…IOWA NOT VERY GOOD ON OFFENSE….HAD TO PLAY A FRESHMAN RUNNINGBACK WHO HAD A GOOD GAME AGAINST THE JACKET DEFENSE, FINALLY BREAKING A LONG RUN OFF IN THE JACKETS TO SEAL THE GAME….THIS GAME IS ON THE OFFENSE…IT WAS TERRIBLE….THE “BEST LITTLE PLAYCALLER” BARK EVER SAW HASN’T FIGURED THIS BOWL THING OUT YET…2 YEARS IN A ROW TECH HAS LAID AN EGG IN THE BOWL GAME….SOMEBODY SAID THAT THIS GAME WASN’T IMPORTANT, THOUGH, SO THAT EXPLAINS IT ALL….
PHIL
January 6th, 2010
1:17 am
I wasn’t so sure about the BB coach hire of Coach Fox, but now I wonder what he would do if he had a REAL team? The former BB coach was big on discipline, which is admirable, but AFTER the fact. Fox is more into preemptive discipline. He must also be a good coach. If he is ever able to recruit it should be fun in the fall AND winter in Athens.
You know, I used to pull for Tech unless they played UGA. But after all the obnoxious fans that have came out of the wood work since CPJ has at least restored some respect to the program, my second favorite team is who ever plays Tech. This guy who posted above about UGA fans all being in trailers or driving pick ups should be ashamed. There are millions of people who live in trailers and drive pick ups that have more class and common sense than the Tech fans who post here.
Mark Bradley
January 6th, 2010
1:18 am
Just FYI: Dave Braine had nothing to do with hiring Paul Johnson. Dan Radakovich did that.
JACK IT
January 6th, 2010
1:22 am
30 24, just to remind everyone distracted by basketball
Booby Dudd
January 6th, 2010
1:27 am
73-66 UGA Bulldogs’ Men’s Basketball team, with a far better Academic Progress Rate APR than GA tek’s men’s basketball thugs, beat GA Tek tonight 73-66. GA tek suffers only a 914 APR, and Paul Hewitt who has a LOSING RECORD to UGA Bulldogs, has been put on NCAA PROBATION with only 11 Scholarships allowed. GA tek has not beat UGA in Athens since 1976. Who has the better coach ? Clearly, UGA’s new basketball coach Mark Fox, who does NOT have a LOSING RECORD to GA tek as GA tek’s coach Paul Hewitt always has bad against UGA Bulldogs both on the court and in the classroom. Our players are NOT thugs. “This team still has a pretty high ceiling,” Paul Hewitt said. That is a POOR SPORT. He should congratulate UGA on a not so surprising victory at all. Paul Hewitt is now 4-6 vs. UGA. Paul Hewitt is a bad coach and would have been fired years ago at UGA. At GA tek, they try to cover up his NCAA PROBATION and NCAA limiting him to just 11 Scholarships.
DavidDawg86
January 6th, 2010
1:58 am
We Run this State …On and Off the Court!!
(73-66) (30-24)
Go Dawgs!!
Hewitt and Richt...
January 6th, 2010
2:02 am
Great comparison. Hewitt recruits a little better though.
Both overrated flunkies.
Brunswick Marsh Dawg
January 6th, 2010
2:10 am
(((((((((((((((73-66))))))))))))))) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
“Just like football, just like football, just like football”
WE RUN THIS STATE!!! THWT!!!
GO WOFFORD
January 6th, 2010
2:34 am
get over yourselves Dawggies! Go Terriers!
Reno Dawg
January 6th, 2010
3:02 am
Mr. Bradley,
I didn’t read your article about Mark Fox being a bad hire, as a UGA grad and fan living in Reno, NV it’s a little difficult to keep up with the latest UGA news without constantly gluing myself to the computer. I am curious though as to how much you really researched Coach Fox to come to that conclusion?
Living in Reno for the past few years amongst the Wolfpack fans I got to know quite a bit about Coach Fox. He is a great coach and at UNR he consistently got the most out of players that didn’t exactly have big time program talent. He was able to pull some great recruits to UNR (by UNR standards of course) while he was there and I believe got them to a few tourney appearances and a sweet 16 appearance. Definitely known for being a very strict disciplinarian and the kind of guy that favors the team concept and doesn’t tolerate a bunch of individualistic garbage either.
All I know is that UNR fans were furious to lose him. When I’m out and about in the city wearing any of my UGA stuff I still get dirty looks. My wife’s boss who is a UNR grad was angry with my wife for weeks after the hire because he knows I’m a UGA grad…as if it was me that called up my buddies Michael and Damon and said “hey, I’m a random alumni and you ought to take a look at this Mark Fox guy out here in Reno” .
I think he’s a great hire for UGA. Do I think he’ll get them to being a consistent tournament bound contender…I really don’t know, I guess time will tell but I do think Coach Fox will improve the program overall and make it a lot better than it’s been in a while.
gridiron james
January 6th, 2010
3:08 am
Again, Mark proves Karl Kraus correct:
“A journalist: No ideas but with an ability to express them..”
PJ
January 6th, 2010
3:20 am
((((30-24)))) hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
((((73-66)))) hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
WE RUN THIS STATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JDM
January 6th, 2010
5:42 am
Aah Tech bballers get beat and little pj’s vaunted triple option did not show, were you sucking your thumb Bradley
Buddy
January 6th, 2010
6:20 am
This can’t be Mark Bradley. He actually wrote something positive about UGA sports.
German Shepherd Dawg
January 6th, 2010
7:02 am
Guys,
If you never let the St. Simons thing you, you’re gonna end up looking just as stupid as he did.
Grow up, and be the bigger man!
On the other hand, Floundering Fox Hounds Batman is pretty funny and isn’t saying the same thing over and over, which is ok. Pithy and relevant, not old and redundant is the order of the day.
German Shepherd Dawg
January 6th, 2010
7:04 am
The second instance of “you” in the previous post should have been “go”. My fingers betrayed me.
p
January 6th, 2010
7:04 am
Say goodbye Paul.
Hewitt and Johnson
January 6th, 2010
7:05 am
We wet our pants last night!
Cupcakes
January 6th, 2010
7:06 am
Tech— you are our Beeeeeatchesssss
Another UGA Win
January 6th, 2010
7:07 am
Well we learned that:
1) UGA should not have been in the Independence Bowl. Easy Win.
2) GT should not have been in the Orange Bowl. Overmatched.
3) UGA Baksetball program is on the rise and much better than Tech’s program.
It’s great to be Georgia Bulldog!
TampaDawg
January 6th, 2010
7:08 am
Mark where is the Love Baby………Thanks for all the unbiased comments. You Suck !
Here come the Bulldogs. We finally have a coach !!!!
Required Reading | Hard Knox Sports
January 6th, 2010
7:11 am
[...] Bad news comes in twos for GT. [AJC] [...]
ToothlessRedneckFleabag
January 6th, 2010
7:12 am
Tech will still be ranked higher at the end of both BBall and football seasons than the leghumping rednecks!!
Big time?? Not
January 6th, 2010
7:13 am
Sweep! Four tickets, four hot dogs, four cokes
Ray Goff
January 6th, 2010
7:27 am
Dear Dags Fan,
Paul Hewitt = Mark Richt both have a ton of talent and can not become elite programs
Buzz
January 6th, 2010
7:27 am
Hewitt get a UHAUL and LEAVE!!! You can’t coach your way our of a wet paper bag!!!!!! FIRE CPH!!!!! We are Georgia’s DADDY!!!! and it SUCKS!!!!!
RomeDawg
January 6th, 2010
7:31 am
I love it! Maybe Tech should go Division 2. They can’t run with the big boys! Mark Fox WILL be a good hire.
Baba O'Riley
January 6th, 2010
7:32 am
Oh, how I wish CPH recruited Adam James to come play basketball for the Jackets.