Tough loss at FSU, but Tech again shows its potential
Here we see four Jackets: All of them freshmen, all good. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
I caught a lot of grief for suggesting back in December — it was the day Georgia Tech first played Florida State — that the Jackets “should have a splendid chance of reaching the Final Four.” On cue, Tech lost to the Seminoles, prompting one and all to question my eyesight and sanity. (And by “all,” I include myself.)
You know by now Tech has again done what has become a Tech tradition — it lost another winnable game to Leonard Hamilton and his ‘Noles. It missed as many free throws (11) as it sank. It made 20 turnovers. It ended the game with a turnover when a 3-pointer would have won. By checking The Hive, I know what many observers are already saying, and I’m thinking you have some idea what this observer is about to say. But here I’m going to disappoint you.
I don’t think this FSU game was a failure. When one good team plays another good team, one of them’s going to lose. It helps if you’re the good team playing at home, and that’s one reason this game troubles me far less than the first Florida State loss.
The other reason, the bigger by far, is that we’ve learned much about Tech in the past five weeks. And we’ve learned (I say again) that this team should have a splendid chance to reach the Final Four.
In December, Tech hadn’t beaten anyone of consequence unless you count Siena. In January the Jackets have beaten Duke, North Carolina and Clemson. Had it beaten Florida State, we’d be crediting Tech with victories over the four ACC teams that figure to play deep into the NCAA tournament. (Sorry, but I still don’t trust Wake Forest.) Even in losing, Tech showed enough to make us believe it’s no less capable of a long postseason run.
Gani Lawal scored only five points and Derrick Favors 10 and even Zachery Peacock, who’s the best sub in the land, had a quiet day — and still the Jackets led inside the final 30 seconds on the road. Brian Oliver scored 20 points, and Brian Oliver is Tech’s seventh man. And there’s the reason I’m so high on these Jackets.
They won’t play a team with greater overall talent. They won’t be awed in any game anywhere. They’ve already beaten teams led by Coach K and Ol’ Roy, who have five national championships between them, and they’ve gone against the likes of Kyle Singler and Ed Davis and Trevor Booker and Solomon Alabi.
During the strange week that saw Tech lose to Georgia but beat Duke, Paul Hewitt said, “This team knows it has a high ceiling.” The Jackets know this because they look across the locker room and see talent everywhere, the deepest collection of talent in Tech annals.
And these guys are learning to coexist, which wasn’t readily apparent five weeks ago. They lost Sunday by two points, but they’ll handle Wake here Thursday and they’ll be better in Feburary than they are now, and they’ll be a load come the Ides of March.
Understand: I’m not ready to say, “Tech will reach the Final Four.” But at least now I don’t feel I was insane when I suggested this team has that potential. Because it does. And for those who say Hewitt can coach them there, I say this: He took a team to the national title game in 2004, and this team is far more gifted.
(Oh, and I’ve seen some Tech fans complaining about the shot Lawal took inside the final 10 seconds. I had no problem with it. Hewitt called a timeout — yes, Hewitt had a timeout in his pocket — and got the ball to his best player. The same happened out of a timeout against Duke, and Lawal hit the game-clinching turnaround. That was a tough shot, but he nailed it. This was a tough shot, and he missed. It happens.)
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238 comments Add your comment
Artie
January 24th, 2010
5:19 pm
Including today’s game, Hewitt is 92-82 since 2004!!!! I rest my case!!!!
C and C Automotive
January 24th, 2010
5:19 pm
Well said, BS Patrol
PaulBall is bad
January 24th, 2010
5:20 pm
Mark, have you seen UNC play lately? They aren’t very good and they were missing one of their top players against Tech. Shumpert had the only good game of his career that day. Other than that, Hewitt has coached him down just like every other guard he has had. If Shump doesn’t improve, Hewitt may run him off to South Carolina. The Duke win was nice but that was Duke’s third game in 6 days. They will kill Tech in Durham if Hewitt coaches. Hewitt can’t teach his team to bring the ball in which costs him 3 time outs a game. He wastes the other time outs at the 12 and 8 minute marks right before a tv time out and then we run a dumb play and turn it over. Peacock had one good game shooting and now thinks he is a shooting guard and cost us the game with a bad 3 point shot at the end today. No other player has improved over time with Hewitt’s “coaching” staff which isn’t surprising if you saw Willie Reece and Darryl Labarrie play while at Tech. He likes to give his former players and buddies jobs just like Danny Hall. Hewitt is the king of excuses but just can’t get the job done. Like Cremins, he needs good assistants but refuses to hire them. Of course it doesn’t matter, since he still gets a bonus just for making the NIT and then can’t be fired so their is no reason to try.
Sonny Clusters
January 24th, 2010
5:20 pm
Car sought in woman’s killing – AJC
That must be a first. We was always afraid a headline writer would do something like that to us. That’s not the singing group Four Freshmen is it?
Artie
January 24th, 2010
5:22 pm
Wait…I lied.
…not to mention NO POST-SEASON three out of the last four years!!!!
GameTime
January 24th, 2010
5:22 pm
You’re dreaming, Mark. Talk potential all you want but players with potential have to be coached up. And all this potential will underperform under the current coach. If this team goes deep into the NCAA’s it will be in spite of the coach not because of him. Now if we had Georgie’s coach I’d agree with you!!.
learned to inbound in the eighth grade!
January 24th, 2010
5:24 pm
but not Tech. An inbound…three guys standing still and one guy waiting four seconds and then move…..too late! I know that is not true…but is surely seems that way at times. How can one team have that problem for several years?
Artie
January 24th, 2010
5:25 pm
Write it down…Mark Fox is a MUCH BETTER coach than Hewitt!!!!
…and, no, I’m not a UGA fan.
Butts Wagner
January 24th, 2010
5:29 pm
It’s been 6 years since that champ game. How many years does it take to “rebuild”? Fact is, GT will probably finish 7-9 or 6-10 in conference, lose in the second round of ACC tourney and lose in 1st round of NCAA tourney. And we will all be on here bemoaning the pathetic performance from a team with so much potential. Then after Lawal and Favors bolt for greener pastures, we’ll be stuck hearing about how young the team is next year as it bumbles its way through another season of losing all close, winnable games and a couple of tantalizing wins that show the potential (there’s that word again) of the team.
UGAissolastyear
January 24th, 2010
5:30 pm
Bigstack – I am still not sure we will get into the NCAAs. The selection committee is tough on Tech. Whereas most get in with 20 wins, we will need 22 or more and need to also make it far in the ACC tourney. I’m not sure we’re well-coached enough for that to happen.
dpj98
January 24th, 2010
5:45 pm
Gailey used to think it was acceptable to go 7-5 and make a bowl game. We finally got rid of that attitude in the football program, it’s time to do the same in basketball.
AlabamaRamblinwreck
January 24th, 2010
5:45 pm
Same ole same ole!! Turnovers galore and 11 of 22 from the stripe. This team is not well-coached, bottom line!!
"Chef" Tim Dix
January 24th, 2010
5:49 pm
talented team saddled by paul hewitt.
Elmore Spencer
January 24th, 2010
5:50 pm
The selection committee is tough on Tech.
Geez does the Tech whining know no boundaries?
"Chef" Tim Dix
January 24th, 2010
5:53 pm
Favors is not ready to make the jump and that should be hewitt’s saving grace.
that and tech can’t afford to fire him.
Jake
January 24th, 2010
5:59 pm
Mark,
Agreed. The fact that we were in POSITION to win the game on the road playing as lousy as we did at the line and in the turnover column says alot. We were propped up by a true frosh on the ROAD and were still in it. Given it all, I feel Tech still needs to STRING TOGETHER a couple of ROAD wins. That will certainly “help the medicine go down”……and the current ’scrip is Popcorn, Coke, and Valium. (smile)
dpj98
January 24th, 2010
6:00 pm
Hey, Artie, including the 03-04 season, Hewitt’s only season finishing with a better than .500 record in ACC play at 9-7, GT is 46-67 in the ACC (including ACC tournament games). So, what case are you resting? That we can pad our wins with early season W’s against teams like UNC Greensboro, Winthrop, Air Force, Illinois-Chicago (twice), and UGA (4 times)? Cuz we lost all of those games under Hewitt as well.
Buzzed Driving
January 24th, 2010
6:01 pm
I predict 2nd round in NCAA tourney. This could change but right now we would be knocked out by a UNLV or something. Please stop losing to unranked teams.
Artie
January 24th, 2010
6:03 pm
Hey, dpj98…just thought I wouldn’t pile on!!!!! LMAO
Jeffrey
January 24th, 2010
6:04 pm
Fire Paul Hewitt! I’ve been saying this for three years. GT basketball will never ever excel under his leadership. Hell, his team can’t even get 50% of their free throws. They only shot 45% (FT%) in the Clemson game, but they got lucky that day and won. Just very poor execution…again. Too many turnovers, too few FTs successfully made. Typical Hewitt underachievers.
dpj98
January 24th, 2010
6:05 pm
Favors is one and done, whether he’s ready to play the NBA game or not. The NBA drafts those guys on potential. NBA teams will be licking their chops to get him out of college and teach him the Not Basketball Anymore way. Anyone hear of a guy named Dwight Howard?
Artie
January 24th, 2010
6:06 pm
My comment wasn’t PRO-Hewitt BTW.
dpj98
January 24th, 2010
6:06 pm
Oh, ok, Artie.
tt
January 24th, 2010
6:06 pm
I love this team. But I do not trust the coach.
CPH is a great recruiter, but is a worse offensive coach than Mike Woodson.
If Pald Hewitt were white....
January 24th, 2010
6:07 pm
He would be fired. Period. Just saying what everyone knows! He is far worse than Gaily ever was…What a waste of talent year in and year out
Tech82
January 24th, 2010
6:10 pm
We have as much of a shot at the final four as I do of winning the lottery. Paul Hewitt will NEVER have this team playing consistently because he doesn’t coach fundamentals. The team sloppy and undisciplined. It’s sad that a team with this much talent won’t be able to achieve anything because they can’t get out of te way of their coach.
FIRE HEWITT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Technophobia
January 24th, 2010
6:13 pm
Just curious, can anyone think of a team we’ve ever had that was this young and who had a great season?
Jacket3
January 24th, 2010
6:13 pm
Hewitt lost this game. Especially the boneheaded time out call with the 3 point basket. He may be a great recruiter but he has no floor presence at all. I’ve seen games like this over and over with similar outcomes. Until we get someone that can inspire instead of throwing up his hands or crossing his arms we will never be a top 10 team. And we have all the talent in the world this time. Really disappointed.
Big Chief
January 24th, 2010
6:15 pm
Coach Johnsons Paul, Just remember where Hugh played and coached before going to UGA!
Technophobia
January 24th, 2010
6:15 pm
Crittenton and Young would be seniors this year if they had stayed. They both left the same year after one year of play.
If I’m not mistaken, Cremins had 1 “one and done” – Marbury
And one who left after 2 yrs – Kenny Anderson
And one who left after 3 yrs – Dennis Scott
Observation1002
January 24th, 2010
6:20 pm
Where were all you haters when Curry lost 4 straight to Duke (seriously) Duke and Ross lost his first three to Duke (seriously) Duke?
I still have elligibilty. I should have gone out for the team one of those years.
That’s pitiful.
Both of them dumped us for greener pastures as soon as they had only one good year followed by another average year.
Hewitt should have done so too.
Yea I know. You wish he had.
No back then you’d have been screaming “how could he?”
Technophobia
January 24th, 2010
6:21 pm
I’m not saying that Hewitt doesn’t have some deficiencies but I don’t think the negative effect of early departures on our program can be understated. It’s killing us and it looks like it will do so again next year regardless who’s coaching.
ND
January 24th, 2010
6:23 pm
Hey Bradley-Can you ask Blewitt why his teams have ALWAYS had problems inbounding the ball. If I was a coach I think I would have a play ready for what needed to transpire at the end and no TOs. There was no reason to heave the ball the length of the floor when one to mid court would have been much better and more likely to work. But whatever. I am at the point now that I assume they will lose b/c they are poorly coached and if they win, great. What I don’t understand is why Bradley and Schultz continue to support him.
Observation1002
January 24th, 2010
6:24 pm
I don’t see how Favors is ready for the pros.
I’m all for Dwyer, Morgan, Thomas and maybe Burnett to turn pro but it sure looks to me like Favors could use another year or two.
I can’t see why the pros would spend a first round pick on a guy not developed enough.
Like Smooth.
No college. Must have been hell to coach. A teenager with millions.
dpj98
January 24th, 2010
6:24 pm
GT has been a model of consistency when it comes to poor free throw shooting. 68%, 69%, 69%, 67%, 68%, 70%, 63% and 67% with an underwhelming average of 67% under Paul Hewitt. Compare that to 75%, 70%, 69%, 74%, and 73% of the past 5 National Champions…oddly enough, UCONN shot only 62% when they won their last Championship…against GT! Maybe there is hope for this year’s team…or at least, the potential to have hope.
WEBERUNO
January 24th, 2010
6:26 pm
I don’t know if anyone else said this, but Paul Hewitt is the Chan Gailey of basketball.
Observation1002
January 24th, 2010
6:27 pm
ND maybe they are jealous of the 7 million he will get to go do nothing. I know I am so I’d rather he at least have to be here. It isn’t a sure thing we would get someone much better.
dpj98
January 24th, 2010
6:28 pm
The effect of underclassman leaving early falls on deaf ears considering Duke and UNC have been getting hammered by early departures for the past number of years and they seem to have no problem reloading and putting together contenders. I call that a Gaileyism.
Artie
January 24th, 2010
6:28 pm
Hewitt has been betting his career on one-and-dones and it’s blowing up in his face!!!!
JACK IT
January 24th, 2010
6:30 pm
30 24 hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Observation1002
January 24th, 2010
6:30 pm
Both Homer Rice and Dave Braine were UNC grads.
I have a theory they were actually sabatours.
Rice gave Curry the job though he was too young (Ray Goff) knowing even if he was terrible, no GTs would ever criticize an ex football player.
1-9-1 and 1-10 first two years would have gotten anyone else fired.
JACK IT
January 24th, 2010
6:30 pm
oh yea- 73 66
Artie
January 24th, 2010
6:31 pm
Favors is the ONLY reason Hewitt has a job this year. Hewitt doesn’t sign him, he’s no longer on the Flats!!!!
Observation1002
January 24th, 2010
6:31 pm
Hewitt = Cremens in one and dones.
Observation1002
January 24th, 2010
6:34 pm
Artie, DRad is not keen about paying Hewitt 7 million to go away. Braine (UNC grad) gave Hewitt an annual renewal contract – the worst basketball coach contract for any college ever – so it is always 6 or 7 mil to fire him.
I maintain this was Braine giving the finger to the folks who had paid him for ten years.
I think fans are in denial about it.
dpj98
January 24th, 2010
6:36 pm
Favors isn’t ready for the NBA. But he knows there really is no reason to risk injury by staying in school (not to mention actually having to attend Tech classes for another half semester). NBA teams will draft him with the hope that he will be a big time player in 2 or 3 years. Staying in college will only hurt him because one, Hewitt is a bad coach anyway, and two, the NBA doesn’t play team ball like college does. Remember when Mike Dunleavy left Duke early? He said the toughest part was unlearning the team game.
Jacket3
January 24th, 2010
6:38 pm
‘Nophobia! I agree with you. That happens all over college basketball. It just seems to me this Jacket team really has the talent and Hewitt lets them just play with no plan. Today it was mano a mano and that was really good. However when Hewitt needs to regroup he never does and we get in trouble over and over. Time outs should be for strategy.
Artie
January 24th, 2010
6:39 pm
I hear ya, Observation1002…that is a lot of $$$ to rid yourself of a problem.
dpj98
January 24th, 2010
6:39 pm
Braine did royally screw Georgia Tech athletics with Gailey, Hewitt’s insane contract, and when he said Tech couldn’t compete for National Championships on a yearly basis. Braineless had loser written all over him. I’m sick to my stomach as a Tech grad to say a gutless twit like him once ran our program.
ND
January 24th, 2010
6:40 pm
Blewitt had a sorry NC game too so there is really no reason to use that game as a way to defend him. Plus, as I have stated before, that run was all Bynum and Jack. I also bet that FSU eliminates GT from the ACCT.