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
Buzzed Driving
January 24th, 2010
8:26 pm
@Supersize that order, mutt
Anything can be done to the contact if Hewitt is on board with it. He should do the right thing and accept new contract.
Buzzed Driving
January 24th, 2010
8:31 pm
@Mark Bradley
Are we still paying Gailey? He has been employed for most of the time after Tech so we didn’t have to pay him all that we could have (worst case). Mark, it would cool if you could find out how much the AA paid Gailey after he was fired.
Also, did we get Groh for free?
Mark Bradley
January 24th, 2010
8:32 pm
I’m not ready to support such a move, Supersize, because I think this team is going places. But the only way Tech could work around paying Hewitt $7 million would be if he volunteered to resign and accept a settlement. Or if he landed another job.
Tech Forever
January 24th, 2010
9:04 pm
24 turnovers to be exact Bradley. And anytime this team loses when it’s two best players only take 13 of 54 SHOTS it’s a failure……period. Once again a Paul Hewitt team goes on the road and plays the hosts game instead of dictating tempo. I’m sick of it.
Observation1002
January 24th, 2010
9:08 pm
Shumpert needs to look at film of the UNC game to see what he was doing right on that night. That’s my vent – What a difference a point guard makes – on the techvent. Why was he so good vs UNC?
Supersize that order, mutt
January 24th, 2010
9:08 pm
I think the only place this team is going is down the drains with all the other teams since 2004. I hope I am wrong, for the players’ sakes, but if it would drive a nail in Blewitt’s coffin to fail AGAIN, then I for one wouldn’t be that disappointed. And believe me, I HATE feeling that way.
Paul in RDU
January 24th, 2010
9:18 pm
I have to agree in part with Mark B on this one. GT played much better today than when they played FSU in AMC. They played hard the entire game, especially on D, and Hewitt did a much better job with substitutions – his rotation made sense and he gave plenty of minutes to the kids who were playing well. There is lots of talent on the squad.
Having said that, I just can’t see them winning more than 2 games in the NCAA Tourney. In the Tourney you need consistently good guard play against a variety of defenses (this includes zones!); you need to minimize turnovers (a recurring problem for years); you need a go to guy down the stretch (Bynum had this role on the F4 team – who’s going to do it on this team?) and you MUST make free throws at the end of the game.
BravesFan79
January 24th, 2010
9:22 pm
Mark, your 100% right and most of these people on this board dont know wtf their talking about. GT CAN reach the Final 4 this year because they certainly have the talent. Peacock is a good shooter and i trust his shot selection, and Favors is (at worst) a top 10 pick.
Ive been saying for years that 2010 would be a big year, i just wish Hewitt would swallow his pride and bring in a big name assistant coach to help him on the bench.
Luv The Dawgs
January 24th, 2010
9:23 pm
Man does it feel great to have a team on the rise with a coach who clearly knows how to get the most out of the limited talent he took over. HOW ‘BOUT THEM DAWGS!
GT Fan...
January 24th, 2010
9:23 pm
In today’s game, the Jackets had better FG% and WAAAAY better 3-pt FG%. Their opponent only shot 59% from the FT line, and GT still managed to LOSE!?!?!?
This team has some serious deficiencies on its coaching staff, it’s really just that simple. Heck, the only reason they beat Duke was b/c they somehow shot dam# near 90% FTs. And beating UNC is rapidly proving to be no big prize, even if it was on the road, b/c UNC kinda stinks this season! And the Jackets lost a 20 point lead in that game to boot.
Unless the coaches & players are “sand-bagging” and trying to fly under the radar only to shock the NCAA world come March Madness, you’d be a fool to think this team can do any damage in the tourney, IF they even make it. I still believe there’s an 8 of 10 or 11 of 14 losing streak coming before it’s all said and done.
Sick
January 24th, 2010
9:23 pm
Techno is Paul Hewitt posting in disguise. Or maybe Dave Braine.
Tech Forever
January 24th, 2010
9:40 pm
Let me be clear, IT DOES NOT MATTER THAT TECH PLAYED BETTER TODAY. This is not the 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th year of Hewitt’s tenure, so to look at this one season in a vacuum and use it as a barometer is disingenuous at best. It has been 9 YEARS of the same thing save 2004 when amazing personal performances and two fearless guards carried Hewitt to San Antonio in spite of him. That was Hewitt’s most experiences and veteran team by far and a 9-7 conference record was still all that could be mustered. That team had timeout problems, didn’t shoot free throws well, and committed a TON of turnovers……just like all the other Hewitt teams.
I thought Hewitt had some promise after that season too, but then ‘05, ‘06, ‘07, and ‘08 all looked just like ‘03 and ‘02. There is only ONE common denominator…..PAUL HEWITT.
There is no other excuse, reasoning, or rationale that can be proposed that holds ANY water whatsoever…..none. All of it falls back on Hewitt…..YES, INCLUDING GUYS LEAVING EARLY (which I think is comical people still use that as a crutch without being willing to admit that it’s Hewitt who recruits guys who come and go so quickly).
I mean serious question here. If 9 isn’t enough for you guys to realize Paul Hewitt teams have no offensive identity at all, commit way too many turnovers, are aweful from the charity stripe, have wretched inbounding issues, and are poor at clock management then I ask how many will it take?
Technophobia
January 24th, 2010
9:45 pm
Ya know, there will be plenty of time to critique Hewitt when the season is over. I just can’t see how people can bail on the Jackets in the middle of the season. Why not see how it plays out? What’s to be gained by all the vitriole?
ward
January 24th, 2010
9:49 pm
I get sick of hearing that Hewitt “can really recruit”. If he could then Tech would be good year after year despite his obvious coaching and leadership issues. How many freshmen point guards have we had in the past several years? Is anyone excited about our front line next year? That thought scares me to death. So we will assume that Tech makes the NCAA this year. How will we follow that up next year? I’m guessing that next year looks like sub .500 ACC campaign and a UGA loss. But with 2 wins against UNC and Duke, Hewitt bought himself 2 – 3 more years at Tech. Don’t forget that UNC and Duke are both worse this year than in many years. I have said for many years that Tech went to the final four with Cremins in spite of their coach not because of him. I believe that the same can be said of Hewitt. Pay the man and bring in a coach with some fire and desire.
Go Jackets!
JR
January 24th, 2010
9:54 pm
Paul Hewitt must go. I am Tech ME 1965. Go to all the BB games and the ACC tournament every yerar I was at the final 4. It took me a long time to get down on PH but I am now and he must go. He just dosen’t have it on the floor in real time. When he calls timeouts at the end of the game the team usually dosen’t even get a shot off. HE MUST GO.
Tech Forever
January 24th, 2010
9:57 pm
Technophobia….I repeat….IT’S BEEN 9 YEARS. “Yes but this is a new season,” is what you’re thinking. No…..it’s not a new season. It’s a repeat of 2003, which was the prequel to 2005.
I don’t think people are giving up on Tech basketball this year so much as everyone, save you, has seen this movie before and we already know how it ends. If it’s new to you then just let me know and I won’t spoil it for you. Again, if this were season 2 or 3 under Hewitt I’d agree with you 100%….but it’s year 9!!! “But this is the most talented team Hewitt’s ever had.” Doesn’t matter. They showed today they don’t know how to utilize that talent nor is there anyone on the staff that can teach them or demand it of them. If they did then the two best players on the team wouldn’t have taken only 13 shots.
Gordon
January 24th, 2010
9:58 pm
I have to disagree slightly with Tech Forever @ 9.48, although I agree with his overall point. The first 5 years, the only year I didn’t think Hewitt did a good job was the Bosh year (02/03). Other than that, I think he got a lot out of his teams. The 04/05 team had a lot of injuries (Elder, Muhammad, Smith), but still won 20 games and reached the second round of the NCAA. By the way, the final four run was with Hewitt’s players except for Moore and Lewis, so give credit where credit is due. One other point people make is that Hewitt doesn’t do well with the talent he has. Well he is the one who got the talent. A coach who can recruit well but not get the most out of his players is no better or worse than one who can’t recruit but gets the most out of his players if they both end up with the same record at the same school. So judge Hewitt by his record, not his record given the talent he has.
I believe any drop off we might experience in recruiting if Hewitt were to leave would be more than made up by better game day coaching. I don’t know if we really can’t afford to buy him out or if Radakovich believes Hewitt can still turn this around. Mark Bradley has seen a lot more basketball than I have, and is closer to the Tech team obviously, and says he thinks this team can do great things. I hope he’s right, but the last 4 and a half years tell me he isn’t. How many times is Hewitt going to have a better team than this? How many times are both Duke and UNC going to be this vulnerable? If he can’t do something significant this year, haven’t we seen the best of Paul Hewitt sans his original assistants?
Tech Forever
January 24th, 2010
9:59 pm
One more point to those others who are down on Hewitt. Please stop using Duke and UNC as the measuring stick….even in down years. When a Hewitt team shows it can beat FSU, UVA, and the rest of the middle and lower tier ACC teams on a consistent basis THEN you should use Duke and UNC as the measuring stick.
scott
January 24th, 2010
10:11 pm
Bradley, come on man, UNC is average, they have now shown that. Tech loses to FSU twice, UGA, Dayton, and gets Duke after they had already played 2 road games w/n a week. A rested Duke wins, and when Tech travels to Duke they will get hammered.
FINAL FOUR, geez, let it go man! UT beat KU, UGA beat UT, Final FOUR for DAWGS too?? That is about the same analysis you give sir.
Technician
January 24th, 2010
10:14 pm
Mark, this was a TERRIBLE loss. Give me a break. Tech scored exactly 1 point in the final 3:05 of the game. ONE freaking point in three minutes does not win a game.
Tech Forever
January 24th, 2010
10:15 pm
Gordon, The talent level is the multiplier and cannot be ignored. I have only judged him by his record, which is so abyssmal I cannot bear to type it. But this year’s level of talent makes even 5 losses at this point (given who Tech has lost to) multiply the losses and our lack of coaching. With this schedule and this team Roy Williams would be 19-0, 18-1 at worst. In fact I don’t think there’s a coach in the league that would be any worse than Hewitt’s 14-5.
I disagree with your point about Hewitt getting the most out of his teams too. His more veteran players got the most out of the teams….not Hewitt. 2005 to today should show you how special Tony Aiken, B.J. and his group, and Jarrett Jack all were. Hewitt had that older leadership to rely on to drive the younger guys and get the most out of those teams (which again given the level of talent what they got wasn’t as good as it should have been and they were hampered by coaching). Hewitt hasn’t had a leader since Jack left after the 2005 season, and althouhg Shumpert may prove to be that guy next year he 1) won’t have a frontcourt to depend on and 2) is far more inconsistent his Sophomore year than Jack was. And ALL OF THIS falls on the shoulder of Hewitt and his recruiting (turnover and lack of experience) and preparation (all the other in-game problems we have).
I do agree with you that we’ve seen the best Hewitt can deliver and to be honest I think it was either the 2005 or 2003 seasons.
Technophobia
January 24th, 2010
10:31 pm
I know this quote is about football but I think it applies to BB as well.
“Football is one of our great American games. It is the duty and responsibility of each of us to see that it is kept in its proper perspective, and that it is protected. We should see that it is used to attain the objectives that mean so much to our way of life.
We feel that the spectator can be most influential and instrumental in helping to achieve these objectives, if he will develop the right attitudes. May we suggest a few?
First, and foremost among these attitudes that must be developed, is the realization that in football there must be a winner and a loser (excepting the occasional tie). The fan who recognizes this principle gets a great deal more enjoyment from the game than one who becomes irritated, aggravated, and rambunctious when “his” team loses. We would never minimize the importance of winning, but it is very unfair to the coach, the player, and the school when the fan forgets it is impossible to “repudiate the law of mathematics”–i.e., there must be a winner and a loser.
It is important that each of us develop the art of appreciating great plays made by the opposition. We should always give our opponents credit, rather than criticize our team when the opposition makes a great play. We believe perfection in the execution of a great play in football is to be admired and appreciated, just as we appreciate and admire the work of a great artist in any field.
The spectator should remember the football players are just human beings. They perform at times under great pressure, and they, as all other earthly inhabitants, are likely to make mistakes. It behooves all of us to remember, “To err is human, to forgive, divine.”
Finally, we should always keep uppermost in mind that football, with all its glamour, glitter, thrills and chills, plus everything that makes it great, has one thing more important than all of these combined–that is, the boy who plays it.”
Robert L. “Bobby” Dodd
Head Coach and Athletic Director
Georgia Institute of Technology
1954
Gordon
January 24th, 2010
10:40 pm
Tech Forever,
I think we agree on far more than we disagree on. I think the early years success was built more on the assistants we had than anyone realized at the time. Hewitt was the head coach, he hired them, so he gets credit just as now he gets the blame. The head coach is responsible for the overall product, from recruiting to hiring assistants to game day coaching. In the last 4 and a half years, Hewitt has not produced adequate results. On that we definitely agree.
Wreckmaniac
January 24th, 2010
10:41 pm
Everyone knows there is a short tenure left for Hewitt at Tech.
DC Jacket
January 24th, 2010
10:43 pm
I dont know another college coach that gets less out of their players. Blewitt cant coach and I dont ever remember coming out of a time out with a play that works for the Jackets.
Im not sure why he’s still around. He cant recruit anymore since there is uncertainty of how long he will be around. I think its time to cut our losses.
Gordon
January 24th, 2010
10:46 pm
Technofobia,
That is all well and good. We all understand Paul Hewitt is a human being and is doing the best he can. We know the players well being is more important than winning, and that representing the Institute is also more important than winning. But at some point, a coach must be held accountable for how his teams perform. Tech has underperformed for nearly 5 years now. Hewitt is paid over $100,000 a month to do the things described above, but also to win. He isn’t winning enough games. If he can turn it around, great. But if he doesn’t this year, it is time for him to go. Even the great Bobby Dodd wouldn’t have coached as long as he did if he didn’t win enough games over the long run.
Captain Midnight
January 24th, 2010
10:49 pm
Well I have no doubt Tech would have won if that knuklehead of a coach was not so obsessed with using up all his time outs as quick as he could. I feel they surely could have won if they had a couple of time outs left in the last few m inutes.
Big B CH 99
January 24th, 2010
10:55 pm
They might become a pretty good teams if they could learn to HIT Free Throws. If I were Coach they would spend the ENTIRE practice tomorrow on Free Throws.
Gwinnett Fred
January 24th, 2010
10:55 pm
This loss just doesn’t need to go any further than the facts.
You lose by 2 while shooting 11/22 from the FT line, you deserve to lose. Period. There is nothing positive to take from it.
Favors disappeared (0/3, 0 points in last 10+ minutes)
Can’t hit the front end of a 1 & 1
Hewitt has no clue
And they blow this one with FSU’s best player on the bench injured
Really, Mark, please name 4 positive things to offset these negatives and I’ll be glad to sip on your kool aid – but you can’t, so I don’t have to worry.
Bill
January 24th, 2010
11:04 pm
Tech ’s loss today was a blown opportunity. Could have gone either way, but have this feeling this will haunt Tech. Tech has to go to Duke, Wake, Maryland and Clemson. They could lose all four. Even if they beat Miami down there, they have to find a way to win at least 2 of those four to have a top 4 ACC finish. The goal is at least 10-6 and a top 4 finish in ACC.THe FSU and Va losses were very winnable games and I can’t dismiss this like Mr Bradley is doing. You have to give Hewitt credit for Clemson since UNC killed Tech in the 2nd half with drive and mid ramge jumpers in the lane. Purnell tried the same, but Tech was prepared.However,though the kids didn’t make the plays late, Hewitt didn’t do the team any favors with that timeout call… First, the ball was placed AWAY from the bench meaning the TO was NOT before the Bell kick out to Oliver. You don’t call a timeout with a weak side rebound and 10 seconds left….. Second, credit Rice for getting that ball in under extreme pressure. It’s unfortunate Oliver actually blocked Shumpert’s easy lay-up, but that is a hustle play….. Third, Lawal was not fouled on that last shot.He had Oliver open if he would have looked for a layup, but that is just a star trying to make a play. ( Lawal has never played particularly well against big bodies who are physical, so I hope he gets better). If there was a foul,Bell was grabbed and pulled on the Peacock FT miss. Rice’s foul was a really, really bad blown call…last, the reality is Tech has tremendous upside. They won 3 similar games vs Top 25 teams in a row before today. But they are 3-3 with a MUST WIN game vs Wake coming up before going to Duke. 8-8 will get them an NCAA bid with the big wins they have had, but a 7-10 seed. The goal is toget to 10-6 or so and have a 3-4 seed. That would put Tech is decent pole position for the NCAA”s. But losing winnable road games like this makes Tech a 8-8 ACC team. We have seen this so many times the last few years, we know how that will end. 4-2 instead of 3-3 would have been huge. Tech blew another golden opportunity and they have to win vs Wake.Otherwise, 3-5 beckons.
Technophobia
January 24th, 2010
11:09 pm
Gordon, I actually agree with several of your posts and the complaints of some of the others as well. I understand completely why Hewitt is on the hot seat and, to a large extent agree. We need to see progress. We’ve seen some but not enough yet. The reason I posted that was that I sense a palpable anger in some of the posts and thought Coach Dodd might provide a little perspective. Especially the poster that referred to Hewitt as a POS. Uncalled for IMO. I also think calling him Blewitt is a little bit juvenille. Just my opinion though.
Rusty LaRue
January 24th, 2010
11:09 pm
Thanks, Mark Bradley, for picking against the Deacs! Thank you, thank you, thank you…
Tom is dumb
January 24th, 2010
11:31 pm
The brew master brews hate!
Ha ha ha
January 24th, 2010
11:32 pm
Paul Blewitt; that’s funny D.C. Jacket.
BS Patrol
January 24th, 2010
11:35 pm
Technophobia,
I doubt if anyone here would argue with Dodd. No one has really criticized any players. However, I am sure Hewitt makes more in 6 months than Dodd made in his entire career. To compare the two coaches (Hewitt & Dodd) is not fair and approaches blasphemy.
THE CURSE OF BRETT FAVRE LIVES IN ATL
January 24th, 2010
11:36 pm
FIRE COACH HEWITT AFTER THIS SEASON!
Smokey
January 24th, 2010
11:48 pm
Respectfully disagree that this team is capable or even worthy of Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight status, much less Final Four. The reason is lack of teamplay and chemistry. The reason for that is the same reason Georgia Tech has not had a winning ACC record in six years: Coach Paul Hewitt and his unwillingness or inability to lead on and off the court. If indeed Tech does finish strong this year, there is absolutely NO REASON to believe that Hewitt has finally figured it all out and can build a program here. (Actually, RE-building is what Tech needs since Hewitt has been eroding the foundation since his arrival.) With few or no returning starters next year, the outlook is bleak regardless of this season’s success or lack thereof. This is a long-term problem, requiring a long-term solution.
GT fans are bipolar
January 24th, 2010
11:52 pm
Ugay just beat #8 UT. UVA has 1 ACC loss. FSU matches up with us better than anyone. The TO was called way before the pass and the shot. The CPH antagonists made up their minds before the season and pop up after a loss. CPH antagonists can be found on the Hive. The other ignorant site is home to some of the most racists ignorant posts I have ever read.
GT fans are bipolar
January 24th, 2010
11:54 pm
3 starters are returning.
Smokey
January 24th, 2010
11:57 pm
Techno’s quoting Bobby Dodd could not be more irrelevant. CPH is paid to do a job. He is not a “boy” just playing a game. He has performed very poorly by any measure–overall record, conference record, graduation rates, program status–and should have already been fired. As painfully expensive as it may be to fire him, we can not afford to keep him (and keep giving him another five years each year). I respect Dodd, but anyone can tell you that he would have shown CPH the door one or two seasons ago at the latest, if it were within his power. CPH has built nothing but dissent among Tech fans, apathy for a once prominent program, and a questionable recruiting record.
Smokey
January 24th, 2010
11:57 pm
Name the 3 returners.
Bill
January 25th, 2010
12:05 am
Tech will lose Favors, Lawal and Peacock from the front line.Love what I see from Holsey, but this team better find a big post player or 8-8 may the best they can attain next year. This is the “eggs in one basket year” for Hewitt. He has to be better or I’m sorry to say this will be it for him. Just look at his ACC record since he took over. Tech has to put wins together NOW. We won’t have those 3 next year.
Russ' Hairy Sack
January 25th, 2010
12:06 am
“It is important that each of us develop the art of appreciating great plays made by the opposition. We should always give our opponents credit, rather than criticize our team when the opposition makes a great play.”
Great quote, Techno. Consider it the next time you get on a UGA blog talking all that nonsense about the Dawgs.
All of your posts here almost sound rational compared to the shyte you’ve been spewing on our site.
Go Dawgs!
Smokey
January 25th, 2010
12:07 am
I don’t hate CPH. Any OBJECTIVE evaluation of his performance as the HC of GT BB clearly indicates his failure. Those who are biased in favor of CPH, whether blinded by their own racism, their feelings about him personally, or some other motivation, are the disillusioned ones. IF you can’t read the stats, then you can hardly evaluate the performance. There is more to sports and leadership than winning all the time, but when you are losing MOST of the time (as is CPH in his ACC history) you have neither the credibility nor the ability to continue to lead effectively. Whether you choose for your performance metrics the obvious items such as wins, losses, records, etc., or secondary factors such as graduation rates and attendance, there is no justification for keeping CPH and continuing to renew the onerous contract each season. HE may be a good man; he is not a good coach.
FullMetalJacket
January 25th, 2010
12:10 am
Sorry, Techno and GT Bipolar, I believe Smokey has you beat, and has hit the nail on the head.
GT fans are bipolar
January 25th, 2010
12:12 am
Mofon, Shump and Oliver. BO has started and I think will again very soon. Add Rice, Hosley and Morris next year. The team is looking to sign another big.
Russ' Hairy Sack
January 25th, 2010
12:13 am
BTW Mark,
Really exciting to hear about all that “potential” at Tech. UGA’s basketball team has had loads of potential since Harrick-gate too. With the exception of that miracle run to the SEC Tournament Championship it really hasn’t done us any good. You guys need a new coach to compete in ACC roundball. I hope you get it, too since I hate all of those teams except Wake and Tech. I actually root for both of them in hoops.
Tech Forever
January 25th, 2010
12:16 am
Give me a break. I made up my mind before LAST SEASON. And last season proved me right.
Technophobia, I agree completely with Coach Dodd, however his letter has no bearing on this game, Tech team, or the entire Hewitt Era really.
To start with I as a fan do not wish for nor expect to win every game. I expect 3 things, both in football and basketball incidentally; 1) to be prepared to play, 2) to play hard for the duration, and 3) to show improvement as a squad throughout the season. All too often Hewitt teams fall FAR SHORT meeting all three criteria.
Secondly, I agree our players shouldn’t be unduly criticized when the other team should be praised. But what praise does FSU deserve for Tech missing 11 free throws? What priase does FSU deserve for Tech commiting 15 to 18 unforced turnovers? What praise does FSU deserve for Tech, even given those two horrendous stats, deserve for wretched clock management?
FSU played some good defense but give me a break…..if Tech goes 16 of 22 from the line (and 75% isn’t good enough IMHO) and has only 12 turnovers (which is still too many IMHO) we win by double digits. Like so many Hewitt games of the past this one was defined much more by a lack of GT preparedness much moreso than anything FSU did.
Ah the race card
January 25th, 2010
12:17 am
So those who support the team or like the coach are now racist? Me thinks the real racist has a problem with this coach because of his skin color and because he is the president of the BCA. If CPJ has this same contract it would be okay. Why? Because he looks like us.
OG-T
January 25th, 2010
12:41 am
Mark, maybe FSU will play deep into March (however, guard play generally rules the tournament, and FSU is NOT deep in guards), but the fact is that if you take Tech off the Seminoles schedule, then they’re 1-2 in ACC play. If they could play Tech all year long, P-Hew would make them the reg season champs.