Live from the ACC: I say again, Tech’s going on a run!
Standing between Tech and the Big Dance is a bad Carolina team. (Photo by M. Bradley)
Greensboro, N.C. — When I was covering Kentucky for the Lexington Herald-Leader back in 1982, a UK assistant coach named Bob Chambers used to kid me about how I kept raving about the job Don DeVoe was doing with Tennessee. (This was when Dale Ellis, the pride of Marietta High, was the Vols’ best player.) DeVoe and Ellis, Ellis and DeVoe … I admit I became a bit of a bore on the topic.
Finally Coach Chambers — a very nice man — could take no more. “Mark,” he said, “we’re going to be headed for New Orleans [site of the 1982 Final Four] and you’re going to be running behind the bus yelling, ‘What about DeVoe?’ ”
I mention this because I realize I’ve become rather repetitive on the subject of Georgia Tech’s potential. After a regular season in which the Jackets finished under .500 against ACC competition and managed one road victory in the conference, I can still – still — see Tech playing in the ACC tournament semis on Saturday. Heck, I could see the Jackets playing for the title on Sunday.
About now, you’re saying, “Are you nuts? There’s no guarantee the Jackets win tonight!” And there isn’t. But I think they do. I think they win handily. North Carolina is terrible. I know the game is in Greensboro, which is a Tar Heel city, but from what I’ve seen a lot of baby blue backers have given up on this team, and for good reason.
Me, I haven’t given up on the Jackets. They haven’t won three consecutive games since 2009 turned to 2010, but they could manage it here. They can beat Carolina — they’ve done it twice — and they nearly beat Maryland in College Park. (Tech would play the Terps on Friday if it wins tonight.) And then they could get Florida State in the semis, and the Jackets are way past due to beat the Seminoles.
Look at it this way: We all know Tech hasn’t played its best basketball to date, but we’ve seen enough glimpses to know there’s sufficient talent on this roster to get it right. And if you’re going to make a three-day run to the ACC championship game, you have to be deep. And this team is.
And with that, I’m going to go lie down on someone’s couch and have my head examined. I’ve seen the Jackets play five times in person, and only twice have they won. And still I keep waiting for this team to figure it out. It makes no sense, but there it is. I’m a nonsensical guy.
And now the floor is open for our usual live chat. I’ll be here until the game ends – I call it Tech 73, Carolina 57 — and I hope you’ll join me for all the color and pageantry of the only conference tournament that matters. (Except for the Big East. That one’s going great, huh?) I’d consider it a honor and a privilege if you’d join me.
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473 comments Add your comment
GTPhenom
March 11th, 2010
7:51 pm
And why should we have any faith in this team right now? They are still down by double digits Mark.
.
March 11th, 2010
7:51 pm
Milton……..damn.
groundfog
March 11th, 2010
7:51 pm
Time for one of those brilliant halftime adjustments that Hewitt is known for ~sarc
Murfreesboro Jacket
March 11th, 2010
7:51 pm
Are we hoping Mo Miller will be tonight’s spark plug? Oh no!
tech hater
March 11th, 2010
7:51 pm
Tech hurry up and get your ass beat again on the road, and you can get back to the hotel and watch the Dawgs, you suck
NoCoach Blewitt
March 11th, 2010
7:52 pm
Mark ….. too late I gave up on them 5 yrs ago
Murfreesboro Jacket
March 11th, 2010
7:52 pm
Maybe CPJ is watching. We need some of his halftime adjustments.
groundfog
March 11th, 2010
7:53 pm
Shumpert is absolutely horrible, I think atr 35 I could run the offense better
Stinger
March 11th, 2010
7:53 pm
Hewitt is every bit as horrible as Gailey was. Change must come.
Jim
March 11th, 2010
7:53 pm
His players need to understand they don’t have a contract like their coach. He’s bee dogin’ it since hie 3rd year.
I’d take a $7 million enema and fire his ass at halftime!
Mark Bradley
March 11th, 2010
7:53 pm
Here it is: To get to the only event that counts, Georgia Tech must beat the second-worst North Carolina team you’ve ever watched by 11 points over 20 minutes.
Sam
March 11th, 2010
7:53 pm
Mark, seriously…if Tech loses….at this point why would we want tech to go to the Tourney and embarrass? seriously…
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
March 11th, 2010
7:53 pm
Mark, it ain’t against AJC rules for you to talk about the Falcons draft during mop-up time, is it?
Max
March 11th, 2010
7:54 pm
I overheard some morons on 680 or 790 mocking the ajc writers for using the it’s hard to beat a team 3 times in a season excuse. Well Syracuse lost to Gtown. And I overheard another team lost today. Tech will make it 3
JD
March 11th, 2010
7:54 pm
Bradley you make a great tech fan. They talk out their arse like you do.
GTPhenom
March 11th, 2010
7:54 pm
*sigh* Down by 10 points again to end the first half. We are getting dominated on the boards, hitting absolutely no jump shots, and are playing absolutely horrible. And now I am laughing at the fact that they are saying Shumpert is the answer. That is crap. He had one decent game and that was it. I am just beside myself with this game. I don’t even know what to say about this.
Mark Bradley
March 11th, 2010
7:54 pm
If Tech loses to this team, Sam, it’s not going to any tournament worth following.
Wow
March 11th, 2010
7:55 pm
Unc with 10 more shots than tech. That is like tech against VT. But vt could make them. 34% for tech. 2-11 from 3’s. Carolina isn’t any better. FUGLY
louisville slugger
March 11th, 2010
7:55 pm
Words cannot describe my frustration watching this team. I see a bunch of players who want, really want, to play well, but they have been given no direction. When they screw up on the court (and every team has those moments), a good coach knows when to kick ‘em in the pants and get them back on track. I’ve watched most of the ACC games this year, and I can honestly say I’ve never seen Coach Hewitt do that. Once. He is doing them a great disservice.
Larry
March 11th, 2010
7:56 pm
Hewitt is worse than Gailey.
GTPhenom
March 11th, 2010
7:56 pm
JD, get over the fact that your pathetic pups are on the downfall, while we are on the rise. You are one bitter man pup.
Pi$$onaJacket
March 11th, 2010
7:57 pm
Go Tar Heels! Great news so far at the half. 30-24 still makes me smile.
Jacket13
March 11th, 2010
7:57 pm
Man Tech SUCKS! Look at the look on Hewitt’s face! He looks clueless! Shumphert needs to have his azz on the bench! Let Moe Miller play with Oliver, Rice, Favours and Peacock. Lawal and Shumphert have been big disappointments this year! I just hope Hewitt is canned after this season. With the young players here minus Lawal and Favours, this team will need a better caoch than Hewitt to compete in the ACC next year. If Hewitt is the coach and Lawal and Favours leave, Tech will win about 12 games next year, because every other team in the conference has great recruits coming in and well we have……………..NOTHING!
Paul in RDU
March 11th, 2010
7:58 pm
We are getting killed on the boards and we are making Drew look like Ty Lawson when he tries to penetrate.
GT needs to put together a run but it’s not looking good right now
GTPhenom
March 11th, 2010
7:58 pm
Hmm, is Hewitt worse than Gailey. I’m sorry, but I cared a bit more about FB than BB (not saying that it isn’t one of my favorite sports, just FB is higher up their) so for me, Gailey killed my hopes a lot more. However, they are in the same mold. Both were overpaid, both were overhyped, both are horrible coaches.
Larry
March 11th, 2010
7:59 pm
If tech could make the second easiest shot in the game, an uncontested free throw, this team would be 4-5 wins better. How can almost every team we play shoot better than we do? Do we look for players who can’t shoot them? Oh I know. IT’S THE COACH!! Hewitt get your sorry behind OUT OF HERE you doofus. YOU STINK
Innocent Bystander
March 11th, 2010
7:59 pm
Even if Tech manages to pull this one out, I’m not sure this team is tourney-worthy.
cheese
March 11th, 2010
7:59 pm
Shumpert should be in a pure shooting guard role, Mo or Mfon should have been running the point the whole season. Anyway, the problem is our defense and defensive rebounding is horrible. We aren’t jumping to the ball, and we are not boxing out, we are allowing unc guards to penetrate into the lane and totally break down the d. On offensive we look like we are having on and off seizures. No true leader on the offensive end of the floor, and at time we are just taking turns going one on one. Worst of all we are getting beat down the floor regularly and that is a lack of effort. Unless things change in the second half, my prognosis is these kids have quit on there coach and no longer care…if thats true we won’t win tonight, or in the NIT or NCAA whichever we play in.
Murfreesboro Jacket
March 11th, 2010
7:59 pm
UGA SUX
Angus
March 11th, 2010
7:59 pm
Man, that 4 points in 10:00 run was epic.
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
March 11th, 2010
8:01 pm
What are them folks in Buffalo sniffin?
louisville slugger
March 11th, 2010
8:01 pm
At least Gailey got them to bowl games…
Mark Bradley
March 11th, 2010
8:01 pm
Tech has nine baskets. Also has nine turnovers. Has been outrebounded 26-18.
Greg
March 11th, 2010
8:01 pm
Let’s talk about next year. Mark do you think that with our new coach that is better than Hewitt can be relativly successful with the departure of the bigs? Will Shumpert shoot us out of every game or will he finally realize his talent?
cheese
March 11th, 2010
8:02 pm
I want to see effort and i havent seen that from anyone on the court
GTPhenom
March 11th, 2010
8:02 pm
True Louisville, but remind me again how many times he lost to UGA . . .
Kyle
March 11th, 2010
8:03 pm
Wow the 9 baskets and 9 turnovers. That is really horrible. I think Favors team last year could do better.
Big B CH 99
March 11th, 2010
8:04 pm
I don’t know what happened, they didn’t show up again tonight. I think Hewitt’s done such a horrible job this yr that he’s lost the team. A good team w/ a good coach gets better as the season goes on, no worst. There is ZERO, & I mean ZERO excuses for not being able to make the dance w/ the talent we have.
mmgtfan
March 11th, 2010
8:04 pm
Gailey really didnt have the talent aside from Calvin Johnson that Hewitt has
MLH
March 11th, 2010
8:04 pm
Bradley, wasn’t is a couple of days ago you said Tech would go to the NCAA Tournament regardless if they won a game in the ACC Tournament or not? Pretty sure you did.
NoCoach Blewitt
March 11th, 2010
8:05 pm
Dont worry guys during halftime Paul is gonna be drawing up a plan …….. a plan to spend the 7 mil
How bout some FUNDAMENTALS!!
March 11th, 2010
8:05 pm
I’m sick and tired of seeing Gani and Favors going for every block and not blocking out!!! Stop going for the playground swat and stay in position for the rebound. BLOCK OUT!!!! I guess that’s advanced coaching and we have a remedial coach.
Ugly
March 11th, 2010
8:05 pm
What is really scary Mark is unc is 1-7 from the 3 point line and up by 10. They can’t do any worse. I think tech gets blown out bad. And please Mark, no tech is going on a run stuff tonight. Even if they do, they will still lose. This team reminds me of watching high school basketball.
GT 200(4ver)
March 11th, 2010
8:05 pm
I still believe! Tech is going on that run!
cheese
March 11th, 2010
8:06 pm
After our smart AD fires hewitt monday morning who should we look at to be the next head coach? I like Mark Few
groundfog
March 11th, 2010
8:06 pm
All the experts I’m reading are saying not only does Tech have to win tonight, but also beat Maryland. Miami’s win probably doesn’t help either.
Ugly
March 11th, 2010
8:07 pm
When did Gailey get 5 star recruits? Hewitt recruits are the equiv of gailey getting 3-4 5 star and 3-4 4 stars two years in a row.
Technophobia
March 11th, 2010
8:07 pm
Carolina has 9 assists and 4 turnovers. Tech has 4 assists and 9 turnovers. Can you say selfish?
All Carolina Conference
March 11th, 2010
8:07 pm
I thought tech was supposed to be good at roundball.
GT75
March 11th, 2010
8:07 pm
Announcers calling it as UNC outhustling GT. Let’s count how many times UNC will drive to the basket and dish a big guy for a gimme. Is the bench seeing that? Or, how many high screens GT will set for a guard only to pass it to the other side of the 3 point line. Sad, sad showing for the Jackets so far. BTW were we running the four-corners clock to kill time at the end of the half?