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
supersize that order, mutt
March 11th, 2010
9:01 pm
trapped. DAMN
Turd Hewitt
March 11th, 2010
9:01 pm
ND beats Pitt
NoCoach Blewitt
March 11th, 2010
9:02 pm
wow UNC just helped us out bigtime waiting that long to foul
GT 200(4ver)
March 11th, 2010
9:02 pm
It will come down to what we all know and love…free-throws.
You gotta believe!
Technophobia
March 11th, 2010
9:02 pm
Yes!
Jackets2010
March 11th, 2010
9:02 pm
Thank God
GTPhenom
March 11th, 2010
9:02 pm
I THINK, that is game . . .
Turd Hewitt
March 11th, 2010
9:02 pm
Mark this game is a long ways from over
Old School
March 11th, 2010
9:03 pm
Congrats Mark Bradley! You have believed that talent would overcome coaching all season long. BUT PLEASE don’t say that the “Jackets may have turned the corner.”
Turd Hewitt
March 11th, 2010
9:03 pm
Lucky that 3 didn’t go down
Business as Usual
March 11th, 2010
9:03 pm
meh, maybe tomorrow …
GT 200(4ver)
March 11th, 2010
9:04 pm
THANK YOU ALL… UNTIL TOMORROW!
GTPhenom
March 11th, 2010
9:04 pm
THE END ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!! GT should be going to the big dance baby!!!
supersize that order, mutt
March 11th, 2010
9:04 pm
well, I’m happy for the players, but I’m still not happy, and Blewitt still needs to go
Buzzzed
March 11th, 2010
9:04 pm
Mark, you called it.
Ray
March 11th, 2010
9:04 pm
Mark really? They are in. What if they lose by 20+ tomorrow?
Pi$$onaDawg
March 11th, 2010
9:05 pm
Go to the NIT and get a chance to play more games. NCAA and 1 and done.
Herschel Talker
March 11th, 2010
9:05 pm
Pathetic losers. UNC is a joke, and the Nerds win by 4 points. Paul Hewitt is a joke and the Tech basketball program is a joke.
73-66
30-24
FT
March 11th, 2010
9:05 pm
They should make Tech a 16 seed. LOLOL
NoCoach Blewitt
March 11th, 2010
9:05 pm
Terrible first half …. actually a pretty good second half
Dare I say Hewitt did some coaching in the locker room?? Surely that can not be correct
Murfreesboro Jacket
March 11th, 2010
9:06 pm
Good Lord!
GTPhenom
March 11th, 2010
9:06 pm
Ok, so tomorrow. Maryland. I am really looking forward to some revenge against those freaking turtles
supersize that order, mutt
March 11th, 2010
9:06 pm
no way, NoCoach. LOL
Herschel Talker
March 11th, 2010
9:06 pm
UNC goes the final 5:15 without a basket, and the Nerds win by only 4 points. Pathetic losers.
NoCoach Blewitt
March 11th, 2010
9:07 pm
Tech vs Sienna or College of Charleston (I can dream right)
Jackets2010
March 11th, 2010
9:07 pm
Roy showed a little class there.
Not the quick handshake and with nothing to say like many do.
supersize that order, mutt
March 11th, 2010
9:07 pm
Herschel Talker, so tell us, why were did you even bother to watch?
FT
March 11th, 2010
9:07 pm
Hmmm guys on tv said tech is still on the bubble and the rpi will go down after this game. He thinks they still need to beat maryland.
NoCoach Blewitt
March 11th, 2010
9:07 pm
actually COC lost their tourney didnt they
HugoStiglitz
March 11th, 2010
9:07 pm
Good job guys. Way to come back and show some toughness. We need to involve Favors as much as possible going forward.
StingerSplash
March 11th, 2010
9:08 pm
Let Roy Williams and Paul Hewitt trade teams.
Who wins then?
Which current UNC player could start for this Tech team? Seriously, which one? Henson? Over Lawal and Favors? Nope.
And Tech was incredibly fortunate to win tonight.
Even with the win, this Tech team did not exude the air of a NCAA tournament caliber squad. They scraped by an undermanned Tar Heels team.
Jackets need to win Friday to get in the NCAA.
Not Disappointed
March 11th, 2010
9:08 pm
I will take Luck over skill any Day! Ramblin Wreck!
GTPhenom
March 11th, 2010
9:08 pm
Good night everyone. And Herschel, your BBall program is so much to talk about. Now your football program sucks too, so now you have absolutely nothing.
Herschel Talker
March 11th, 2010
9:08 pm
According to ESPN, Siena is a “Quality Win.” hahahaha. Siena!
I Bleed White and Old Gold
March 11th, 2010
9:11 pm
The announcers said all game that this is only the second time GT has swept UNC. Who among the ACC teams HAS beaten UNC three times in a year?
supersize that order, mutt
March 11th, 2010
9:11 pm
Duke, I’m sure has
Herschel Talker
March 11th, 2010
9:11 pm
“Herschel Talker, so tell us, why were did you even bother to watch?”
With that grammar, I believe it is you who should be supersizing that order, my friend.
NoCoach Blewitt
March 11th, 2010
9:11 pm
I do not think UNC has lost three times to another ACC team in one year before
mr subliminal
March 11th, 2010
9:12 pm
until somebody(paul hewitt) declares derrick favors the man(paul hewitt)and gets him the ball more(paul hewitt)tech aint gone run sh*%#*(paul hewitt)
Pi$$onaDawg
March 11th, 2010
9:12 pm
TECH did it in 85 on Mark Price’s Back alone and UNC was a good team that year no so this year.
supersize that order, mutt
March 11th, 2010
9:13 pm
Herschel, I agree, that was a stupid typo. But tell us, why WERE you bothering to watch the Tech game? Why do you care? I think the mutts are pathetic losers, but I sure wouldn’t waste my time bothering to watch them….even if they got beat by 50 points.
BravesFan79
March 11th, 2010
9:13 pm
Great Win Guys…. now lets win tomorrow and improve our seeding in the tourney! Way 2 pick up your game Shumpert!
jasont13
March 11th, 2010
9:13 pm
supersize that order, mutt- Why were did you learn english?
I Bleed White and Old Gold
March 11th, 2010
9:14 pm
I think Duke also, in the early 90’s. Maybe NCSt or MD in ‘73-’74 or ‘74-’75
Robards
March 11th, 2010
9:15 pm
Yep, C of C lost. Wofford is the Southern Conference representative. But C of C would have been (and Wofford will be) a 14 seed or so, and Tech isn’t going to be anywhere close to a 3 seed! Tech will be somewhere in the 8-10 range.
old Tech fan in NC
March 11th, 2010
9:15 pm
That Mark Bradley sure knows his basketball!
Herschel Talker
March 11th, 2010
9:15 pm
mr subliminal @ 9:12pm
Good call. Hewitt is a joke. Hopefully for your sake, their bubble bursts or they’re one and done. Otherwise, you’ll have a lot more Hewitt coming your way again next year.
groundfog
March 11th, 2010
9:15 pm
Hewitt still sucks but good for the team I guess
supersize that order, mutt
March 11th, 2010
9:15 pm
I doubt Tech is the only team ever to beat the Heels 3 times in a season
supersize that order, mutt
March 11th, 2010
9:16 pm
Herschel, you still haven’t told us why you even care