Live from Day 2 of the ACC tournament: Fear the Techsters!
Greensboro, N.C. — Duke lost at Georgia Tech in January. The Jackets were routed in Durham last month. So who wins Round 3 Sunday?
I know. I’m getting ahead of events. I’m also getting a feeling. (I know. Dangerous territory for me.) But the team that nearly played its way out of two tournaments last night — the ACC and the NCAA — will play better tonight. And if Tech plays well, it will beat Maryland.
Do I guarantee this? Absolutely not. With Tech, there are no guarantees. But the Jackets were unlucky to have lost in College Park on Feb. 20 — Cliff Tucker hit over Glen Rice Jr. at the horn — and I’m not sure how much the Terrapins want to be here.
They tied Duke for first place in the ACC’s regular season, and they’re safely in the NCAA field. And for all Gary Williams’ fretting, his team often arrives at the conference tournament and lays a big fat turtle egg.
The Terps have won the ACC once in 20 seasons under Williams, that in 2004. Since its title, it has reached the semifinals once. It has lost three times in its first game. None of those teams were as good as this, but it’s worth recalling that Williams’ two best teams — the 2000-2001 crew, which crashed the Final Four, and the 2001-2002 NCAA champs — didn’t reach the ACC title game.
A ton of lip service is paid to the concept of fatigue in a postseason tournament, but momentum is more important. Tech played last night, but Tech should have settled into this event — granted, it took 20 minutes — in a way Maryland could not. We saw this afternoon how much settling-in means: A Virginia team playing without its best player trailed Duke by two points with six minutes left, and Miami, playing without its best player, beat Virginia Tech.
The Cavs and the ‘Canes played yesterday. So, at least in the second half, did Georgia Tech. I see the Jackets hitting the Terps hard early and withstanding a wrath-of-Williams run. I see Tech playing Saturday and maybe even Sunday. (And surely the opposition in the title game would be Duke. Can’t envision Miami overcoming the minions of Mike K.)
Then again, I didn’t imagine Tech would trail the tepid Tar Heels by 13 points in the first half and by 10 at halftime. But I think the Jackets will relax and play tonight. They’re OK, NCAA-wise. (Know who wouldn’t be OK if it hadn’t won in Atlanta seven days ago without its second-leading scorer? Virginia Tech.) We’re going to see Georgia Tech play its best game of the season tonight. This I believe. But this in no way do I guarantee.
And with that, I’ll be happy to entertain your questions, your comments and the usual “Bradley, you’re a moron” proclamations. (And I must say, many among you were rather gloomy when the Jackets were in arrears against North Carolina. How in the wide world of sports did I become Mr. Optimist?) I look forward to our usual live chat tonight, and I fully expect — but will not guarantee — we’ll being doing it again Saturday.
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691 comments Add your comment
GTPhenom
March 12th, 2010
7:52 pm
Wow, this is insane. Now I really feel like I am in dream land. Where has this been all year? Where I ask you, where?!?
Jackets2010
March 12th, 2010
7:52 pm
We are rolling tonight
groundfog
March 12th, 2010
7:53 pm
Hewitt is allowing them to develop a rhythem. He always overcoaches with his timeouts.
GTPhenom
March 12th, 2010
7:53 pm
You speak the truth groundfog.
come on
March 12th, 2010
7:54 pm
come on refs we have earned a call
GTPhenom
March 12th, 2010
7:55 pm
Gah, don’t let them start coming back Jackets . . . and where the hell was the foul on Maryland right there,
groundfog
March 12th, 2010
7:55 pm
Still too many turnovers by Tech
GTPhenom
March 12th, 2010
7:56 pm
Mo Miller is completely feeling it tonight.
NoCoach Blewitt
March 12th, 2010
7:56 pm
Knocking them down from the outside tonight
Sam
March 12th, 2010
7:57 pm
Regarding pregame comments: let’s just say, Mark “The Clairvoyant” Bradley!
KSEE
March 12th, 2010
7:57 pm
MOE MILLER!!!!!!!!!! big night!
GTPhenom
March 12th, 2010
7:57 pm
Wow, I repeat, what the hell is up with these refs, the fact that GT has that much of a lead with the refs against them is stunning.
Innocent Bystander
March 12th, 2010
7:57 pm
A block? He was planted.
Mark Bradley
March 12th, 2010
7:57 pm
Tech 41, Terps 25. Halftime. Dominant performance.
Technophobia
March 12th, 2010
7:57 pm
Awesome!
groundfog
March 12th, 2010
7:58 pm
Can we do it for two halves? History says no we’ll see lol
GTPhenom
March 12th, 2010
7:58 pm
Amen Sam. I continue to ask, where has this been all year? Why did this not show up? This just proves how good this team is.
GTPhenom
March 12th, 2010
7:58 pm
25 Mark, my Tube said 23.
come on
March 12th, 2010
7:58 pm
we need to come out and play mad and put them away in the first 5 to 10 min
Mark Bradley
March 12th, 2010
7:58 pm
Not to say I told you so …
GA PEACH
March 12th, 2010
7:58 pm
Lets Go Jackets……Lets Go!!!!!!!!!!! Thats waht I m talkin about !!!
El Bravo
March 12th, 2010
8:00 pm
I don’t really know what you are watching GTPhenom. The refs are calling a pretty good game. Letting them play a good bit. That benefits Tech since they are the more physical team…
Mark Bradley
March 12th, 2010
8:00 pm
If nothing else, I know I wasn’t completely crazy for holding to the belief that this team was capable of big things. I just didn’t know if the season would get away before the Jackets figured it out.
come on
March 12th, 2010
8:00 pm
where are all the ugay fans telling us we suck
mwh6767
March 12th, 2010
8:01 pm
WOW. Awesome first half jackets. Now FINISH IT! I think I actually saw Hewiett in the face of Shumpert and some other players in the first half! He looks like for once a game really matters and it seems to be rubbing off on the players. Everyone is on their guy playing d! You know Maryland will make a run in the 2nd half, they are a good team. Come out and play tough Tech. A win and I think Tech is securely in the big dance!
louisville slugger
March 12th, 2010
8:01 pm
Two things I noticed different that I really liked in the 1st half: (1) CPH reading them the riot act early on and not coddling them like he usually does, and (2) the guards taking their time getting the ball up the court and not being so frenetic with the ball. I think that helped them not rush into as many turnovers. Now, let’s just hope they don’t think the game is over at halftime!
GTPhenom
March 12th, 2010
8:02 pm
I disagree el Bravo, the refs have missed about five calls on D-Favors on the drive in, but honestly, who cares, GT is dominating!!!
Jackets2010
March 12th, 2010
8:02 pm
After some Terp fan prediced the score with them winning on Mark’s earlier blog, I posted 88-72 Tech.
I thought they were feeling too much tension in the 1st half last night before finding themselves.
mowreck
March 12th, 2010
8:02 pm
I always thought Hewitts wasted some timeouts also, but the one he called early was great, because he chewed some butts and it seem to work according to the score now at the half.
Paul in RDU
March 12th, 2010
8:04 pm
I like how GT’s guards are playing in control. MD will come out fired up in the second half – we need to make sure that they don’t have a big run. If we keep handling the press and working hard on D we will take it.
No-one on the MD team can stop Favors or Lawal
mowreck
March 12th, 2010
8:04 pm
Just got to be able to stay with Maryland the 2nd half, because you know they are gonna make a run sometimes.
El Bravo
March 12th, 2010
8:04 pm
I think the biggest difference was establishing Favors early and often. The floor really opened up after that with the defense collapsing on him…
supersize that order, mutt
March 12th, 2010
8:05 pm
Where has this team been all year?
Robert Nephew
March 12th, 2010
8:05 pm
This GT team is fully capable of blowing a 16-point halftime lead if they slack off on defense in the 2nd half.
HugoStiglitz
March 12th, 2010
8:05 pm
That was the best half of basketball we have played all season. It could have been worse for Maryland. Oliver somehow missed three free throws in a row and we have had a few dumb turnovers.
NoCoach Blewitt
March 12th, 2010
8:05 pm
Hopefully they can come out and start the second half like they did last night
King Herod
March 12th, 2010
8:05 pm
Fire Hewitt!
Jackets2010
March 12th, 2010
8:06 pm
Spot on Lousiville slugger.
We’ve been geting turnovers all year and in the rush to get an easy basket, giving it right back with a bad pass.
We are playing it cool tonight.
supersize that order, mutt
March 12th, 2010
8:06 pm
Favors and Lawal on the boards is AWESOME
todd grantham
March 12th, 2010
8:06 pm
Mark, keep pulling for Tech
Gordon
March 12th, 2010
8:07 pm
Where has this been all year? Wow. The best half of the year by a mile.
Jackets2010
March 12th, 2010
8:07 pm
Better late than never.
Took the 2004 team a while to get rolling too though they showed a lot more during the year.
todd grantham
March 12th, 2010
8:07 pm
You are getting quite bold with predictions. dont forget you were 0 for January.
SamInAtlanta
March 12th, 2010
8:08 pm
Really impressed…We have a nice 1/2 time lead and neither Lawal or Favors have scored much…if they start scoring in the 2nd 1/2 we should be in good shape…what defense!!!
Paul in RDU
March 12th, 2010
8:08 pm
Mark – Is Pat Riley there again tonight? As well as the big guys in this game, he has 3 good ones to check out in the nightcap
IndyGT
March 12th, 2010
8:08 pm
Yea, I really liked that CPH got in their grills with that first TO. I’ve been hoping for this type of performance for a while. We really are playing well, lets hope they keep it up for the 2nd half. Favors has been playing like a monster for the last few games. Makes me wonder what could have been if he got the ball more. Not to spoil anyone’s night, but did anyone else catch that bit by Erin Andrews – where she asked GT coaches if Favors was gone, and they said yes. Not that I expected any differently, but that little bit of optimistic in me, was just crushed. Can’t say I blame him though.
supersize that order, mutt
March 12th, 2010
8:09 pm
Their defensive rebounding may be more imporant than their scoring, unless everybody else goes cold
JDH GT
March 12th, 2010
8:10 pm
Not to get overly excited, but this is the best we have looked in a long time. I like the energy. It’s almost as if CPH finally remembered what his teams are good at…playing high energy defense and pushing the ball up the court (not offensive sets). I hope they keep this up.
MorningJacket
March 12th, 2010
8:10 pm
This is a defining moment for this team. Will they wilt and let Maryland back in the game or just blow it wide open and show a killer instinct for perhaps the first time this year? (Or years)
JDH GT
March 12th, 2010
8:10 pm
It also doesn’t hurt that our guards are knocking down every three point shot they attempt.