Live from Tech-Ohio State: Guess who’s getting a feeling?
Sunday, 12:27 p.m. CDT: The Georgia Tech players ready for the task. (Photo by M. Bradley)
Milwaukee – It’s eerie. In 2004 Georgia Tech entered as the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Regional, only to see second-seeded Gonzaga lose to Nevada (Mark Fox was a Wolfpack assistant coach) on Saturday of the first weekend and then No. 1 Kentucky lose to UAB a hour after Tech had dispatched Boston College on Sunday in the Bradley Center.
Here we are, six springs later, and seeds Nos. 1 and 3 in the Midwest are gone, and the Jackets can unhorse the second seed themselves. Should they get past Ohio State, they’d head to St. Louis with as good a chance to reach the Final Four as any opponent they’d find. Tennessee is nothing special. For all the stunning work it has done this season, Northern Iowa isn’t apt to win four times in this event. The final qualifier will be either Maryland or Michigan State, and Tech just beat one of those.
If you’re asking, “Are you having one of those Bradley Feelings?”, the answer is, “You bet.” Tech is playing well at the right time, and the bracket, which looked so daunting in theory, is breaking the Jackets’ way.
That’s provided the Jackets can upset the Buckeyes, which will be difficult. It will not be impossible. Tech is deeper and stronger. Tech has a defender it can run at Evan Turner, the Big Ten player of the year. (The Jackets have grown accustomed to the faces of POYs — Greivis Vasquez and Jon Scheyer, each of whom Tech saw in the ACC tournament in Greensboro, ran 1-2 in ACC voting, and James Anderson, whom Iman Shumpert defused Friday, was the Big 12’s player of the year.)
I didn’t pick Tech to win today, if that matters. (And it should not, seeing as how I’m the genius who picked Kansas to win the NCAA crown.) But I like the way the Jackets are defending, and I see in them a self-assurance that wasn’t there 15 days ago. Speaking of which …
Remember how galling those losses to Clemson and Virginia Tech in the last week of the regular season seemed? Well, Clemson was one-and-done in the Big Dance — when isn’t Clemson one-and-done in the Big Dance? — and Virginia Tech didn’t qualify. And that’s why, even after the Jackets flopped against V-Tech at home, I wasn’t ready to write them off even though every shred of empirical evidence suggested I should.
See, I’ve seen a few NCAA tournaments. (This is the 30th I’ve covered.) Weird things happen herein. Who saw Villanova coming in 1985? Who saw Kansas in 1988? Who saw N.C. State in 1983?
Speaking of which … Georgia Tech has lost 12 games. Should the Jackets win the NCAA championship, that would set a record for most defeats by a titlist. (Kansas had 11, N.C. State and Villanova 10.) File that away.
And with that, our latest live chat is up and running. Please join me. This could be a significant day for the Jackets.
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1,063 comments Add your comment
Technophobia
March 21st, 2010
3:31 pm
2 of OSU’s starters have 2 fouls. If we can get a third on one of them early it will help.
Paul in RDU
March 21st, 2010
3:31 pm
What happened to MB? Is he loading up on Dayquil right now?
GTKen
March 21st, 2010
3:31 pm
Miller, Peacock, Favors look like they are asleep out there.
Hewitt better wake ‘em up during halftime!!! Lawal can NOT start 2nd half, hold till 12 min mark, if we can keep it close!!!! Favors gotta get it gear, NOW!!!!
GTPhenom
March 21st, 2010
3:32 pm
8 goals, 13 TOs. That hurts. Stop the stupid mistakes, and we can win this game. Oh, and where is Shump on Turner. He has been their offense this game. Granted, he is very good, Turner, so it will be interesting to see how this game turns out. Either way, Let’s Go JACKETS!!! Let’s Go JACKETS!!!! Let’s Go JACKETS!!!!
Paul in RDU
March 21st, 2010
3:33 pm
In case no-one has pointed it out yet – Evan Turner is a much better player than Anderson from Okie State
Pi$$onaDawg
March 21st, 2010
3:33 pm
Bob who is winning the Bristol race? Gald you asked. It is under 8th caution on lap 350 of 500 and Kurt Busch is still leading.
GTPhenom
March 21st, 2010
3:34 pm
Better, but is he that much better Paul? To be honest, I haven’t seen much of him before, but everything I have heard puts him as a little better than Anderson, but still defendable.
Dawg #1
March 21st, 2010
3:35 pm
haha down at the half nerds. it will get ugly second half. lol at you loosers
DRC
March 21st, 2010
3:35 pm
Evan Turner is a better player than IMAN.
Jacket13
March 21st, 2010
3:36 pm
A lot of people say fire Hewitt, but who would u bring in?
Jacket3
March 21st, 2010
3:37 pm
I know we can beat the Vols…but can we get there?
GTPhenom
March 21st, 2010
3:37 pm
Dawg #1, remind me again what region UGAg is in? No pup seems to be able to tell me.
Jacket13
March 21st, 2010
3:37 pm
Aterrible shot, and no one gets back on defense!
GT Fan...
March 21st, 2010
3:38 pm
MB writes: That’s provided the Jackets can upset the Buckeyes, which will be difficult. It will not be impossible. Tech is deeper and stronger.
Yes GT is deeper & stronger, but I hate to say but the refs are equalizing that advantage. Just b/c Evan Turner is player of the year candidate doesn’t mean he can’t be called for fouling. The end of the half, while painful to watch GTs poor execution, was a foul on Turner. You will see he slapped Shumpert’s wrist knocking the ball away if you get the baseline camera angle. The block called on Rice (setting the backcourt pick on Turner), was bogus. Rice’s arms stayed put. The dunk by Lawal early when Turner fouled him on the wrist & elbow to the head was also not called.
Really hard to believe GT is still in it considering the TOs, fouls, no-shot possesions, and poor shots. Play a good 20 minutes in the 2nd half, and I believe the Jackets win kinda easy.
Paul in RDU
March 21st, 2010
3:38 pm
Another ticky tack
Biff Pocoroba
March 21st, 2010
3:38 pm
Bring in the coach from Cornell. They have tougher academics than Tech and he is able to win and not recruit a bunch of one and dones to try and get free NBA tickets one day .
bigdave
March 21st, 2010
3:38 pm
that call was pure BS?
Technophobia
March 21st, 2010
3:38 pm
Fix!
Tron5000
March 21st, 2010
3:38 pm
That’s a joke, right?
supersize that order, mutt
March 21st, 2010
3:38 pm
THAT was a cheap foul
Lochness
March 21st, 2010
3:38 pm
BS call on Favors
Mark Bradley
March 21st, 2010
3:38 pm
Third foul on Derrick Favors. Offensive foul working for post position.
Buzz
March 21st, 2010
3:38 pm
The officials have been paid. And it was not by us.
groundfog
March 21st, 2010
3:39 pm
BS call there on Favors unreal
J.J.M.
March 21st, 2010
3:39 pm
refs are horrible
Pi$$onaDawg
March 21st, 2010
3:39 pm
Now tell me again the REFS didn’t get the message that OSU has to win this game.
bigdave
March 21st, 2010
3:39 pm
i can not believe they called that on Favors..
plussizemodel
March 21st, 2010
3:39 pm
Wow, I gotta admit that call was horrible.
A Rob
March 21st, 2010
3:39 pm
Terrible call!
groundfog
March 21st, 2010
3:39 pm
No excuse for Favors to be this bad today though
groundfog
March 21st, 2010
3:39 pm
Bell is awful
Paul in RDU
March 21st, 2010
3:39 pm
Need a TO
Jacket13
March 21st, 2010
3:39 pm
This officiating is horrible!
Joe Schmoe
March 21st, 2010
3:39 pm
What, that guy just traveld before the three? WTF are these refs doing?
bigdave
March 21st, 2010
3:40 pm
the ref screens Rice Jr.
wow.
Refs doing us no Favors
March 21st, 2010
3:40 pm
These refs SUCK
GTKen
March 21st, 2010
3:40 pm
HERE comes a timeout, dang it
supersize that order, mutt
March 21st, 2010
3:40 pm
they’re not letting us play our game…..whatever that game is. lol
Alan
March 21st, 2010
3:40 pm
Once again bell DOESN”T follow his shot. He stands there. He’s done that all year. Same tech as 2 weeks ago. This will be a blowout.
Lochness
March 21st, 2010
3:40 pm
If refs are going to call a tight game then they need to do it for both teams.
kegiee
March 21st, 2010
3:40 pm
uh oh….
GT Fan...
March 21st, 2010
3:40 pm
Dawg#1 ….
Who was leading at the half in the GT – Okie State game??…..Yeah, thought so – dork! The Pokes were ahead by 7!!
groundfog
March 21st, 2010
3:40 pm
Favors is being owned. Tech can”t find the open man. This is not surprising-this is the team i watched all year
Sam
March 21st, 2010
3:40 pm
This game is over.
Buzz
March 21st, 2010
3:41 pm
I never thought Favors would cost us this game. BUT IT IS HAPPENING.
Biff Pocoroba
March 21st, 2010
3:41 pm
I know that Bell is a senior but that doesn’t mean he should play. Tech will be down by 20 in five minutes and we will see the famous Hewitt pose with his hands on his head. Next year will be ugly but hopefully we can have a coach that will give us a little hope.
GTKen
March 21st, 2010
3:41 pm
well should be a TO, guess not
Technophobia
March 21st, 2010
3:41 pm
Looks like we won’t get any calls down low.
GTPhenom
March 21st, 2010
3:41 pm
The wheels start to fall off now . . .
John
March 21st, 2010
3:41 pm
Mark Bradley nothing negative to say about paul hewitt you loser. u got on here with the all these other losers and talk bad about our coach. you are jealous because you never maximized your potential, is your mother disappointed in you.