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
A Rob
March 21st, 2010
3:41 pm
pull rice now, he does nothing but turn it over
Tron5000
March 21st, 2010
3:41 pm
I’m just going to pour bleach in my eyes now. It’ll be less painful.
groundfog
March 21st, 2010
3:41 pm
Well coached teams do not panic like this.
WordofMouth
March 21st, 2010
3:42 pm
Is it just me, or does this team not just stink? I’m sorry, but more of the same ole, same ole. TURNOVERS
WordofMouth
March 21st, 2010
3:42 pm
Schumpert with a step back 3….might as well say “turnover”
J.J.M.
March 21st, 2010
3:42 pm
this game is over “thet are who we thought they were”
groundfog
March 21st, 2010
3:42 pm
Tech guards are the worst three point shooters i’ve even seen.
Anybody who drafts Lawal deserves what they will get.
Mark Bradley
March 21st, 2010
3:43 pm
Ohio State 39, Georgia Tech 30. The Jackets are frustrated. Glen Rice Jr. just threw the ball away. Derrick Favors hasn’t gotten a shot.
Nate
March 21st, 2010
3:43 pm
Shump shoots a 3. No one under the basket for tech. This is paul hewitt bball. Hey paul get your sorry stupid self out of here. Go to st johns. So tired of your pathetic coaching.
Technophobia
March 21st, 2010
3:43 pm
Almost every time we take the quick shot they come back with transition points. Looks like Shumpert didn’t learn his lesson the last game after all.
GTPhenom
March 21st, 2010
3:43 pm
This is sad. Just plain sad. THIS is the GT we knew and loved all year long. And THIS is the reason why everyone is frustrated.
WordofMouth
March 21st, 2010
3:43 pm
groundfog: we are playing a well-coached team. we are not one, and everyone with a brain has known it for a long time.
Jacket13
March 21st, 2010
3:43 pm
A step back 3. This team is just falling apart right now and the officials will make sure they lose this game!
Scooter
March 21st, 2010
3:43 pm
Dr. James Naismith called…he’s suing CBS for calling this ugly crapfest basketball.
A Rob
March 21st, 2010
3:43 pm
rice and bell nothing but TO after TO, yet they still get lots of minutes
Decatur Tech Fan
March 21st, 2010
3:43 pm
Now theres the Tech we know and love, 16 To’s and down by 9…..
WordofMouth
March 21st, 2010
3:44 pm
Exactly, GTPhenom. you said it all.
Brent
March 21st, 2010
3:44 pm
we love you coach hewitt don’t worry when the season is over mark bradley won’t have anything to write about. i bet his kids can’t play any sports. please fire mark bradley.
Mark Bradley
March 21st, 2010
3:44 pm
Paul Hewitt called a timeout when the media timeout was upcoming, but he needed it.
Biff Pocoroba
March 21st, 2010
3:44 pm
Tech should be in the NIT. Their guard play is a joke. Hewitt did just enough to keep his job and screw us over for a few more years but no one will be there to notice
BuzzSaw
March 21st, 2010
3:44 pm
The only good thing about this pathetic showing by GT is that the whole world can see how horrible this team has been coached. Maybe after we lose Hewitt will man up and step down.
louisville slugger
March 21st, 2010
3:44 pm
This game is over. (A) The officials are not letting them play physical. (B) They are frustrated. (C) They are taking bad shots. (D) OSU is starting to take good shots.
GTKen
March 21st, 2010
3:44 pm
Waited for TV timeout, 3 mins too late!!! STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tron5000
March 21st, 2010
3:44 pm
GT: 13 fouls. OSU: 6.
PLEASE FIRE MARK BRADLEY
March 21st, 2010
3:44 pm
PLEASE FIRE MARK BRADLEY
PLEASE FIRE MARK BRADLEY
plussizemodel
March 21st, 2010
3:44 pm
Tech has the worst collection of guards imaginable.
Decatur Tech Fan
March 21st, 2010
3:45 pm
Someone please tell CHUMPert to stop launcing 3’s with no one under the basket……WAIT, istn that PEEEUUUwetts job?
j
March 21st, 2010
3:45 pm
lights out game over. how can a coach not understand the importance of a point guard especially in college?
apd better cuff that sob when he lands at hartsfield.
ERIC
March 21st, 2010
3:45 pm
I FEEL THE SAME WAY GET RID OF
MARK BRADLEY
GTPhenom
March 21st, 2010
3:45 pm
Tech is turning the ball over AND the refs are against us. The refs negate our one strong point (big men) and the turnovers prevent any kind of shot going in. This is going to get ugly quick unless something changes.
Eric
March 21st, 2010
3:45 pm
What a memorable last game as a jacket for Favors!
ERIC
March 21st, 2010
3:45 pm
FIRE MARK BRADLEY
FIRE MARK BRADLEY
WDE!!
March 21st, 2010
3:45 pm
How many times is Shumpert going to run down and shoot a pull up 3 without anyone ever touching the ball???
That’s 3 times today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jacket13
March 21st, 2010
3:45 pm
Nate Shumphert shooting that wild three is not coaching. The player has to know that they need to get the big players involved. Thats not coaching! you people wanna blame everything on coaching, but these players are dumb at best when it comes to making bball decisions! Stop blaming the coach and look at these players. Glen Rice just passed the ball to a player that was not looking. Thats a players dumb decision. Its not coaching!
WordofMouth
March 21st, 2010
3:45 pm
Tech is in a Hewitt Meltdown. You don’t know when it is coming, but you knows it is coming. We will try to force things that are not there, and our defense will begin to wain.
I sure hope they prove me wrong. This is downright embarrassing.
The announcer just said it…OSU is well-coached. You never hear that about Tech.
gmoney
March 21st, 2010
3:45 pm
this will be a blowout
ERIC
March 21st, 2010
3:46 pm
I’M GOING TO DEMAND TO AJC THAT
MARK BRADLEY IS FIRED OR ELSE
Paul Hewitt
March 21st, 2010
3:46 pm
I can keep on being the worst game-day coach in Division 1 basketball, and nobody can do anything about it. I’ll gladly leave for $7 MILLION though!
HAHAHA. It is great to be me. Thanks Braine!
GTPhenom
March 21st, 2010
3:46 pm
Heck, put Sheehan back in. He has more points and less fouls than Favors.
groundfog
March 21st, 2010
3:46 pm
We are getting a preview of next years season without Favors-and it aint pretty. Hopefully Hewitt realizes this and goes to St. johns
A Rob
March 21st, 2010
3:46 pm
nice TO hewitt, we played a whole 15 sec until TV timeout!!!
NoCoach Blewitt
March 21st, 2010
3:47 pm
This will be blewey’s last tournament game …………… mercifully
plussizemodel
March 21st, 2010
3:47 pm
tOSU stays out of foul trouble all the time—that’s how they roll, they play smart.
ERIC
March 21st, 2010
3:47 pm
HELP FIRE MARK BRADLEY HE IS RACIST AND BIAS
WordofMouth
March 21st, 2010
3:47 pm
Everyone says that Hewitt can coach the post players better than the guards. Well, if true, he must never explain to them what to do when a double or triple team comes. It is called: “throw it out!!” Find the open man. It is not: “put your head down like a rhino and see what happens!”
Ray
March 21st, 2010
3:47 pm
Haha they should just leave the weather that’s coming on. this game is so over. Tech will lose by 20
Scooter
March 21st, 2010
3:47 pm
LOL, our local CBS affiliate is the biggest joke…they look for ANY excuse to butt in..oh noes..a thunderstorm…we need to know about this!!!
GTPhenom
March 21st, 2010
3:48 pm
Jackets13, it is Hewitt’s job to teach Shump not to fire a pull up three everytime down the field, and that if he continues to pull him out. It is coaching, not the players.
ERIC
March 21st, 2010
3:48 pm
BYE BYE MARK BRADLEY
BYE BYE MARK BRADLEY
Biff Pocoroba
March 21st, 2010
3:48 pm
Hewitt is so sorry that Tech had to bring in intramural teams to come to his call in show so he wouldn’t be in an empty room. After the ACC tournament, they brought in the band in cheerleaders to sit in the audience because people still didn’t care enough to go hear his excuses. They even have Paul Johnson come be a guest on one show and that was the only one that actually drew a crowd. Hewitt should be embarrassed enough to resign and go to Seton Hall