Tech 68, UGA 56: What they were saying afterward
What coaches and players were saying after Georgia Tech’s 68-56 victory over Georgia in Athens on Wednesday night:
Georgia Tech coach Brian Gregory:
“I was 10 years old when that [Tech's last win in Stegeman Coliseum] happened. I told our guys that on Monday. Now, there were some [years] in between we didn’t play down here. I didn’t tell them that, you know. I just wanted our guys to understand that one of the things that is unique and special about Georgia Tech is the great tradition we have. There’s a lot of great players who have worn that uniform and never won down here. Part of our process in getting it back on track is doing some special things, and tonight was special. Our guys will be able to say they broke the streak, and they will remember it forever. And I know the guys who wore the uniform before tonight, they’re proud of the way our guys played. Irregardless of whether we won or lost, we played the way Georgia Tech is supposed to play in terms of great toughness and a lot of care for each other out on the court. Much better in the second half, I thought that was the difference.”
“We struggle on offense sometimes, we really do. And Mark [Fox] has done a great job with them defensively as well, and they struggle on offense. But what ended up happening … our defense created some offense, which then made our offense a little easier. That’s what happened in the second half. But we are getting better defensively, do a good job on the glass. As long as we continue to become more efficient on offense, we’ve got a chance to continue to improve. This is a marker in the process. It is not the end by any stretch. It doesn’t mean we’ve arrived. We’ve got a long way to go. But it’s a pretty good marker to have.”
“Sometimes you need some tangible evidence that what you’re preaching every day and what you’re trying to drive home actually works. We had a good win versus VCU and some other good wins, but obviously this means more. We want to get to the point where every game is just as important as the other. But let’s face it, this game does have a little more meaning to it, a little more juice to it.”
Georgia Tech center Daniel Miller:
“Very special [win]. We made quite an accomplishment tonight that hasn’t been done in a very long time. Many great players have come in here and haven’t been able to do it.”
“We just played a little bit harder [in the second half] than in the first half, and it helped us a lot, defensively and offensively.”
Georgia coach Mark Fox:
“That was a very disappointing loss. We’re not a very good basketball team right now, and that’s my responsibility. Our defense collapsed on us in the second half, but you have to give Georgia Tech credit. Their defense in the second half was better than our offense. That was just a disappointing loss.”
“Our interior play is very poor right now. We’re not getting any interior scoring, and so we’re settling for outside shots, and that is an issue with our team right now.”
“We’re going to get better, but it’s going to take time. You can’t teach guys how to score over night, but our defense? I’m angry about that.”
Georgia guard Gerald Robinson:
“It’s our goal to come out with a sense of urgency in the second half. We didn’t do that tonight. We’re just not there yet, and we have to saddle up. We’re not doomed by any means. We can still have a good season. We’re just going to keep playing.”
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186 comments Add your comment
PR
December 8th, 2011
8:57 am
… almost as embaRRassing as spelling embarrassing with only one R.
Fair and Balanced
December 8th, 2011
8:57 am
I’m sorry, but Im just not seeing an improvement in Ga basketball with Fox as coach. We are already below .500 and we haven’t started the SEC schedule yet! Looking forward to tennis season after Outback Bowl!
BreakingNews
December 8th, 2011
9:03 am
Fair and Balanced:
You have to take into account who we’ve lost: Travis Leslie, Trey Thompkins, Chris Barnes, and Jeremy Price. That leaves a HUGE gap in our lineup. Freshman and Sophomores are getting most of the minutes now and Robinson can’t create like he did last year because he doesn’t have that talent around him. We’re YOUNG, and Fox has been up-front about that since the start of practice.
LHarding Dawg
December 8th, 2011
9:10 am
Congratulation Tech on a good in state win. I hope you have many more this year, not against Georgia, but a good season in the ACC.
Joey
December 8th, 2011
9:12 am
Ugh oh.
I’m thinking we lose 20+ games this season.
Reality
December 8th, 2011
9:15 am
For those upset about the Tech fans “trash talking”….
Take a few minutes to look at the postings by uga fans on the Tech side after the football game.
BreakingNews
December 8th, 2011
9:22 am
Haha, I’m not upset at all – I just find it humorous that Tech fans even attempt to talk trash…you have nothing to show for all of your trash talking. 2 combined football and basketball (in Athens) wins in 30+ years! I’m not upset at all about last night – we pretty much lost our entire basketball team last year – we’re YOUNG
Dawglasville
December 8th, 2011
9:23 am
A lot of classy posts on here today. Congrats to the Jackets. You just might have your coach.
I’m still a hugh fan of Fox. With out an inside presence we are toast. He will turn it around.
cp
December 8th, 2011
9:34 am
Love to whip UGA, and it’s good to snap that streak and own Stegeman, but I’m looking ahead to ACC play. We didn’t beat a quality team tonight.
LkB
December 8th, 2011
9:41 am
Both teams stink so what is the big deal?
Strange Murphy
December 8th, 2011
9:43 am
Hey Buzz 2011! You can run up a millon yards on the Dawgs but if you don’t score more points in don’t mean shat!
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
December 8th, 2011
9:45 am
Sounds like a coaching change in the future?
Sven Ottke
December 8th, 2011
9:48 am
As an outsider to this rivalry, it makes me laugh to see UGa fans crow over football wins, but when you get your butt handed to you in hoops…….”basketball? no one cares.” Your story was a bit different this time last year. Did hoops matter then?
Steve
December 8th, 2011
9:54 am
Where is Saint Simons??????
oh wait its a school day
just the truth
December 8th, 2011
9:58 am
Really kind of funny here. There was twice as many comments yesterday before the game than there is today afterwards. I hope these are not band wagoners jumping in to talk when things are good but clam up when not. Which is it?
dostoveyskiy
December 8th, 2011
10:06 am
Jeopardy questiobn: He chose to accept an offer to attend Duke over UGa to play basketball. Answer: Who is Parker?
Stingtalk's Daddy
December 8th, 2011
10:06 am
What a great game!!!!
Jeffrey
December 8th, 2011
10:09 am
Go Jackets! Nice win over the Dawgs! I wish UGA well in their season (I really do), but I love a Tech victory over the Dawgs! Sting ‘em!
Westdawg
December 8th, 2011
10:09 am
Congrats to the GT team for breaking the streak.From what I saw,both teams will be .500- MAYBE -this year.UGA I understand since the personnel losses from last year’s team were considerable-from a scoring and rebounding POV.Not as sure about Tech,but Rice is a very good player.Gregory looks like a winner,but Tech fans will still need to be patient and give him the time to assemble his players.You never know how a team will react to a new coach,but give the man time.
For the Bulldog fans who show their ignorance of basketball, Fox IS a winner and the same patience will be required-especially this year.One can argue last year’s success was with Felton’s players-but, Fox obviously got a lot more out of them than Felton.This year’s team simply doesn’t have the bulk needed in the frontcourt-and the guys we have are inexperienced.
It’s gonna be a long year for both teams,I suspect.
GTBob
December 8th, 2011
10:10 am
So we run the state in baseball and basketball. You guys can have football. I don’t want you to be left with nothing.
GA_WISHER-WATCHER
December 8th, 2011
10:17 am
Coach Fox: Please give up the zone and go man on defense. You have exceptional ballplayers … but zone defense develops laziness, standing around watching the ball rather than watcing the man. You are getting beat by other good teams because the half time break gives time to them to figure it out how to beat it and UGA. Stop ZONE; go MAN. More exciting for our plyers with this challenge and higher chance to maintain first half success.
ARdawg
December 8th, 2011
10:24 am
Reality
“Trash talking” by any fan in any sport is completely acceptable and even a form of flattery. The mean spirited vitriol so common place on the blogs mostly by Tech fans (as well as some UGA) isn’t
buckheadBill
December 8th, 2011
10:26 am
Would Daniel Miller help us on inside?
George Stein
December 8th, 2011
10:27 am
Uh, JB, the following is Paul Johnson after the Georgia game a couple weeks ago:
“Anytime you lose, it’s certainly disappointing. I give Georgia a lot of credit. They’ve got a good football team. They showed up and they played very well.”
buckheadBill
December 8th, 2011
10:28 am
Would Danie
GT is a 4th rate high school team
December 8th, 2011
10:28 am
Just a high school team better than another. LOL
GT is a 4th rate high school team
December 8th, 2011
10:31 am
Some high school fans delusional about their team after a win over another. LOL
UGA = Yawn
December 8th, 2011
10:32 am
misterwax; irregardless is a word!!! Get with it dude.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irregardless
Tommy
December 8th, 2011
10:33 am
I liked what I saw from the GT team last night.More fundamentals,good defense, and much better free throw shooting. This team will get better as the season progresses.Not a world beater,but I think the best is yet to come with this team and coaching staff.
GT is a 4th rate high school team
December 8th, 2011
10:34 am
So it is 1 win in 10 years, sounds football like. LOL
GT is a 4th rate high school team
December 8th, 2011
10:39 am
I just enjoy bashing the ego of delusional GT fans who thinks of them selves as classy and intelligent when genetically they are no different from GA fans. LOL.
Stingtalk's Daddy
December 8th, 2011
10:39 am
WE WON A GREAT GAME LAST NIGHT!!!! STINGTALKERS ARE VERY HAPPY!!!!
GT Man
December 8th, 2011
10:43 am
Wow !!!!!!!! We finally beat Ga at something, now rub off on the football team and Paul Johnson. !!!!
George Stein
December 8th, 2011
10:44 am
Uh, we are definitely genetically different. I mean, y’all might not be, and I won’t judge you for that, but we certainly are, 4th rate.
gdawginkalamazoo
December 8th, 2011
10:49 am
“……..511 yards in 2010 over 300 yrds 2011″ = 0-2. So you like to get exercise.
This just in……35 year old blind squirrel finds first nut.
GTBob
December 8th, 2011
10:49 am
when genetically they are no different from GA fans.
lol. These blogs are pretty comical sometimes.
Dawglasville
December 8th, 2011
11:04 am
GTBob – UGA runs this state in football. Tech runs this state in basketball and baseball. I’m happy if you’re happy. Now let’s forget a year of blog bashing and celebrate the peace and joy of the holiday season. What do you say?
Fountain of Wisdom
December 8th, 2011
11:09 am
Georgia has no offense to speak of, and in the second half last night, little defense. Tech’s 12-0 second half run really showed them up. It tells me that this Georgia Tech loss is the “beginning of sorrows” for the Bulldogs this season.
duronimo
December 8th, 2011
11:15 am
Congrats to Tech. Looks like they have a quality coach. I believe most agree that this series is not much fun unless both teams are competitive.
UGA89
December 8th, 2011
11:16 am
We have a Basketball Team?
Who knew?
@ JB at 7:40 a.m. . . .
December 8th, 2011
11:17 am
. . . who said “something in Coach Fox words that have class…..Something that No class football coach at Tech has never said. Coach Fox said ” You have to give Georgia Tech Credit”…So coach Fox wasn’t telling the world that We lost only because we played horrible….He tipped his hat to Tech…you never get that from a certain Tech coach in football”
Well, JB, open mouth and insert foot:
http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-tech-sports/2011/11/27/paul-johnson-qa-9/
Paul Johnson Q&A
3:34 pm November 27, 2011, by Ken Sugiura
Opening statement:
“Anytime you lose, it’s certainly disappointing. I give Georgia a lot of credit. They’ve got a good football team. They showed up and they played very well.”
dawgfan4life
December 8th, 2011
11:29 am
With two football games at the Dome this year, I have an idea. When we do not play Tech at Tech in football, have an annual game at the Dome. It could help with recruiting in ATL. Same with Basketball. Play a game or two in Phillips or the Dome every year. Not the Arena at Gwinnett Center, in the suburbs, but in the inner city where the talent comes from.
blazer
December 8th, 2011
11:31 am
What a Great night at the local cow barn!!!! Go Jackets!
Hit A Single
December 8th, 2011
11:31 am
UGA has the right coach. He is a winner and he will correct things. This team plays with no heart. I have not seen a player step in a take a charge. In the Tech game I have never seen so many uncontested layups. UGA looked like an AAU team. It will take Coach Fox a time to correct some attitudes or they will be gone. And I really like the enthusiasm that Coach Gregory brings to Tech. I believe Tech has a good one there also.
For JB
December 8th, 2011
11:35 am
Anytime you lose it is certainly disappointing. I give Georgia a lot of credit, they have a good football team and they showed up and played very well. For us the margin of error was small and we didn’t take advantage of a couple of opportunities that we had early. When we did that we got behind and we could never claw ourselves back into the game. We had a hard time of that. Third quarter we kind of self-destructed offensively the way we were turning the ball over. Like I said, I give them credit. They came in here and did what they had to do and played hard.”
He said it, not once, but twice…….
gdawginkalamazoo
December 8th, 2011
11:38 am
Congrats to the Nats on a historic win!
Mark Fox is a bust hire
December 8th, 2011
11:41 am
Hope McGarity fires this Clown which was a blunder from the Damon Evans ere.
Dirty Dawg
December 8th, 2011
11:43 am
Obviously the loss of Leslie and Thompkins to the NBA – wonder how they’ve been feeling about their decision to come out early with all the mess with the NBA lockout, et. al.? – has taken it’s toll on the team and it will mean one or two more recruiting classes to get the talent. Hopefully, the kids will be able to see beyond the current performance – and fan attendance – and see what can be done here. As for Tech, one win in Athens in Bball in 35 years and you’re strutting around like world-beaters. Fact is the story of this one was ‘one team was sorry and the other one was glad of it’.
SSIgator
December 8th, 2011
11:47 am
Wow. First the puppies get their tails kicked by LSU, exposing their highly over-rated football team, and now they lose to Tech at home. You can always count on UGA for a good laugh when you need one.
Hit A Single
December 8th, 2011
11:51 am
Mark Fox is one of the few good things Damon Evans did for UGA.