UNLV 67 GEORGIA TECH 63 NCAA 1st ROUND

Well the Jackets were taken down in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday to the Runnin Rebels of UNLV 67-63. This ends a remarkable turnaround season for Georgia Tech, who finished the season at 20-12, and had wins over tournament teams Boston College, Duke, Purdue, and sweet 16 teams North Carolina and Memphis. The Jackets dealt with some adversity this season losing leading scorer at the time, Lewis Clinch to a violation of the school code honor. Freshmen sensations Thaddeus Young, and Javaris Crittenton lived up to the hype. In the end the Yellow Jackets youth was the difference. Now comes a brutal off season for us as we have to wait for the decision of Javaris and Thaddeus about whether they will test the NBA waters. NBA rules allow a college player to test the NBA as long as an agent is not hired. I really dont know what to think about our chances of having both guys back next season, but i do believe we should get at least one of them back. I mean how many guys leave the same team for the NBA in one season? I know last season Texas had it with Daniel Gibson and Lamarcus Aldridge. Can you blame the kids?? I say no. How can you blame a guy looking to take care of his family. In Javaris' case, his mother just told him that his grandmother is sick, and according to Javaris, that is a "Major" part of his decision. If his grandmother's health improves, then i look for Javaris to be back, but if not, then he could leave. Thaddeus Young on the other hand could be gone. He is projected by almost everyone to be a sure thing lottery pick. Although Thaddeus has said he will ask his father for advice, he just seems like a long term guy for us. He has good grades, and GT was important because of the education. I have no idea what these two young superstars will do, but whatever it is, i wish them well. Mario West has played his last game as a Yellow Jacket, and what a story he was a part of. This guy played in 3 NCAA Tournaments, including our 2004 NCAA Run to the Championship game. Mario West is one of my favorite players in Tech history, and we will all miss his defense and heart. Thank you Mario for your hard work. I'll have more updates on the Thaddeus Young situation, as i keep in touch with him via email..........Next season should be another NCAA Tournament season for us, as we welcome in McDonalds All-American Gani Lawal, along with Memphis product Maurice Miller, and Matt Causey a transfer guard. We also will be welcoming Brad Sheehan, the center from New York who redshirted next season. We dont lose much, but we will be getting alot of help. If the two studs come back next season, we could be looking at a National Title. Until then....GO JACKETS!!

Paul Hewitt dissapointed in Tech's season

Georgia Tech - UNLV breakdown

Inbounds play gets through Tech's defense

JACKETS PLAY THEMSELVES INTO THE NCAA TOURNAMENT; CRITTENTON 3rd TEAM ALL-ACC

Well it's been a while since the page was updated as i have been very busy. Not only does Georgia Tech rise from the dead and defeat North Carolina 84-77, but they come back home 3 days later and defeat Boston College in convincing fashion. At 20-10, looks like our Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will be playing in the big dance.............................Some interesting news....including a great article on Thaddeus Young on why he should come back to Georgia Tech, at least for 2 more years......................and Javaris Crittenton making the All-ACC third team, and possibly winning the Rookie of the Year Award....................Good Job Javaris!!!!....Just add him to the list if that happens...........More news soon, Go Jackets!!!

Rumors, News, Articles

I first heard of the Lewis Clinch rumor on the internet a couple of weeks ago regarding being ineligible for the 2nd semester of the basketball season. Like all Tech fans, i became concerned. Well i can tell you that the whole thing is garbage. Lewis Clinch is not playing defense and coach Hewitt doesnt like it. It has nothing at all to do with grades. Everything i am hearing is that Coach Hewitt is looking for the right rotation to win ballgames. This means playing offense....and oh yeah..defense!..................A recent article from CNNSI.COM about Jay Williams, the former number two overall draft pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, from Duke has mention of BJ Elder. BJ is playing in the developmental league, where Will Bynum enjoyed some success last year. BJ scored 25 points in his last outing for the Austin Toros, and according to Jason Williams, BJ "can score from anywhere". Wouldnt it be nice if BJ got called up soon?.............CNN SI also ranked the Thrillerdome as far as what kind of rating our fans have. Pretty interesting article, and we actually got a 8.0 rating on a scale of 1-10.................Also found an interesting article about Thaddeus Young, read on........ Happy New Year Guys! Go Jackets!!

Jackets score easy win Over Troy 85-55

From AP Wire:

ATLANTA (AP) -Jeremis Smith and Thaddeus Young each scored 16 points and Georgia Tech went on to rout Troy 85-55 on Thursday.

Tech's leading scorer, Lewis Clinch, added nine points on 3-of-6 3-point baskets while Smith scored 10 of his points during the first seven minutes of the second half. Smith and Ra'Sean Dickey added nine rebounds apiece and Javaris Crittenton had 10 assists.

The Yellow Jackets (9-3) led 40-23 at the half in winning their third in a row.

Cedric Jackson led Troy (5-8) with 14 points. Sammy Sharp added 10 points and nine rebounds for the Trojans who lost their third straight and sixth in seven games.

The Yellow Jackets used a 10-0 run for a 65-37 lead with 11 minutes left with Young scoring four points.

Tech took a 12-0 lead with Clinch hitting a pair of 3-point baskets as Troy missed its first 12 shots before Jerome Odem hit a 3-pointer after 6:30.

With the Yellow Jackets leading 18-5, the Trojans outscored Tech 13-3 with Justin Jonus scoring five points to get within 21-18 with 8:11 left before intermission.

The Yellow Jackets, however, went on a 19-5 run with Young scoring 10 points to take their 40-23 lead at intermission over the Alabama squad.

Troy's leading scorer, O'Darien Bassett (18.8), missed all eight of his first-half shots, making only a pair of free throws. He finished with four points, connecting on 1-of-14 shots from the field and missing all six of his 3-point attempts.

Georgia Tech 85 Troy 55 (Box Score)

Bad Thad Leads Jackets to 78-69 drubbing of UGA

The real Thaddeus Young showed up tonight, and that meant the "real" Georgia Tech basketball team was on display tonight at AMC. Thaddeus Young scored a season, and career high 24 points and grabbed 10 boards in leading the Jackets to a 78-69 win over Georgia. This was definitely Tech's most impressive performance of the season. After building a 39-35 Halftime lead, Georgia came out on fire and tied it up after 3 straight turnovers by Javaris Crittenton. Tech would eventually pull away taking a 61-49 lead with just over 5 minutes to play. The Jackets hit 30 of 41 from the foul line and really seemed to confuse Georgia all night with their defensive pressure. UGA came into the game 2nd in the nation in FG percentage, and the Jackets held them to their worst percentage of the season (38%). The question mark of the game was leading scorer Lewis Clinch. Lewis only played 8 minutes. Nobody is sure what is going on , but rumors are running rampant that Clinch may be academically ineligible for the 2nd semester. Hope the rumors are false, but even with Clinch out, i think this team can win alot of games this season. Mario West had another solid performance and was named the FOX Sports player of the game, although it was quite clear that Thaddeus Young should have gotten that honor. Ra'Sean Dickey had a solid game scoring 15 points and grabbing 9 boards. Tech improves to 8-3 on the season with a couple of cupcakes coming up, we should get 10 wins before we begin ACC Play at Clemson on January 6th. What a big win for the Jackets! Sorry UGA! You were rolling until tonight.

Georgia Tech vs Georgia BoxScore

Jackets survive Penn State in ACC / Big Ten Challenge, minus Thaddeus Young

Well it wasnt pretty tonight, but we got the win 77-73 against Penn State. I managed to watch the game tonight on ESPNU, and it was pretty cool to see who was doing the color commentary for ESPNU. None other than former GT point Drew Barry, who is also a good friend of mine. Anyway, back to the game. First of all Thaddeus Young did not play because of tendinitis in his knee, but should be ready for Sunday's ACC opener at Miami. Second of all, let me say this: Penn State is a hell of a scrappy team, and there point guard is reminiscent of Steve Nash at times with some of his passes. The big stars of the game tonight were Lewis Clinch (20 pts) and Mario West. Mario played a hell of a defensive game, and was all over the floor. If you get a chance to see the facial in the 2nd half, it was beautiful. Defensively the Jackets let Penn State shoot lights out at 56% for the game. Penn State was led by Jamelle Cornley who had 20 points to match Lewis Clinch for game high. With all the talk about our bad defense, we did have 15 steals in the game, which is amazing. The biggest work in my opinion needs to be in the rebounding department. We had a total of 21 rebounds tonight......yes 21! I think Chris Bosh had 22 in one game the other night in the NBA. All in all, it was a scrappy performance by the Jackets tonight.

Georgia Tech vs Penn State Box Score

Yellow Jackets take on Penn State tonight in Big Ten / ACC Challenge at Thrillerdome, 8ET ESPNU

From Ramblinwreck.com

ATLANTA - Following a runner-up finish in last week's EA SPORTS Maui Invitational, Georgia Tech returns home Tuesday night to face Penn State at 8 p.m. in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.

The game is being nationally televised on ESPNU. Radio coverage is provided by the Georgia Tech-ISP Sports Network, which can be heard in Atlanta in WQXI-AM (790, WREK-FM (91.1) and WTSH-FM (107.1). The broadcast can also be heard nationally on XM Satellite Radio Ch. 191.

The Yellow Jackets bring a 5-1 overall record and the nation's No. 21 ranking in the Associated Press poll and No. 24 in the coaches poll into Tuesday night's game. In Maui, Tech defeated Purdue, 79-61, and No. 11 Memphis, 92-85, before falling to No. 5 UCLA, 88-73, in the championship game.

Penn State is 4-1 following a 65-61 victory Friday night over St. Joseph's

Commentary: New College Basketball rankings prove some teams get more respect

Just last week, the #19 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets played in the Maui Invitaional in Hawaii. After a first round win against unranked Purdue, the Yellow Jackets took on #11 Memphis in the 2nd round. With a 92-85 win over Memphis, the Jackets advanced to the Championship game where they played currently #1 ranked UCLA. UCLA ended up beating us, but you could sense it was a great tournament for the team, and it would mean respect in the polls coming out this week. Well, well well, i guess when you're Georgia Tech, you really dont get the respect that The Duke's and Kansas' get. For instance, Duke was ranked 7th and 8th last week in the polls..they lose to Marquette......and now they are ranked 10th and 11th in the same poll. Syracuse, playing cream puff after cream puff continues to roll up the national ranking with a 6-0 record despite struggling in most of the games against WEAK competition. Kansas, who lost to Oral Roberts, but beat Florida is still a strong team according to the rankings at #5. Then you have Georgia Tech, who was ranked 19th in both rankings going in, and we go to the Championship game against UCLA, and are now ranked???? Ummmmm...............21st, and 23rd in the new polls???? Well, if this isnt bulletin board material for Paul Hewitt, then i dont know what is. Georgia Tech is definitely in the top 15 teams in the country. I am sick of the bias in the polls, especially for Duke, Syracuse, and UCONN. Another team who is ALOT better than 17 and 14 is Memphis. Guys i guess it wont matter come March but i can tell you for sure, that these Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will be there!

ESPN / AP College Basketball Rankings, November 27th

Former Georgia Tech players in the NBA

Jarrett Jack - Portland Trailblazers

2006-2007 Salary: $1,137,960

Jarrett has become a really big part of the Trailblazers team. He is leading the team in minutes played and has really become a fan favorite. Last night Jarrett had a big game with 17 points, 5 assists, and 0 turnovers! That's right guys, no turnovers for the big guy. His work ethic definitely has paid off.

Chris Bosh - Toronto Raptors

2006-2007 Salary: $4,235,220

Chris Bosh has become a star in the NBA. Although Chris only played at Georgia Tech for a year, he has developed into one of the NBA's best players, and last year played in the NBA All Star game in Houston. Last night's stats: 25 pts, 14 rebounds and 6 assists in a win over Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Matt Harpring - Utah Jazz

2006-2007 Salary: $6,500,000

Matt was one of my favorite all time players at Georgia Tech behind Tommy Hammonds. This was a guy who wasnt recruited that heavily out of high school, came to Georgia Tech and now is an elite role player in the NBA. He also plays for the best team in the NBA through the first month of the NBA Season, in the 11-1 Utah Jazz. He has battled through some injuries last season and is now back to being healthy. Last night stats: 16 points and 6 rebounds in a win over the Sacramento Kings.

Stephon Marbury - New York Knicks

2006-2007 Salary: $17,275,781

Stephon is in a bad situation in New York and last year was voted as the most overrated player in the NBA by the Sporting News Magazine. Stephon also played one year at Georgia Tech before bolting to the big money in the NBA. 17 Million is BIG money too. What most people dont know about Stephon is he donated $500,000 to the Hurricane Katrina relief fund last year.

Maui Wrap-up: Jackets fall to UCLA in Final Game 88-73

The Jackets wont go undefeated this year that is guaranteed. After beating Purdue in the first round, and then #11 Memphis in the semifinals, the young Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets fell to #5 powerhouse UCLA in the final game of the Maui Invitational on Wednesday night. Not much good to say about last night's game. Sloppy play, alot of turnovers, alot of forced shots. We have to remember that we have 3 freshmen starters in the lineup and it kind of showed a little last night. Thaddeus Young still hasnt lived up to the billing that rated him #3 nationally in most rankings, but when he does this team should grow up quickly. Ra'Sean Dickey continues to be Ra'Sean Dickey where he hasnt met a shot he didnt like. All in all, i am happy and proud of the work this team did in this tournament. Again, we are starting 3 freshmen, and this team will mature come ACC play. I hope Coach Hewitt keeps the team in Hawaii to enjoy their Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Go Jackets. Next game Tuesday in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge against Penn State.

3-0 Jackets face Purdue in Maui Invitational opener; 5PM ESPN2

The Jackets have been impressive against weaker opponents to open the season, and tonight we'll get a chance to see how good these jackets really are. Tech will again start 3 freshmen in Thaddeus Young, Javaris Crittenton, and Zach Peacock. We have looked very good in the first 3 games, especiall the last 2 games. So, what does this mean?? Well if you ask Paul Hewitt, he says the Jackets are ready. "If you ask the team would they rather be at the beach, or playing Purdue, they will all say, "Playing Purdue". Hewitt continued, "I like the intensity the team has brought to Hawaii". This will be Tech's first appearance in the Maui Invitational, but Paul Hewitt was part of the staff at Villanova when they won the tournament. Is Coach Hewitt superstitious?? Well he says no. "We are staying in the same hotel, so hopefully that is a good omen". I have been in Virginia, and have not been able to update the page as i would like, but this week will have plenty of updates. Here is the homepage for the Maui Inviational to get it started. Go Jackets and bury Purdue!!

The Maui Invitational Homepage

Crittenton and Young Lead Georgia Tech to pasting of Elon 83-49

ATLANTA (AP) - It's no surprise Javaris Crittenton felt comfortable in his Georgia Tech debut. "I didn't have any jitters, personally," the freshman point guard said. "I'm in my hometown, and I know I've got a lot of support."
Crittenton and Thaddeus Young had impressive debuts for No. 23 Georgia Tech, combining for 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in an 83-49 victory over Elon on Friday night.
"Javaris and Thaddeus did a nice job, but they've got some things they need to work on, and they know it," Yellow Jackets coach Paul Hewitt said. "Defensively, they can get a lot better, and taking care of the ball they can get a lot better."
Crittenton, a highly regarded recruit who played two seasons with eventual No. 1 overall NBA pick Dwight Howard at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, scored 17 points. He gave the Yellow Jackets their first 20-point lead with a fast-break runner early in the second half.
Young, the most talented freshman forward at Georgia Tech since Chris Bosh four years ago, finished with 13 points and six rebounds. His fast-break dunk with 4:33 remaining made it 77-43.
"I think it went great," said Young, who grew up in Memphis, Tenn. "We're just looking forward to the next game."
LeVonn Jordan led Elon with 15 points, and Chris Chalko finished with 13. The Phoenix, coming off a 15-14 season, a 10-4 record in the Southern Conference and a school-first division title, was without senior point guard Montell Watson, who twisted an ankle and won't return until early January.
Chalko was 3-for-7 on 3-point attempts, but Elon coach Ernie Nestor thought Georgia Tech's defense took away the perimeter threat.
"He just couldn't get free tonight, because they wouldn't let him free," Nestor said. "They came with a concerted effort to put the brakes on him. It was a tough, especially since they had a variety of guys that could guard him. They had a half dozen or more."
Swingman Lewis Clinch scored 14 points for the Yellow Jackets, who had a game-high eight rebounds from Ra'Sean Dickey.
Mario West scored consecutive fast-break layups, the second coming with 6:10 remaining, to make it 73-41.
Crittenton is poised to join a long list of stellar point guards, like Jarrett Jack, Stephon Marbury, Kenny Anderson, Travis Best and Mark Price, to play at Georgia Tech. But the freshman had four turnovers to go with five assists.
"I've got to limit my turnovers," Crittenton said. "My assist-to-turnover ratio needs to be better, like the carry turnover messed me up. I played OK, but there's always room to improve. (Our ball) rotation needs to be quicker."
Georgia Tech lost 13 of 15 to end last season with an 11-17 record, its worst under Hewitt. Now in his sixth year, Hewitt led the Yellow Jackets to their only appearance in the national title game in 2003-04.
According to Nestor, who coached Elon to an 81-69 loss a year ago at Alexander Memorial Coliseum, Georgia Tech looked nothing like the team that struggled so much last winter.
"You sense that Georgia Tech is on a mission," Nestor said. "They are on a mission to show that they're a better basketball team than they finished last year. That's very evident in the way they played."

Georgia Tech - Elon Boxscore

Jackets Kick off season opener tonight 8PM ET at AMC!!

Well tonight is the start of what hopes to be a banner year for Paul Hewitt and the Jackets. ESPN ran a story the other day about the sleepers for this years college basketball season...right here....and it also seems that our Yellow Jackets traveled to Birmingham this week and scrimmaged UAB and apparently were torched 82-69 according to a blog report by Andy Katz over at ESPN.......The drama of the season about to start......And now you can even watch the game on the internet tonight for only $3.99....even if you cant make the tipoff, the game will be on ACC Select.......The Jackets kick off with Elon tonight, and here's a preview. Go Jackets!

Official: Georgia Tech signs 3!

Paul Hewitt made it official Wednesday when he announced that the Jackets have signed 3 studs for next season. The players signed were Lance Storrs, Gani Lawal, and Maurice Miller. Gani Lawal is the most talented player in the class ranking anywhere between number 27 and 40.

"This group fits every need that we identified going into this recruiting season," said Hewitt. "We identified Gani very early, and we watched Lance grow as a player. Mo Miller, after seeing him last January, became a major priority for us."

Hewitt on Gani Lawal:

"Gani is a very important young man for the future of Georgia Tech basketball," said Hewitt. "Not only is he an outstanding talent, but he's also shown us through his academic work and how he conducts himself in the court that he can be one of the future leaders of this program."

Hewitt on Maurice Miller:

"He's a throwback point guard who plays for a former college coach, Jimmy Adams, who does a great job at Raleigh Egypt High School," said Hewitt. "Mo is a very smart player, an excellent passer, and really knows how to run a team."

Hewitt on Lance Storrs:

"He's a shooter with size," Hewitt said. "I've always been very comfortable coaching big perimeter players, and Lance fits into that mold. He is also an honor student who should excel at Georgia Tech."

Georgia Tech signs 3 players (Ramblinwreck.com)

Will Bynum erupts for 29 points in Euro League Debut.

Former Guard Will Bynum in Europe: Looks like Will Bynum and Luke Schenscher were roster cuts this offseason, with Luke almost making the Bulls roster once again. Once the Bulls drafted Tyrus Thomas, you kind of knew it was the end of the road for Luke. Hopefully Luke can team up with Will in Europe. I will have an update on some former Georgia Tech players very soon. This article is from a European news site, and this game was a HUGE game for Bynuym's squad. I expect Will Bynum to be playing in the NBA soon.

Maccabi Tel Aviv edged out Unicaja Malaga 106-101 in an overtime thriller at Yad Eliahu yesterday, but it was a victory that left many questions hanging over Neven Spahija's new-look side.

Will Bynum erupted for 29 points in his Euroleague debut, while Nikola Vujcic hit 14 points, adding 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Jamie Arnold came off the bench for 17 points and 8 rebounds, Simas Jasaitis added 14, Derrick Sharp 13 and rookie Lior Eliyahu 12.

The second half was neck-and-neck, with Bynum taking the game on to his shoulders and setting the crowd alight with his driving runs. But Bynum failed in managing Tel Aviv's game and Cabezas penalized Maccabi time after time.

"We need to be in focus the whole time and not just for 10 or 20 minutes. Then everything will look much better," said Will Bynum. "We are still a new team. It was a great game. We played well, but we all need to focus more on defense and improve it."

Coaches Poll is out; GT Ranked 21st

The brand new College basketball coaches Poll is out, and Georgia Tech is ranked 23rd. Some interesting teams are ranked ahead of the Jackets, but in my opinion will not even be seen come March. Dont ask me how UCONN can be ranked ahead of us, or Texas for that matter. These teams lost ALOT during the offseason. I think Georgia Tech will be much like the 2004 campaign, when they snuck up on people. For what it's worth, here's the Top 25 Coaches Poll:

1. Florida
2. North Carolina
3. Kansas
4. Ohio State
5. Pittsburgh
6. UCLA
7. LSU
8. Georgetown
9. Wisconsin
10. Arizona
11. Duke
12. Alabama
13. Texas A&M
14. Memphis
15. Boston College
16. Washington
17. Marquette
18. UCONN
19. Texas
20. Syracuse
21. Georgia Tech
22. Kentucky
23. Creighton
24. Tennessee
25. Nevada

Georgia Tech Basketball Practice Notes

Just some practice notes from Jackets practice:

**Jeremis Smith has lost some weight thanks to a diet that he calls "The Coach Hewitt Diet". The diet is basically no sugar, no carbs, and no fried foods. Seems like all of the players on this years team are hungry.

**The dissapointment of last years record doesnt sit too well with the whole team. When the team was lacking some intensity the other day in practice, all it took was one of the players shouting, "11-17!!". The seriousness of these boys this season is impressive. They have something to prove, and they will be working their tails off to prevent another dissapointment.

Injury Report:

Mouhammad Faye - Has been cleared to practice ahead of schedule for his surgery repaired wrist. Faye will not be allowed to shot for a couple more weeks from any distance, but otherwise will participate in conditioning activities.

Anthony Morrow - Will not practice as he recovers from the stress fracture in his back. Not too much concern about A-Mo practicing. This injury is more of a "not taking any chances". Morrow could practice right now, but the staff will let this injury heal totally before he is back out there.

Javaris Crittenton - Has a strained achilles tendon, but is not limiting much of his practice. Javaris has been wearing a protective walking cast between workouts, but as coach Hewitt stated, "If there was a game to play today, Javaris would be on the court".

Tech Basketball starts anew
Faye cleared to practice for Georgia Tech

As Practice Begins, Tech works on chemistry

It's that time of the year again, and for this years Georgia Tech basketball team, chemistry is what it may take for the Jackets to reach the Final Four. A stellar recruiting class and a National Top 20 selection in everyone's pre-season predictions, makes this years Yellow Jackets a team to watch. Chemistry is probably the most important aspect of a championship team, and it seems as though Paul Hewitt already has that taken care of. Mario West, who will be the loan survivor from Tech's National Championship run in 2004 may have his minutes drop with the talent surrounding the team, but that doesnt seem to bother him.

To a man, Tech's returning players (freshmen were not available Thursday) all but guffawed at the possibility that jealousy will be an issue, even point guard Mario West, the only senior on the team and a player whose minutes may drop.

"That's a good question," West said. "When I made the decision to come back, it was both to get another degree in economics [to go with the degree in management he earned in May] and to win. I'm going to have an effect on this team. I'm the Last Mohican, sort of, from the [2003-2004 season's] Final Four team. I remember the atmosphere and what it takes."

Hewitt said he spent little or no time massaging egos in the offseason. He certainly admits, however, that Crittenton represents ground zero for his team, yet without being its foundation.

"The returning guys know that if this team's going to be a good team it's going to be on the strength of Lewis Clinch, and Anthony Morrow, Jeremis [Smith], Ra'Sean, Mario — those are the guys who are going to make up the core. Certainly, the [new] guy who'll have the chance for greatest impact is Javaris, because he's our point guard.

It seems like the players have also worked very hard in the offseason to not allow another dissapointment like last year from happening.

"Nobody in America wants an incoming freshman to take their minutes or share their minutes," junior center Ra'Sean Dickey said. "So working on your weaknesses in the offseason, that's kind of what everybody did."

In the coming weeks, i will break down Tech's chances in the ACC and in the NCAA Tournament. We have big expectations from this years team because of the recruiting class and the talent we have on this team. In my opinion, this years team is more talented than our 2004 team that went to the Final Four. I really think Paul Hewitt has this team under control, and it seems like we are saying all the right things in practice regarding chemistry. It's only 2 weeks away from the tip-off guys, and this year is going to be exciting. Stay tuned for more updates.

Setback: Anthony Morrow out 6-8 Weeks with stress fracture in back

From ESPN.com

ATLANTA -- Anthony Morrow, Georgia Tech's leading scorer last season, will miss most of preseason practice because of a stress fracture in his back.

Morrow is expected to be out six to eight weeks, with the Yellow Jackets hoping he'll be fully recovered in time for the Nov. 10 opener against Elon.

The 6-foot-5 junior guard averaged 16 points a game last season and led the Atlantic Coast Conference by shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range. The injury was diagnosed this week after Morrow complained of persistent back pain.

"We have decided to shut him down and give him every chance to be 100 percent healthy before we start the regular season," coach Paul Hewitt said. "Anthony had a great summer and made significant progress in many areas. Hopefully, this will not set him back too far."

Morrow will not be able to participate in individual instruction or team practices during his recovery. Instead, he will maintain his conditioning by working on a bicycle and taking part in underwater exercises.

I will have more on this story later.

Link: Georgia Tech's Leading scorer to miss 6-8 weeks (ESPN.com)

Jackets land Maurice Miller

To the other three colleges he'd planned to make official visits to over the next few weeks, Raleigh-Egypt point guard Maurice Miller had this to say Tuesday:
"One and done," Miller said of his official visit to Georgia Tech last weekend, where the 6-1 senior guard offered a verbal commitment to Yellow Jackets head coach Paul Hewitt. "It was my first (official visit), but Georgia Tech offers you all the things you need to succeed. Not only is it a good school, but it's got good athletics, too."
Rated the No. 13 point guard prospect in the Class of 2007 by Rivals.com and the No. 90 overall prospect, Miller said he had also considered offers from Cincinnati, Clemson, Illinois, LSU, Ole Miss, Stanford, Tennessee, the University of Memphis and Vanderbilt.
He'd planned to make an official visit to Ole Miss this weekend before visiting Oklahoma and LSU, but said Tuesday those visits are off.

"Going to Georgia Tech on that first visit made it tough on everybody else because they really have showed the most interest in him over the long haul," Raleigh-Egypt basketball coach Jimmy Adams said. "... If he was certain, I told him there was no reason to prolong it, and he found what he was looking for."

Miller said he wasn't swayed by the fact that Georgia Tech already has one Memphis product on its roster in freshman forward Thaddeus Young, the former Mitchell High standout, and is reportedly interested in another in Mitchell junior guard Jarvis Jones.

"All those guys, every time, were saying, 'You need to come to Georgia Tech,' or whatever, but it wasn't based on them. It was based on my own decision," Miller said

Tech's Faye to Surgery on fractured, wrist. Expected to be back in November

Tech forward Mouhammad Faye, who is expected to be a big part of Georgia Tech's rebuilding process will miss some early playing time, after having surgery on a broken wrist. Faye broke his wrist in a pick up game on June 13th. Faye should not miss any significant playing time, maybe a couple of games at the beginning of the season. It's better that Faye had the surgery now, instead of finding out later, and missing some ACC Play. Doesnt look like Faye will miss any ACC time, but i would think his goal now would be to get back on the court for Maui on November 22nd.

Georgia Tech freshman forward Mouhammad Faye had surgery on his right wrist, and won't play basketball for the Yellow Jackets until after the season begins.
Faye, who redshirted last season after qualifying late academically, was injured in a June 13 pickup game. An X-ray revealed no damage, school officials said, but when the injury was slow to heal, an MRI was later scheduled and a damaged ligament was found.

His wrist will be immobilized for three months, and then up to eight weeks of therapy will follow before he can return to action in mid-November or later.
"It's unfortunate for him and for us," Tech coach Paul Hewitt said in a statement, "but by having surgery now, he will be able to rehab it and be ready for the busy part of our season."
Faye, an athletic 6-foot-8 native of Dakar, Senegal, practiced with the Jackets during spring semester last school year, working at both forward spots.
He was expected to compete for significant playing time.

Faye Has surgery on fractured wrist (College Sports)

Bosh to sign 3 year deal with Raptors

Former Georgia Tech star and current Toronto Raptor Chris Bosh reportedly will sign a shorter contract deal with the Raptors. Bosh, who was eligible for the NBA Maximum salary of 5 years and 70-75 Million, reportedly will sign a 3 year deal with the team in the coming days. A 3 year deal will reportedly be 40 million, although Lebron James just signed the same 3 year short term contract for 60 million with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Bosh may be taking a chance, but something tells me that much money is not a chance. The next time Bosh is eligible for free agency, a contract could garner over 100 million dollars.

Bosh, according to NBA front-office sources, has elected to sign a three-year deal with the Raptors worth an estimated $40 million-plus, with a player option in the summer of 2010 to extend the deal for a fourth season and take the value of the contract into the $60 million range.
The 22-year-old, who has repeatedly stated his intention to stay with the league's only Canadian franchise, thus has the next four seasons -- including the final season of his original rookie-scale contract at $4.2 million -- to decide if he likes the Raptors' future enough to make a longer commitment.

Maurice Brittian dead at 37Played with GT in 89-90 after transferring from Hutchinson JC; 6th pick in 1991 CBA Draft

Just read an article over on scout.com, that mentioned the passing of former Georgia Tech center, Maurice Brittian. What a sad story, as "Mo" was one of my favorite players during the 89-90 campaign. I can still remember me and my brother Rudy saying, "Go Big Mo". Maurice gave us some great minutes off the bench, and only played one season at Georgia Tech, before transferring to Kansas State. Prior to coming to Georgia Tech, Maurice played 2 years at Hutchinson Junior College. Maurice was a 6th Round Draft Pick in the 1991 CBA draft, going to Sioux Falls. The following was found on Scout.com. God Bless Mo, and we'll see you in heaven big fella.

Family-Placed Death Notice

Celebration of Life for Maurice Davon Ezzard Brittian (BIG MO), born July 18, 1968 in Atlanta was called home to be with the Lord on June 25, 2006. As we all wonder, when I'm gone what would people have to say about me and in his case, I know he was sure that every word would be positive and it would be true. Maurice resided in McDonough, GA where he worked for Nestle. Services will be held Saturday, July 1, 2006 at 12 noon at New Birth South Metropolitan Church, Jonesboro. Pastor Andre Landers, officiating. Interment, Fairview Memorial Gardens. Maurice's legacy will be carried on by his loving wife, Quovadis Denise Brittian and his son, Quinton Davon Ezzard; his adorable grandson, Quinton Antwan Ezzard; his loving mother, Mary Ann Ezzard Brittian; a sister, Tynisa Ann Brittian; his brother is a friend and major influence in his life, Tony Bernard Ezzard. Maurice was preceded in death by his father Walter Brittian Jr., who adored his son and supported his career every way possible. He played a major role in Maurice's life as a father which taught Maurice respect and character in which we all had a chance to experience with Maurice. Also Maurice will leave to celebrate his life his smiling mother-in-law, Brenda Joyce Roberts; sisters-in-law, Rhonda Ezzard and Quintrellis Sharee Jackson, and his favorite niece and nephew, Joyceline Pannell and Michael Pannell Jr., and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, teammates and co-workers. Family will assemble at 170 Courts of Hampton, Hampton, GA 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Maurice Brittian Foundation, 170 Courts of Hampton, Hampton, GA 30228. Young Funeral Home, 1107 Hank Aaron Dr., S.W., Atlanta, GA (404) 523-6606.
Published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 6/30/2006.

Maurice Brittian's Career Stats
1991 CBA Draft (Mo Brittian picked in 6th round)

He's Baaaack! Bobby Legend agrees to coach College Of Charleston

You knew it was coming. You knew retirement wouldnt last long for former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins. Bobby Cremins 59, today was hired by the College Of Charleston, who is coming off of a 17-11 record last season. Coach Cremins is ready to put the microphone down, and come back to coaching. Bobby is a great friend of mine, and i wish him well in the future. Cremins with a mid major? Could be exciting. Also seems like Bobby is still the same with this quote, ya gotta love him.

"I know it's going to be tough because they've got some problems, but I really wanted a new challenge,' Cremins told the paper. "I really miss coaching."

Cremins Back in the Game

Recruiting News: Courtesy of Ramblin Red

Just thought i would post the comment from Ramblin Red regarding Georgia Tech's 2007 recruiting class. Ramblin Red has some good insight about all of the recruiting information. I appreciate his comments, and i will post them here for all to see. In other news, looks like the Portland Trailblazers take Jarrett Jack over Sebastian Telfair with their moves in the NBA Draft. I'll have a write up later about that situation and try to get some quotes from the Blazers about Jarrett staying in Portland. Thanks again Ramblin Red, and thanks to all who support the site. Cant wait till October 15th!!

RamblinRed - Here is how i would describe the recruiting of the PG's.

Maurice Miller - IMO the most likely signee. Alot of mutual interest. Had a so so spring AAU which has kept some suitors at bay. Memphis is going hard after Derrick Rose so they haven't put much effort into Miller yet. Right now i would consider him a solid GT lean.

Chris Wright - continues to list G'town as his favorite, though GT is one of about 7 schools he mentions consistently. Not likely to make a decision anytime soon. Was at the Team USA under 18 trials that Hewitt is an asst for so they likely got some face to face time. DePaul coach Wainwright is the other asst and he is also recruiting Wright.

Tyrell Reed - interesting dynamic here. GT is sitting a strong #3 behind UNC and Kansas. If one of those two offer i expect them to be chosen ahead of GT, but both are scholarship strapped and haven't offered yet. If for some reason neither offers then GT is Reed's most likely destination.

Jamelle McMillan - His recruiting is very interesting. GT has made big strides in the last 2 months, helped not the least by the fact that Jack plays for Jamelle's dad Nate. Of course Nate is also close friends with new NC ST coach Lowe. Appears to be a 3 team race - NC ST, GT, AZ ST (Sendek) with an ACC school most likely.

McCamey - GT staff likes him but GT appears to be on the outside looking in.

Any of the first 4 could end up in ATL imo, it just depends upon how the dominoes fall.

RamblinRed

Final Cut: Team USA cuts Gani Lawal

Unfortunately Gani Lawal was the last player cut from the USA Basketball team today which was training in San Antonio, Texas. Lawal, who was the youngest player on the floor by almost a year, is a 2007 Georgia Tech recruit. 23 players arrived in San Antonio for tryouts, and Gani made the Top 13, but unfortunately they were taking 12. Lawal seemed upbeat about the whole situation.

"I went there with the mindset of learning as much as possible. I wanted to go in there and learn as much as possible about myself and the other guys in the country," Lawal said. "I was going to be happy if I made the team or not. At the end of the day, I learned a lot and now I'm gong to take what I had learned and use it to my advantage.

"It was fun. You had a chance to test your skills against the best players and the best coaches you can get. Day in and day out, you were getting better. I was loving it."

Gani said he also enjoyed playing for Coach Hewitt during tryouts. Looks like Paul was probably one of the coaches who had to decide on the final roster.

"It was fun working with him. He coached my team in one of the scrimmages we had and I worked with him in some of the shooting drills that they ran. It was good learning experience for me because I learned more about his style and how he works with his guys. The thing that struck me about him was he said he was more of a teacher before being a coach. That really made me look forward to getting there in the fall of 2007."

Good luck Gani, looking forward to seeing you in 2007.