Kenneth Harrison
Spring Buzz
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia Tech finished 2017 with a 5-6 record. It makes the second time in three years that the Yellow Jackets missed a bowl game and had a losing record. So, the logical thing for athletic director Todd Stansbury to do was give head coach Paul Johnson a two-year contract extension through the 2022 season.
This was the eleventh spring game in the CPJ era. One major change was made in an effort to get Tech back on track. Defensive coordinator Ted Roof was fired after the season and replaced by Nate Woody. The defense now runs a 3-4 scheme.
Only 8,500 fans showed up to watch. This could be because there are many things to do in Atlanta on a Friday night or the fan base is tired of coach Johnson. The Blue team beat the White team 21-14.
Several players sat out with injuries. Quarterback TaQuon Marshall did not play after showing up to the training room Friday morning with strep throat. Center Kenny Cooper suffered a lower-leg injury in last Saturday’s scrimmage that required surgery. Guard Parker Braun and offensive tackles Andrew Marshall and Jake Stickler also were out, Marshall for the entirety of the spring.
Defensive end Desmond Branch missed the scrimmage to attend his brother’s wedding in New Mexico. Likely starting safeties A.J. Gray and Jalen Johnson were out all of the spring with injuries.
Freshman quarterback Tobias Oliver led the white team and redshirt sophomore Lucas Johnson led the blue team.
After a slow start, Johnson drove the Blue-team offense on touchdown drives of 70, 74 and 55 yards, along with a field-goal drive of 54 yards. He was 5-for-17 with one touchdown and one interception. He had completions of 53, 33 and 35 yards and finished with 143 yards.
I think the low completion percentage (29%) is a problem. I know Johnson is competing for the backup position but this has been an issue under Johnson. For instance, last season’s starter TaQuon Marshall completed 37.1% of his passes. Johnson has failed to develop and intermediate passing game since coming to Atlanta. It seems like every pass play is a long down field pass.
Senior A-back Clinton Lynch looked like he returned to his old form. He had 28 yards on three carries and 33-yard touchdown reception. Lynch failed to reach the end zone as a junior after scoring 16 touchdowns as a freshman and sophomore.
The defense played fairly well, led by linebacker Brant Mitchell with five tackles for loss, contributing to eight total for the Blue-team (first-string) defense.
“We blitzed like crazy (Friday),” Mitchell said with a smile.
It was only a scrimmage so we have to take the defensive performance with a grain of salt. The first-string defense had nine tackles for loss in last year’s spring game and went on to record 4.3 per game last season, lowest in the ACC. The first-string offensive line was also missing two starters.
“You’ve got a good nucleus back,” Johnson said. “I mean, we’ve got nine starters coming back on offense. Defensively, if we can create some negative plays and get some sacks, get off the field, who knows?”
There is not a lot to be optimistic about as a Georgia Tech fan but hopefully they are on the right path to get back to a bowl game in 2018.
Auburn Spring Game
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Auburn is one of the traditional powers in college football. The Tigers had a great 2017 finishing 10-4 and 7-1 in the SEC. They beat both teams that played in the national championship game, Georgia and Alabama. They did lose the rematch with UGA in the SEC Championship. They also lost the Peach Bowl to UCF.
Star running back Kerryon Johnson declared for the NFL Draft after the season. Auburn will have to replace his 1,391 yards and 18 touchdowns.
One positive going into the 2018 season is they have finally found another quality quarterback to run Gus Malzahn’s offense in Jarrett Stidham. Stidham completed 66% of his passes for 3,158 yards and 18 TD’s. He did not play in the spring game.
In the A-Day game defense dominated. Auburn’s first-team defense held the second-team offense to minus-five yards in the first half and the quarterbacks combined to go 15 of 39 for 90 yards.
“We’re going to be top 10 this year,” defensive end Marlon Davidson said. “We’re going to be top 5; maybe even top 1. That’s how we feel. That’s how we’re going to carry it.”
I’m trying to not believe the hype. I think the defense can be very good but defense typically dominates the offense in spring or early in the season. It is worth noting that the Tigers have vastly improved over the past two years under defensive coordinator Kevin Steele.
In 2017 they had their best year in pass and total defense since 2008. Auburn ranked 12th in scoring defense and 14th in total defense last season and has ample depth returning, particularly in the front seven.
“Our pillars for success is that we want to be relentless in pursuit,” Steele said. “Effort is being coached at a high level on every day, on every play. Effort is an eraser. When somebody makes a mistake, effort will erase a mistake. Then we’ve worked really hard on physical fundamentals, being physical with your fundamentals. So, really, really good in fundamentals. And then, of course, tackling. We’ve done a lot within the framework of how much you can tackle. So, the proper tackling technique.”
The defense constantly pressured Auburn’s two younger quarterbacks, forcing several interceptions from Malik Willis and Joey Gatewood. They also forced fumbles from several players.
On A-Day, Nick Coe led a defensive line unit that combined for 6.5 of 11 tackles for loss, including two sacks, one from Coe, which led to a safety.
“Our defense has a chance to be really good,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “… I think we’ve got some quality depth upfront. We’ve got quality depth at the linebacker position too. I know coach Steele’s focus was on the backend, putting all the pieces to the puzzle. I think overall they’ve done a very solid job.”
The final score was Orange: 18, Blue: 10. My takeaway is that Auburn is expecting to have a great defense in 2018 and I think that is realistic. I don’t put a lot of stock in the A-Day defensive performance though because they did not face their first team quarterback.
We will see if they can live up to their potential when the season begins September 1st versus Washington in Atlanta.
The Madness Ends
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The biggest game in men’s college basketball was played Monday, April 2, 2018.
The national championship game featured two great teams, Villanova (36-4) and Michigan (33-8). Both of them are blue blood programs that have had great success recently.
The Wildcats just won a national championship in 2016. Villanova became the first school in 31 years, since the 1985 Villanova Wildcats, to not only beat four top-three seeds on the way to a national title but to also beat four straight opponents ranked in the AP top 10, in addition to beating AP ranked Iowa in the Round of 32.
Michigan last played in the national championship game in 2013. They lost to Louisville 82 – 76. The Wolverines had won a national championship in all the way back in 1989.
These teams are led by veterans, which is very different from what college basketball has been over the last decade. Typically, highly recruited freshman lead programs like Duke, Kansas or Kentucky to the Final Four.
The leading scorer for the Wildcats is junior guard Jalen Brunson. He averages 19.2 points per game and he makes 52.7% of his shots. Brunson is the National Player of the Year.
His backcourt mate is also a junior guard, Mikal Bridges. Bridges is the second leading scorer on the team with 17.6 ppg and he shoots 51% from the field.
They have very good shooting percentages and it’s rare for star players to make at least half of their shots. We normally see volume shooters that rely on taking so many shots that some have to go in.
Redshirt sophomore guard Donte DiVincenzo averages 13 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 3.5 assists per game.
The Wildcats beat Michigan convincingly 79-62. Villanova won all six games by double digits over this tournament run, joining Michigan State (2000), Duke (2001) and North Carolina (2009) in that rare air.
“I thought we played our best game in the championship game,” coach Jay Wright said.
DiVencenzo aka Big Ragu came off the bench and led all scorers with 31 points. He shot 10 of 15 and 5 for 7 from three-point range. This great performance won him the most outstanding player in the Final Four.
“The way DiVincenzo shot the ball, it was just incredible for us to try to win that game with the roll he went on,” Michigan coach John Beilein said.
Bridges finished with 19 points and he’s expected to enter the NBA draft. Surprisingly Brunson struggled, only scoring 9 points and making 4 of 13 shots.
Jay Wright boosted his credentials for the Naismith Hall of Fame and put himself in elite company. The only other two active Division I college basketball coaches with multiple championships are Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski (5) and North Carolina’s Roy Williams (3).
The Wildcats have been outstanding over the past five years. They are 165-21 since the start of the 2013-14 season, a stretch that includes a pair of national championships and a combined seven Big East regular season or tournament titles.
This was an interesting season because it seemed like there were more scandals than usual. It was great to end the year with a dominating performance by a great team.
All-Magic
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In the NBA some franchises stand out for dominating over different eras.
Some examples of that are Chicago, Boston, Detroit or the Los Angeles Lakers. There are other teams that don’t have that kind of extensive history but they have had some great players.
For instance, the Charlotte Hornets or Seattle Sonics have had some superstars. Orlando is probably the best example of this. Let’s see who the greatest player in Magic history is.
Penny Hardaway is the best point guard in franchise history. Hardaway played in Orlando from 1993-1999. Standing at 6’7 he was a taller than the average PG and could see over the defense. He was also an explosive athlete and won several accolades. He won the MVP award at the inaugural Schick Rookie Game.
He was named to the NBA All-Star team four times (1995-1998) and All-NBA First Team twice (1995 & 96). Penny also won a gold medal in 1996 at the Olympics.
Steve Francis played in Orlando from 2004-06 but he made an impact. He averaged 19.4 points, 5.4 rebounds per game, 6.5 assists per game and 42.6% from the field.
Center Rony Seikaly is probably best known for being the first player picked by the Heat in 1998 but he spent a couple of seasons with the Magic (1996-98). He averaged 16.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 48% field goal percentage. Those are very solid numbers and he was almost a walking double-double.
Horace Grant had two different stints with the team, 1994-99 and 2001-03. He was probably at his best in Chicago but he brought veteran leadership to Orlando and helped lead them to the Finals in 1995. He put up 11.3 PPG and 8.2 RPG.
Dennis Scott (1990-97) is not very well rounded but he was a great shooter. He was one of the most prolific three-point shooters of the 90’s. He shot 40.3% beyond the arc with 14.8 PPG.
Nick Anderson (1989-99) was a very good shooting guard. Before the arrival of Shaq during the 1991-92 season he averaged 19.9 points and 6.4 rebounds. At 6’6 he was the same height as fellow shooting guard Michael Jordan.
Tracy McGrady (2000-04) was in his prime when he came back home to Florida. He was 2x All-NBA First Team (2002-03) and he made the All-Star game every season. He averaged 28.1 PPG, 7 RPG, 5.2 APG and 1.5 steals per game. He led the league in scoring two of the four seasons he spent with the team. He also led some mediocre teams to the playoffs three-straight years.
Dwight Howard (2004-2012) was a very athletic big man. He won the Slam Dunk Contest (2008), 3x NBA rebounding leader (2008-10, 2012), 2x blocks leader (2009, 2010) 5 x All-NBA First team (2008-12) and 5x NBA All-Star.
He was very limited offensively and he really did not develop a post game. He still managed to score 18.4 PPC, 13 RPG, 2.2 blocks per game on 57.7% shooting.
Rashard Lewis (2007-10) is often overlooked but he played well. At 6’10 he played both forward positions and created match-up problems. He shot 39.3%from three-point range and made the All-Star game in 2009.
You know who the best player has to be. Shaquille O’Neal (1992-96) is one of the most dominant players ever. He was in the best shape of his career when he played for the Magic.
The Diesel made the All-Star game every year he spent with the team. He led them to their first Finals in 1995. Super Man had 27.2 PPG, 12.5 RPG on 58.1% shooting.
Free Spending Jags
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The best part of the NFL offseason in my opinion is free agency. I like it better than the draft because these players are proven commodities in the league. The problem with the draft is we really don’t know how the players coming from college will pan out.
One team that’s been extremely active in free agency is Jacksonville. They do what every team is supposed to, address weaknesses. Last season the marquee signing was defensive tackle Calais Campbell.
He set the Jaguars single game sack record (4) in his first game. Campbell helped lead them to their first playoff berth in a decade. Jacksonville advanced to the AFC Championship game and they almost defeated New England. This year’s signings are supposed to make them better than the Patriots.
The franchise played it safe and resigned quarterback Blake Bortles. Bortles isn’t a great QB so he needs a lot of help. They are trying to surround him with talented playmakers.
The best playmaker might be wide receiver Marqise Lee, who re-signed with Jacksonville.
Fellow receiver Allen Robinson signed with Chicago. Allen Hurns is a candidate to be released so Lee is the best returning WR. Lee led the Jags with 56 catches and ranked second in receiving yards (702) playing in 14 regular-season games.
Former Colts WR Donte Moncrief was signed to a one-year deal. Moncrief didn’t have a great 2017 season but some of that was due to poor quarterback play in Indianapolis.
Tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins at 6’5, 260 pounds will be a big red zone target. He has not lived up to the hype since being drafted in the second round in 2014. He did have his best statistical season last year with 50 catches, 374 yards and 3 touchdowns.
They also signed another tight end, Niles Paul. The most receptions he has ever had in a season is 39 in 2014. That’s more than double the reception totals for any of his others between 2011-2017.
Guard Andrew Norwell signed a $66.5 million contract over five years. He really provides stability to a weak interior offensive line. His addition will help open holes for Leonard Fournette in the run game and provide pass protection.
The Jags also added some players on defense. Linebacker Lerentee McCray signed a two-year contract. He’s played sparingly in his four-year career. In 2017 he had 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He does help provide depth on defense and he contributes on special teams.
Cornerback D.J. Hayden signed a contract for 3 years and $19 million. Hayden has not had more than one interception in a season. He hasn’t had a pick since 2015. He will also provide depth and likely be the Nickel CB.
They continued with the theme of adding quality depth in the secondary. They signed safeties Cody Davis and Don Carey. The defensive unit was ranked second overall in total defense.
These moves might help improve an already dominant unit. I think the Jags will be the most talented team in the AFC after the draft. Now let’s see how that translates into winning games.
NCAA Tourney Contenders and Pretenders
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NCAA tournament begins this week. This is the biggest sporting event other than the Super Bowl. Let’s take a look at some of the teams from around the Southeast that made it in.
The Pretenders…
Georgia State: The Panthers (24-10) won the Sun Belt conference tournament. Coach Ron Hunter also led GSU to the tournament in 2015. GA State is the No. 15 seed in the South bracket and they play No. 2 seed Cincinnati. This would be a huge upset but I don’t see that happening.
Alabama: The Crimson Tide (19-15) snuck in the tournament. They finished 9th in a pretty weak conference. Advancing to the SEC Championship game is why they are in.
Freshman sensation Collin Sexton will be an NBA lottery pick in this year’s draft. Bama is the No.9 seed in the East and they face No. 8 Virginia Tech in the first round. I think they will win that game but they would play No. 1 Villanova in the next round. Their dreams will end after that game.
Arkansas: It must seem like I’m just picking on the SEC. The Razorbacks (23-11) finished fourth in the SEC. They are also in the East region and the No. 7 seed. They face No. 10 Butler and that will be a tough game. If they win they should face No. 2 Purdue in the second round. That means exit stage left.
Florida State: Another football school is having a resurgent year on the court. The Seminoles (20-11) are No. 9 in the West and take on No. 8 Mizzou. Talented freshman Michael Porter Jr. is returning from injury so I’m not sure if he will be rusty. The 6’10 forward was the top recruit in the country for the class of 2018 so he will give Missouri a great chance to win the game.
Clemson: honestly if this was a team with a winning history I would be more confident. The Tigers (23-9) had a very good year and finished third in the ACC. In the Midwest region they are the dreaded fifth seed. The twelve versus five game typically has several upsets each year. They will play New Mexico State. If they win they face the winner of No. 4 Auburn and No. 13 Charleston. I actually like their chance to advance to the Sweet Sixteen but not beyond that.
The contenders…
Kentucky: The Wildcats (24-10) had a very inconsistent. They finished the regular season fourth in the conference but won the SEC tournament. Coach Cal always complains about seeding but he actually has a point this year. Kentucky is the fifth seed in the South and play No. 12 Davidson in the opening round. Round 2 should be against No. 4 Arizona.
The Wildcats recruit so well that they are more talented than most teams they play.
Duke: The Blue Devils are the No. 2 seed in the Midwest and they play No. 15 Iona in the first round. They would get the Oklahoma/Rhode Island match up in the second round. This is another blue blood program that has top 3 recruiting classes every year.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels are the defending national champions. They have the No. 2 seed in the West and take on No. 15 Lipscomb. They will get the Texas A&M/Providence winner.
UNC isn’t as good they were last year but they have upperclassman leadership. They advanced to the national championship the past two years and look to make a new dynasty.
AFC South Draft
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL Combine is currently happening in Indianapolis. Personally, I don’t put too much stock in to the workouts that we see there. I think what we’ve seen on film really gives us an accurate idea of how good a player is.
The AFC South is one of the weaker divisions in the NFL. Jacksonville shocked the world by advancing to the AFC Championship game and they actually played well enough to beat New England. Let’s take a look at each team’s draft needs.
#3 Indianapolis: The Colts (4-12) obviously had a disappointing season. Andrew Luck missed the entire 2017 season with a shoulder injury. He’s supposed to return in 2018 but we will see. There are several positions that can be addressed like running back, offensive line, cornerback, defensive end and outside linebacker.
The Colts need to protect Luck so offensive line is very important. They also need a pass rusher because they finished 31st in sacks (26) and 26th in QB hits (75).
NC State defensive end Bradley Chubb would be a good pick. He’s 6’4, 275 pounds and he’s shown he can cause Havoc in the backfield. He had 10 sacks in 2016 and 2017 with over 20 tackles for loss as well both seasons.
#68 Houston: The Texans (4-12) moved up in the draft last year to draft a franchise quarterback (Deshaun Watson), which paid off. Unfortunately, Watson’s season ended with a torn ACL. Now Houston does not have any picks in the first two rounds. They do have three picks in the third round.
The biggest team needs are defensive back, offensive line, running back and tight end. I’m not sure what players will still be available in the third round so I can’t make a draft prediction for the Texans.
#25 Tennessee: The Titans (9-7) had a pretty good season. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2008. They won in the first round at Kansas City. They have a lot to be proud of.
Tennessee has a franchise quarterback in Marcus Mariota. He’s the first Titans QB to throw for 3,000 yards in consecutive seasons since Steve McNair in 2002-03. Heading into his fourth year Mariota is expected to become a top-10 quarterback.
Team needs are offensive line, cornerback and running back. The running game has been very strong the last two years but the Titans are likely to release DeMarco Murray, saving $6.5 million under the cap. Derrick Henry is probably not going to be handed the feature back role without competition.
Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea might be picked here. He would be a nose tackle in their defense.
#29 Jacksonville: The Jaguars (10-6) had an amazing 2017 season. They got to the playoffs for the first time in a decade. They were ranked 2nd in total defense. Rookie running back Leonard Fournette was 8th in rushing with 1,040 yards and 9 touchdowns.
The formula of good defense and a strong running game can win on the road in the playoffs. That’s why the Jags were able to beat Pittsburgh (again) in the second round of the playoffs. They also led New England for most of the AFC Championship.
Quarterback Blake Bortles is looked at as being a weak link but he just signed a three-year contract. I don’t think he’s an elite level talent but he’s pretty decent.
The biggest team needs are offensive guard and middle linebacker. Ohio State OG/C Billy Price will address that need.
NFC South Draft
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL Draft is April 26, 2018. So, it is approaching soon.
This can change the fortune for several franchises. The best division in 2017 was the NFC South because they had three playoff teams. Let’s take a look at the division and their 1st round picks.
No. 7 Tampa Bay: The Buccaneers (5-11) were the only team in the division with a losing record. They took a step back because they were 9-7 in 2016. We expected them to improve and make the playoffs. They also added speedy wide receiver DeSean Jackson to pair with Mike Evans but it obviously did not work.
The biggest team needs are defensive back, running back and offensive guard. Alabama DB Minkah Fitzpatrick would be a great pick. He played both safety and corner in college. He can cover and he’s physical and can make tackles. He also has very good size at 6’1, 201 pounds.
No. 24 Carolina: The Panthers (11-5) rebounded last year after regressing in 2016. They addressed a need by drafting running back Christian McCaffrey in the 1st round last year. He was very good as a pass catcher but he did not run the ball well. He only rushed for 435 yards and averaged 3.7 yards per carry.
The biggest team needs are wide receiver, offensive line and defensive line. The Panthers traded their #1 receiver Kelvin Benjamin to Buffalo on Halloween.
Cam Newton needs a good WR so I think they will go in that direction. Courtland Sutton from SMU should still be available. He’s 6’4, 225 lbs. so he’s a big target.
He caught 68 passes for 1,085 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2017. Newton struggles with accuracy so having a tall receiver with a big catch radius is a good move.
No. 26 Atlanta: The Falcons (10-6) had an up and down year coming off last year’s heartbreaking Super Bowl meltdown. They did win in the first round of the playoffs against the LA Rams. They came very close to beating the eventual world champion Philadelphia Eagles in the second round, losing 15-10. Atlanta should return to being an elite team if they make the right personnel moves.
The biggest needs are defensive line, WR and offensive guard. Michigan defensive tackle Maurice Hurst would be a good fit. Putting him next to Grady Jarrett might give the Falcons one of the best young defensive lines in the league.
No. 27 New Orleans: The Saints (11-5) had a great season. They have the best running back duo in the NFL and an elite veteran quarterback. They lost to Minnesota in the divisional round of the playoffs on the last play of the game. The defense ranked 16th in total D and 17th in run defense.
They need to improve the defensive front seven, WR or slot corner. Boston College defensive end Harold Landry might be selected here. He showed he could rush the passer in 2016 when he recorded 16.5 sacks and 22 tackles for loss. Landry is a bit of a one-year wonder though because he did not have a season with more than 5 sacks outside of 2016.
A League Of Their Own
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There are only a few games remaining in the college basketball regular season. At this point we know who the contenders and pretenders are.
The ACC has been the best conference for several years and this season is no different. Currently there are 10 teams that will qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Things have played out differently than we initially expected before the season began though. Duke was the top ranked team in the preseason so expectations were very high. The Blue Devils always compete with Kentucky for the top recruiting class and they had a lot of incoming talent.
They landed the top recruit in the class of 2017, power forward Marvin Bagley. Point guard Trevon Duval also committed to Duke and he was ranked 6th nationally. Teaming these young stars up with senior Grayson Allen sounded like a slam-dunk.
Bagley is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder and he’s missed some games with a right knee sprain.
They are 22-5 and the No. 5 team in the country so they are having a pretty good season. The surprise is that Virginia is the best team in the conference and they have a three game lead over Duke.
The Cavaliers have only lost one conference game and their top ranked nationally. They have sustained success over the last five years so maybe we should have expected this.
North Carolina has been inconsistent this season. We know the Tar Heels are the defending national champions and they played in the championship game the past two years. They lost several players from that team so we expected some growing pains.
They lost to Wofford at home in December. In ACC play they had a three game losing streak to Virginia Tech, NC State and Clemson.
They ended the streak against a terrible Pitt team then beat Duke. The Heels are a good team but too inconsistent to advance far in the tournament.
The most shocking team is Clemson because their typically doormats in basketball. The Tigers are No. 15 in the nation and fourth in the ACC. They have not made it to the NCAA Tournament since 2011. They are a legit team and they have a chance to win a couple of games once they get there.
Virginia Tech is also playing well. The Hokies are fifth in the ACC and have a winning record in conference play. After a 10-year absence from March Madness they made it in last season. This will make two consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for a program that has only been nine times.
NC State is tied with Va Tech. The Wolfpack as a program have struggled with maintaining success. They beat Duke and North Carolina, which is a major accomplishment.
Louisville has performed well but they are on probation. I believe they have a post-season ban.
Two football schools, Miami and Florida State are both currently 19-8. These two programs have been very good over the last four years so maybe this should be expected at this point.
Syracuse is the final team that will make the tourney. They used to be an elite team in the Big East. After making the switch to the ACC they have been fairly disappointing.
The conference tournament will be very competitive. There is always the possibility of an unexpected team winning it.
Out To Pastner
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We have about one month left in the college basketball season. There are a few teams that have underperformed and will not make the NCAA tournament unless they win their conference tournament. Georgia Tech is poised to be one of those teams.
Tech used to be one of the few programs that were consistently successful in football and men’s basketball. They have fallen on hard times in recent years. The Yellow Jackets have not played in the NCAA tournament since 2010.
They currently are 11-11 and are ranked 11th in the ACC. Head coach Josh Pastner is not only struggling on the court. His longtime friend Ron Bell has told the media he provided benefits in violation of NCAA rules to players Josh Okogie and Tadric Jackson. Tech self-reported the violations to the NCAA in November and suspended both players.
Pastner filed a civil lawsuit in Arizona against Ron Bell and Jennifer Pendley, alleging defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil conspiracy, aiding and abetting and injurious falsehoods and attempts to blackmail and extort both Pastner and his family, according to a statement from his attorney.
Pastner was a player on the 1997 Arizona Wildcats national championship team. He was also an assistant at Arizona under Lute Olson and at Memphis under John Calipari. After becoming head coach at Memphis he was named the 2013 Conference USA Coach of the Year.
He was hired as head coach at Georgia Tech in April 2016. He showed promise in his first season. During the 2016-17 regular season the Jackets knocked off Top 5 North Carolina at home, in his first coached ACC game at Georgia Tech.
They also enjoyed quality wins at Virginia Commonwealth, at home against Top 10 Florida State, and Top 25 Notre Dame. Further improving throughout the season, Tech knocked off Syracuse and Pittsburgh late in February to finish 8-10 in the ACC. The Yellow Jackets were projected to finish last in the conference and to not win a single conference game. He was named the 2017 ACC Coach of the Year.
This season there have been several bad losses against teams like Grambling, Wofford and Wright State. The NCAA violations could be one of the reasons for the sub-par season. They also lost four consecutive games in January.
There are eight regular season games remaining and it doesn’t look like things will get much better. The next few games are at Louisville followed by at home versus #9 Duke. Those are both probably bad losses.
Later this month there are back-to-back road games against #2 Virginia and #16 Clemson. The Yellow Jackets already lost to both teams and I cannot imagine them being able to get revenge.
NC State is also having a great year and they are one of the last regular season games. The Wolfpack have beaten Duke, North Carolina and Notre Dame so I expect them to dismantle Tech.
The best chance for victories is two games with Wake Forest and Virginia Tech. If they finish with a losing record (they certainly will) Tech needs to move on from Pastner and hire a new coach.
