May 8, 2009
ATLANTA – Senior guard D’Andre Bell headed back home Los Angeles following Saturday’s ceremonies, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Management, for the summer. While there, he will continue to follow his rehabilitation schedule in the aftermath of his December surgery to correct his spinal stenosis.
Bell, a 6-5 team captain who averaged 6.6 points and 2.1 rebounds during the 2007-08 season, was cleared to begin strength and conditioning workouts and individual instruction in April. He will visit his spinal surgeon, Dr. Robert Watkins, sometime in May, with the hope that he will be cleared to play his senior year in 2009-10.
“I’m very confident. I feel great,” said Bell last week before commencement. He said he intends to carry a video camera with him to document his summer and progress toward returning to basketball.
“It was tough not having worked out for six months. But nevertheless, I was very excited. I just have to make sure I enter each stage slowly and not compromise anything. I just have to remain patient, not get overanxious, so the rehabilitation will be correct.”
MILLER TO UNDERGO SECOND SURGERY ON NOSE
Georgia Tech guard Maurice “Moe” Miller had successful surgery on his broken nose May 12, the second procedure he has undergone on his nose since he suffered the injury in December. The injury did not heal properly after the original surgery in December, and Miller experienced difficulty breathing during strength and conditioning workouts and individual instruction in the spring.
The rising junior point guard broke his nose during a collision near the end of the Yellow Jackets’ Dec. 14 loss to Illinois-Chicago, underwent surgery on Dec. 17. missed seven games and returned to action on Jan. 10 at Maryland. He finished the year averaging 5.8 points and 4.3 assists per game.
TECH HONORS ITS OWN IN POST-SEASON BANQUET
Georgia Tech’s basketball program gave out several honors at its post-season banquet on April 15, including the top Student-Athlete Award to sophomore center Brad Sheehan, the Best Rebounder Award to sophomore forward Gani Lawal, the Michael Isenhour Inspirational Award to junior forward Zachery Peacock, the Most Improved Player award to senior forward Alade Aminu, Leading Scorer to senior guard Lewis Clinch, and team’s Best Playmaker Award to freshman guard Iman Shumpert.
Aminu and D’Andre Bell were recognized for their community service work as two of six Tech student-athletes who received the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Top Six for Service Awards.
STORRS GOES TO THE BAHAMAS WITH TRAVELING TEAM
Rising junior Lance Storrs was tabbed to join a team of college players who are making a weeklong trip to the Bahamas on May 13. The team, coached by Syracuse assistant Mike Hopkins and Columbia assistant Andrew Theokas, will play six games, facing the Bahamas National Team among others.
Storrs, from Columbia High School in Decatur, Ga., also participated in a camp run by former NBA star John Lucas last weekend in Houston.
Look for daily blogs and photos from Storrs on Ramblinwreck.com.
AMINU DRAFT STOCK RISING
Senior Alade Aminu, who made the all-tournament team at the recent Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, is projected as the 57th overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft by the website NBADraft.net.
The 6-10 forward from Stone Mountain, Ga., finished his eligibility at Tech this year, posting his best season in a Yellow Jacket uniform. He averaged 11.8 points and eight rebounds per game, shooting 52.2 percent from the floor. He ranked seventh in the ACC in rebound average and fifth in field goal percentage.
At Portsmouth, Aminu averaged 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots, while shooting 54.1 percent from the floor, in three games as his Norfolk Naval Shipyard team captured the championship. He has workouts scheduled with several NBA teams over the next few weeks and is confident his draft stock will continue to rise.
RICE NAMED TO PLAY IN ALL-STAR GAME
Incoming freshman Glen Rice, Jr., has been selected to play in Academic All-American Basketball Classic, which will be played May 9 in Ontario, Calif.
The Academic All-American Classic features top high school players in the country who also have excelled in the classroom. Players chosen are high school seniors or post-graduate students who have committed to attend a four-year institution in the fall of 2009. Rice will represent the South team.
The festivities include two games (East vs. West, North vs. South), a three-point shooting competition and a slam dunk competition.
Derrick Favors PILES UP HONORS
Since his senior high school season ended, incoming freshman Derrick Favors has been named the MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game, co-MVP if the Jordan Brand Classic, USA Today Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the Parade All-American team.
