March 25, 2004
No. 3 Georgia Tech (25-9) vs.
No. 10 Nevada (25-8)
St. Louis; Semifinals.
Friday, 9:40 p.m. EST.
Savvis Center.
2004Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Tournament Central
Georgia Tech isn’t getting overconfident just because it’s the highest seed remaining in the St. Louis regional.
“We’re going to come out like we’re the underdogs,” center Luke Schenscher said as the Yellow Jackets prepare to face 10th-seeded Nevada in the regional semifinals. “We can’t be complacent in any way if we’re going to compete with teams like Nevada.”
A few weeks ago, a forewarning about Nevada would have seemed absurd. But the Wolf Pack – the lowest seed remaining in the NCAA tournament – are in the round of 16 for the first time in school history after upsetting Michigan State and second-seeded Gonzaga.
“We don’t feel like we’re a Cinderella,” Nevada guard Todd Okeson said. “We feel like we are in this tournament, so we are supposed to try to win it.”
So do the Yellow Jackets, who are looking to reach the regional finals for the first time since 1990.
Sophomore point guard Jarrett Jack is a big reason for the team’s success. Jack sealed a 57-54 win over Boston College on Sunday with a breakaway dunk and a pair of free throws. He’s averaging 12.8 points and 5.8 assists.
“This is the reason I came here,” he said. “This is the point we wanted to get the program back to.”
Jack finished with eight points, six rebounds and six assists, and B.J. Elder led the Yellow Jackets with 18 points against BC.
Georgia Tech’s 25th victory on Sunday was the most since the 1990 team set a school record for wins while going 28-7 before losing to eventual champion UNLV in the Final Four.
After recording the school’s first NCAA tournament victories, Nevada received a hero’s welcome upon its return home Sunday night.
“It was crazy. We were walking around, it was like celebrities on campus,” said guard Garry Hill-Thomas, whose team upset Gonzaga 91-72 on Saturday. “You know, everybody shaking your hand, saying they’re so proud of you.”
But the Wolf Pack have bigger goals than just reaching this round.
“This is the beginning of a new era for this school and for this program. It’s getting off on the right track, our first NCAA tournament (in 19 years), first ‘Sweet 16,”‘ Garry Hill-Thomas said Monday.
“We’re trying to make our own name for ourselves.”
The Wolf Pack already have, by beating No. 7 MSU and the second-seeded Bulldogs.
Nevada is led by Kirk Snyder, a 6-foot-6 junior swingman who averaged 18.7 points per game as the WAC’s player of the year and is considering entering the NBA draft early.
“We’ve been doubted since the beginning of this tournament,” Snyder said. “After beating Michigan State, we felt good. We felt we could make plays.”
The winner will face either Alabama-Birmingham or Kansas in the regional finals on Sunday.
PROBABLE STARTERS:
Nevada:
F Nick Fazekas (12.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg), F Kevinn Pinkney (9.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg), G Hill-Thomas (9.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg), G Snyder (18.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg), G Okeson (11.1 ppg, 4.0 apg).
Georgia Tech:
F Anthony McHenry (3.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg), F B.J. Elder (16.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg), C Luke Schenscher (8.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg), G Jarrett Jack (12.4 ppg, 5.8 apg), G Marvin Lewis (11.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg).
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
Nevada:
Automatic bid, Western Athletic Conference; beat Michigan State 72-66, first round; beat Gonzaga 91-72, second round.
Georgia Tech:
At-large berth; beat Northern Iowa 65-60, first round; beat Boston College 57-54, second round.
ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD:
Nevada:
2-2, 3 years.
Georgia Tech:
17-12, 12 years.
