March 10, 2004
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#14/18 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (22-8, 9-7 ACC) in the 51st Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament
March 11-14, 2004 * Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, N.C.
TV: Raycom/JP Sports (WATL-TV in Atlanta);ESPN or ESPN2 outside the ACC region
Radio: Georgia Tech/ISP Network (WQXI-AM 790, WTSH-FM 107.1); Wes Durham, pbp; Randy Waters, color
Tech Record Breakdown: Home: 12-3; Away: 7-5; Neutral: 3-0
Tech in the ACC Tournament: Overall Record: 16-21 In Greensboro: 4-10 As the No. 4 seed: Tech is 1-2 Championships: 1985, 1990, 1993
Tech All-Time in Greensboro Coliseum: 6-15
Vs. ACC teams in Greensboro Coliseum: Clemson 1-0, Duke 0-2, Florida State 0-0, Maryland 2-3, North Carolina 0-3, NC State 1-2, Virginia 0-1, Wake Forest 2-4
Tech Series vs. North Carolina: Overall: UNC leads 55-17 In the ACC Tournament: Tech is 2-4 ACC Tournament in Greensboro: Tech is 0-1 Under Paul Hewitt: Tech is 3-6
Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt: 136-79 (.631), 7th season overall 70-52 (.570), 4th season at Tech 31-33 (.476) vs. the ACC 1-3 in the ACC Tournament
North Carolina coach Roy Williams: 436-110 (.799), 16th season overall 18-9 (.667),1st season at UNC 2-2 vs. Georgia Tech
THE TIP-OFF
> Georgia Tech finished the ACC regular season in a tie for third place with Wake Forest, the highest finish in four seasons under head coach Paul Hewitt and the highest finish since 1996. Tech’s 9-7 mark also is the best of Hewitt’s tenure and the best since 1996.
> Tech and fifth-seeded North Carolina meet in the quarterfinal round of the ACC Tournament at 2:30 p.m. Friday, with the winner advancing to Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. semifinal against either top-seeded Duke or the winner of Thursday’s first round game between No. 8 Virginia and No. 9 Clemson.
> The Yellow Jackets (22-8 overall) have won their last three games, against Duke (76-68) and Clemson (79-60) on the road, and Florida State (63-60) at home. Tech is 10-8 since beginning the season 12-0, and the three-game streak matches its longest since then.
> North Carolina (18-9 overall, 8-8 ACC) finished alone in fifth place in the ACC standings, and has won two of its last three games entering the tournament.
> Tech and North Carolina split their regular season series. The Tar Heels won 103-88 on Jan. 11 in Chapel Hill, and the Yellow Jackets earned an 88-77 win in Atlanta on Feb. 10 (see series information with all eight ACC opponents on pages 19-21).
> Tech has won 20 games for the first time since the 1995-96 season, when the Yellow Jackets finished 24-12, won the ACC regular season at 13-3, reached the finals of the ACC Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. It is the 11th 20-win season in the history of Georgia Tech basketball, and it is the third time head coach Paul Hewitt has coached a team to 20 wins (he did it twice in three seasons at Siena)
> Tech is in the Top 25 for the 15th straight week, this week at No. 14 in the Associated Press poll and No. 18 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. The Yellow Jackets debuted at No. 13 (AP) and No. 15 (coaches) on Dec. 1 following their Preseason NIT wins over No. 1 Connecticut and No. 25 Texas Tech.
> Tech is 3-0 on neutral courts this season, including wins over No. 1 Connecticut on Nov. 26 and No. 25 Texas Tech on Nov. 28.
TECH IN THE ACC TOURNAMENT
> Georgia Tech carries a 16-21 all-time record into its 25th ACC Tournament, but has lost its first-round game in six of the last seven years since 1996. Tech is 4-10 in ACC Tournament games played in Greensboro, N.C.
> Tech is 1-3 in tournament games under Paul Hewitt. The Yellow Jackets lost in the first round each of the last two years (92-83 to Wake Forest in 2002, 71-65 to NC State in 2003), but advanced to the semi-finals at the Georgia Dome in 2001, Paul Hewitt’s first season at Tech.
> Tech finished the regular season tied for third place with Wake Forest, its highest finish in four seasons under Paul Hewitt, but lost a coin flip Sunday night to get the fourth seed.
> Tech has been the No. 4 seed twice before, in 1988 in Greensboro and 1992 in Charlotte, and has a 1-2 record from that position. Tech lost to Maryland, 84-67, in 1988. In 1992, Tech beat Virginia, 68-56, in the first round before losing to Duke, 89-76.
> Tech is 2-4 vs. North Carolina in the ACC Tournament, both wins coming in championship games (1985, 1993).
> Tech’s 4-10 record in Greensboro is boosted by two runner-up finishes. The Yellow Jackets advanced to the finals of both the 1986 and 1996 tournaments, losing 68-67 to Duke in 1986 and 75-74 to Wake Forest in 1996. Tech has lost in the first round in each of the other seven tournaments in Greensboro in which it has played.
> Tech has won three ACC Tournament titles, in 1985 in Atlanta, 1990 in Charlotte, and 1993 in Charlotte, all under head coach Bobby Cremins.
> Tech has an 8-14 record in quarterfinal games, 5-3 in semi-final games and 3-2 in championship games.
> Only seniors Robert Brooks and Marvin Lewis among Tech’s current players have had the pleasure of advancing past the first round of the ACC Tournament. As freshmen, they helped the Yellow Jackets defeat Virginia in a thriller in the 2001 first round in Atlanta before dropping another tight contest to North Carolina in the semifinals. Assistant coach Willie Reese has been a part of two Tech teams to do so, in 2001 as an assistant coach, and in 1986 as a freshman, when the Jackets reached the finals before losing to Duke.
TECH BUILDS MOMENTUM WITH THREE STRAIGHT WINS
Georgia Tech enters the 2004 ACC Tournament with three straight victories, something the Yellow Jackets have done only once since the 1995-96 season. Tech was 6-7 on Feb. 25 following two straight home losses to Wake Forest and NC State, but earned a pair of road wins at Clemson and No. 3 Duke before finishing out the regular season with a homecourt win against Florida State.
> Tech has outscored those three opponents by an average of 10 points, shot 47.0 percent from the floor, 36.5 percent from three-point range and 75.6 percent from the free throw line.
> Tech has held the three opponents to 34.1 percent shooting from the floor and 26.6 percent from three-point range, while forcing an average of 17 turnovers over the three games.
> Tech has outrebounded the three teams on average by 3.4 per game.
> Tech has shot 19 more free throws than its opponents in the three games.
> Tech’s three opponents have tried 36 more field goals (27 more threes), but have made seven fewer, and have committed eight fewer turnovers in the three games.
> Marvin Lewis has been Tech’s top scorer over the three-game stretch, averaging 16.0 points a game while making 54.8 percent of his field goals and 54.5 percent of his threes. Jarrett Jack has averaged 14.7 points, 6.0 assists and 9.3 rebounds over the three games.
COACH HEWITT SAYS
“We are very pleased with the way our regular season ended, winning our last three games, at Clemson, at Duke, and playing a very, very difficult Florida State team on Saturday. I think our guys are playing some pretty consistent basketball. We have to cut down the turnovers. I have been saying since the beginning of February, I like how our team has been playing, and now we have the opportunity to play against a very good North Carolina team and a chance to see where we are. If we are indeed getting better and if we are getting better and build some momentum going into the Carolina game. If we can continue that momentum that can only mean good things for us down the road.”
Spirit of ACC Tournament changing with adding of teams — “I hope not. No one really knows the answer to that question. I think our league office does a great job of promoting this thing the right way. I think the new teams coming in will realize how special the ACC Tournament is and help raise the intensity level if nothing else. But the again, who knows? I hope it doesn’t because it truly is a great reward for our players. I know as a coach I really enjoy, at least before the tournament starts, being around it. Now, once the games start, that’s a different story.”
Quarterfinal match up against North Carolina like a second round match up in NCAA — “They are a very good team, and like I said at the start, we are playing well. If we continue to play well we can continue to make a solid case for ourselves moving to the NCAA Tournament.”
Staggering to think about the match ups that are just going to take place in the quarter finals — “I guess since I am four years into it now, I am kind of immune to it. I don’t look at it in those terms anymore. I just look at it like, this is our league, I’m glad I’m in it and glad I had a chance to participate in it.”
How tough is it going to be for anyone to put together enough wins to win ACC Tournament? — “Well, somebody’s going to win it. Who? I don’t know. Someone is going to be left standing, and that’s exactly it, left standing. I know all the games, starting with the game on Thursday night are meaningful games. You’ve got Virginia still playing for a right to get into the tournament. I think they have as much right as anybody. Then, obviously going into Friday, you have meaningful games, some very important games.”
On Jarrett Jack — “As I have said from the beginning since we left New York after the Preseason NIT, B.J. is probably our most talented player, but Jarrett is definitely our most important player. He’s the guy who sets the tone defensively on the ball. He creates the tempo that we like to play at. We play at a very fast pace. He rebounds. There were questions about our inside game at the start of the year, I think a lot of those have been answered. Early on we made a big emphasis, until our guys get down there and prove that they can do it, we need to get down there and rebound the ball. Jarrett has been down there rebounding. He had 12 rebounds against a very good Florida State team the other day. As I have said before also, a lot of people pointed to Chris Bosh and said that he was a big recruit for us, but Jarrett was our signature recruit.
“I like guards, guys of size, guys that can create tempo. He was the guy I thought that we had to get in order to establish how exactly we wanted to play here. Jarrett’s got size. He’s defensive minded. He can do a little bit of everything. To throw a pun out there, he’s a ‘Jack of all trades.’ He can do a little bit of everything. His outside game has improved dramatically from last year, which makes him even more dangerous. Overall in this league you’ve got great point guards. Probably starting with Chris Duhon as a senior who has led his team the past three years, and this year has done a tremendous job leading his team. The young man, Chris Paul who has come in and played as well as anybody. Ray Felton, of course, you can’t overlook him. And I’m sure I’m going to overlook somebody. T.J. Bannister of Virginia, you can point to their turnaround and say that T.J. Bannister led to their resurgence when he got to the starting lineup. It’s definitely one of the reasons why this is the best league in the country because you’ve got great point guard play. We feel like, in Jarrett, we have one of the best.”
On playing North Carolina in Greensboro — “We have a great opportunity to play against a very good team. If you play a team like North Carolina, it can only help you this time of year, whether you look at the strength of schedule or you are fortunate enough to get a win. There’s no drawback.”
On North Carolina – “They’re got explosive scorers. They put 103 points on us the first time. In the second game, Rashad McCants went for 31. So, our whole emphasis is going to be on the defensive end of the floor. I think offensively, we’re as good as I think we’re going to get. But we’ve got to continue to improve on defense. We were the best defensive team in the league this year, but we still have things we can improve on.
“With Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and Sean May, if you spend too much time thinking about one of them, the other two are going to hurt you. We really have to focus as a team on stopping all their guys, but in particular, Rashad McCants, who is the leading scorer in the league, Sean May, who scored 28 on us the first time, and Ray Felton, who does a really good job creating a lot of offense for them.”
On Tech’s approach to the ACC Tournament – “We finished the year playing some pretty good basketball in 2000-01 when we last went to the NCAA Tournament, and our focus is the same here. We have to improve on the defensive end. We have to keep getting better there, because that’s what creates a lot of offense and easy baskets for us.”
On how Tech’s depth will help if Tech plays three games – “I’ll tell you if we get to the third day. Right now, everybody’s got to be ready to play at Friday afternoon. We aren’t going to conserve anything. We’ve got to win Friday and then worry about whatever comes after that.”
On Tech’s three-game winning streak – “We have momentum and confidence coming into this tournament. Two of those games were on the road, so that helps us even more going on the road in this situation. It’s another sign of how we’ve matured.”
On Jarrett Jack’s recent play after a slump – “When he has played well and played solid basketball, our team has played very well. That’s another sign of how he’s matured. Some guys would throw their hands up, and some guys would push and improve. He continues to push and improve, and now in these last four or five ball games, he’s playing at an even higher level than he did early in the year.
“We’ll see how it goes. Will Bynum brings us something different when he’s in there, so I don’t think there is a need to play Jarrett 37 or 38 minutes. I think 32 or 33 minutes is a good number for him, because, not only does it give him a chance to rest, but it gives a chance to play Will Bynum who can do some different things.”
On the state of Tech’s team heading into the post-season — “We’ve improved every month. I think we’re playing better basketball now than we did at the beginning of the year. You’re supposed to be playing better this time of the year. In January and early February, we ran into some very good basketball teams, and our record may have looked mediocre to some. But we knew internally that this team was getting better. I think we’ve proved that with how we’ve finished out the regular season, and we have another chance to prove it again.”
“We’re playing in a league where a lot of teams are getting better. Carolina is playing well towards the end of the year. Beating North Carolina State at North Carolina State was a tremendous win for them. They took Duke right to the wire. So we know that’s going to be a very difficult ball game, and it will only help us to get better.”
On the ability to enjoy what is being billed as a great day for ACC basketball (Friday’s first round) — “I tell my players all the time. I tell them, this is your time now. This is your time to enjoy this experience playing college basketball. On a personal level, I’m enjoying it, too. I’m going to agonize over turnovers and missed shots. If we happen to lose a game, I’m going to be upset and disappointed. But, generally speaking, I’m definitely enjoying what is happening to these players.”
A LOOK AT TECH’S 20-WIN SEASONS
This year’s Georgia Tech team is the 11th in school history to win 20 games, but only one of those teams has ever won more than 22 (Tech’s current win total) during the regular season. The 1985-86 team entered the ACC Tournament with a 23-5 record, and finished the season 27-7 after reaching the ACC Tournament finals and the NCAA Sweet 16.
Here is a quick look at Tech’s 20-win campaigns, listed in order of highest win total first: 28 (1990), 27 (1985, 1986), 24 (1996), 23 (1971, 1992), 22 (1960, 1988, 2004), 21 (1963), 20 (1989).
QUICK LOOK AT TECH
Four Tech players are averaging in double figures this season, led by 6-4 junior B.J. Elder at 16.0 points a game, 6-3 sophomore Jarrett Jack (12.7 ppg), 6-4 senior Marvin Lewis (11.6 ppg) and 6-0 junior Will Bynum (10.1 ppg).
For the last 10 games, Tech has used the starting lineup with which it played the first 13 games of the season — Jack, Lewis and Elder at the guards, 6-7 junior Anthony McHenry at forward and 7-1 junior Luke Schenscher at center. The Jackets are 18-5 with this lineup, 4-3 with other starting fives. Jack and Schenscher are the only two players to start every game for Tech this season.
Elder, the ACC’s sixth-leading scorer, has scored in double figures in nine straight games, including 30 against North Carolina on Feb. 10 and 27 on Feb. 22 against Wake Forest. He has shot 47 percent over that stretch (44.4 from three-point range), and stands at 42.1 percent overall and 36.9 percent from three-point range for the season.
Jack has averaged 16.0 points in Tech’s last six games, and ranks third in the ACC in assist average (5.9 per game) and fifth in steals (2.00 per game), while shooting 47.4 percent from the floor.
Schenscher, who has averaged 11.0 points in his last four games, averages 8.7 points and a team-high 6.2 rebounds overall this season (9.1 ppg and 6.9 rpg vs. the ACC), hits 54.9 percent of his shots and ranks fourth in the league in blocks (1.57 per game).
Lewis has averaged 16.0 points over his last three games, including a season-high for a conference game with 21 against Florida State Saturday. He is shooting 45.0 percent from the floor and 42.1 percent from three-point range, and has a 45.7-percent success rate in ACC games after draining 5 of 10 against FSU.
McHenry, Tech’s primary defensive specialist who has started 25 of Tech’s 30 games this season, averages 2.7 points and 3.1 rebounds, but has scored 15 in the Jackets last three outings.
Tech uses four primary reserves, including Isma’il Muhammad, a 6-6 defensive whiz who averages 9.8 points per game, has made 59.9 percent of his field goal attempts this season and is Tech’s second-best rebounder at 4.7 per game. He scored 12 at Duke last Wednesday.
Bynum, Tech’s backup point guard, averages 10.1 points per game for the season and 11.2 points per game against the league. Clarence Moore, a 6-5 senior, averages 5.9 points and 4.7 rebounds for the season, and has hit 41.5 percent from three-point range. Theodis Tarver, a 6-9 sophomore (1.4 ppg, 1.6 ppg) and 6-8 senior Robert Brooks (1.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg) are Schenscher’s backups in the post.
ELDER, JACK MAKE ALL-ACC TEAMS
Georgia Tech backcourt mates B.J. Elder and Jarrett Jack each were named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference teams announced Monday by the Atlantic Coast Conference Media Association.
Elder, a 6-4 junior from Madison, Ga., earned a spot on the All-ACC second team, while Jack, a 6-3 sophomore from Fort Washington, Md., made the third team. Elder made the team for the second time, having earned a third-team spot as a sophomore last season.
DEFENSE REMAINS TECH’S FOUNDATION
Defensive pressure, both half-court and full-court, continues to be the catalyst for Tech and creates the offensive opportunities that have the Yellow Jackets averaging 78.1 points a game (fourth in the ACC, best in Paul Hewitt’s four years at Tech) and shooting 47.0 percent from the floor (second in the ACC, also Tech’s best under Hewitt).
> Tech’s defensive performance at Duke last Wednesday was reminiscent of its early-season efforts. The Jackets held the Blue Devils to just 34.3 percent from the floor and 27.6 percent from three-point range, blocked a season-high 11 shots and forced 20 turnovers.
> In the last three games, Tech allowed Duke, Clemson and Florida State to shoot just 34.1 percent collectively from the floor and 26.6 percent from three-point range. Tech also has blocked 16 shots, forced 51 turnovers and taken 25 steals.
> The Jackets have allowed only 11 teams to shoot 40 percent or better this season, and only three to shoot 50 percent, while limiting opponents to 38.2 percent collectively and 29.4 percent from three-point range.
> Tech ranks first in the ACC in field goal percentage defense in all games, first in league games only (40.8 pct.), and is the seventh-best in NCAA Division I basketball. Tech also leads the ACC in both three-point percentage defense in all games and in league games only (32.2 pct.).
> Tech’s FG percentage allowance of 38.2 percent would be the fourth lowest in school history if the season ended today, and the three-point yield would be a school record.
> Tech is 22-2 this season when it holds its opponent to less than 80 points. NC State is the only team to beat Tech (both meetings this season) without scoring 80 points. Tech has lost every game in which it allowed 80 or more points.
> Tech also ranks third in the ACC and 30th nationally in blocked shots (4.9 per game), and ranks second in the conference in league games only (5.5 per game).
FASTBREAK POINTS
> Tech has outrebounded its last two opponents (41-38 against Duke, 42-35 against Florida State) after going 13 straight games either losing or tying the battle of the boards. Tech has, however, given up 38 offensive boards in those two games.
> Tech has won four of its last five road games, the only loss at Virginia on Feb. 14. The wins came at Tennessee, Maryland, Clemson and Duke. The Jackets have shot 49.8 percent in those games and 42.7 percent from three-point range.
> Georgia Tech’s strength of schedule is rated the 8th most difficult in the country by the Sagarin Index and 24th by the RPI Report. Tech is 8-6 vs. the Top 50 of the RPI and 15-8 against teams in the top 100.
> The ACC is the strongest conference in the nation in both the RPI Report and Sagarin Index, and is the only conference to have all of its teams in the top 80 of the RPI.
> In its last three games, Tech has made 39 of 49 free throws in the second half (79.6 percent) and 75.6 percent overall. Tech is shooting 71.4 percent from the free throw line in ACC games this season, compared to 65.5 percent in non-conference games. Four Tech players are above 78 percent in league games (Will Bynum at 85.7, Marvin Lewis at 81.8, Jarrett Jack at 80.5, B.J. Elder at 78.7).
> Tech’s 11.9-point margin of victory this season is the third highest in the history of Tech basketball.
> Tech is shooting 74.0 percent from the foul line in ACC road games this season, and four players are above 80 percent in those games.
> Tech has been whistled for 410 fouls in the last 18 games (22.8 per game) after averaging just 18 in the first 12 games. Opponents have been to the free throw line 482 times in those games, compared to 433 for Tech. Sixteen Tech players have fouled out in the 18 games, compared with only three in the first 12.
> Only five times in 16 conference games has Tech been called for fewer fouls than its opponent. One of those came Mar. 3 at Duke (22 to 24)
> Giving up 80 points in a game has resulted in a loss for Tech every time this season. NC State is the only team to defeat Tech this season without scoring 80 points (76-72 on Jan. 24, and 79-69 on Feb. 25). The Jackets are 6-24 in the Paul Hewitt tenure when they give up 80 points. Conversely, when Tech has allowed less than 70 points, it is 20-0.
ROAD REVERSAL
At 7-5, Georgia Tech has posted its best road record since 1995-96, when the Yellow Jackets went 7-2 on opponents’ home floors, won its first ACC championship and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. This comes one year after Tech went 2-11 on the road, including 0-for-its-first-10 and a 1-7 mark in the ACC.
This year’s road record includes four ACC wins, the most for Tech in a season since the 1995-96 campaign. Only one Tech team has ever won five ACC games on the road (1985-86).
Tech has won 12 of its last 19 games away from its home court and nine of its last 15 on opponents’ home courts.
Ten of Tech’s 21 wins this season have occurred away from home, including a Jan. 20 triumph at No. 10 Wake Forest and Wednesday’s triumph at No. 3 Duke. Tech also has earned wins at Cornell, Ohio State and Tennessee this season, along with Preseason NIT wins at Madison Square Garden against No. 1 Connecticut and No. 25 Texas Tech.
