March 22, 2003
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team, which won its first-round game against Ohio State on Wednesday, will face Iowa at 8 p.m. EST Monday night for its second-round game in the Owens Corning National Invitation Tournament in Iowa City, Iowa.
The Yellow Jackets (15-14), in the post-season for the 16th time in the last 20 years, defeated Ohio State Wednesday, 72-58, for its third win in four games. Iowa (17-13) advanced by defeating Iowa State, 54-53, in Ames, Iowa on Friday night. The Hawkeyes were 7-9 in the Big Ten during the regular season and lost to Ohio State in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Monday’s game will be televised live on CSS-Atlanta (Cable Channel 45) as well as throughout the Southeast on the CSS network and in the state of Iowa on ESPN-Plus. Radio coverage is available on the Georgia Tech-ISP Radio Network and on WTSH-FM (107.1) in the Atlanta area or on the Internet at Tech’s official website, www.ramblinwreck.com.
The winner of Monday’s game will face Texas Tech on Wednesday night, most likely in Lubbock, Texas. The Red Raiders defeated San Diego State, 57-48, Friday night in a second-round game.
“We’re certainly happy to have won Wednesday and have a chance to play again,” said head coach Paul Hewitt. “Wednesday was a particularly good win because of the way we executed down the stretch. I thought it was the best we have executed in the last five to eight minutes of the game.
“Now we have the chance to see if we can carry this on the road. We went to Iowa two years ago. Marvin Lewis and Robert Brooks were on that team, so we have some familiarity with them. We know they’ll be physical and well-prepared.”
The Yellow Jackets, who finished fifth in the ACC standings with a 7-9 record, are playing an NIT road game for the first time since a 67-64 loss at Oregon in 1999. If Tech wins, it would advance to the quarterfinals for the fourth time in seven NIT appearances. The Jackets have not made it to the final four in New York in their three previous NIT appearances.
Tech’s win over Ohio State assures the Yellow Jackets of a .500 record for the season. A win Monday would assure Tech a winning record for the first time since 2001.
The 2003 NIT is Tech’s 19th post-season appearance overall, and seventh trip to the NIT. Monday’s game against Iowa is the third meeting for the Yellow Jackets against a Big Ten opponent this season and their second visit to Iowa in three years.
Hewitt made a change in the Tech starting lineup against Ohio State, giving freshman Theodis Tarver his first career start in place of sophomore Luke Schenscher. The move paid dividends in Tech’s 72-58 win as the 6-9 freshman scored nine points with four rebounds and three blocks.
He is joined in the starting five by 6-3 freshman Jarrett Jack at the point, 6-4 junior Marvin Lewis and 6-4 sophomore B.J. Elder on the wings, and 6-10 freshman Chris Bosh in the frontcourt. Bosh and Jack are the only Tech players to start every game this season.
Tech has three players ranked among the ACC’s top 18 in scoring, led by Bosh, a second-team all-ACC performer and the 2003 ACC Rookie of the Year, who ranks eighth in the ACC in scoring at 15.5 points per game, leads the ACC in field goal percentage (56.1) and blocked shots (2.17 per game) and is second in rebounding (8.9). Bosh, who has 12 double-doubles this season, has averaged 16.4 points and shot 60 percent from the floor in Tech’s last five games.
Elder and Lewis form one of the league’s top three-point shooting tandems. Elder, who has scored in double figures in five straight games, ranks ninth in the conference at 15.0 points a game overall, seventh in overall field goal percentage at 46.3 percent, and sixth in the league in three-point percentage (39.9). Lewis ranks 18th in the ACC overall at 12.4 points per game and is eighth in three-point percentage (37.0), but has struggled in his last three games (2-19 from three).
Jack, Tech’s fourth-leading scorer at 9.6 points along with 6.0 assists (fourth in the ACC), has given the Jackets another scoring threat of late, averaging 12.2 points over his last 13 games. Tarver, who has appeared in just 16 games this season, has averaged 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds while recording six blocks in the last four games.
Tech’s primary reserves include 6-8 sophomore Ed Nelson, the ACC’s sixth-leading rebounder at 6.8 per game along with 8.2 points a game; Isma’il Muhammad, a 6-6 sophomore forward averaging 5.8 points and 3.8 rebounds; and Anthony McHenry, a 6-7 sophomore averaging 1.9 points and 1.4 rebounds. Tech’s bench has averaged 19 points in the last four games.
Luke Schenscher, Tech’s 7-foot center, averages 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, while hitting 47.1 percent of his shots, but has played very few minutes in the last three games and did not play against Ohio State. Robert Brooks (0.7 ppg, 1.1 rpg), a 6-8 junior, has given the Jackets a lift in the last two weeks with key minutes off the bench in the post, while Jim Nystr?m, a 6-4 freshman from Sweden, has averaged 1.2 points in limited play as a backcourt reserve.
TECH IN THE NIT
*This is Georgia Tech’s seventh appearance in the National Invitation Tournament, and the Yellow Jackets have a 7-6 overall record (see page 11 for more details). The Yellow Jackets defeated Ohio State at home last Wednesday, 72-58, in the first round.
*Tech’s last appearance occurred in 1999, a 67-64 loss at Oregon in the first round.
*Tech has also appeared in the NIT in 1970, 1971, 1984, 1994 and 1998. The Jackets reached the finals of the 1971 tournament at Madison Square Garden, losing 84-64 to North Carolina in the championship game. Tech’s deepest advance into the NIT since then was the quarterfinals in 1998, when the Yellow Jackets played three home games, defeating Seton Hall and Georgetown before falling to Penn State.
*Tech has suffered three first-round losses in the NIT, all on the road to Virginia Tech (1984), Siena (1994) and Oregon (1999).
*Since the NIT moved its early rounds to campus sites in 1977, Tech has not advanced to the final four in New York. It has, however, reached the final four of the Pre-Season NIT twice.
TECH DEFEATS OHIO STATE IN FIRST ROUND
Georgia Tech defeated Ohio State, 72-58, in the first round of the NIT Wednesday in Atlanta. Tech shot 53.1 percent in the game, the seventh time it has shot 50 percent this season, while holding Ohio State to 40 percent from the floor.
After trailing by one at halftime, Tech shot 57.1 percent in the second half and limited the Buckeyes to 26.9 percent (7-of-26). The Yellow Jackets pulled away with an 18-4 run which expanded a 48-47 lead at around the 12-minute mark to a 66-51 advantage with less than five minutes to play.
Chris Bosh led the Jackets with 18 points (6-9 FG) and seven rebounds, while B.J. Elder scored 12 and Marvin Lewis added 11. Freshman Theodis Tarver, making his first collegiate start, scored nine points.
Tech held the Buckeyes’ leading scorer, Brent Darby, to just 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting from the floor.
TECH SERIES VS. IOWA
*Georgia Tech and Iowa met for the first time ever two years ago in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The Hawkeyes defeated the Yellow Jackets, 85-67, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Marvin Lewis (15 points) and Robert Brooks (7 points) are the only two current Tech players who played in that game.
*Iowa is the third Big Ten team Tech has faced this season. The Yellow Jackets dropped a 64-63 decision at Minnesota on Dec. 4, in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, and defeated Ohio State, 72-58, in the first round of the NIT last Wednesday. Tech is 11-28 all-time against the Big Ten.
*This is Iowa’s second meeting with an ACC foe this season. The Hawkeyes lost to Florida State, 80-67, in Tallahassee on Dec. 2 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
*Common opponents this season: Iowa visited Florida State on Dec. 2 and lost, 80-67. Tech split its two meetings with FSU this season, winning 81-74 at home and losing 71-64 in Tallahassee. Iowa lost its only meeting with Minnesota, 77-64, in Minneapolis on Feb. 12. The Hawkeyes lost two of three meetings with Ohio State, winning 71-64 in Columbus on Feb. 25, but losing 83-72 at home on Jan. 25 and 66-64 in the Big Ten Tournament.
FINALLY, SUCCESS ON THE ROAD
The Yellow Jackets finally achieved their first road win of the season in their last regular-season opportunity, a 90-73 triumph at Virginia Mar. 5. Tech is 1-10 on opponents’ home courts this year, including an 1-7 mark in the ACC. Tech’s only other win away from home this season was a 67-53 decision against Marist at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 7, and the Jackets lost their only other neutral court games to Tennessee on Dec. 15 and NC State in the ACC Tournament.
Away from home this season, Tech has shot just 26 percent from three-point range and 41.9 percent overall from the floor.
TECH SCORING INSIDE, NOT OUT
Georgia Tech’s biggest problem over the last month of the season has been scoring from the perimeter. Since defeating Maryland, 90-84, on Feb. 9, the Yellow Jackets have averaged 67.2 points a game, almost eight points below their season average, and that includes a 90-point outburst at Virginia on Mar. 5.
The main culprit has been a brown-out from the perimeter. Tech has managed just 27.5 percent from behind the three-point line over the same period (38-of-138), and has struggled even more over the last six games at 24.7 percent (20-of-81). Tech shot 53.1 percent Wednesday night against Ohio State, but made only five of 16 three-point attempts.
Tech has done a much more effective job of getting the ball inside in its last five games, however. The Jackets scored 194 of their 359 points in the paint, including 52 against Virginia (best since Tech’s season opener) and 40 of 65 against NC State in the ACC Tournament.
The emphasis on getting the ball inside has resulted in three 50-percent efforts (50 pct. vs. North Carolina, 54.7 vs.Virginia and 53.1 vs. Ohio State) in the last five games.
TECH GETTING LIFT FROM BENCH
Georgia Tech has gotten increased offensive contributions from its bench in the month of March, beginning with a 17-point win at Virginia on Mar. 5.
The newfound spark was most apparent Wednesday night against Ohio State, when the Yellow Jackets’ reserves chipped in 16 points, including eight from Isma’il Muhammad and four each from Ed Nelson and Anthony McHenry.
Tech’s bench has averaged 19 points a game from Virginia forward, including 27 against the Cavaliers, 13 against Clemson and 20 against NC State.
Muhammad, who along with McHenry provide tough defense, has been most consistent during that stretch, averaging 6.8 points and 4.3 rebounds while hitting 12-of-24 shots from the floor. He and McHenry are noted most for their defensive abilities off the bench. Robert Brooks scored a total of 10 points in games at North Carolina (Mar. 1) and Virginia.
Theodis Tarver, a 6-9 freshman, has played and practiced so well during the stretch that he earned his first start against Ohio State, scoring a career-high nine points (3-3 FG) with four rebounds.
