New Ivy League

Between my undergrad from GT and my MBA from Binghamton.... I want a raise.

This has to be one of the best weekends ever for rap. This shit is hilarious. Even with what Drake just dropped tonight (which was incredibly weak) Kendrick is double frying his ass. What say you?

Anyone watched the Man in Full series on Netflix?
A bit disappointed so far, given what it could’ve been. But, nonetheless cool to see the book come to life with all the atlanta landmarks. Plus I think they nailed the Charlie Crocker character.

Hate that they didn’t keep it in the era of the book for one..

Anyone catch this on Netflix last night? Absolutely hilarious and well done by everyone except Ben Affleck. One of the funniest things I've seen in quite some while -- should bring back comedy hopefully. Highly recommend watching.

do you think that by August we will have gotten all the players we want or will still be missing something?

KQ- You never get everything you want even if you are Nick Saban or Kirby Smart or in the hoops world Slick Rick or Coach Cal. There are always going to be holes someone in your roster.

In basketball recruiting, Stoudamire has several perimeter players headed to GT but Doryan is the only big. From ten thousand feet it appears that we must add a serviceable shot blocker/rebounder.,But on every big man who is in the conversation but goes elsewhere there’s a “that’s OK, we didn’t recruit him hard” reaction. Coleman-Jones sounded perfect but chose SD State. Was that about NIL $$? Do you think we should remain optimistic that CDS will land a good quality big man or should we temper expectations?

KQ- Well, first off HMJ you forget about Cole Kirouac and the guy they just redshirted last year Ibrahim Souare so they have three what I would call true big men and Baye Ndongo who often played the five especially when they want to run and play smaller against many teams.

Do I think they want to find an experienced big who fits in, yes. They have been pretty active, but have been either outbid or just not in the final mix for several targets. Damon is being picky with the spot after the Ebe thing last year. I have no clue what will happen, but I know they are still looking, but they can win just as much playing varied lineups especially with the lack of dominant bigs in the ACC next year.

Will we win an ACC Championship in football in @halfmetaljacket's lifetime?

KQ- I hope so for all of our sakes.

If one wanted to learn more about the x's and O's of football, what would you recommend? Any good YouTube channels or books? Or should I just dust off my copy of the Idiots Guide to Football that I bought but never opened for my Dabo Swinney Costume circa 2011?

KQ- To be honest it depends on what you are trying to learn. Do you want to learn the why part or just like the function of plays, assignments, or whatnot? I learned a lot by both playing the Xbox to multiple deaths on NCAA football and Madden back in the day along with playing football in my youth through HS. There are probably people who could point you in a better direction than I can.

Do you still think we will have a top 25 - 30 football recruiting class?

KQ- Probably, the cards are playing out like I thought they would. GT needs to have an okay season for that to happen though.

Does CDS get a big man from the portal this Spring/Summer?

KQ- Probably, it is harder for me to make a call on that because there are so many guys in the portal right now that I lack the time to understand or breakdown who is good or who isn't. A few years ago it was a lot easier because there would be like 3-4 legit guys and then people likes James Banks who were transferring and you'd figure it out based on your ability to make something happen or not. Now it can be money, promised playing time, agents, or hell in some cases guys can't transfer because the credits won't work. Deivon Smith just went through a lot because of that.

If we stay healthy in football this season do we win 7+ games?

KQ- I think the odds are in GT's favor if Santucci puts together just a solid defense. It doesn't need to be great. Just middle of the pack.

How many Georgia Tech football players were expected to enter the transfer portal that did not?

KQ- There were two guys I had penciled in as going. One is very obvious and I think the other it just isn't working out for him at GT, but I think the first one they couldn't really land an upgrade at the position given the depth there and the other they may want to give him more time to develop.

How does the post-spring portal usually go, player quality-wise? I get the sense that if every team is saying goodbye to players (as opposed to the other way around) then we’ll mostly be looking at guys that other coaches didn’t think could be contributors?

KQ- Not at all. There are kids still taking visits, commitments still going down all over the place and it will be a long process over the coming months. There is basically no need to rush into a decision unless you are absolutely sure about where you want to go. Yes some guys in the portal were recruited over and some guys may have been pushed out, but those are not the fish Brent Key is reeling into the boat. Those are the guys that helped get his predecessor fired like AC for example.

What are our chances to actually upgrade or add quality depth to the remaining positions? All that said I am very excited about the post-spring players like Romello Height that we’ve already added.

KQ- Decent, there are still quality guys out there. USF landed a DT over NC State and some others the other day who is pretty good from FAU. You just have to look around, work your sources and trust your evaluation. This is more akin to MLB where you see crazy stuff like Jordan Montgomery or JD Martinez or Blake Snell sign during/after spring training. It is a buyer's markets not a seller's market.

Any idea when we can expect some 2025 football commitments?

KQ- June, GT had 6 commits a year ago at this time but three of them were guys they didn't end up signing after doing deeper evaluations. Key is trying to avoid that by not loading up on questionable kids. The bulk of the class committed over the summer after OVs. That is the normal process now. The early commits stick the least.

What team in football this year other than uga do you think is the worst matchup as far as personal and schemes?

KQ- I guess I will say ND. As I've said a few times I really am not up on everyone's roster right now and I am waiting until all the portal dominoes fall before I start learning personnel at different programs.

Have you heard if they're continuing the "Helluva Block Party" next year? Is there any word on how pleased J Batt was with that one? Personally, I thought it was great decision-making!

KQ- I have not. The next time I see someone from the GTAA HQ I will try to remember to ask. That is just one of those things that never occurs to me.

With Cyril, Coleman-Jones, and Omier committed elsewhere, has there been any new names come into play that CDS is looking at other than Muhammad?

KQ- Things have been pretty tight-lipped after Sean Stewart's people canceled his scheduled visit here. I'm sure they are doing more evals and weighing options. I'll add they never had a shot at Norchad Omier, he entered the portal with a DO NOT CONTACT on his profile which means the deal to Baylor was already worked out before he entered the portal. They didn't want Coleman-Jones for reasons that I haven't pieced together yet. Somto Cyril pretty much just leveraged a GT visit they were not super excited about to get more money from Mike White from what I've heard. Cyril made no sense because he is a worse fit than the other bigs already on the roster because he is a very limited piece basically dunks and blocks shots and they want all-around big guys. Doryan is much more likely to play than Cyril would've been. But because of the OTE relationship, you take the call and visit the kid. I'm still digging on what the plan is moving ahead.

Congrats to these new alumni. Really hope Lamprecht shows out at the next level, starting to get a little lean on the PGA Tour with guys like Kuch and Cink over the hump. Go Jackets!

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Underway. Burress already on base.

Purchase Tickets



THE FLATS – Georgia Tech has designated its highly anticipated baseball game against longtime SEC foe Auburn on Tuesday, May 7 as its White Out game, it was announced today.



Fans are encouraged to wear white for the contest, which will be played under the lights at Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium (7 p.m. first pitch) and be nationally televised on ACC Network. There will also be a white adidas T-shirt giveaway to the first 250 fans!



The Yellow Jackets (27-15, 11-10 ACC) have won four-straight conference series, including two nationally ranked foes, as they prepare to host the Tigers (21-22, 3-18 SEC). Tech became only the fourth program to win four-straight ACC series this season – joining No. 4 Clemson, No. 10 Duke and Virginia Tech – when they walloped Miami (Fla.), outscoring the Hurricanes 26-5 over the final two games.



Tickets are still available for Tech’s remaining five games at home, including Auburn, nationally ranked Duke and in-state foe Mercer, and can be purchased by visiting ramblinwreck.com/tickets or by clicking HERE!

Thanks to our sponsor Inteleca for helping bring back Q's Take my weekly look at things around GT and college sports from my vantage.




We are currently in the weird time just before OV season and camp season get into full swing and while spring football evaluations are going on. This is always a strange time of year and may be one of the few decompression points for those of us who cover college football and basketball. The portal closed without much drama for Georgia Tech.

On Miles Kelly's probably departure, he would be taking a pay cut and a reduced role to stay. It seemed like it wasn't working so I can understand why he would want to explore his options. Playing pro ball at this point is a bit of a pipe dream so he needs to go be the 4th guy somewhere. Maybe he can land at Arkansas or UK or something like that, but I'm unsure of what his market looks like. It sounds like the door isn't completely closed on him coming back either, but as I've said I would be very surprised if that happened at this point and they have his position pretty well covered between the new additions like Javian McCollum who can play the 1 or the 2, Lance Terry coming back who can also play both spots and guys like Luke O'Brien who they just added who can play 2-4 on the court and Kowacie Reeves who can also play 2-4 and the newcomer Jaeden Mustaf. Mustaf is probably the guy who benefits the most from Miles leaving.

Overall, GT Hoops lost 6 players assuming Baye Ndongo withdraws from the draft which is what I've been told to expect and the Jackets added six players with two spots left to fill or not fill via the portal. They are still looking for a big and a possible additional piece elsewhere with the final spots, but they are getting outbid on most big men so far. The market is truly nuts for even unproven guys like Sean Stewart from Duke who the staff felt good about at one point. Damon is being picky with his final spots because of team chemistry and fit.

On the football side, Brent Key avoided any surprise Akelo Stone-type departures. It was mostly guys either third-string or worse or guys who are grad transferring out to hopefully get a chance to start or pla real snaps elsewhere like Khari Gee. Out of all the guys who left since December/January, Kyle Kennard was the biggest loss and they replaced him with Romello Height who has essentially had pretty much the same production at the same spot. I think they upgraded from Kenan Johnson with Warren Burrell from what I've seen and heard both on and off the field at CB and really the only other starter-type guy who left was KJ Wallace who was very hot and cold at the nickel spot and who I liked but never really was a major playmaker there. That is probably the biggest upcoming position battle of fall camp. Losing D'Quan Douse also hurt, but that guy did his full four years of playing ball at GT so I look at that as time served for him and he has his degree as well. I look at Douse and Wallace leaving as normal CFB business now if they finished school up. Good for them to have a different experience because neither are likely NFL prospects IMO.

Key has done a really solid job of filling out his roster and adding experienced pieces and a few younger prospects to backfill some recruiting misses and the transfers out.

This summer both football and hoops will have summer camps in June and lots of prospects on campus and JOL will be all over that action. I think both are in good hands at the moment and it is an exciting time for GT sports in the two money makers.

Not sure how many have visited the Centurion Lounge yet at Hartsfield, but this place is legit! Definite step up from Delta SkyClub and not as busy. As you were.

**

Wild night tonight at Shaky Knees with my oldest son taking him to see the Foo Fighters. Trip started with a flat tire in my neighborhood so it’s been a long ass day. Took forever to get home and I’m going to relax for a bit and then get some sleep and reset tomorrow with Q’s Take and the Mailbag.

Fire away

LOL - it’s a hard knock life over in Athens.

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Story with quotes- https://georgiatech.rivals.com/news...e-andre-fuller-jr-kicks-off-2025-class-for-gt

It feels like just yesterday that the JOL community was carrying pitchforks and calling for a mid-season firing/retirement of Georgia Tech baseball head coach Danny Hall.

They looked lost. The transfer portal additions to the lineup looked more like expired band-aids than they did a bridge to the future contributors.

Pitching had regressed, and the team looked dead in the water. Any postseason hopes being discussed

The time has come to give this team, and coaching staff, some credit. Since being swept by BC at the end of March, things have changed drastically.

Going 12-6 on paper may not seem too impressive, but when you take a look closer at some of the results, you start to realize things may have actually be different-

4/2- W, 9-8 over Presbyterian

Trailing 7-2 in the 4th inning, Georgia Tech rallied late (including three runs in the 9th) to tie the game. Pitching was a disaster in this one, until Dawson Brown came in, pitched three scoreless and struck out seven which allowed the bats the opportunity.

The vibe on the board during this one was full of doom and gloom, and the fact that it took a suicide squeeze by Parker Brosius to beat Presbyterian certainly did not help matters.

But leading up to that moment was the comeback. The combination of the present and the future of GT Baseball on full-display. Matthew Ellis hit a solo HR, and from there Carson Kerce and Ryan Jaros both had big moments, and Drew Burress tied the game with an RBI walk with the bases loaded.

The vibe looking back, though, is one that really thinks this may have been the turning point of the season.

4/13- W 19-0 over Virginia Tech

Coming off an embarrassing 11-1 loss the night before, a big performance was needed and a big performance was given.

Cam Jones had already been impressive in spurts, but this start for him felt like the one that really flipped the switch for him as a starter. Jones came to Georgia Tech from in-state foe Georgia State to be able to have the chance to compete in environments like this. His start on Friday night vs. Clemson was rough, though.

In the best start of the season, and likely his college career, Jones pitched a complete game (7 IP, 3 H, 0 BB and 6 K) and saved the bullpen for a rubber match in which every arm was needed en route to a 11-7 win.

Overall, since the BC series, Georgia Tech is averaging 9.5 runs/game, and has run ruled Virginia, Miami, and Kennesaw State as well as the Hokies.

After rallying again from a big deficit in game two on Friday at Clemson, Georgia Tech has a chance to steal a series tomorrow against Clemson, a team being projected by experts at both D1 Baseball and Baseball America to be the No. 3 national seed when the NCAA Tournament regionals are announced later this month.

Clemson's struggles defensively this season have been discussed already on JOL this weekend, but in game two on Friday night, their struggles in that facet of the game played a big role.

Just as much of a factor the defense for the Tigers played, the exact opposite can be said about Georgia Tech in the same breath. After struggling a bit at SS earlier in the season, NC State transfer Payton Green has found himself defensively. In the last 10 games, Green has had just one error.

The same can be said for the team overall, having played clean baseball defensively during this stretch.

The names to keep a close eye on tomorrow are-

GEORGIA TECH

OF Drew Burress - Does this one even need to be explained? Burress has been such a big part of this team, and his success this season has to have GT fans excited knowing he still has two more years to play before entering the MLB Draft.

SP Tate McKee- The big question for tomorrow- which Tate McKee is going to show up? Another big member of the future of GT Baseball, McKee looked like himself again last week against Miami, pitching 5 innings of one-run ball with 9 K and two walks. The previous two outings (against VT, UVA respectively) he combined to give up 11 ER with just 2 K. In those outings, McKee simply wasn't missing bats, and got himself in trouble as a result.

If he's able to command the zone and void any big innings, the pressure on the bullpen in this one will decrease drastically.

If he's missing his spots and giving up hard contact, things could get out of hand in a hurry.

1B/OF Cam Jones- Jones, as has been discussed above, is coming off a rough start on Friday night on the mound. He's got a chance to redeem himself in a big way on Sunday, but he isn't on this list simply because of his bat. Jones has the type of speed and awareness on the basepaths that can change the landscape of a game quickly.

Against a Clemson defense searching for answers in a big way, Jones can keep them out of their comfort zone by continuin to hit the ball well and being aggressive on the bases.

Just not too aggressive.

CLEMSON

3B Blake Wright- Clemson's offense this season has revolved around Wright, for better or worse. Wright comes into Sunday's game already having 10 RBI in the first two games of the series, adding to his team-leading total now at 64. With just 24 K and 10 BB, Wright simply finds a way to make contact more often than not, which is something that McKee (see above) has struggled with at times this season.

SP Aidan Knaak- Knaak, a freshman from Florida that was highly-ranked out of high school, struggled earlier in the season when he was thrown into the mix due to injuries to the Tigers' rotation.

His last two outings have been dominant, though, and have the TIgers feeling confident heading into Sunday. After pitching 8 shutout innings against NC State, Knaak followed it up with another scoreless outing, this time against Pitt.

Knaak is a big strikeout pitcher, entering Sunday's start with 75 K in 59 IP.

The matchup between Wright and McKee, imo, is the matchup that will determine the fate of the game. Well, that matchup and Burress vs. Knaak.

Three of those four "x-factor" players listed above are freshman. The future is bright for the ACC.

Following tomorrow's matchup, Georgia Tech will host an Auburn team that entered play on Saturday 3-19 in the SEC before hosting Duke, another team expected to be a national seed, next weekend.

This team certainly has its flaws, and tomorrow may not go the way of the Jackets, but this team has done enough to solidify themselves on the bubble and they deserve your attention, regardless of your feelings on long-time head coach Danny Hall.

THE FLATS – Help celebrate Mother’s Day by entering to win the opportunity to gift a special piece of jewelry. In partnership with D. Geller & Son, Georgia Tech athletics is launching a Mother’s Day campaign, giving fans a chance to win one of four prizes. The entry period into the giveaway will run May 3 through May 11.

Fans can enter for a chance to win one of the outstanding prizes with the purchase of football, men’s basketball or women’s basketball season tickets. Every season ticket purchased counts as one entry into the giveaway. The deadline to purchase season tickets for entry into the giveaway is May 11. Official rules and conditions for the “Mother’s Day Giveaway” are linked below.

Official Rules and Conditions

Winners will be announced for the giveaway leading up to Mother’s Day. The rollout for the campaign is as follows:

• Winner announced May 8: Gift card ($500)
• Winner announced May 9: Gift card ($1,000)
• Winner announced May 10: Gift card ($1,500)
• Winner announced May 12: Gift card ($2,000)

Fans can purchase football, men’s basketball or women’s basketball season tickets by visiting RamblinWreck.com or by calling the Georgia Tech ticket office at 1-888-TECH-TIX.

To get a start on your Mother’s Day shopping, please visit D. Geller & Son.

If you're not a fan of Kyle Sturdivant at this point, honestly, you can eat shit and **** off.

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FRI- Aeden Finateri
SAT- Cam Jones
SUN- Tate McKee

From what I’ve seen, Clemson’s pitching staff will be back to 100%.

They’re going with-

FRI- LHP Tristan Smith
SAT- LHP Ethan Darden
SUN- RHP Aiden Knaak

THE FLATS – Luke O’Brien, a 6-8 wing player who developed into a key member of the rotation at Colorado the last three years and helped the Buffaloes to four post-season appearances, has signed a grant-in-aid to join the Georgia Tech men’s basketball program. He will have one season of eligibility with the Yellow Jackets.

O’Brien has played 111 games in his college career, and the Buffaloes earned bids to the NCAA Tournament and NIT twice each during his career. He helped lead Colorado to a school-record 26 wins in 2023-24, advancing to the championship game of the Pac-12 Tournament and earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament. He played in 35 games, starting 19, including the final 10 of the season.

“Luke brings good experience and shooting to our team,” said Tech head coach Damon Stoudamire. ”He’s played in the NCAA tournament and knows what it takes to compete and win at a high level. His leadership will be invaluable as we go into the 2024-25 season.”

The Littleton, Colo., native averaged career bests in points (6.7) and rebounds (3.8), while connecting on 45.6 percent of his shots from the floor, 37.6 percent from three-point range and 65.8 percent from the foul line. O’Brien scored in double digits 10 times, two of those against Pac-12 teams and one in Colorado’s second-round NCAA Tournament win over Florida, when he went 5-for-5 from the floor and scored 12 points. After the season, O’Brien was awarded the team’s Tebo P.A.S.S. Award, given to the player who best exemplifies the virtues of Perseverance, Attitude, Selflessness and Success.

As a junior, O’Brien led the Colorado team in total rebounds (185) with his 5.6 average ranking second. He topped the Buffaloes in rebounds 12 times, including 10 of the final 15 games of the season. He started 10 games, including seven of the last 10. He averaged 9.0 points and 8.0 rebounds over the team’s final seven games.

O’Brien is the second transfer to commit to the Yellow Jackets, joining 6-2 guard Javian McCollum from Oklahoma. They join a team bolstered by a recruiting class that has been rated the 12th-best in the nation with high school prospects Cole Kirouac, a 6-11 center from Cumming, Ga., who attended Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., his senior year, Jaeden Mustaf of Bowie, Md., a 6-4 guard who also attended Overtime Elite, Doryan Onwuchekwa, a 6-11 center from DeSoto, Texas who attended Faith Family Academy of Oak Cliff, andDarrion Sutton, a 6-8 forward from St. Louis, Mo., who attends Overtime Elite in Atlanta.

THE FLATS – Seventy-eight student-athletes are among the Georgia Tech students that will walk across the stage this weekend as a part of the Institute’s Spring 2024 commencement ceremonies at McCamish Pavilion.



The graduating student-athletes include:



Baseball

Dawson Brown (business administration)

Drew Byers (business administration)

Deck McGuire (business administration)

Zac Ryan (business administration)



Men’s Basketball

Lance Terry (history, technology and society)

Kyle Sturdivant (business administration)



Women’s Basketball

Avyonce Carter (business administration)

Anisa Clark (psychology)

Aixa Wone Aranaz (psychology)



Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field

Leif Anderson (industrial engineering)

Jackson Borden (business administration)

Mac Bloodworth (mechanical engineering)

Harrison Fultz (business administration)

Zachary Jaeger (business administration)

Jameson Miller (master’s – mechanical engineering)

Nicklas Nyman (business administration)

Jean-Lou Pare (mechanical engineering)

Charles Smith (mechanical engineering)

Jack Voss (business administration)



Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field

Chloe Davis (literature, media and communication)

Tacari Demery (psychology)

Sheleah Harris (computational media)

Helena Lindsay (master’s – geographic information science and technology, master’s – urban analytics)

Camille Trotman (literature, media and communication)

McKenna Trapheagen (business administration)

Lydia Troupe (psychology)

Anna Witherspoon (business administration)



Football

LaMiles Brooks (business administration)

Wing Green (business administration)

Jakiah Leftwich (business administration)

Ryan Mannelly (master’s – real estate development)

Tyson Meiguez (business administration)

Anthony Minella (business administration)

Eric Reed Jr. (literature, media and communication)

David Shanahan (business administration)

Chase Sippola (civil engineering)

Gavin Stewart (master’s – analytics)

Billy Ward (business administration)

Jordan Williams (business administration)



Golf

Adam Bratton (business administration)

Aidan Kramer (business administration)

Christo Lamprecht (industrial engineering)



Softball

Sara Beth Allen (business administration)

Mallorie Black (business administration)

Chandler Dennis (psychology)

Abigail Hughes (mechanical engineering)

Blake Neleman (civil engineering)

Sandra Pritchett (business administration)

Jin Sileo (industrial engineering)



Men’s Swimming and Diving

Justin Alderson (mechanical engineering)

Caleb Bilschke (economics)

Ruben Lechuga (business administration)

Antonio Romero (computer engineering)



Women’s Swimming and Diving

Anna Bradescu (mathematics)

Claudia Butterfield (business administration)

Astrid Dirkwager (industrial engineering)

Rei Kuramoto (civil engineering)

Lindsey Merk (business administration)

Ariana Sakellaris (biology)



Men’s Tennis

Keshav Chopra (business administration)

Andres Martin (industrial engineering)

Marcus McDaniel (industrial engineering)



Women’s Tennis

Mahak Jain (business administration)

Carol Lee (business administration)

Ruth Marsh (business administration)



Volleyball

Isabella D’Amico (business administration)

Kali Engeman (industrial engineering)

Liz Patterson (business administration)



Spirit

Ttabitha D’Amato (master’s – aerospace engineering)

Joyce Deng (computer science)

Martin Griffin (neuroscience)

Samantha Noe (civil engineering)

Hope Phan (computer science)

Danille Ruggerio (business administration)

Virginia Schreiber (industrial design)

Eleizabeth Schupp (industrial engineering)

Melanie Webster (industrial engineering)

Marybeth Yonk (neuroscience)



A total of four commencement ceremonies for bachelor’s and master’s graduates are being held at McCamish Pavilion on Friday and Saturday.



In 2023, Georgia Tech athletics set a new all-time record for the third-straight year by posting a 92% NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR). Prior to 2021, Georgia Tech had never achieved a GSR above 90% and prior to 2016, Tech never had a GSR above 85%. Georgia Tech’s 92% GSR is also higher than the national average of 90%, while 10 of the Yellow Jackets’ 13 teams – women’s basketball, men’s cross country/track & field, women’s cross country/track & field, football, golf, softball, men’s swimming & diving, women’s swimming & diving, men’s tennis and volleyball – have individual team GSRs that are at or above the national average in their respective sports. Leading the way are women’s basketball, golf, softball, men’s tennis and volleyball, which all have perfect 100% GSRs.