HOOPS RECRUITING 5-star F Bryson Tiller has locked in an OV to GT
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JOL Mailbag 7/28 Sponsored by Auto-Owners Insurance
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Up top a quick programming note, I'm moving Q's take during Fall Camp to Thursdays. It will work out better schedule-wise for me to do it then.
A good season for GT hoops would be what?
KQ- I think a top 10 finish in the ACC and a postseason invite, play-in NCAAT or NIT would be a good step forward. Anything more than that is awesome. Anything less than that I'd be curious what went wrong and how Damon will fix it or if there were injuries or other factors.
In 5 years, GT is “what?” in the perception of the country? How are we viewed?
KQ- I have no idea. I don't know what 2025-26 will look like right now to be blunt. I think a lot rides on how Damon and Brent do in their respective sports and how long J Batt stays at Georgia Tech. I am sure if he continues to do a good job other programs will try to lure him away.
Can you notice a difference physically from last year to this year? Is there anything Artis focused on that you notice? Any guys that stand out for making really good gains?
KQ- Yes, the team is in really good shape and relatively healthy. They are probably only missing about four of five scholarship guys right now and typically that number is a lot higher out of the 85-roster going into camp. I think also the culture the Key is setting up and AJ and his staff are selling of accountability and player-led leadership is a big part of this as well.
Are there any surprising standouts so far in camp? Which transfers do you believe will make an instant impact?
KQ- They are running around in shorts so I don't put much stock in that. Everyone looks good until you get hit in the mouth. Jeff Sims looked like Lamar Jackson until he started taking shots in games. I think they got a lot bigger on the LOS with Keylan Rutledge on the OL and Jordan van den Berg plus the freshmen DLs they brought in like Uche Iloh and Amontrae Bradford. The team is trending in the right direction with size. I think Tyler Santucci hit on something when talking about Tren Tatum this week and how he has added weight and looks stronger.
Impact transfers, on offense Rutledge should be the starting RG and Jackson Hawes will be one of the top two TEs. I'll be curious to see if Josh Beetham ends up as the third guy in the rotation with Brett Seither and Hawes, that is something to keep an eye on or if it is Ryland Goede or Avery Boyd or someone else. I mentioned van den Berg up top, Romello Height has a chance to be someone special and they LOVE Warren Burrell at CB.
Do you see the ACC playing games in other international locations other than Ireland? I know other conferences are, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything
KQ- Other than the Bahamas Bowl I am not aware of any other games being played outside of Ireland or currently scheduled. Could we see more of that in the future? Absolutely, if TV wants to pay for it, then it will happen.
I’m trying to wrap my head around the new economics of CFB and a couple of questions - curious to get your gauge:
1) is Stadium and fan experience important? If so - to what degree do you invest there over nil?
KQ- I think stadium experience is a key driver these days to get people to continue showing up especially once they have families. If the food sucks, the bathroom is gross and there isn't booze, it will be hard to get a significant other and kids to come to the game six times a year or more in hoops. I think you have to invest there because the stadium is important in selling the program and the future especially in recruiting. Duke football has had lots of money from Iron Dukes but there are like 3k in the stadium sometimes and that is part of why they struggle in recruiting in football when things are equal or close to it.
2) college baseball kind of feels like no man’s land. It’s not track & field in terms of pure cost center, but it’s not football. If you advised any AD, to what degree does that get funding at the expense of mens bball or football? (Non GT - P4 athletics in general)
KQ- Ideally you want baseball to be neutral financially or make some modest profits. If I am GT's AD I am spending my money on football and hoops and funneling it there because that moves the needle. If you perform in those sports then you will have more resources to spend on other programs eventually. This gets back to why I was so against pushing Danny Hall out the door. Let him have his swan song, make him continue to raise money (he is good at this) once he is retired after he has his last crack at it. Financially it made no sense to cut ties with the guy who has self-funded his program. It is like if golf suddenly was bad for several years. Bruce brings in so much money and goodwill he can leave on his own terms at this point.
3) if you’re the HC at GT and find a 5* recruit with genuine interest in GT - how would you think about offering them NIL knowing that veteran players either have zero or less than the going rate for a high profile recruit?
KQ- You do what Brent Key does, everyone knows where they stand 1-85 and even the walk-on kids. If they have a question they can just go ask him. The way I sell paying player X is if we sign this kid and pay him then it will generate more money for us to pay all of you down the line. It is like drafting a player. The Falcons just took this to a real extreme, but it is an example, they spent a ton of Kirk Cousins and are spending a ton on Michael Penix who won't play much if at all in the short-term, but they view it as a long term play. The Green Bay Packers just did that with Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers several years ago to some success.
Can you ask if they would start showing some highlights of other game ( like ACC) during time out and end of half time. I’ve been to other stadiums that did this and fans l Iove it.
KQ- I can pass that idea along to the foodchain.
Kelly - as a talent evaluator, how often do you see LBs in HS with great instincts but less than premier athleticism?
In your opinion, is GT doing a good enough job at finding these individuals? If you had a magic wand - what would you change in the recruiting approach for LBs?
KQ- The linebacker position is probably one of the biggest changes in CFB in the last 10-20 years with what you are looking for and how different things are no with spreads, nickel packages being the base defense for almost all teams and the need to have sideline-to-sideline speed. It used to be downhill guys who fit gaps and you can play like that with one of your backers now but the other has to be able to run and chase guys down and cover the flat or wheel routes. It is hard. Aside from places like Bama or UGA I see a lot of poor LB play across the country. I do not think it is a unique problem to Georgia Tech, but the shitty defenses have made it more apparent because the previous DCs didn't scheme around what they had all the time.
I’ll break up some of the football questions. With the additions of McCollum and O’Brien and the return of Lance Terry, do you see Kowacie Reeves playing more of the Deebo role from last year?
KQ- That is an interesting question and we should get Damon soon for an end-of-summer workouts recap and I can ask him about that. My gut reaction is Reeves will play more four with Ndongo playing a lot of five minutes against certain teams and they will go small and run. Reeves is big enough to defend a lot of the 4 out, 1 in type teams. GT sees more of that than teams with two traditional post players or two traditional post sized players if that makes sense.
Homer Rice Passes
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Rice, longtime coach and Ga. Tech AD, dies at 97
Homer Rice, who as AD hired some of Georgia Tech's most successful coaches and implemented the Total Person Program that's since been hailed as groundbreaking, died Monday at the age of 97.
