BasketJackets: Game 23 vs Miami, Feb. 7 Sun., 1pm (ESPN-U)

[GTJT622]

The Jackets host the Canes on Super Bowl Sunday.

Miami is currently projected as a 4-seed in the NCAAT by ESPN.com's Joe Lunardi. They are ranked #17 in the nation and are 17-4 overall & 6-3 in the A.C.C. Jim Larranaga's guys are coming off a 9-pt home victory Wednesday night over Notre Dame. Having said all that, the Canes are 1-3 on the road vs. the A.C.C. The lone win was at hapless Boston College.

Miami has balanced scoring with 4 guys averaging double figures. They are:

• 6'5" R-Sr. Guard Sheldon McClellan - 16.1 ppg
• 6'2" Soph. Guard Ja'Quan Newton - 11.9 ppg
• 5'11" R-Sr. Guard Angel Rodriguez - 11.7 ppg
• 6'6" Jr. Forward Davon Reed - 10.3 ppg

7-foot Senior, Tonye Jekiri, leads the team in boards at 9.9 a game and will be quite a horse to deal with in the paint for our bigs. Rodriguez is one of the best point guards in the nation. He can and will take you to the glass when he sees an opening. We don't really have anybody defensively who can match up with him so I expect him to have a big game.

Here at the halfway point to the A.C.C. schedule, the Canes are one of the better free throw shooting teams in the A.C.C. They have not been shooting the 3 very well in A.C.C. games (29.4%) as they are 14th in the conference. Neither have the Jackets, though both teams have been defending the 3 in conference games pretty well - Miami is 3rd in the A.C.C. and G.T. is 4th in the A.C.C. in 3FG% Defense.

Where Tech is doing well in A.C.C. games and may have an advantage Sunday is in rebounding. The Good Guys are 2nd in the A.C.C. in rebounding margin per game at +3.7 (only behind the Cheaters who are way ahead of the pack at +6.7), while the Canes are 13th in the A.C.C. at -2.0 boards per game.

Miami is 2nd in the A.C.C. in steals per game in conference games only while the Jackets are 14th in the conference. We must value the ball and avoid giving easy transition points to the Canes via turnovers.

When the point spreads are released Saturday afternoon, we can expect the Canes to open as around 4 pt favorites for the early Sunday afternoon matchup.

Tech is 8-11 all-time versus the Canes. The Good Guys pulled off a stunner last year at Coral Gables with a 20-pt win over 23rd ranked Miami. The road team has won the last 5 games in this series during the regular season. Miami leads the series 10-6 as members of the A.C.C.

At 2-7, we are at the halfway point and in the middle of a 3-game home stand. We have 5 of our last 9 games at home. Tech absolutely has a chance to get on a February roll looking at the schedule. All of the remaining games are winnable. At Louisville will be very difficult, but Tech matches up well against the Cardinals. Tech though is 1-3 at home in A.C.C. games this season. That's not good of course.

 

[BornAJacket]

Miami is a better basketball tem Duke. I am not sure they have many local basketball fans. Given his game is on Super Bowl Sunday, I don't expect a big crowd.

Maybe we can rebound, but can we get the ball to the shooters? Ball handling is not GT's strongest skill so I expect some steals and lost possessions.

Maybe this weekend will surprise us?

 

[GTJT622]

Actually, this is one of the best seasons in a very long time in turnovers committed by our team. When you look at the turnovers per game by season, it is significantly better than any other time over the last decade (see below). Only 2 teams in the A.C.C. commit fewer turnovers per game than Tech and it is very close. We are at 10.0 TOpg while UVA is at 9.7 and Notre Dame is at 9.5.

Turnovers per game by season...

2007 = 15.7
2008 = 15.4
2009 = 16.8
2010 = 16.4
2011 = 16.4
******************
2012 = 14.5
2013 = 12.9
2014 = 12.1
2015 = 12.7
2016 (to date) = 10.0

Blewitt's system created more turnovers due to its chance-taking approach on the perimeter, but there were far too many undisciplined plays by guys wanting to make ESPN Sports Center Top 10 highlight plays on breaks. CBG's defensive approach takes less chances which leads to creating less turnovers. However, we commit fewer as well.

Hopefully we will take care of the ball Sunday against the Canes.

 

[BornAJacket]

that's promising, Miami is averaging 6 steals per game.

How many is the tipping point for GT? 8

 

[GTJT622]

Jackets open as 3.5 pt underdogs, FWIW.

 

[Buzzforlife]

http://www.ramblinwreck.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/020616aac.html

 

[GTJT622]

Laying 1 unit on the Jackets getting 3' today. Also, 1 unit on the over 144'.

GLA!

Go Jackets!!

 

[Buzzforlife]

Blowing the lead in the first half? What is going on?

 

[Texwood]

Our offense is less than dynamic with a Jorgenson/Jackson backcourt.

 

[Buzzforlife]

However, Jackson is the hope for the future of this program. So is Lammers. They must play!

 

[Texwood]

I'm liking this lineup with Tadric and Smith in the backcourt we've been in down the stretch. Wouldn't mind seeing a lot more of this rotation going forward.

 

[GTJT622]

Oh well. I should have known better than to believe in this team. SOS just another day/game.

What a pathetic state we are sentenced to as fans. Looking forward to Beesball. I say that about this time of year pretty consistently. Maybe the Lady J's will pull off this upset at Syracuse. MBB is just sad.

 

[Buzzforlife]

LJ's losing by four...half full McCamish, team 12-11 and 2-8 in the league.

I'll even settle for Braves Baseball when Tech Beesball is not playing. Wait a minute, forgetting 2017 is the tune in year for the Braves, Spring Game is coming for foots. Go White, Go Gold, Go for my blue team too!

 

[Buzzforlife]

More Miami cheering in our building than Ga. Tech yelling, or so it seemed(I was told by more than a few people out there).

Trivia Time: Since 1997, only five other coaches have had a more dismal record in the conference than CBG and his 21-59. Can you name them or better yet, do you want to think of them?

The season is not over yet, and apparently this might not be his last one either. Who knows?And where is our A.D. Groundhog hiding? Did he see his shadow?

 

[Buzzforlife]

Larry Shyatt, Clemson Years: 1998-2003 Record: 70-84, 20-60 ACC Shyatt took over after a successful run under Rick Barnes and was replaced by Oliver Purnell, who remade the Tigers into a postseason contender. In between, Shyatt had only two winning seasons and never finished better than 5-11 in the ACC. - See more at: http://athlonsports.com/college-bas...coaching-tenures-1984-85#sthash.z9Btk4Kb.dpuf

 

[Buzzforlife]

Jeff Bdzelik:
2010-11 Wake Forest. 8–24 1–15 12th
2011–12 Wake Forest 13–18 4–12 T-9th
2012–13 Wake Forest 13–18 6–12 T-9th
2013–14 Wake Forest 17-16 6-12 T-13th '
Wake Forest: 51-76 17-51

 

[Texwood]

Is there any chance Bobinski has been spending 24/7 wining and dining a handful of select donors these past few years (as opposed to entering the witness protection program)? Perhaps hidden treasure lies behind the deafening silence from our mysterious man in the high castle. There's a chance, no?

 

[Buzzforlife]

There is a chance, I'll give you. However, they are not meeting before or after at McCamish that we have witnessed. He is aloof and reclusive. When he is in attendance at a game, it is a hit and run. He is a loner by choice. At least Dr. Peterson and Val will stop and talk to you briefly.

 

[GTJT622]

So many are counting down the days for Blewitt's contract to be off the books. I'm counting the days until Bobinski is off the books and gone. What a terrible hire. How much more of his contract must we have to experience? I think he has a couple of more years unfortunately, yes?

 

[GTJT622]

Before the season, I picked us to finish 13-18/4-14. I saw a few rays of lights that encouraged me. But, after yesterday, I now resign myself back to thinking I was probably closer to correct back in early October.

Remainder of the season...

Wake Forest W 13-11 3-8
at Clemson L 13-12 3-9
at FSU L 13-13 3-10
Notre Dame L 13-14 3-11
Clemson L 13-15 3-12
at BC W 14-15 4-12
at Louisville L 14-16 4-13
Pitt L 14-17 4-14

The A.C.C. Media picked us to finish 13th. And, we will battle NC State for that position most likely. Perhaps Wake and BC finish below us. Remains to be seen.

G.T.'s seed at the last 10 A.C.C.T.'s...

2015: 13
2014: 11
2013: 9
2012: 11
2011: 11
2010: 7
2009: 12 (read: LAST!)
2008: 7
2007: 6
2006: 11

Assuming we are seeded 13 this year, that's an average seed of 10.1.

Commentary early in the game from TV analyst, Cory Alexander, yesterday...

..."it's Super Bowl Sunday and it appears a lot of Tech fans have chosen...uhhh...to not show up today."

LOL!

 

[Buzzforlife]

We had the replay on late last night. Thought I heard them talk about the mid-season hot seat for CBG? They did not extrapolate or say whether it is even viable to buy any of these contracts out.

Have we ever fired an A.D.? Seems like they retire or move on to another job.

 

[BornAJacket]

Amazing how many close games this team can lose. Missing late free throws is a problem and having no ball handling at critical points is the downside of the program right now.

I think Miami hit 11/12 FTs to end the game. That's winning basketball.

 

[GTJT622]

Tech seems to have little worry about getting filthy rich alums to donate big money to Tech to build shiny new buildings (and Buddha bless 'em for doing it). Getting their name on a permanent site maybe - and I'm just guessing "maybe" - has something to do with it. In addition to, of course, their love for Tech. It's just a damn shame we have these shiny new buildings and very little to show for what goes on inside them.

But then, my alma mater - an internationally renowned school of technology that I've always though makes the mold and doesn't follow it - should perhaps take a cue from the state university to the east... https://www.dawgnation.com/baseball/tomcousinsfamilyendowsugacoachposition

Can we have some big money donor endow some head coaching positions with their name of course attached to the title? Even better, can we have that big money donor select the head coach? Because by Buddha our AD's who are making ~700 grand a year can't do that job worth crap. In fact, can we just eliminate the AD and his staff altogether. I'm struggling to find where he/they add any value whatsoever. Talk about millions wasted.

I would do it myself, but I need to get my daughter through college first. Of course, stech81 could use my credit card. Hmmmm.... I'll get back with yall. (light bulb goes on)