Hope everyone has someone to share the day with...
The most important question for the upcoming season, will adidas give us a new Gold jersey?
KQ- Of course, and they'll go with the Nashville Predators gold I'm sure...
What can you tell us about progress and candidates for the coaching and recruiting openings?
KQ- Hires should be happening fairly soon, I hope to have an update late tomorrow on this. It is a little different with the final spots because recruiting hires are fairly difficult to track and the last on the field spot could go in many directions. I think I'd be surprised if they hire a DE coach and they could split DBs or hire special teams or some other spot and move someone around. I would not be shocked to see Larry Knight get the whole DL and I think that would be popular with that room.
Favorite Winter Olympic Games sport? (h/t for short track speed skating)
KQ- Luge, it seems totally insane but then you see the skeleton and you are like holy hell if you sneeze you could die or get really badly injured.
Any updates you can share on the NIL efforts boosters are pushing? I would love to share with my alumni friends once details are firming up to get people to start planning donations.
KQ- Yes there will be some opportunities for GT fans to contribute for NIL stuff, there is a group working on that as a collective and there should be announcements fairly soon on that front. There is also a grassroots effort for supporting GT for the people who want to be hands-on helping Tech and look for something on that soon as well. There are a lot of things cooking as well with Legends who GT is partnered with that should be exciting in the future for fans.
any rumbles coming from off season workouts from the new transfer portal guys and freshman?
KQ- Zach Gibson has a funny nickname, they are pretty excited about the two new OLs and Zach Pyron work ethic. Antonio Martin needs some S&C time to reshape his body a little. Apparently Benson is a freaky-looking guy too. Some of the guys are surprised by the tenor of the workouts, the intensity is more amped up than the past led by the new staff.
What does success look like for the remainder of the basketball season to you?
KQ- I think they need to get 10th place or 11th place and I would say from where they started and the breaks they got that is pretty successful for the back half of the season, they've caught everyone at the worst time possible relative to issues those teams are having like Louisville off covid and pre-Mack firing/team revolt, not playing Cuse early, not playing UVA before they got it together, playing FSU even though they beat them before they got hit with tons of injuries, etc.
Do you think Pastner and staff will look at how Wake and Miami flipped their success this season compared to last season and try to replicate?
KQ- They wanted to win this year, they just could not land a quality big man. They will try again this offseason and I expect they will go after a scoring guard as well and maybe a forward who can play inside out. It will be interesting to see if Wake can replicate their success continually, Forbes comes from the JUCO/transfer schools with less academic focus, how that plays in Winston over time is something I'm curious about as well. Miami actually has an older team with just two main guys added Charlie Moore and Jordan Miller who is a role player. Pastner has to be a little better at finding transfers that can immediately help, BG actually was good at this with Chuck Mitchell, Adam Smith, Demarco Cox and Nick Jacobs pre-portal. Josh has found guys to develop like James Banks, Usher or Deivon Smith or Kyle, but not more established careers. If you dropped Garrison Brooks who is at Miss State right now on this team after leaving UNC, GT would be in the top 6 in the ACC. That is how close they are to being a better team, they just get nothing inside most nights on offense and that is part of the scoring issues they have.
Didn't Pastner bet that the team last year could style his hair if they won the ACC? Did he ever make good on that bet---not sure if I ever saw photos.
KQ- I will try to remember to ask him about that tomorrow.
Baseball questions:
- True or false - Jackets have the best lineup in the ACC
- True or false - pitching is "good enough" to get to Omaha given how good our lineup is
- Is this the year we see Danny Borrell work his magic? Who needs his help the most?
Top to bottom? True.
I’d like to see how they perform in non-conference play before making any definite answer on this one. Ask me again in two weeks. Leaning towards true based off the reports I’ve gotten so far, but want to see it lined up against an opposing team.
Yes. I could argue several different guys need his magic the most. Huff, Maxwell, Bartnicki, Roedig, and Grissom all come to mind.
Joseph Mannelly and his new arm-slot do too. Last one I’ll leave you with is Cole McNamee.
Did you warn PVQBDad how cruel and vicious it can get on this site? It can be too personal and embarrassing at times. The coaches know it comes with the territory, but we need to make player's parents always feel welcomed and wanted on here.
KQ- Yeah he understands it just like other dads who are on here but are a little less visible do too. Honestly it is not that bad compared to a lot of the SEC schools.
Do you think the new OC will turn our abysmal offense around or do we suffer another beyond historically bad season?
KQ- Chip is confident he will fix the offense and likes what he has to work with. I liked his offenses at ND and I think he will push the kids in the right way to be good so I am hopeful the offense will turn the corner finally.
You're fairly adamant that there will be no change in the UGA/GT series. Given the disparity in league payouts, NIL payouts, recruiting, staff sizes, etc., how would you recommend GT leverage its participation in the game to get something other than an "L" in return? As I see it today and in the near future, there are no benefits for GT playing this game other than a stadium full of 80% rabid dwag fans.
KQ- Play the game in the Benz on GT's home years, make it normal price with real season ticket holders with legit fund points and then charge market value for the rest so that way you are getting something financially. PJ was totally against doing this as is/was Collins, but I think it makes sense financially. Make money off their fans to help level the playing field. If things change move the game back to BDS.
Who’s your biggest competition on breaking news, others in the industry of JOL subs?
KQ- Did you mean to put an OR instead of OF, I'm guessing you did. Sometimes we sit on things and someone will leak it out but most of the time we break the news either RJ or myself, we have been pretty consistent over many years and I have been very consistent with it for 10+ years and hope to continue to do that.
How bad are things at Auburn? It sounds like a nightmare. Any benefit to Tech there?
KQ- Dysfunction at a school you often recruit against is always a good thing. They have boosters with too much power and some leadership issues that led to a hire that was so weird and out of leftfield that people still don't understand it. They could've had Billy Napier or literally anyone else on the market that year with some experience recruiting the South and instead hired someone with zero connections. It was pretty unbelievable. If you look around most of the southern schools if not all of them, you will see guys who have coached in the South during their careers. So yeah if GT can start the season above expectations, I think that mess will help GT.
What’s the deal with Maxwell? Is it a talent issue, a toughness issue, attitude? Dude comes in and lights the world up then disappears again for games. Chances he sticks and really contributes next season?
KQ- He has had that one game and then the next game teams guarded him and then he has not played again. My gut tells me he is going to leave, but I don't have anything to base that on. I know I've seen other guys play through some significant issues and he has warmed up at times, but then isn't on the road, I don't get it.
