Season Recap: Georgia Tech

2009-2010
Georgia Tech: 23-13 (7-9 ACC)

It was certainly an interesting year for Georgia Tech. Coming into the year, a lot of people had the Yellow Jackets ranked very highly, some even had them as a Final Four sleeper. That was due mostly to the presence of super freshman Derrick Favors. I was a little less enthusiastic about the Jackets, because as much as I like Paul Hewitt, he has proven to be a better recruiter than coach. And for the most part, I was right.

Georgia Tech had a decent out-of-conference season, although their schedule was not all that tough. Once they got into conference play, though, they struggled. They couldn't find ways to take advantage of Favors and Gani Lawal, and their big problem was turnovers. It would be very frustrating to be a Georgia Tech fan the way they are so loose with the ball. Many times, they would have unforced errors and look as if they had never practiced before. But they certainly had a lot of talent. And that came to play in March, as they made a nice run to the ACC Tournament final and won a game in the NCAAs.

Best Win: 69-64 over Maryland (3/12)

Georgia Tech was on the bubble coming into the NCAA Tournament. They were able to beat UNC, and then got a huge boost with this win over Maryland. In this game, they got out to a huge lead in the first half, only to see Maryland come all the way back. But in the end the Yellow Jackets were able to make enough plays to win.

Worst Loss: 73-66 to Georgia (1/5)

I know Georgia is Georgia Tech's biggest rival, but they were not a good team this year. And a team with the talent of Georgia Tech should not lose to them, even in Athens. This was one achilles heel for the Jackets this year: playing on the road. Georgia Tech went 3-8 on the road this year.

Postseason Play:

Without a doubt, the postseason was a success. Georgia Tech was able to beat UNC, Maryland and NC State in the ACC Tournament as a 7 seed, advancing to the final. They held their own against Duke before losing by 4. That put them squarely in the NCAA Tournament, where as a 10 seed they pulled off a mild upset in beating Oklahoma State, 64-59. They then had to face a very good Ohio State team, and lost that one 75-66.

What's Ahead:

Paul Hewitt has earned himself another year. But this next season could be a tough one. Derrick Favors has declared for the NBA Draft. Gani Lawal has done the same. They also lose Zach Peacock and D'Andre Bell. That represents 4 of the top 6 scorers. The Jackets have some talented guards coming back, including Imam Shumpert and Mfon Udofia. But who's going to play under the basket? The highest scoring big man left scored 1.3 points per game. Georgia Tech will likely take a step down and be hard pressed to make it back to the NCAAs.