So with the UGA basketball game coming up tonight in Alexander, I thought I’d go ahead and look a little bit into the basketball season. There’s a recent article in the AJC about the basketball team talking about the second half of the Alabama game. With 10 minutes left and Tech down by 30, something clicked. The Jackets played pressure defense like it was 2004 and busted their butts like we’re use to seeing Hewitt’s team do. Can they learn a lesson from that and start running teams into the floor? Let’s hope so…

In my opinion, Tech goes as three people go: Gani Lawal, Lewis Clinch and Iman Shumpert. I don’t mean to say they are the entire team, but to me, they are the catalysts of the team.

Shumpert is just a freshman and it looks like he will be here for at least three years, and a good chance of four. Gani lawal on the other hand, a sophomore, might be gone after this year. He’s projected to be picked in the lottery by all and the top ten by most.

Shumpert’s deep ball has definitely improved over the season and he has the capability to break defenses down. He still needs to work on the crisp-”i-ness” of his passes along with his vision, but he looks like he might be the next great guard at Tech. With Mo Miller out, he’s been thrust into a big role and has done a better job than most could.

When you talk about Gani Lawal, a lean, strong, fast forward comes to mind. Lawal can jump out of the gym and he definitely knows how to run the floor. He can beat other big men end to end, resulting in many baskets. The knock on Lawal comes in his low post moves and his free throw shooting. He is only (approximately) a 50% shooter and with how much he gets to the line, him knocking down 70%+ from the charity stripe could be a big help. As for his low post moves, his favorite is the turnaround bank. He’s gotten good at that shot over the past year and a half. If he could put some hooks, fakes, etc; in his arsenal, it would be a huge help to the teams production. I look for Lawal to definitely be on the first or second All-ACC team when those come out later.

As for Lewis Clinch, everyone knows the story, he can shoot the rock. He looks like he’s improved his all around game this past summer and it looks like he’s found a couple more ways to score the ball. His defense has without question improved. Him and Alade Aminu are the senior leaders on the floor, and you can always tell it with Clinch. He always calls group huddles and he plays hard, leaving everything he’s got on the floor. When he catches fire, stopping him is not an easy task.

Now, as I said earlier, those three are not everything Tech’s got. There are definitely some other players that play big roles, let’s take a look, starting with Senior big man Alade Aminu.

Alade has shown tremendous improvement in his offensive game the past two years. I haven’t seen anyone stop his hook shot yet, and sometimes I don’t think we get him the ball enough. He is a very good shot blocker on the defensive end, as well. He hasn’t been able to bulk up much, something that has possibly prevented him from doing great things throughout his career. He’s a pretty good rebounder and will definitely be a key in ACC play.

Next up on the list is combo-man Zach Peacock. The thing I love about Peacock is his versatility. He can play the 3, the 4 and even the 5. He’s pretty tall (6′8″) and he’s pretty thick (235). He’s great on the boards and can shoot better than most his size. He’s great on the perimeter of the lane and has the ability to get his shot off quickly. He’s only a junior and will definitely be a big leader next year. He fills out the starting line up along with the four listed above.

With Miller out, Tech really only goes eight deep. The sixth man, first off the bench, is Lance Storrs. Storrs can hit threes and plays pretty good defense. He still needs some work on putting the ball on the floor, but he’s only a sophomore. If he can improve his ballhandling, which will result in him getting to the basket, he can come a reliable scorer.

The 7th man is Nick Foreman. Foreman, #4, is a walk on and goes in for a couple of reasons, to bust his butt, play defense and to do whatever Hewitt asks of him. He is the best on ball defender on the team and reminds me of Mario West. He isn’t quite as good as a defender, but he also has a better offensive game. CPH uses him a lot in the end of the game when he’s doing defense for offense subs.

Eighth on the court is Brad Sheehan. Sheehan is a RS sophomore. He’s tall, lanky and knows the offense well. His lack of athleticism prevents him from dominating down low, but he’s a pretty good rebounder and he is a very good passer for a man his size. He gives Aminu, Lawal and Peacock rest when needed.

When Mo Miller is in the lineup, he will be the first man off the bench the majority of the time.

So there’s a brief breakdown of the team. As for the season, I think it’s going to be a tough one. I think we’ll pull off some upsets in ACC play, but we’ll also lose some games we should probably win. I think Hewitt is building the program back up to National prominence when you look at this upcoming years recruiting class. I’m predicting something like 6-10 in the ACC. I think .500 would be a very good goal.

As for tonight, give me the Jackets at home, and give me a big win.

To Hell With Georgia