Read the arguments from Sports Geek and Bleacher Fan.
Yes, we know that college football is still in season. But somewhat quietly, college basketball has started. There are actually some interesting non-conference matchups going on this week and then of course a bombardment of holiday tournaments. As the season gets going, The Sports Debates is looking at possible major conference sleepers today. For me, I am looking no further than Atlanta, Georgia, which is where we find the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
The Yellow Jackets are coming off a miserable 12-19 overall season that included a 2-14 mark in ACC play. After the season, head coach Paul Hewitt caught some heat from fans and the media. He knew he needed to make a splash or his job would be in jeopardy. So what did he do? He went out and got a highly ranked recruiting class, headlined by highly rated 6-10 forward Derrick Favors. Favors was ranked by scout.com as the best high school player in the country. Other key players in the class include Glen Rice, Jr. (yes that is the son of former NBA sharpshooter Glen Rice), Mfon Udofia, Brian Oliver, and Kammeon Holsey (who recently got injured).
One fact that is quietly overlooked in many circles, and that tremendously improved the outlook for the 2009-10 Yellow Jackets, was the announcement that Gani Lawal would put off the NBA draft, at least for another year, and return to Tech. He originally entered his name into the draft but withdrew when he realized that he would not be drafted as highly as he wanted. Lawal, who was off the radar nationally last year because he was playing on a bad team, is a strong frontcourt player who averaged 15 points and nine rebounds a game last season in the rugged Atlantic Coast Conference. He and Favors will form a strong post presence for Georgia Tech.
This team has a chance to be very good. However, with only two seniors on the roster in D’Andre Bell and Zach Peacock, there is definitely a lot of youth. Bell and Peacock have to provide leadership to this underclassmen-heavy team. The fact that the Jackets are relying so much on freshmen makes it a little surprising that it is ranked in the top 25, especially coming off a season with 19 losses. It is going to be tough in the ACC, as it always is. North Carolina and Duke are “who we think they are” and everyone knows the balance of power in the ACC goes through Tobacco Road, though both of those teams have question marks.
Maybe the youthfulness the Yellow Jackets have is a good thing. Hewitt needed a spark to energize the fan base. It has been quite awhile since that magical 2003-2004 season in which the Yellow Jackets advanced all the way to the championship game. The team has made the Big Dance only twice since then and that is unacceptable, even in the highly competitive ACC. With the talent the Yellow Jackets have on this team, it is a good to make a run and really sneak up on some teams.
Nice debate. I like GT but I think you could have gone a bit deeper. Miss St (despite their first loss) would have been a good one
Thanks, what do you like about Mississippi State?
Thanks JR for the comment. Tell us about Mississippi State. Do they have a chance out in the SEC West?
Any thoughts on Kentucky?
Kentucky got away with a last second win tonight. I have them as a FF team. Miss St is still waiting for eligibility for Renardo Sidney, if he is eligible they should win their division.
Hey Loyal Homer – What’d you think of Dayton’s big win today?
That’s not a bad loss by GT. I was following it on Gametracker earlier today and have seen the highlights. GT is still young and it showed with the 27 turnovers. Don’t discount Dayton though. A good team with a lot of guys back from a team that made the Big Dance last year. GT will get better!