Technical Tidbits 5/14

We all know how atrocious Georgia Tech's defense was in 2012 under Al Groh, but how much potential did the group really have to be great? It is safe to say that the season would have ended with a lot more success and a lot less embarrassment (MTSU) if the defense had delivered a bit more consistently from game to game, but the article above makes the interesting point that the squad had a great chance to be much more than average with the stockpile of talent they had on the roster. I really hadn't thought about the level of talent on our defense for the past few years until reading it, so hopefully it will lay a foundation for success for years to come.

Georgia Tech basketball suffered perhaps their biggest blow yet with the transfer of PF Robert Carter, Jr., a rising junior and former four-star prospect who oozed potential and talent in his limited time at Tech. The Jackets already figured to be thin at the PF/C position for this coming season, but Carter's departure almost feels like a deathblow to the program for this coming season. The players who already needed to step up are now going to have to come up much bigger if the program wants to have any shot at the NCAA tournament come next spring; they won't be able to get the job done without big time contributions from players like Travis Jorgenson, Tadric Jackson, and especially those few bigs they have left.

The Jackets notched win number 30 last night with a COFH win over rival uga at Turner Field. They claimed the game (and the season series) from the dwags with a 2-0 shutout orchestrated by seven shutout innings from Matt Grimes (I missed the memo that he threw upper 90's, by the way) and it was Sam Clay who came in for the long save. It is also worth noting that there was a Georgia Tech vs. uga donation competition in which the Jackets defeated the pups $380 to $240. The game also featured Buzz mercilessly destroying some young uga fans at arm wrestling, which was funny. Crush those dreams, Buzz.

Both Ollie Schniederjans and Bruce Heppler continued the Georgia Tech tradition of excellence by bringing home the ACC player and coach of the year awards for their exceptional performances in 2014. We may not own football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, women's basketball, or softball, but Tech is by all means a golf dynasty. Take that, world. We own the golf course AND the academic world.

Daily Debate: How much does Robert Carter's transfer hurt the outlook of this season for the Jackets and what players will need to step up to fill his old role? How good could the 2012 defense could have been if it were under better direction?

Go Jackets!