Technical Tidbits 12/31

Though his meager one made field goal would hardly indicate it, sophomore center Ben Lammers played as big a role in Tech's victory over Duquesne as anyone on the court. Lammers, whose minutes have come sporadically all season long, made the absolute most of his time on the floor -- the big man from Texas contributed 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 assist, and 5 points while being a constant menace on the defensive end. It is rare that a player comes off the bench and plays so well that his great performance is almost universally recognized, but that's exactly what happened with Lammers. Congratulations to him on a breakout game.

One of the biggest keys to Georgia Tech's quick 10-3 start to the current basketball season has undoubtedly been a much-improved assist-to-turnover ratio. The Jackets, who struggled mightily with ball movement all of last season for the past four seasons, appear to have finally figured out a nice offensive flow with the current personnel group. While that's great for now, the disappointing part is that this personnel group is going to be largely gone by next season, leaving Brian Gregory with another blank slate to start from. It is possible that the increased ratio is indicative of a culture change, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Time to enjoy it for now!

Clemson, the ACC's sole representative in the upcoming CFB Playoff, was forced to send home three football players from tonight's Orange Bowl following failed drug tests. Of the trio, only one -- wide receiver Deon Cain -- was a starter for the Tigers, though kicker Ammon Lakip split some kicking duties with the regular starter. It's frustrating to hear things like this, but there is no denying that Dabo Swinney handled it like a complete professional. What's equally impressive is that the drug test must have been instigated by Clemson because failing an NCAA-mandated drug test requires a minimum one-year suspension while punishments for those instigated by schools themselves are left up to the discretion of the individual team. Self-imposing a drug test right before a playoff game takes dedication to doing things the right way. I obviously can't comment on whether any of the other three teams did the same, but it does seem likely that more of a Blue Mountain State-esque testing system may have come into play given the circumstances. It was also funny hearing former Texas coach Mack Brown, a noted not-so-disciplinarian, comment on the situation on ESPN. Poor Mack.

Have a great Thursday!