Mailbag 3/10

What are the chances Jaylen Brown comes to Georgia Tech? Would a coaching change affect those chances either way?

I would say not very good right now. Tech basketball is getting to the point to where it's basically a dumpster fire that not many people are going to want to go to. At this point, I'm not sure a coaching change would affect those chances unless Brown already has a good relationship with the would-be coach.

After we fire Gregory, do you think MBob will hire a coach who is a better recruiter or a coach who has a better system?

Personally, I'd rather have the guy that can recruit to his system. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you run a crappy system, you'll get decent results, but you'll never be as good as you could be. As an example, look at two football teams: Kansas State and Georgia Tech.

Neither one of them has an immense amount of talent (at least when compared to some other schools), yet their respective head coaches have systems that work with the players that they are able to get.

What would you have done during the wars regarding Daylight Savings Time?

I would have avoided DST altogether. I honestly hate it so much!

Would you say your weekend was made better or worse by Georgia Tech not playing basketball on Saturday?

Tech has a basketball team? Huh....who knew.

In all honesty, I haven't even watched a whole lot of Tech basketball this year anyway. I also started watching Breaking Bad (finally) on Netflix on Friday, so I spent most of Saturday binge-watching.

How many home runs does Kel Johnson end the season with? If they were using the balls from last year, how would that number change?

Let's just take a second and admire the fact that he has already hit five home runs in just 15 games. With around 40 games left, he's on pace to hit about 12 more home runs, putting him at a total of 17.

I don't think he quite gets there, but I think it's more than feasible to seem him get 12 or 13 this season. If we're using the balls from last year, I honestly don't think that number changes very much. The kid's got a ton of power regardless of the kind of ball being used.

Am I the only one who thinks that Marcus Marshall projects better at B-back, particularly if he adds a few pounds?

Not at all. Ever since I first watched his film, I've wanted Marshall at B-back. The kid is just a natural-born runner. I think he is legitimately our best B-back prospect in this class (yes, better than MLD). And ultimately, I think Marshall will push MLD to A-back.

With his combination of sturdiness and speed, he is a home run threat every time he touches the ball. If he could get up to 205-215 and lose little to no speed, he could easily be the best B-back we've had since Dwyer, if not better.

Does Brandon Gold make all-ACC as a pitcher, third baseman or both?

Hopefully, both. His bat has started to cool off a little bit, so I think he's more likely to make it as a pitcher. He's got this awesome combination going where he isn't giving up a ton of hits or runs, but he's also striking a good number of people out.

I'm really glad we put him in the rotation.

When will the billboard go up that says "We Run this State!" and will it be just outside the Clarke County line?

For those who don't know, I actually live near Athens and will probably finish out my degree at uga, so I've had to deal with uga fans for my entire life. Since November, it's been much easier.

And needless to say, I've been keeping a close eye out for the billboard. ;-)

Who is the bigger tool, Guy Fieri or Paulie D?

Well, I actually like Guy Fieri, so I'll go with Paulie D. And did you know that Guy's actual last name is Ferry? Interesting stuff man.

Who are your top 5 players most likely to be off the team before the season starts?

I hate this game. I really don't want to be right with any of my guesses because we need all the depth that we can get. Regardless, though, here's my top five:

5. Lynn Griffin

4. Nick Brigham

3. Dominique Noble

2. Chaz Cheeks

1. Thomas O'Reilly

Really other than O'Reilly and Cheeks, I don't really have any justification for any of my picks. But for those two, they've been surpassed on the depth chart by guys younger than them and I could see them both just deciding to move on from football.

Also as a note, just because they were on this list does not mean I think they will be kicked out of Georgia Tech due to disciplinary action.

Will Byerly remain at backup QB or move into another role?

As much as I want CPJ to give him an opportunity at B-back, I just don't see it happening. I think he finishes up his career at Tech as Justin Thomas' backup.

As a note, though, I did hear a rumor that our third string quarterback, Brady Swilling, will be getting some practice time at B-back. No substantiation on that rumor yet, but it is a rumor I've heard.

What team that we play in football this year do you think will be substantially better than everybody expects?

I'll go with Pittsburgh. We did a pretty good job of crushing their soul this year with turnovers, but this will be a team that is just another year experienced. With new coaching and a more mature James Connor, this should be a formidable Pitt Panthers team.

The main question for them will be whether or not they can find a suitable quarterback.

Any surprise predictions for the ACC tournament?

I'm not the biggest basketball follower in the world, so this prediction probably won't hold much weight at all, but my surprise prediction will be that Georgia Tech is not one-and-done in the ACC tournament. They may not make it to game two, but I do think they beat whomever they play first. They've played a lot of good teams close this year and with the added pressure of this being a tournament game, the team could be inspired to overcome the absence of Marcus Georges-Hunt and win anyway.

Thoughts on the punishment Syracuse basketball just received from the NCAA?

I can't say I really know enough of the extent of what Syracuse did to deserve this punishment, but it's pretty harsh. Let's just take a look at the totality of their punishment, including their self-imposed penalties.

Here is a complete list of the penalties the NCAA handed down:

1. Jim Boeheim suspended for nine ACC games in the 2015-16 season.

2. The vacation of 108 of Boeheim's coaching victories, dropping him down to sixth on the all-time wins list in Division I.

3. A reduction of 12 scholarships over four years.

4. Fine of $500 per contest played by ineligible students.

5. Syracuse must return to the NCAA all funds it has received to date through the former Big East Conference revenue sharing for its appearances in the 2011, 2012 and 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. This could cost the school more than $1 million.

6. Reduction in the number of permissible off-campus recruiters from four to two during June 1, 2015 through May 31, 2017.

7. Men's basketball and football programs placed on five-year probation from March 6, 2015 through March 5, 2020.

Syracuse's self-imposed penalties

1. A one-year postseason ban for men's basketball in the 2014-15 season.

2. A voluntary, two-year term of probation for the athletic department.

3. Elimination of one scholarship for men's basketball for the 2015-2016 season.

4. Elimination of a men's basketball off-campus recruiter for six months during 2015-2016.

5. Vacation of 24 men's basketball wins: (15 in 2004-05 and nine in 2011-12).

6. Vacation of 11 football wins: (six in 2004-05; one in 2005-06; four in 2006-07).

From syracuse.com

That's quite a lot of punishment between two sports.

What's the toughest game match-up wise for Tech this year in both baseball and football?

In baseball, the toughest series is our last one against Miami in Coral Gables. Going into this previous weekend, the Hurricanes were ranked No. 11 and I fully expect them to stay strong throughout the season.

In football, this question becomes a little tougher because there is so much that can happen even before the beginning of the season. Obviously, Florida State is going to be tough. Jimbo Fisher is a good coach who knows how to recruit. If he can effectively replace Jameis Winston at quarterback, they'll be right back where they were.

The other two to keep an eye on are Clemson and Notre Dame. Clemson, in spite of losing their entire defensive line, is the odds-on favorite to win the ACC Atlantic behind the arm of sophomore quarterback Deshaun Watson, if he can stay healthy.

As for Notre Dame, Brian Kelly, like Fisher, is a good coach who knows how to recruit. It'll be a tough match-up.

And then there's this year's installment of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. This game is always tough, no matter what year it is.

Thanks for submitting questions!