Georgia Tech Basketball: The Quickest Fix

There’s been a whole lot of ruckus in the local media and even this blog about what needs to change with The Institute’s basketball program.  After 4 seasons with a cumulative 19-50 conference record, something obviously needs to happen.

Many fans, alum, and the like have lobbied for Brian Gregory to be fired.  Some have also pointed to bad recruiting, not having a go-to guy in the game’s closing minute, or simply having to play in the shadow of the state’s powerhouse football program.

While all of those things are viable suggestions, it seems to me the quickest way to fix Georgia Tech’s ailing basketball program is none of these.  We all want conference wins and to make the tourney.  Is that too much to ask?  That’s why I’m propositioning that the easiest way to fix Georgia Tech basketball is to leave the players and coaches exactly where they are and switch conferences.

How can you expect us to compete for a league title and tournament spot every year when the ACC ran slip-shod through the tournament and put 5 teams in the Sweet 16? 5! Duke went on to win the national title by beating Wisconsin by more that they beat Georgia Tech by on their home court.  Does this mean Tech deserved to play for the national title more than Wisconsin did?  Obviously, yes, and there’s only one way to fix this.

In order to play for conference titles regularly and make the tournament, Georgia Tech basketball needs only to join the SEC.

Sure they’ve got big, bad Kentucky, but that’s only half of the conference championship game.  We could be the other half pretty much every year.  I mean, have you watched an SEC basketball game?

Uga finished 4^th in that conference, and they’re a bad basketball team.  I mean, bad.  They even made the tournament!  … After losing badly to the worst Georgia Tech team in decades… for the 4^th year in a row.  Obviously playing in the SEC is our ticket in and our way to the top.

Tech finished at the bottom of the ACC.  We want to fix that.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching Uga play this year against Tech and then in-conference, it’s that Tech is only a conference switch away from a 25 win season and tournament berth. It’s not that Tech is that bad at basketball, it’s just that the ACC is too good.  Switching to the SEC and dramatically lowering the opponent’s talent level may once again restore Tech to basketball prominence.

Not only would Tech return to the upper echelon of conference standings, but the conference switch would also help fill the arena with the already near-by opposing fan bases.  SEC basketball attendance is increasing across the board, which would help with attendance. This is because the conference is now having to embrace basketball as its premier sport in the wake of going 0-4 in BCS bowls the last two seasons, losing all 4 games against their ACC rivals Thanksgiving weekend, and generally slipping from football prominence.

I’ve started an online petition to send to the GTAA which can be found here. You can also petition for an SEC invitation for all sports ­­­­­here. For guidelines about playing out of conference teams you’re not familiar with, merely refer to ­­­­­this clinic tape. All of these detail the reasons we need to switch conferences, which I have already covered in an entirely reasonable and objective manner. Please sign it and include an encouraging note to your local, discouraged SEC sports fan.

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DISCLAIMER: No, we're not serious. It's a joke.