Georgia Tech hoops came up with a critical ACC win last night, toppling an abysmal Wake Forest team by a final score of 71-66 in Atlanta. The Jackets, having locked down a third conference win for the season, now stand at 13-11 on the year with seven games remaining before the ACC Tournament. Marcus Georges-Hunt was phenomenal yet again, dropping a career-high 30 points on 11-15 shooting. He is now in sole possession of 16th place on Tech's all-time scoring list, having passed the legendary Kenny Anderson with his performance last night. The Jackets will look to build on this positive momentum when they take on Clemson this Saturday up in South Carolina.
Although he was relatively quiet in Tech's victory over Wake Forest, sophomore guard Tadric Jackson has really stepped up in a big way for his team this season. Jackson, a former four-star recruit, went through some major growing pains during a true freshman campaign which saw him shoot under 20% from three-point range. It was more a question of when than if in terms of that percentage coming up -- Jackson was one of the best shooters in the state during his high school days and has a ceiling as high as that of anyone else on the team. In fact, one could argue that Tadric Jackson will be the most purely talented player on the team next season following the departures of Marcus Georges-Hunt, Adam Smith, and others. He's an exciting player with the potential to get a whole lot better in a hurry.
Fact: Brian Gregory hot takes have no off days, not even the few days which follow a big win. To be perfectly honest, speculating about his job security is getting old and generally isn't productive. I can't truly see a scenario where he is fired this offseason -- either because of budget constraints or some other factor -- but neither outcome would truly be a surprise. It has been five seasons, at least three of which have included heavy speculation about job security. It may even be worth noting that Gregory himself is on the record saying that he isn't concerned about job security -- he made a comment along those lines a week or two back, prior to the Duke game.
Congratulations to Georgia Tech B-Back Marcus Marshall and former offensive lineman Trey Braun for being named to the All-ACC Academic Team for their exceptional emphasis on the "student" part of the "student-athlete" title. Marshall, a true freshman, led the entire team in rushing this season with 654 yards from his B-Back position. His contributions were a considerable bright spot in an otherwise dreary season for the 3-9 Jackets. Braun, meanwhile, is focused on his life post-football. He is currently participating in the Atlanta Mission Race to End Homelessness, a fundraiser designed to help Atlanta's estimated 7,000-person homeless population. You can read more or donate to Trey's cause right here.
Have a great Thursday!