Technical Tidbits 3/8

Now one of two remaining undefeated Division I schools in NCAA baseball, Georgia Tech will face its toughest challenge of the year tonight at Auburn. The Tigers may not be the most formidable opponent the SEC has to offer this season, but they certainly represent a step up from the likes of Western Carolina and UMBC. Well, that's an argument that you could make at least; Auburn has kicked off the season in unconvincing fashion, stumbling to a 6-6 start with losses to Sacramento State, Troy, and Southern so far. The Tigers and Jackets split the historic series last season with Tech winning in Georgia and Auburn winning in Alabama. Hopefully those road woes are a thing of the past at this point.

Georgia Tech forward Marcus Georges-Hunt, who was named as a third-team media All-ACC selection on Sunday, took a step up the ladder yesterday afternoon when the coaches named him to the second-team All-ACC team. Georges-Hunt would be a first-teamer if I had my say, but second-team honors in a conference as deep as the ACC is an impressive feat nonetheless. In even more encouraging MGH news, Saturday's victory over Pittsburgh may not have been the senior final game on The Flats after all: an NIT berth as a high seed would mean that the Jackets would play once again at McCamish Pavilion this season. I'm all for that, but a deep ACC Tournament run very well could provide even more in the form of an at-large NCAA bid. We'll see what happens.

Georgia Tech's first commitment for the 2017 recruiting class came in the form of top-rated punter Pressley Harvin III, a three-star prospect out of Sumter, SC. It honestly doesn't matter what position he plays -- getting the No. 1 recruit at any position at any time is worth celebrating. I'm no expert on nicknames, but I'll be thoroughly disappointed if his doesn't involve some kind of nod to the Civil War mixed with a cannon joke because of, you know, punting. Boom, right? We'll work on it and see what sticks.

The University of Illinois made headlines for the first time that I can remember a few days back when they announced the firing of Bill Cubit and hiring of former Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith. I'm not entirely sure if the UI Athletic Department has noticed, but this is early March. For that reason, the timing of the firing -- which many have gently called "awkward" -- borders more on the despicable side for some observers. Though there's no doubt that Lovie Smith would be a homerun hire for any program, firing a coach who was hired four months earlier is petty and distasteful. In fact, the worst part is that a number of new Illinois assistants who were hired recently by Cubit will now be moving their families once again, this time just months after their hiring and before being given any type of opportunity to perform. Of course, that's assuming that they can find a job at all, which is unlikely at best. All of the coaching jobs are filled at this point.

Have a great Tuesday!