:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52795405/usa_today_9816053.0.jpg)
Following an offseason full of turnover on both the roster and the sideline, this year figured to be a rough one on the basketball front. We came into the season expecting a Gregory-esque struggle from start to finish, but what we’ve gotten instead is an impressive showing from a team that no one really thought had anything to show in the first place — a 3-2 conference record with plenty of games that now look very winnable left on the schedule. It’s a testament to what Josh Pastner has been able to do in his very limited time at Tech and, as the article from the Roanoke Times suggests, the success has been a very welcome surprise. We still don’t fully understand how this team is beating schools that look so much better on paper, but it really is happening. Nice hire, MBob.
The team will get yet another opportunity for a big statement win tonight at 9:00 when the time comes for first tip against a Virginia Tech team which is among the most-improved in the entire ACC. Buzz Williams, the former head man at Marquette, really has the program in Blacksburg on the uptick. His Hokies have knocked off the likes of Duke, Syracuse, and Michigan on their way to a 13-4 overall record with a 2-3 mark in the ACC. Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech used to share the basement of the ACC, but that seems to be changing in quite a hurry. Maybe tonight will be the night that Tech picks up its second win ever in Blacksburg in a game which should amount to some real national recognition.
Georgia Tech lost perhaps its most painful transfer of all yesterday afternoon when starting offensive lineman Trey Klock announced that he would be leaving the Flats as a graduate transfer to pursue his MBA elsewhere. The offensive line is looking thinner and thinner following the graduation of starting center Freddie Burden and the departure of Eason Fromayan, so losing a guy like Klock with two more years of eligibility really hurts. Hopefully he made the best decision for himself and his family, and best of luck to him wherever he may end up.