2010-11 NCAA Basketball Predictions: Georgia Tech
November 15, 2010
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are dealing with the loss of another “one and done” player to the NBA. Derrick Favors was the 3rd choice in last year’s draft becoming the program’s second-highest drafted player in history. Plus, junior Gani Lawal also left after his junior season and entered the NBA which leaves Georgia Tech very thin down low. Fortunately, the Yellow Jackets are very deep at guard coming into this year. They’ll have six wings between 6’5” and 6’7”, which has prompted head coach Paul Hewitt to run a more motion-oriented offense this year which will certainly help use their athleticism on the outside.
BetUS has posted NCAA basketball odds for the upcoming season, with the Yellow Jackets at +2000 to win the ACC in 2010-11. They are one of the heavier underdogs, but the Yellow Jackets are a potential sleeper. You will also find Georgia Tech at +10000 to win the National Championship. At BetUS, our readers can receive up to a $500 bonus on their initial deposits.
Frontcourt:
Georgia Tech had perhaps the best frontcourt in the conference last year with Favors, Lawal and Zachery Peacock. But all three of those players are gone, and Georgia Tech will have a hard time replacing the 25.5 points and 16.9 rebounds that Favors and Lawal combined for each night. Expected to start this year are Kameon Holsey and Daniel Miller, neither of which has played in a college game. Both redshirted last season, with Holsey going down with an ACL tear before the regular season and Miller not playing due to the team’s frontcourt depth. Holsey is an athletic big man at 6’8” who can get out in transition and face up, while Miller is a back-to-the-basket type player who will block shots and has range up to 15 feet. The 7’10” Brad Sheehan is the only returning frontcourt player who played any minutes last season. Tech also added 6’10” Nate Hicks from Tulane in July and he’ll be eligible to play this fall, which certainly will help their depth.
Backcourt:
The strength of this team is on the perimeter with the return of junior Iman Shumpert and senior Moe Miller. Also back are a pair of sophomores who logged a lot of minutes last year in Brian Oliver and Glen Rice Jr. Shumpert is a slasher and scorer who put up 30 points against North Carolina last season, and is ready for a big year as the main focus of this offense. That said, he didn’t have a single basket the next time he played the Tar Heels, so he has to lose the inconsistency. To improve on his turnovers and consistency, Shumpert has been working with former Tech guard Jarrett Jack in the offseason. Rice appears to be their best perimeter defender who can also hit from outside, as he hit 46.7% from beyond the arc last season. Oliver also excels at hitting the 3-pointer, but needs to become more well-rounded. Miller didn’t get much playing time during the regular season last year, but he came on strong in the conference tournament which should propel him into this season as he takes on a bigger role. Sophomore Mfon Udofia showed promise early last year, but saw less and less minutes as the season progressed. He will be much better served in this motion offense as he gets more playing time at either the No. 1 or No. 2. Freshman Jason Morris is maybe the best athlete on the squad who is a very versatile wing player.
Jack’s Prediction: 8th Place in the conference – The Yellow Jackets made it all the way to the ACC Championship last season, which earned them an at-large bid into the Big Dance. It got Paul Hewitt off the hot seat for now. The Yellow Jackets have the talent on the perimeter to be competitive this season, but ultimately it will be how Holsey and Daniel Miller play in the post that will determine if Tech can make another NCAA Tournament run.
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