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WRALSportsFan

Preview: #10 Georgia Tech (20-11) vs. #7 UNLV (28-6)

By Barry Jacobs

Mar 15, 2007

There’s no denying the impressive talent on Georgia Tech’s squad, led by a pair of freshmen, point guard Javaris Crittenton and forward Thaddeus Young. Both were highly touted entering college, and after a rough adjustment period finished tied for the team scoring lead (14.6 per game) as the Yellow Jackets won seven of their last 10 games.

Even Georgia Tech’s most recent loss, to Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament’s first round, came in double-overtime in a well-played contest. Free throw shooting hurt in that game (13 of 25), and has been a weakness all season (.683, ninth in the ACC).

Paul Hewitt took the Jackets to the national championship game three years ago. By last season they had fallen to 11-17 and stayed home. Given recent history, it was especially gratifying to finish the ’07 season with a rush despite the suspension of ace shooter Lewis Clinch, a rocky stretch at mid-year, and a continued inability to win on the road.

That strong finish, and an 8-8 league record were likely instrumental in the Jackets getting their 15th NCAA berth while Florida State and Clemson stayed home. “I’m not sure what the deciding factor was,” Hewitt said, “but seeing some of the teams that were left out, I’m sure it was very close.”

Georgia Tech did have history on its side, notwithstanding the snubs the ACC suffered the past two seasons. Since 1980, when the NCAA field opened to more than two representatives from each league, 119 of 127 ACC teams with breakeven or better records in conference play got NCAA bids. That’s 93.7 percent.

This year all seven ACC teams that were 8-8 or better got in, pushing the inclusion rate over 94 percent.

The chart below shows the number of teams invited each year to the NCAAs compared to the ACC’s total membership; the overall record the league posted each season in NCAA competition; and the number of NCAA invitees each year compared to the full complement of ACC squads that posted breakeven or winning records.

TOUGH TO TOP
Cumulative ACC Records In NCAA Tournament Since 1980
(Number To Right Of Slash Under Team Indicates ACC Membership
During Season Cited, =/+ Means Teams With Breakeven Or Winning Record)

ACC NCAA ACC
Year Teams Record =/+
2007 7/12 ???? 7 of 7
2006 4/12 6-4 4 of 6
2005 5/11 12-4 4 of 5
2004 6/9 14-6 5 of 5
2003 4/9 5-4 4 of 4
2002 4/9 10-3 4 of 4
2001 6/9 11-5 6 of 6
2000 3/9 7-3 3 of 4
1999 3/9 7-3 3 of 3
1998 5/9 10-5 3 of 3
1997 6/9 8-6 5 of 5
1996 6/9 6-6 5 of 5
1995 4/9 11-4 4 of 5
1994 5/9 10-5 5 of 5
1993 6/9 14-5 6 of 6
1992 5/9 12-5 4 of 5
1991 6/8 13-5 4 of 4
1990 5/8 14-5 4 of 4
1989 6/8 12-6 6 of 6
1988 5/8 9-5 4 of 4
1987 6/8 5-6 5 of 5
1986 6/8 13-6 5 of 5
1985 5/8 12-5 5 of 5
1984 5/8 8-5 4 of 4
1983 4/8 11-3 4 of 5
1982 4/8 7-3 4 of 4
1981 4/8 9-4 4 of 4
1980 5/8 6-5 5 of 6
Winning Pct: .675

From the inception of the NCAA tournament until 1975, each league was allowed a single representative. Then in 1975 the NCAA went to a 32-team field, allowing multiple entrants from the same conference. The change was sparked in part by the injustice of fourth-ranked Maryland’s exclusion after losing in overtime to N.C. State in the 1974 ACC Tournament finals.

Even with widened opportunity, the ACC got only two teams in the tournament each season from 1975 through 1979. But when the field expanded to 48 teams in 1980, ACC participation blossomed. Since 1985 the NCAA tournament has included 64 teams, 65 if you count the quickly vanished participant in the play-in game, a fillip added in 2001.

The 2007 Yellow Jackets have a statistical profile worthy of inclusion. They are among the ACC’s most accurate teams from the floor (.492) and make a respectable 37.4 percent of their 3-pointers, paced by Young (.419 on 93 attempts) and wing Anthony Morrow (.414 on 140 tries). They score nearly 10 more points per game than opponents, and hold a 6.0 edge on the boards thanks to the likes of Jeremis Smith (5.8 rebounds per game) and Ra’Sean Dickey (5.4).

Good as the Yellow Jackets are at times, they remain inconsistent, in part because Crittenton, their leader, is prone to questionable decisionmaking. Mario West can come off the bench as a backup point guard, and is a fine defender, but as Crittenton goes so go the Jackets.

This may not bode well against UNLV, which features an experienced backcourt, a tough defense that forces opponents into turnovers, and a veteran coach.

Recent history is not on UNLV’s side. The Runnin’ Rebels have appeared in the NCAAs twice since being upset by Duke in the 1991 Final Four, and went out in their first game both times. To avoid a similar fate, UNLV will turn to point guard Kevin Kruger, who left Arizona State to join his father, Lon.

The elder Kruger is the fifth coach to take four different teams (Kansas State, Florida, Illinois and now Nevada-Las Vegas) to the NCAAs, along with Lefty Driesell, Jim Harrick, Eddie Sutton, and current Louisville coach Rick Pitino.

Kruger the player averages 13.6 points per game and has an excellent 2.4 assists for every turnover. He is joined in the backcourt by sophomore Jo’Van “Wink” Adams, who chips in 14.3 points. Senior forward Wendell White paces the Runnin’ Rebels with a 6.2-rebound average to accompany 14.2-point scoring.

UNLV uses 10 players regularly (Georgia Tech uses nine), and is among the nation’s top shotblocking teams, led by 6-9 senior reserve Joel Anthony, who has 105 rejections.

The Mountain West champions have won seven in a row, and have not lost more than two straight all year. They should be able to handle the Jackets, if all the talk of experience and the importance of guard play in NCAA competition is to be believed.