11/6 - MBB vs. West Georgia

MtnWasp

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To feel good about games like this the team needs to demonstrate a killer instinct, which has been historically rare for GT teams to do. Usually teams get-up and lose focus, discipline and to some degree play down to the competition.

Maybe the thing I envied most about the Duke program under Krzyzewski was their ability to maintain intensity when they were up big. They go up thirty, and they still grind on defense and maintain offensive discipline.

If we see our team jump on WG and go up 30+; and then play the bench, that would bode well. Otherwise the best we can hope for in terms of forecasting the rest of the year will be to avoid the exasperating loss.
 

Peacone36

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To feel good about games like this the team needs to demonstrate a killer instinct, which has been historically rare for GT teams to do. Usually teams get-up and lose focus, discipline and to some degree play down to the competition.

Maybe the thing I envied most about the Duke program under Krzyzewski was their ability to maintain intensity when they were up big. They go up thirty, and they still grind on defense and maintain offensive discipline.

If we see our team jump on WG and go up 30+; and then play the bench, that would bode well. Otherwise the best we can hope for in terms of forecasting the rest of the year will be to avoid the exasperating loss.
This.

one of the things that enraged me during the CBG and CJP era was constantly playing down to our opponents. We continued that trend last season and then seemed to get up for big time programs. I’d really love to see that end. easier said than done I know, I’m a competitive Cornhole player and do it ALL THE TIME and it also pisses me off.
 

Tommy_Taylor_1972

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This.

one of the things that enraged me during the CBG and CJP era was constantly playing down to our opponents. We continued that trend last season and then seemed to get up for big time programs. I’d really love to see that end. easier said than done I know, I’m a competitive Cornhole player and do it ALL THE TIME and it also pisses me off.
Certainly show respect for West Georgia. Their first year in D1. Our twice All American basketball player, Roger Kaiser 1957-61 and Olympic tryout selected, pro basketball player, Tech HOF, Atlanta HOF, Georgia HOF, and American Small College coach HOF, was AD at West Georgia for many years and coached their basketball team to two national championships in NAIA and D2. He and wife Beverly retired in Carrolton GA several years ago and there will be many West GA fans at the game, many also are Tech fans. West GA will get $900k for the game to help out their athletic budget.
 

AUFC

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Certainly show respect for West Georgia. Their first year in D1. Our twice All American basketball player, Roger Kaiser 1957-61 and Olympic tryout selected, pro basketball player, Tech HOF, Atlanta HOF, Georgia HOF, and American Small College coach HOF, was AD at West Georgia for many years and coached their basketball team to two national championships in NAIA and D2. He and wife Beverly retired in Carrolton GA several years ago and there will be many West GA fans at the game, many also are Tech fans. West GA will get $900k for the game to help out their athletic budget.
Extra 0 on the buy-game fee I think Tommy.

Definitely can't take them lightly - many D2 schools can and do beat mid and low major D1 schools all the time. They were a good D2 program and made the NCAA Tournament the last 2 years.
 
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orientalnc

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Certainly show respect for West Georgia. Their first year in D1. Our twice All American basketball player, Roger Kaiser 1957-61 and Olympic tryout selected, pro basketball player, Tech HOF, Atlanta HOF, Georgia HOF, and American Small College coach HOF, was AD at West Georgia for many years and coached their basketball team to two national championships in NAIA and D2. He and wife Beverly retired in Carrolton GA several years ago and there will be many West GA fans at the game, many also are Tech fans. West GA will get $900k for the game to help out their athletic budget.
Will we have $900K in revenue from this game?

I agree that GT should respect every opponent. But, as fans, it is OK to have realistic expectations. West Ga is playing their 1st season in D1 and their roster has a bunch of carryovers from DII.
 

Tommy_Taylor_1972

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No, Tech will not profit financially from the game unless maybe sold-out. Tech schedules West Georgia for the "easy" win, just like most of the games before the new year. West Georgia Schedules Tech for the money. Since this is a D1 game, Tech will try to win by the widest margin to get a higher NET rating for NCAA tournament qualification. West Georgia athletic department will go home happy regardless of the outcome. West Georgia will likely bring in more money in their first two games than the rest of the season in the Atlantic Sun Conference. That is life in NCAA sports today.

SEC network + will carry their game tonight at MS State. ACC, not even on the internet, will not carry Tech's game Wednesday night. Now that's no respect for Tech from the ACC.
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orientalnc

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No, Tech will not profit financially from the game unless maybe sold-out. Tech schedules West Georgia for the "easy" win, just like most of the games before the new year. West Georgia Schedules Tech for the money. Since this is a D1 game, Tech will try to win by the widest margin to get a higher NET rating for NCAA tournament qualification. West Georgia athletic department will go home happy regardless of the outcome. West Georgia will likely bring in more money in their first two games than the rest of the season in the Atlantic Sun Conference. That is life in NCAA sports today.

SEC network + will carry their game tonight at MS State. ACC, not even on the internet, will not carry Tech's game Wednesday night. Now that's no respect for Tech from the ACC.
View attachment 17118
I don't disagree agree about anything in your post except the amount of money.

 

AUFC

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Our game is on ACCN+ (ESPN+) for streaming. I'm not sure why UWG put the SECN+ logo and not the ACCN+ logo - I would chalk it up to low budget/team administrators probably wearing several different hats. Maybe they want their alumni to attend the game rather than watch it on TV.
 

Connell62

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This.

one of the things that enraged me during the CBG and CJP era was constantly playing down to our opponents. We continued that trend last season and then seemed to get up for big time programs. I’d really love to see that end. easier said than done I know, I’m a competitive Cornhole player and do it ALL THE TIME and it also pisses me off.
I don't think that it was / is a GT thing as much as it is parity in college basketball. You see it every year.

Some big time school gets beats by a D2 squad in an exhibition or someone power conference team traves to a mid-major's homecourt and gets a surprise.

Happens every year... I do not suspect this year will be any different. Possibly more upsets. Just hope it isn't us!
 

MtnWasp

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I don't think that it was / is a GT thing as much as it is parity in college basketball.
There is increased parity in college ball but this is not what I (and probably Peacone) are pointing at.

There are games where superiority is plainly on display. What we tend to see from the superior team is dramatically uneven play due to a lack of competitive stamina and focus due to the mismatch.

This is plain a day to any who watch the games. The superior team will start to take bad, out of phase shots and perplexing defensive lapses. It is clear, teams that get up big tend to "dial down." That is what I am talking about.

There are other things that can happen during the game to explain poor performance. Some times it is nerves. I think sometimes the heavily favored team can come in a little spooked and if the underdog punches them in the mouth, the pressure only increases.

Other times, the favored team can come out flat and never can pull out of it. We saw a good example of that in Roy Williams in his last season with Carolina where they came out flat against us and we embarrassed them badly.

But to the original point, good teams demonstrate competitive stamina. They can play with effort and focus for longer stretches than the average team. That is true regardless of the competition. Certain coaches have shown the ability to instill that quality in their teams: Kryzyeski was one, Bobby Huggins, Calhoun and now Hurley at UConn, Oats at 'Bama, Pitino, etc. I suspect those coaches had the knack of recognizing recruits that would gnaw through iron bars to get on the court and compete and that those players established a culture. "Tough" coaches seem to be falling out of favor.

Anyway, that is what I would like to see from GT in games like this one against WG.
 
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spdrama

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GT opens their season at home Wednesday v West Georgia Wolves, but they open tonight against Mississippi State, ranked #32 by Ken Pomeroy & 22 by Bart Torvik. KenPom says MSt 86-59. Torvik has it 88-59. GT is ranked 71 by Pomeroy & 93 by Torvik with each predicting GT over WG Wednesday 84-63. Remember MSt was one of CDS big ranked wins last season and one of our secret scrimmage opponents just about a week ago with the game reported as a close loss for the Jackets. Long off season & college hoop fans starving for action, especially Tech fans, might find this one interesting tonight.
 
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