Explain the Hewitt hate to me

Peacone36

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Inbounding issues have been addressed at length.

It was impossible for his teams to win on the road in the ACC, especially towards the end of his time here.

The beginning of the end for me was the disappointment of the 04-05 team. That team returned all major contributors except for Lewis and Clarence Moore. Sr. Elder, Muhammad, McHenry, Bynum, and Schenscher - also Jr. Jack. Were preseason #3 and finished unranked and with an exit in the 2nd round of the NCAAT. Granted, we ran into a(n) (underseeded) buzzsaw in Louisville that year who ended up reaching the Final Four, but IMO we underachieved in the regular season, going 8-8 in conf with that roster - yielding us receiving a 5 seed.

The last few years, it seemed like apathy set in with Hewitt, with him obviously understanding the fine print of his contract. He knew it would be difficult for us to let him go - and while I don't think he enjoyed losing - I certainly don't think the drive and competitive edge was with him in the last few years like it was in the first few, especially when it came to game prep and coaching.


While I agree with the overall disappointment here, Lewis and Moore (especially) were the heart of this program during their time here. Their departure should not be shrugged off (not that you were) and Elder was dinged up seemingly all season.
 

Chattjacket

Georgia Tech Fan
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While I agree with the overall disappointment here, Lewis and Moore (especially) were the heart of this program during their time here. Their departure should not be shrugged off (not that you were) and Elder was dinged up seemingly all season.

It seems like Ish started suffering from tendinitis early in the season as well and that plagued him the entire year. Lots of contributing factors to that season, though it was disappointing.
 

KeystoneJacket

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That season went downhill when Elder got hurt at Kansas on New Year's Day. They were smoking a good team and wound up losing in OT after he went down. They couldn't seem to get it going full bore the rest of the season.
 

ESPNjacket

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That season went downhill when Elder got hurt at Kansas on New Year's Day. They were smoking a good team and wound up losing in OT after he went down. They couldn't seem to get it going full bore the rest of the season.

This is true except GT was very good again by the end of the season after an up and down ACC regular season after Elder got hurt at Kansas. After the home loss to NC State mid-February, GT's losses were to top 7 teams in kenpom's ratings (Duke twice, Wake, Louisville), with a win vs. eventual national champion UNC in there also.
 

KeystoneJacket

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I just meant that they were looking like the best team in the country that day and a likely one seed. Maybe they make another run from where they were if they don't play Louisville.
 

grandpa jacket

Ramblin' Wreck
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My dislike for Hewitt doesn't compare to my disdain for Dave Brainless. That said, he ran the program into the gutter and was way overpaid to do it. I don't get the love for the guy but to each his own.
Hewitt did some good things for GT in the early years. Perhaps it was due to good assistants that came with him. His fundamentals were never really that good and it appeared when he got the golden parachute he quit recruiting and coaching. Overall he was a C- coach.
 

gtpi

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i agree....

i agree with all the bad things said about phewett and
i disagree with all the good things said about him.

that he got canned rather quickly and even did worse in his next job speaks for itself. imo his previous success was more about who he was surrounded by rather than himself.

hope i wasnt too harsh. heh.
 

ATL1

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Yet he went to the tournament the year prior to being canned, which was the last time GT would see the Tourney.
 

eetech

Jolly Good Fellow
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He had an escape clause in his contract for if he were ever hired to coach the Knicks.

He had an escape clause for the NBA. I'm pretty sure any decent college coach would have an escape clause for a professional team (especially 10-12 years ago, before college coaching salaries blew up the way they did).
 
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