PG Problems

[kg01]

Here's a biting yet painfully accurate article regarding GT's guard woes.

http://atlallday.com/2014/02/19/brian-gregory-georgia-tech-point-guard-problem/

For the uninitiated, Georgia Tech has been known as a “point guard school” for years, and with good reason. In the last 30 years (admittedly a large sample), the Jackets have cycled through NBA studs like Mark Price, Kenny Anderson, and Stephon Marbury, while sprinkling in top-flight college guys like Jarrett Jack (NBA), Javaris Crittendon (NBA), Iman Shumpert (NBA), and even Tony Akins.

With all due respect to Trae Golden, who has been a solid collegiate player in both stops including Tennessee, his injury absence in recent weeks has highlighted an issue that has already been brewing. Golden’s transfer (and eligibility) was seen as a God-send around Tech’s campus, but even if everything had gone beautifully this season (and he’s been reasonably effective in averaging a team-leading 13 points and 3.1 assists per game), he is in the final year of eligibility with no future plan in sight.

Golden’s chief backup has been redshirt freshman Corey Heyward, who was a 2-star, unranked recruit in the class of 2012 that, frankly, has no business playing major minutes in the ACC at this point in time. In fairness to Heyward, that backup point guard job was supposed to be divided between Solomon Poole (who was dismissed from the program) and Travis Jorgensen (who tore his ACL after just 4 games of his freshman season), but even without those issues, no one would be comfortable with the point guard direction moving forward.

Can't argue much with any of it. I've said before, I hope we aren't in the grad-transfer market for a PG again. That's just like the one-and-done issue without the benefit of having NBA-caliber talent on the roster. Shouldn't be this hard to pull a PG or at least a lead guard.

What do y'all think?

 

[IronJacket7]

Travis Jorgenson will be a floor stud General when he gets healthy.

 

[Chattjacket]

Point guard issues, IMO, were what led to the team's struggles under Hewitt and might be what sinks Gregory. Hopefully at least one of the young guys will come through.

I do think it's funny that the article mentions Shumpert as a PG. He played it out of necessity at GT, but he was the quintessential combo guard. We haven't had a good true PG since Javaris, and I try to forget that he went to GT...

 

[kg01]

Point guard issues, IMO, were what led to the team's struggles under Hewitt and might be what sinks Gregory. Hopefully at least one of the young guys will come through.

I do think it's funny that the article mentions Shumpert as a PG. He played it out of necessity at GT, but he was the quintessential combo guard. We haven't had a good true PG since Javaris, and I try to forget that he went to GT...

Agree with all this. It's possible to win without an absolute stud PG but your offensive execution has to be stellar or at least serviceable. We have neither.

@IronJacket7 , I hope Jorg ends up being that guy. That's why I hope we don't bring in another grad-transfer. Obviously it's better to have an experienced body (especially with Jorg coming off a knee) but I wonder if it stunts everyone's growth to a degree.

I'd prefer we take a chance on one of the available guards in-state or otherwise who are waiting on offers. Pretty sure the PG from Wheeler (who hit their game-winner last night) would've come here instead of W. Ky just as an example. The kid who committed to LSU wanted to come here (granted he ended up being a pkg deal with his more talented '15 teammate but I digress )

 

[GTrob21]

There is no guarantee about Travis G coming back from surgery. The lack of Point guard development is what ultimately lead to hewitt's failure and will be the undoing of Gregory. We are at least 2 years from having a solid Point guard and Mbob isn't going to give gregory two more years.

 

[jeffgt14]

I like Travis as well but he wasn’t even supposed to be the starting PG of the future to begin with. The Solomon Poole experiment really hurt us. I think one of our biggest problems under CBG seems to be being able to keep some of our guys in the program to begin with. We were plagued by one and dones with Hewitt but it is outrageous how many people have transferred and left the program in recent years. The senior leadership has been nonexistent when they all leave as sophomores and juniors. I know some of those guys weren’t the best players out there but those are the guys you need to provide leadership and be role players.

 

[alaguy]

There is no guarantee about Travis G coming back from surgery. The lack of Point guard development is what ultimately lead to hewitt's failure and will be the undoing of Gregory. We are at least 2 years from having a solid Point guard and Mbob isn't going to give gregory two more years.

Bingo--well said.
I liked TJ from when I saw his tape more than Poole with his DUNKS as a PG--PLEEZE!
But TJ is hurt and may never get well.Also we need better ball-handler besides him.

 

[kg01]

I think Jorg should be fine once he gets over the mental hurdle of having a repaired knee. Also, did I miss something? Seems a couple of y'all have some bleak outlooks on his recovery.

What made him an asset wasn't necessarily the explosive plays that cause guys like D. Rose (and maybe sadly our own Shumpert) to re-injure, so we may be in good shape as long as we add another similar player IMHO which is doable.

Lastly, in fairness to Poole, there's some tape of Jorg dunking too so that's not the kiss of death.

 

[collegeballfan]

Heyward should be in his 2nd season after playing a backup role last season. Jorgenson should be playing that back up role this season. And both should be backing up Poole. Having Golden come in was a bonus that turned into a necessity.

Injuries are season killers.

I have no idea what happened with Poole. But when you recruit a 4 star PG you expect to get a starter for his 2nd year. But we ended up with a dismissal.

 

[awbuzz]

you are right, the Poole issue definitely hasn't worked out like we all hoped it would...

 

[alaguy]

I think Jorg should be fine once he gets over the mental hurdle of having a repaired knee. Also, did I miss something? Seems a couple of y'all have some bleak outlooks on his recovery.

What made him an asset wasn't necessarily the explosive plays that cause guys like D. Rose (and maybe sadly our own Shumpert) to re-injure, so we may be in good shape as long as we add another similar player IMHO which is doable.

Lastly, in fairness to Poole, there's some tape of Jorg dunking too so that's not the kiss of death.

You may not rember this guy was trouble waiting to happen..He was suspended in hi school---PG picked very WRONG and he will probably pay with his job.

 

[kg01]

You may not rember this guy was trouble waiting to happen..He was suspended in hi school---PG picked very WRONG and he will probably pay with his job.

Oh yeah, I'm aware of that and I agree it ended up being the wrong course of action. Seemed like a great idea at the time though with his brother transferring in. I wonder if he stays too or transfers down a division. I like him and think he brings something to the table, but just isn't being used.

 

[GTrob21]

Such is life as a college coach. CBG rolled the dice on poole and got burned. That plus the lack of PG development has been and will be devastating to our team.

If we had a solid PG, I think this team could be a borderline NCAA tournament team.

 

[yellowRambler]

Such is life as a college coach. CBG rolled the dice on poole and got burned. That plus the lack of PG development has been and will be devastating to our team.

If we had a solid PG, I think this team could be a borderline NCAA tournament team.

it's hard to have PG development when:
1. Heyward tears his ACL last year and Udofia graduates
2. Jogensen tears his ACL this year and Poole gets kicked off team and your starter PG/leading scorer has had lingering groin injury for 3 weeks.

Healthy Golden is a solid PG, but our chances of being borderline NCAA tournament team ended when Carter got hurt to go along with Poole getting kicked off and Bolden having the worst shooting percentage of any starting Tech guard in at least 10 years (probably lowest in last half century if not ever), 28.9%

 

[yellowRambler]

I went and researched it and this season players who have over 165 FGA, Bolden is dead last in FG % with 28.9%. He has dropped from 36% last season and is the lowest ever in the ACC in the last 12 years (as far back as I could go) counting all players who play at least 75% of their games averaging at least 5 FGA per game.

With everyone calling for Gregory's head when you're starting shooting guard is having a historically awful season, I'm surprised we have double digit wins.

 

[awbuzz]

We just seem snake bit regarding the PG position, injuries and players being dismissed from the team.

 

[dtm1997]

I went and researched it and this season players who have over 165 FGA, Bolden is dead last in FG % with 28.9%. He has dropped from 36% last season and is the lowest ever in the ACC in the last 12 years (as far back as I could go) counting all players who play at least 75% of their games averaging at least 5 FGA per game.

With everyone calling for Gregory's head when you're starting shooting guard is having a historically awful season, I'm surprised we have double digit wins.

Anyone calling for CBG's head probably doesn't understand the dynamics of what's happened this season, nor the dynamics of GTAA's finances. I'm not saying there aren't better coaches out there, but CBG's tenure is highly unlikely to end this season for a multitude of reasons. Personally, I'd rather see him turn it around than have to replace him, but I'll also say I learned my lesson about not pulling the band aid off with the last regime. It's not time to pull the band aid off yet.

 

[Yoda]

Travis Jorgenson will be a floor stud General when he gets healthy.

My cousin is one of the Bball managers. He told me the same thing.

 

[Nook Su Kow]

No love for my boy Travis Best?

 

[Connell62]

Good discussion here..I agree that Jorgensen will be a very solid PG for us over these next few seasons, if he can stay healthy. He is a gym rat that understands the game well, he is very sound fundamentally, and he can score it as well. He will be the floor general that hasn't been seen here in a while. Losing him this season was the very beginning of the downward spiral of a season.

With that said, I think that we are looking for more guards. The ball handling from the backcourt is horrendous right now, and I'm not sure that we have a capable finisher on the team. Look for our recruitment of combo guards to ramp up this summer. Someone that can score in volume and distribute. Someone like Jalen Adams would be a weapon and could see the floor immediately. Tadric will see minutes too, but his first contributions will be defensively and in transition.