@VT

GTJason

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We as fans can take solace in the effort of our team because we know cjp will not. Exciting game with a bad result. I freaking love this team. Let's steal another on the road!
 

Peacone36

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That team is super talented. Clarke comes off the bench and gets a double double. Allen shot a high %. In the end it was a few things that cost us the game.

1-Jax missed layup on the break. Looking for the foul he kind of just threw it at the rim. He missed, Allen takes it right back down the floor and lays it in. 4 pt swing.

2-Qs misses front end of the one and one. You could see it coming as he broke routine. He usually steps dribbles and shoots and I think he just dribbled and shot on this one.

3-Can't get the ball in bounds. This was the game. You can draw up the most beautiful play in the world but it doesn't matter if you can't get the ball im bounds.

We were down 49-40 and I moved from the couch to the bed and put the game on for noise. Then watched the whole thing because we fought back. Our guys made it closer than it probably should have been, on the road, against a good crowd, against a way more athletic well coached team that's probably going to dance this year. Spread was 11.5 at game time.

Time to invade the French.
 

lv20gt

Helluva Engineer
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5,586
On one hand this game was frustrating because there were so many things that we did wrong that we can do that would have won the game. Missed freethrows and layups, some questionable decisions on offense, defensive lapses. I actually feel like we played better than VT last night but just made a few too many small mistakes that cost us.

On the other hand the fact that we can feel disappointed with a one point road ACC loss, and feel like it was a game we should have won is a testament to how big of a surprise the play of this team has been this year. I don't believe in moral victories, but I do believe in losses that you can not be mad about. Team played hard, played well, and came up short. It happens.

But man of man does this staff need to do some work on the recruiting trail. We have zero depth and it really shows at times, and unfortunately i think it's only going to become more of a problem as the year goes on.
 

Techster

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18,390
Our guys fought, and there were moments of really good basketball that we didn't get last year (or any year under CBG...and even Hewitt).

Gotta make those free throws...we missed a lot of them in the second half and it came back to bite us on the scoreboard. 9/15 on free throws...make 1 more we tie. 2 more and we win. Our main guys are usually 70%+ FT shooters...but not this game. Tadric, Josh O, and Q both had great opportunities to make easy layups but looked like they were bracing for fouls. On Tadric's layup in particular he could have just slammed one in, instead it seemed like he kinda looked back as he had the ball right at the basket! Go hard to the basket guys...if they foul you, they foul you.

I don't want to say I'm mad because VT is a good team, but the game could have been won and it was lost due to things we could control (FT's, high percentage layups). I see some saying "Well, this team isn't as talented as VT and we shouldn't have won anyhow so no need to be disappointed." Sorry, but that's not the mentality I want our players to have, and that's not the expectations fans should have. I'm disappointed because we could have easily won this one...on the road...in the ACC. That could have been a big win for us. Am I mad about it? Not one bit because our guys played hard and they were outgunned. Had we been as talented as VT then I would have been mad. There's a difference in feeling disappointed in a lost opportunity, and being mad.
 

Techster

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18,390
Just looked at the box score. Wow:

Minutes:
Q - 40
Big Ben - 38
Heath - 39
Moore - 17
Okogie - 36
(sub) AG - 4
(sub) Corey - 2
(sub) Tad - 24

There really is no depth right now. Outside of Moore, our starters are getting worked every night on minutes. Lammers had a good night (12/8/6) but you can tell the minutes are starting to wear him down.

If you're an elite big man in HS, I don't see how GT isn't at the top of your list right now. Minutes galore available, playing in the ACC, Atlanta, elite education, and getting developed by one of the better big man coaches in college (Reveno).
 

BigDaddyBuzz

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1,189
Folks we have much to be proud about and excited about with this team. The heart and effort when we got down 49-40 to come back was great. Surprised of some of the negativity on here, let's not forget our limitations and when CJP says our margin of error is zero, he means it. I guess it is a good thing that people are actually following hoops and giving a damn. We basically only have 6-1/2 guys we are playing and Moore is starting to hit the freshman wall. I still believe this team can sneak out some more wins. Of course I wanted a win, we had 2 chances, and Lammers truthfully got undercut on the lob. Stephens got a good look and just couldn't hit. He played a great game. Saturday could be rough at UVA but lets get behind this team. TogetherWeSwarm!
 

RamblinRed

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Featured Member
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Tough loss, it seems like we lose 1 pt games to VT alot.
Despite playing on the road against a more talented team (that was clearly desperate to win) GT had multiple chances to win.

I'm still upset we lost because it was a winnable game, but not disappointed in the players or the direction of the program this year so far.

When a coach says you have to play almost perfect because of your limitations - that is coach speak for - we are not very talented (especially compared to who we play) and we have to play really well as a team to have chance to win.

There is a reason GT only plays 6-7 guys.
 

coolhaji33

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
411
Did you notice how clearly good and more talented VT is? How hard they played? Look at their effort on loose balls. They really wanted to win and yet Tech played right with them basically the entire game, played really fantastic defense, and we can sit here and think we should have won. Wow. This is a new era of Jacket basketball.

If Q's last shot had fallen then I would have been here openly wondering what it would take to make the NIT. And I would not have been clinically insane either.
We are a much better team than VT...they're much like State minus Dennis Smith(game changer).We blew that game...played pretty well...if Q made that shot WOW that would have been quite a game for him...kid had like 12-13 boards to go along with his offensive performance.
 

Silk3

Ramblin' Wreck
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936
I know we have no depth but I wish Mathews would get some minutes. We struggle to score and one thing he can do is score.
 

Techster

Helluva Engineer
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18,390
if Q made that shot WOW that would have been quite a game for him...kid had like 12-13 boards to go along with his offensive performance.

I don't mind Q taking that last shot, and I definitely don't put the game on him missing that last shot either. Q has been a pleasant surprise this year. Kinda reminds me of MGH last year in the sense that the coaches are putting more on his shoulders this year to be one of the players to help carry the team. He's not scoring like he did against VT consistently, but he's doing the other things to help us. He's a much better player for us this year.

The VT game may be his best all-around game from him I can remember. I hope we get more of it from him. If you can do it once, you can do it again...and again...
 

Techster

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18,390
I know we have no depth but I wish Mathews would get some minutes. We struggle to score and one thing he can do is score.

Speaking of CW...what's up with that situation? As light as we are on talent, kinda curious he doesn't get at least 10-15 minutes a game. The guy had 14 points (2/3 behind the arc) in 13 minutes against Tennessee! Surely the guys ahead of him aren't that good where someone like CW can't get minutes and we can't use his production.
 

MWBATL

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Messages
6,589
Finally got a chance to watch the second half.

Never, ever thought I would be wondering how we would replace Q next year after he graduates. As much as Lammers has developed into a force, Q has really developed as well.

Still very impressed with this team and the coaching staff. Lots of places where we could have won this game...there always are in a one point loss. But still, who would have thought we'd be this competitive?
 
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