Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (13-18, 5-11)
Projected starting five:
Jr. G Mfon Udofia
So. G Brandon Reed
Jr. G Glen Rice Jr.
So. F Kammeon Holsey
So. C Daniel Miller
Important departures:
Coach Paul Hewitt: 255-187 overall record, 189-160 record with Yellow Jackets, 72-104 ACC record in 11 seasons at Georgia Tech.
Iman Shumpert: 17.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.5 apg
Brian Oliver: 10.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.5 apg
Maurice Miller: 6.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.4 apg
Percent returning scoring and rebounding:
Scoring: 51.6 percent
Rebounding: 64.2 percent
Additions:
Brandon Reed, sophomore guard transferred from Arkansas State
Julian Royal, No. 125 Rivals.com and ESPNU four-star power forward from Alpharetta, Ga.
Schedule highlights:
Best non-conference game: vs. Alabama
Toughest conference stretch: Jan. 21-Feb. 1 (at Clemson, vs. Miami, at North Carolina, at Florida State)
Outlook:
After Paul Hewitt took Georgia Tech to the 2004 championship game and proved that he could attract elite talent to Atlanta, Yellow Jacket fans just waited for another Final Four run. It never materialized, and the team dismissed Hewitt after another disappointing season. Brian Gregory now takes over with a decent amount of talent left in the cupboard.
Gregory will need to get solid players like Mfon Udofia, Glen Rice Jr., and Kammeon Holsey to buy in to his game plan. If they do, Georgia Tech could quickly move out of the cellar, possibly into the thick of the ACC teams competing for a final NCAA Tournament bid. Besides the existing lineup, Gregory gets the services of Brandon Reed, an elite scorer who transferred from Arkansas State.
