I know, I know, why in the world would I write an article about basketball when we are in the midst of an ACC football championship run?  Well, for one, I love basketball just as much as football and I especially love Georgia Tech basketball.  I also wanted to catch everyone up on the team because there have been many changes and I’m very excited for the future of this team.  Hopefully, by the end of this article, you will be just as excited as I am.

Click the jump and let the excitement begin!

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I decided last week to forgo the Miami game By The Numbers because there was absolutely nothing good coming out of that.  We all saw the performance, or lack thereof, and there isn't a stat from that game that was going to make it any better.  GT posted it's worst rushing and total yards of the season and frankly, that looked like a 2010 game that I just want to forget about it.

However, Coach Paul Johnson & Co. got this team back on track and prepared for the game against Clemson.  In fact, I'd say it was one of the most complete games we've seen all year.  The execution was greatly improved on both sides of the ball and the play-calling was timely and efficient from both CPJ and Coach Al Groh.  There are still a few things that need improving, but no game is perfect.

Hit the jump to see the full breakdown.

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This week's installment of By The Numbers will be a quick one as I don't want to continue feeding the depression of the fan base.  So let's just get to it shall we?

In last week's post I made mention that UVA's defense was actually better than every team left on the schedule minus uga, only allowing 4.6 ypp which was 16thnationally.  Let's say that was the first indicator of how the weekend would go.  If I remember correctly, Georgia Tech hasn't won at Virginia but twice in almost three decades, once in 1990 and again in 2009.  For whatever cosmic reasons you may wish to place blame on, Georgia Tech has some serious issues playing UVAon the road.  That's indicator two.  The third and most obvious indicator that the team might not perform well against UVAwas their performance leading into the game.  For three straight weeks things seemed to decline, be it the WR's dropping passes, the QB not making his reads, or the bland and quite predictable play-calling.

To put it simply, the result should have been expected.

Let's get the pain over withquickly.  272 yards rushing for 5.13 ypp is not far off the average for the year, but 24 yards passing for 3 ypp is 10 yppless than the current average.  The previously mentioned UVA defense held Georgia Tech to a total of 296 yards (almost 100 less than our worst and 150 less than our season average thus far) for 4.85 ypp, right on par with what they have been averaging for the year.

Our defense gave up 5.79 ypp rushing and 7.11 ypp passing, both being more than our averages of 4.47 and 5.9 ypp respectively.  Our overall ypp margin was -1.31 as well.  I'm not overly concerned with the defense for this game because our offense gave them no help whatsoever with only a couple of sustained drives.  The defense was just on the field too long.  I know, what about the run defense you ask.  Here's the thing with that.  How do I get mad at the players for their 4-3 background and their physical measurements?  I can't, I won't, and neither should you.  Our defensive line is unfortunately not put together from 3-4 linemen, but instead guys who grew up understanding a 4-3, were recruited because they physically met the 4-3 requirements, and on some occasions are converted offensive linemen.  So, I forgive them for being pushed off the line and or outplayed against a larger and, in my opinion, a better offensive line.

However, there are some issues that should be elevated quickly.  The poor tackling has been a problem all year, but what was at first a few random occurrences has grown to be a system-wide issue.  I won't even attempt at quantifying it because the point is that almost every player on the defense seems to think they don't have to wrap-up, that they don't have to go through the ball carrier, and that attempting to tackle someone from the waist up is a good idea.  This issue resides in both the linebackers and secondary primarily and in many cases is what led to a majority of Virginia's large runs.  This is an issue that is a by-product of plain laziness, is unacceptable, and needs to be rectified in a hurry.

Positive take-away?  Hey, we're still 6-1 and we're still bowl eligible.  Another might be now that we have this loss, maybe we can continue with a more realistic expectation for the remainder of the season.  A final positive might be that almost all issues are fundamental and mechanical things that should be correctable with proper training and practice.  That may not mean it will all be fixed by the end of this season, but this team is young and there aren't any sure-fire draft pick stars so it should be a heck of a returning team.

Oh, one more positive.  We get Jacory"INT" Harris next week.  TO HELL WITH MIAMI!

I apologize for not publishing the NCST: By The Numbers post last week, but in retrospect, I think it has actually been a good thing in that it has allowed me to reflect on the last three weeks worth of data and notice some negative trends.  All aspects of the offensive side of the ball are down (rushing, passing, scoring) while the teams we have faced have gotten worse defensively as well.

All rankings and numbers are courtesy of CFBStats.com.

Follow along after the jump to see the numbers that define this offensive downward spiral.

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Week 4 was the beginning of ACC action for Georgia Tech as they faced off against the University of North Carolina Tarheels.  Heading into the game, Tech led the nation in a number of offensive categories (scoring, total offense, etc.) while UNC had one of the top ten defenses (7th).  The two biggest questions were if the vaunted UNC defense could actually stop the option and if Tech's defense could get enough stops to let the offense take over.

Follow after the jump and see how we did.

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In Week 3, Georgia Tech defeated Kansas 66-24.  It was a beatdown beyond comparison as the good guys set a few school, conference, and NCAA records.  I've watched the game four times now and I still can't believe some of the numbers put up.  Yes, it was Kansas, but it's nice to finally see Tech actually drop the hammer on teams that it should obviously rip for once.

So, after the jump we'll take a further look at the numbers we've been tracking thus far! (YPP, PPP, TO Margin, etc.)

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In Week 2 of the beautiful college football season, Georgia Tech defeated Middle Tennessee State University 49-21.  We've all had time to formulate our thoughts on the game and with a 2-0 start to the season I think that everyone should be feeling good about the team overall.  Things are improving and I'll show you where after the jump!

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By now everyone should have had plenty of time to digest the first win of the season for GT. It was an expected win, but it's alway good to see the team come through on expectations unlike last season. Spring and summer practices tell us a certain amount about the team; seeing them in action against a real opponent tells us even more. I think we all learned that the option is still alive and well, but more importantly that passing might be more than an afterthought or something to bail us out on long down situations.

Going forward, starting with the win over WCU, I'd like to take a look at each game by the numbers. I'll primarily be looking at YPP margin, PPP, & TO Margin. Every so often I'll throw in some FEI, S&P+, and F/+ numbers for the hardcore stats guys out there.

So take the red pill and jump down into the statistical rabbit-hole with me.

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I'll start with an apology.  I would like to apologize for my lack of posts and content lately.  Recently life has been throwing me a curveball just about every single pitch.  Without going into details, basically two family members were hospitalized, a third passed away, and generally things have been a little out of order.  I'm really hoping that the next few weeks allow for things to settle and that I can get back into some form of normalcy.

Clearly I have missed some things while dealing with life.  I'll post my thoughts on the NCAA ruling later, but for now I'd like to present to you something I wrote while on a business trip to San Diego two weeks ago.  It is not specific to any sport, but rather an interesting observation on a commonality between college and the military.  I've no doubt that this isn't the first time someone has made this observation, but it is mine and I thought I'd share.

I've edited the original for grammar, spelling, and the such as I was quited buzzed after a long day of drinking on the bay and in the Gaslamp District of downtown San Diego.  Outside of that, it's still true to the thoughts that flowed that night.  Enjoy!

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via cdn2.sbnation.com

We all remember Joe Hamilton well, the player that led Georgia Tech to a victory over #6 Virginia and ended his career with 10,640 yards, 65 passing touchdowns and 83 total touchdowns, not to mention many ACC and national awards.  We also remember that he was hired as a player personnel assistant at Tech in 2008 and we were all excited.  He then was subsequently arrested for DUI, hit-n-run, and other charges just a few short weeks later and was forced to resign, at which point I think we all became disappointed and a little sad.  The two year time period of '98 and '99 was a culmination of life events for me that have really shaped my future and as such, events during that time period seems to stand out in stark contrast to years before and after when I look back on things.  Joe Hamilton was a part of that and I've followed him throughout his career.  The DUI and resignation of Hamilton hurt me as if he were my best friend or my brother.

That being said, I'm very proud to hear that Georgia State University has promoted Hamilton to running backs coach in replacement of Todd Perry after serving as an intern on Bill Curry's staff for the past year.  Here's Hamilton commenting on his effort to get back into coaching, per the AJC:

"I made a mistake," he said. "I worked my butt off to correct it and worked to make sure that I'll never put myself in that position. I have a new lease on my dream. I did it the right way. It happened because of me grinding and being responsible. The thing I'm most proud of is I spent the past year doing the same type of work that any other coach would have to do. Nothing was given. Everything was earned."

This pleases me greatly.  He made a grave mistake and it cost him his dream job - a chance to coach at the school he played for and achieved so much at - but I think anyone who read his comments then could easily see that he knew and understood what his mistake was and what it would take away from him.  To be able to work his way back into coaching, even if it's at Georgia State, is amazing and shows the dedication of our great Heisman Joe.  I wish him nothing but the best and maybe one day we'll get to see him back in the White & Gold.

Over this past week Georgia Tech Baseball went 4-0 with a sweep of Illinois-Chicago and a Tuesday win over Savannah State.  The bats were alive averaging 8.5 runs a game while the arms were still smoking allowing only 2 runs a game and 7.5 K's per game, although 12 of the 30 were in Tuesday's game against Savannah St.  It was a very solid week and hopefully a sign of steadiness as we finish up the regular season.

Looking ahead we have a weekend series against UNC at home, a mid-week game at home hosting East Tennessee State, ending with a road series at VPI.  GT currently sits in second place in the Coastal Division, only two games behind Virginia and followed closely by Miami (1.5 games back of GT) and UNC (2 games back), and looking to get one of the top spots in the ACC Tournament.  Interestingly enough, all four teams have seven games left and they all play each other in some way with Virgina having to play both UNC and Miami.  With only four games separating all four teams, that's a great race to end the season.  Virginia has only lost five total games, four of which were ACC loses, so for at least six games we'll all be Miami and UNC fans.  Ok, maybe not Miami fans, haha!

Outside of first place, the next thing Tech should try to lock up is one o the top four guaranteed spots.  In that case, the magic number is six as it currently stands.  That doesn't leave a lot of room for error, but I faith in the team to do what needs to be done.  I won't go so far as to say that it's impossible, but the chances of Miami sweeping Virginia this weekend are not very high.

Overall, this has been a stellar season considering the number of freshmen on this team.  I'm ready and excited for the post season to begin.  Thoughts?

This past week Georgia Tech reached their 30th win of the season by sweeping BC 2-0, 8-1, & 10-8.  Unfortunately, we dropped the final game of the three game series against UGA Tuesday at Turner Field.  Thankfully we still took that series 2-1.  This weekend we head to Clemson who happen to be 13-2 over the last fifteen.  We have fourteen games left so hopefully the good guys can finish strong.  A series sweep over Clemson would be a great way to do just that.

What with the Hawks in the playoffs and it being Easter weekend, the family and I were close by and the wife and I decided to catch the BC game Saturday.  We initially wanted to catch the T-Day game, but family obligations delayed us.  However, it was a beautiful weekend to watch all forms of sports, so long as you kept a little sunscreen on hand.  That being said, I was very pleased with the turnout at Russ Chandler.  Yes, there was a large percentage that were carryovers from the football game, but that is just fine by me.  It's just nice seeing a nearly full stadium of white and gold.

As for the game itself, it was fairly subdued minus the offensive explosion in the bottom of the third by GT, scoring six.  BC made a few costly errors and never really had their pitching or hitting going.  Bradley pitched a gem of a game going 7 innings with 1 ER and 6 SO and was followed by Jacob and Smelter, both throwing just as well with 0 ER and 3 SO combined for 2 IP.

I know I've stated it before, but the success of this squad thus far with 17 freshmen on the roster is just amazing to me.  These kids can flat out play some ball and I think that all of their success is just another example of Danny Hall's greatness.  No matter the circumstances, Hall always seems to find a way to put a winning ball club together year after year.  I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I'm extremely excited about the prospects of this squad over the next two years.  Thoughts?

Tonight at 7pm, GT will host UGA on the diamond in Atlanta.  This is the second game in the annual three-game series this year, with GT currently leading 1-0.  The last game was a 15-6 affair in the midst of a 16-game win streak for the Jackets.  If you are in the area, be sure to stop by Russ Chandler Stadium and take in a great rivalry game.  If, like myself, you don't live nearby, then the game is going to be televised on CSS, so set the DVR's people.

Pitching Matchup:

RHP Matthew Grimes (4-1, 3.82, 37.2 IP, 34 SO) vs. LHP Chase Hawkins (1-1, 4.55, 29.2, 12 SO)

The good guys are coming off a 1-2 series loss to Virginia while the Dawgs are coming off a seven game win streak themselves, one that ended Sunday with a loss to Ole Miss.  This post will serve as the official game thread for tonight's game so hit the jump for a preview of the two teams' seasons thus far.

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(The editorial staff has seen fit to promote this post from the FanPosts area due to its relevant content)

Recently there has been some discussion on the value of Zaza versus Collins, much of which was driven by the fact that the Hawks lack sufficient depth at the SF position thus somewhat forcing Larry Drew to go big for the few games Williams and Evans were out  (editor's note: Really? There has? I need to take less vacations).  While I, myself, am in favor of Zaza getting the nod over Collins should we need to go big again, others have stated that Zaza provides nothing on defense or lacks the skills needed to handle the low post effectively.  I wanted to get this up during the discussion, but things (cough, work, cough) conspired against me.

Below are a few numbers I pulled from Basketball Reference and HoopData.  I hope to illustrate the value of Zaza relative to the value of Collins from a purely unbiased data point of view.  Plain and simple, these are the numbers and it's up to the reader to decide what they want to take from them.  Let's jump!

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I'd like to make a request to the Orlando Magic.  Please rest all of your starting five tonight, not so that the Hawks would have a chance at winning, but to prove a point.  I have seen nothing in the last three games that indicates the Hawks starting five can compete with the Magic's second unit.  Ok, maybe Horford can compete, but the will and drive from the rest has dried up entirely.  We need a stake driven into the heart of management and the ownership that this team lacks the components necessary to compete at a championship level and I believe that your second unit can do that.  You will still win by 30+ so you have nothing to worry about.

Also, if you really think about it, win or lose, it's still a win-win for the Magic.  You win, you move on.  You lose, you get to go back to Orlando and finish the series at home for your fans and your starting five get a little rest.  We all know Dwight would like to rest that busted nose.  So, be a sport for fans of basketball and support the fans of the Hawks in helping us leave no room for doubt that the Hawks team needs serious adjustments.

Thanks!

P.S.  To any and all Hawks fans, feel free to use this as your official fan rant thread.  This is where emotional and illogical thought processes can be freely voice in full.  Enjoy!

Throughout the baseball season I have been closely following the five major polls tracking GT's movement after each week of play.  Without going back and checking, we haven't been outside the top ten once all year, which is awesome, but I picked up on something early on.  No one is talking about Jackets.  It doesn't seem to matter who we play or what the results are, we are either a footnote or not mentioned at all while other teams such as Texas or UVA get at least a few sentences minimum.

All of that is fine by me as I would much rather fly under the radar nationally for a while and hope that we get to burst a few bubbles i the end.  But after this past weekend, I feel that maybe the non-existent exposure has cause us to be unfairly punished for losing two games to a very strong, previously number one ranked for multiple weeks UVA squad, at their place no less.  Before the series GT was ranked 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, 2nd, and 4th*.  After the series, we were dropped to 5th, 6th, 5th, 5th, and 7th*.

I know it doesn't seem like much, and maybe I'm being picky, but playing Virginia at their place this year is not going to be easy for any team and I can't say I agree with the drop.  Thoughts?

*These are Rivals rankings, which have been low all year for some reason.  I'm sorry, but Florida, Arkansas, and Texas have not played better competition than we have and the numbers against their competition do not compare to what our guys are putting up against our competition.