One shining moment
Will Bynum came off the bench when point guard Jarret Jack got into foul trouble and saved Georgia Tech from major embarrassment. He drilled several clutch jumpers, including a pair when Northern Iowa was making its run from 16 points down that took the steam out of the loud, upset-hungry crowd. Bynum is the kind of player third seeds have and 14th seeds do not -- the type who can overcome good defense with pure athleticism and create his own shot. On a day when Tech's halfcourt offense broke down, Bynum was the repair man.
Player who impressed me
On the other hand, David Gruber, Northern Iowa's 6-foot-6 center, is the kind of player who gives 14th seeds a chance against third seeds -- smart, tough and fearless. He didn't just outplay 7-1 Luke Schenscher of Georgia Tech, he set the tone for the Panthers by yelling for the ball in the low post as if he was the one with the seven-inch height advantage. Gruber seemed to sense that his teammates needed to be convinced they could hang with Tech so he told them, loudly.
Courtside confidential
Tech coach Paul Hewitt made a key move early in the game, taking out defensive stopper Anthony McHenry. Northern Iowa wasn't even bothering to defend McHenry, who wasn't even looking at the basket. Hewitt replaced him with Clarence Moore, who immediately hit a pair of threes to wipe out the Panthers' early lead. ... Jack is one of the few Yellow Jackets who is interested in tournament games that don't involve Georgia Tech. Before practice on Thursday, he left the locker room to find a TV where he could watch CBS. His teammates had the locker room TV tuned to BET. ... Spotted at Tech's pregame meal: T-shirts that read "Luke Schenscher has a posse." (Schenscher, a gangly Australian, is about the least likely player in America to have a posse.) Students in the schools' industrial design department printed them up, and Hewitt liked them so much he bought a bunch to give to the team.
Long-term prospects
Boston College is going to be a problem for the Yellow Jackets in the second round. Craig Smith, the Eagles' powerful 6-7 forward could do major damage inside, especially if Schenscher is as timid as he was against Northern Iowa, and BC's guards will be more of an athletic match for Jack, Bynum and B.J. Elder of Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are a better team, but they tend not to play as well when they know that. The prediction here is that Georgia Tech will squeeze out another win on Sunday -- and then make a run to the Final Four.
