One shining moment
When the game is on the line, keep an eye on Georgia Tech point guard Jarrett Jack. His steal and dunk clinched the game for the Yellow Jackets, but the key play came on Tech's previous possession, when they were down one. They called time with the shot clock down to 10 seconds and their offense stagnating. When the Yellow Jackets came back on the floor, they gave the ball to Jack and he broke the defense down, got into the lane, fouled out BC's best player, Craig Smith, and earned himself the game-winning free throws. Not a bad effort. No team wins the national championship without a gamebreaker. Jack is a gamebreaker.
Player who impressed me
Nate Doornekamp, Boston College. With their starting big men, Smith and Uka Agbai, both battling foul trouble, the Eagles would have been lost if Doornekamp, their 7-foot backup center, hadn't come through. He only had seven points, but they came at crucial times, especially with 6:15 remaining in the second half, when he cut the Tech lead to two at 50-48. But more important, Doornekamp helped solve the Georgia Tech press, which had Boston College so rattled early that it looked like the Yellow Jackets were on their way to a rout. BC gave the ball to Doornekamp in the middle of the floor against the pressure, and he dribbled out of trouble when necessary and passed intelligently from that spot to help the Eagles get safely into their offense.
Courtside confidential
Most of the Georgia Tech players were ecstatic after the narrow win, but not point guard Will Bynum, who was spotted being consoled by assistant coach Willie Reese as they walked off the floor. It almost certainly had something to do with Bynum's paltry six minutes played. Tech coach Paul Hewitt acknowledged after the game that Bynum didn't get the minutes he wanted. ... B.J. Elder struggled with cramps early in the second half, which has been a recurring problem all season for him and teammate Ismai'il Muhammad. Georgia Tech has been so baffled by the problem that they put both players through a battery of medical tests earlier in the season, but they turned up nothing. ... Hewitt called coaches around the country to pick their brain about post defense in preparing for BC's 6-foot-7, 255-pound stud, Smith. He said Washington State coach Dick Bennett was particularly helpful. Whatever Hewitt learned obviously worked, because Smith scored only two points.
Long-term prospects
The bracket is opening up nicely for third-seeded Georgia Tech, with 10th-seeded Nevada up next. If the Jackets win, they will have reached the Elite Eight without playing anyone higher than a sixth seed. The Wolf Pack, which has beaten Michigan State and Gonzaga, is obviously capable of springing another upset, but Tech plays the same up-tempo game that Nevada likes, and the Yellow Jackets are better at it. Prediction: Georgia Tech in double digits. They're still one of our Final Four picks.
