CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A familiar sight for anyone who has seen Duke win big this year: The Blue Devils are already spending the better part of each possession passing it around the far outside, just eating clock until finally attacking in the final seconds (often with success). They're up 13 right now, and with less than four to go, it likely won't get a whole lot closer than that.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - So much for Georgia Tech's comeback bid. Yes, there are still eight minutes left. But when Duke first got itself some breathing room back, that sucked the life right out of the Jackets, it appeared, and now Duke is up 66-56.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Lewis Clinch just hit a jump shot that pulled Georgia Tech within two points of Duke, 52-50. And man did this place get loud. Granted, a lot of those cheers were coming from North Carolina fans as opposed to Tech fans, but either way, the arena was (and still is) lively.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Georgia Tech is mounting a run here, and it's largely thanks to getting into the paint and driving at the basket. That also opened up some outside shots, since Duke now has to respect the drive. Maurice Miller just hit a three to cut Duke's lead to 10 and Gani Lawal followed with a hook shot to make it 52-44.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - It really is amazing that Tech is only down 15 at the half to Duke. I know, "only" doesn't seem appropriate when you're behind that far, but consider what the Devils did in the first half (or what Tech didn't do, depending on your perspective) and it all makes sense.
GT shot 37 percent, while Duke hit 57 percent of its shots. Duke even made twice as many 3-pointers (six) as it missed (three). The Blue Devils also have triple the points in the paint of the Yellow Jackets and more than double the boards. Bottom line: There is nothing Tech is doing better than Duke.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Maybe Georgia Tech hasn't given up hope just yet. After trailing by as many as 20 points, the Jackets have a hit a few shots and actually done some defending on Duke to pull back within 12 points.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Man, Duke can turn a game into a laugher in a hurry. One minute the Yellow Jackets had cut the Blue Devil lead to eight, and the next minute -- on a run capped by a Gerald Henderson 3-pointer -- Duke is up 33-16. If it keeps going this way (i.e. Duke shooting well, Tech forgetting to rebound anything), this game will be over before halftime.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Apparently missing Kyle Singler because of those early fouls didn't do much to alter Duke's game plan. Eight minutes into the game, the Blue Devils are already up a dozen on Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are allowing Duke entirely too many second-chance opportunities to win. On one early possession, Greg Paulus managed to get three 3-point attempts up in quick succession (the last went in). Duke is too good a team to give extra chances to if GT hopes to win.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Duke freshman Kyle Singler picked up two fouls in the first 31 seconds of play, so Coach K has already had to dip into his bench and send 7-footer Brian Zoubek onto the floor.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - No. 2-seed Duke and No.7-seed Georgia Tech only met once during the regular season, and not surprisingly, Duke won. Why "not surprisingly?" Well, the Blue Devils have won 22 of the last 24 against the Yellow Jackets, so Tech fans might not want to get their hopes up. But, hey, that's why they play the games. This one tips off in three minutes.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - When you're shooting better than 50 percent from 3-point range, you know things are going well.
Georgia Tech did just that -- as well as an overall shooting clip of 60 percent -- to turn a close game against Virginia into a 94-76 blowout.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Georgia Tech's Lewis Clinch is getting hot, and the Virginia players can't seem to get anything to fall. Sean Singletary is driving to open up teammates, but every UVa. shot seems to rattle out. And what was a mostly one- or two-point game is now a seven-point edge for the Jackets with 10 minutes to go. Virginia is dangerously close to letting this game get away.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - It looks like Virginia didn't need to read this blog to know it needed to play some better defense in the second half. (Though if they were reading in the locker room, who would blame them? Yay, blogs!) The Cavaliers are making it much tougher on Georgia Tech and now have a two-point lead four minutes into the second half. Virginia's Mike Scott (not the former Houston Astros' pitcher) is attacking the rim ferociously here in the opening minutes of the half, and has gotten himself a big dunk and some free throws.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - You can't help but wonder what would be happening in this game if Virginia was playing better defense. As it stands, the Cavaliers trail 44-42 at the half, but that is with the Yellow Jackets shooting 57 percent. The Tech starters are 14-for-21 shooting, while no one besides Mamadi Diane has more than two field goals for Virginia.
Tech is getting good shots -- which is to say, shots inside -- thanks to crisp passing and finding the open man. They're also getting out on the break and hold a 10-point edge in transition. But if Virginia plays some defense in the second half, this one should be interesting.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - I wish Jarrett Jack still played for Georgia Tech, because then I could channel John Cougar Mellencamp and tell you all about Jack and Diane. As it stands, there is no Jack, so I'll have to stick with Diane. But not like you're thinking. This one is Mamadi Diane (and it's pronounced Dee-AHN-ee), and he is absolutely killing it right now for Virginia with his jump shot. In fact, his 14 points are a huge reason why the Cavaliers are only down four, 39-35, to the Yellow Jackets right now. Hey, "Jackets" -- that'll work: A little ditty about Jackets vs. Diane. Oh well, maybe not.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - This game continues to be a tight affair, and the good news for Virginia is that it's been that way despite a lack of scoring from do-it-all guard Sean Singletary. The first-team All-ACC selection only has three of the Cavaliers' 25 points right now, but the rest of the Wahoos are picking up the slack. Considering part of Virginia's problem all year is that their offense is a one-man show, this is a great sign for them.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Well, it's good to be covering this game between No. 7-seed Georgia Tech and No. 10-seed Virginia, if for no other reason than it means I'm no longer watching the last game of the first session, between Miami and N.C. State. Not to harp on that one too much, but one long-time columnist called it "the worst game I've ever seen." And the man has seen a lot of games.
This game is off to a bit more of a rollicking start. We've already had numerous made baskets and even had a guy smack his head into the floor, albeit not on purpose. It's back and forth here in the opening minutes, with Tech currently up one.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- D.J. White had a career high 14 rebounds tonight to help IU out rebound the Yellow Jackets, 34-32. Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson said that he felt it would be important to win the rebounding battle.
IU only played seven players tonight, and one, D'Andre Thomas, only played two minutes. Eric Gordon played all 40, as the Hoosiers were shorthanded tonight at guard with an injury to A.J. Ratliff, the suspension of Jordan Crawford and an illness to Brandon McGee.
As a result, Mike White made his first appearance of the season and played 20 minutes. It had been thought that he would redshirt, but Sampson decided he needed him tonight.
Paul Hewitt talked about how pleased he was with his team's effort. He had felt that they had been inconsistent in that area. Then, he went off on a sermon on how players (not his specifically) are all about themselves. He talked about how everyone wants to play, but that they don't understand the responsibility that comes with playing. He said it was "epidemic" in the sport, and not just at this level, but at the high school and pro levels as well.
And then, he left.
My chair has been removed, so I'm typing this standing up. That's not the best thing for my carpal tunnel, so I'm headed home.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana salted away the end of the game and won, 83-79. There is no question the key stat of the game was free throws. Indiana was 28-38 from the line, while Tech was only 11-20.
Eric Gordon had 29, including 13-16 from the line to lead a sort of balanced attack for IU. D.J. White scored 18 and Lance Stelmer and Jamarcus Ellis had 15 apiece. For those of you who don't want to do the math, that's 77 of Indiana's 83 points.
Georgia Tech got 18 from Lewis Clinch and 17 each from Gani Lawal and Anthony Morrow.
It was a game effort by the Yellow Jackets, but not enough. I'll be back with any interesting post-game tidbits in a bit.
Oh, and I can't figure out how to get pictures off my phone, so I won't be able to post it. I'm so technically inept. There's never an eight-year-old around when you need one.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A 12-4 run keyed by two Lance Stelmer threes has helped put Indiana up eight at the last media timeout. Georgia Tech's habit of losing guys on defense hurt as Stelmer sat behind the line on the wing, while the other nine players were on the other side of the floor. Twice, his teammates found him, and twice he buried the shot.
Gordon is up to 21 points, but once again, other than the dunk in the first half, it's a quiet 21. Part of the reason for that is because he gets to the line so much. He has eight points there.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The last four minutes of basketball here at Indiana were not what you would call elegant.
In one sequence, Jeremis Smith of Georgia Tech fumbled the ball out of bounds going up for a fast break layup. Then, Jamarcus Ellis walked off the spot on the throw in to turn it back over. Tech gave it right back and the Hoosiers' Mike White missed a breakaway layup by about 10 feet. Another Tech turnover and another Hoosier miss on the fast break was followed by Gani Lawal bricking a layup. Then, when Tech finally got to the line, D'Andre Bell nearly airballed a free throw.
Two Jamarcus Ellis free throws and a runner in the lane have given IU a 56-54 lead at the eight-minute timeout. If that kid ever learns to pass, he'll be pretty good. However, Ellis just picked up his fourth foul.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A foul has been called on Eric Gordon (say it isn't SO!) and the MBF chant has started up at Indiana. Actually, I think they are saying something else.
The game has gone a bit back and forth since the last timeout. Georgia Tech is about to go to the line leading by one. Both teams are shooting much better this half. Tech is 7-for-11, while IU is 3-for-6 so far. The Yellow Jackets already have seven fouls, though, so IU will shoot the rest of the way. The Hoosiers already have a 13-shot advantage at the line.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Georgia Tech has scored the first seven points of the second half and has taken the crowd out of the game for now. The Yellow Jackets lead, 41-38, at the first timeout.
Coming back out onto the floor, I had to limbo past the band because the trombones sit in the front row. That was going fine until the started going up and down during the fight song. I managed to get away unscathed, but I would have loved explaining that one at the hospital. As an old band jock, I should know better.
The students in front of us have been standing for the whole game, but these three girls like to stand on the bench instead of the floor. Twice an usher has come to tell them to get down. Last time, it was an elderly woman who was pretty stern with them. The girls all had a look on their face like they had been scolded by their grandmother. But, they have stayed on the floor.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana finished the first half on a 20-8 run to go up 38-34 at the break. D.J. White got a layup with 2 seconds left for the last bucket.
Gordon has 11 points and White 14 to lead Indiana. Georgia Tech is paced by 10 each from Lewis Clinch and Gani Lawal.
While Indiana is doing a MUCH better job finding White in the set offense tonight, Gordon is having problems making the connection. He has four turnovers on bad passes directed at White. I don't have turnover stats yet, but I bet the numbers were high.
The teams aren't shooting overly well either. Indiana is at 44.4 percent, which isn't too bad, but Tech is only shooting 40 percent. IU switched to a zone for the last four minutes, and the Yellow Jackets had trouble finding the openings like they were earlier in the half.
Back with the second half in a bit, and I'm going to try to figure out how to post a picture.
BLOOMINGTON, In. -- Bad news for Georgia Tech. Eric Gordon is getting hot. Matt Causey overplayed a pass to Gordon, but didn't get there in time, and Gordon dribbled in for an electrifying dunk that got the crowd roaring. A Jamarcus Ellis 3 then gave the Hoosiers their first lead in a while. Gordon beat Tech down the floor for a layup and now IU is up 33-29 at the last timeout of the half. The current IU run is 15-3.
Gordon now has 11 points to go with White's 10.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Eric Gordon's step back three and breakaway layup were sandwiched around a Lance Stelmer putback to give Indiana a 7-0 run and pull them within one.
Tech has a tendency to lose a guy on defense and IU is starting to do a better job of finding that guy.
Lawal of Georgia Tech is killing the Hoosiers inside with ten points, but he's on the bench right now.
A three ball by Lewis Clinch, his third of the half, has put GT back up, 29-25, at the eight-minute timeout.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- It turns out I don't really need my chair anyway. With the students standing right in front of us, we need to stand to see. We also can't hear the PA where we sit, and the scoreboard is a bit slow, so figuring out who a foul is on isn't always easy if you don't see it. That's especially true at the other end of the floor.
On the court, Eric Gordon missed his first two shots, but has a couple of free throws. The Hoosiers have found DJ White in the offense today and it shows. He's getting open with ease on the inside and has nine points already.
Georgia Tech is also getting good looks inside. Gani Lawal already has a couple of dunks. He also has a couple of blocks off the bench.
It's 17-13 Tech with 11:10 left in the half.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- This game is off to a sloppy start. It's tied at four at the first timeout. Indiana already has five turnovers by my count, and at least three of them are for carrying the ball. Tech hasn't turned it over quite as much but has missed several shots.
DJ White has had his hands on the ball more and has a basket for IU. Aminu and Smith have both scored for Tech and Aminu goes to the line when we restart.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- I'm coming to you tonight from Indiana's Assembly Hall, but if you look for me on TV, you probably won't recognize me. I'm in disguise. I'm afraid I'm too well known as a Purdue fan.
I've lived in Indiana for a long time but have never been in this facility. It's a strange place. It seats just over 17,000, but nearly all the seats are on the sides of the court. The seating area looks like some sort of inverted saddle. There are only about 1000 or so seats total behind the baskets, and the pep band takes up one section.
I climbed up to the top of the balcony to see what those seats are like, and they're pretty high. If you have ever watched a game in a dome, it's about like being halfway up an upper deck in a dome. I took a picture, which if I can figure out how to post, I will.
I also went to the top row of the lower deck, which is tucked under the balcony. Those are actually worse seats, even though they are a little closer because the balcony hangs down too far.
It's the kind of place where I would normally question the sobriety of the designers, but the upper deck ushers told me the place was designed by the Army Corps of Engineers at Bobby Knight's request.
My seat tonight is behind the basket Indiana will shoot at in the first half, directly behind and below the 1987 national championship banner. The press row here is right up against the wall. It's so tight, that I can barely get into my chair if I pull it out to the wall. When I tuck my chair in, I almost don't fit between the back of it and the wall. And I'm not a particularly big guy.
Fortunately, there are plans to replace this facility. It has pretty much outlived its usefulness.
On to the game. Indiana is looking to rebound from a loss to Xavier in the Chicago Challenge last weekend. In that game, Eric Gordon scored 20, but only shot 4-12 from the floor as Stanley Burrell frustrated him all night with his tight defense. Indiana is going to have to get DJ White more involved in their set offense against better teams. That did not happen in Chicago this weekend.
Georgia Tech went 2-1 at the Paradise Jam last week, beating Charlotte and Notre Dame, sandwiched around a loss to Winthrop. Senior Anthony Morrow leads the team in scoring at 19 points per game and is shooting over 48 percent from long range. The front court tandem of Alade Aminu and Jeremis Smith is also very productive, and they will have to have a good game for the Yellow Jackets to have a chance.
This game is part of the annual ACC smackdown of the Big Ten. This is the ninth year of the ACC-Big Ten challenge, and the Big Ten is a big 0-8.
We just had the national anthem, and when I stood up, I about fell over my chair because it stopped, but I didn't.
I was just handed a note that IU freshman guard Jordan Crawford has been suspended three games for violating team rules. Crawford doesn't start, but averages 25 minutes a game backing up Armon Bassett (mostly) and Gordon. He's been averaging 12.6 points per game, so that could be trouble tonight or in the Hoosiers' next game at Southern Illinois.
We're five minutes from the tip, but the crowd is very slow to arrive. I've been told it's a sellout, but it'd say only 2/3 of the seats are full. The student sports information intern sitting by me says IU has a typically late-arriving crowd.
