ATLANTA — Georgia Tech is returning to the city where it launched its run to the 2004 NCAA championship game.
Paul Hewitt had a warm flashback on Sunday when he saw his Georgia Tech team was being sent to Milwaukee for its NCAA tournament first-round game against Oklahoma State on Friday. The Yellow Jackets opened their successful 2004 tournament in Milwaukee.
“That’s where we started out in ‘04,” Hewitt said Sunday. “Hopefully that’s a sign of good things to come.”
Georgia Tech beat Oklahoma State in the 2004 NCAA semifinals before losing to Connecticut in the championship game.
Georgia Tech (22-12) is going to the tournament for the first time since 2007 and will be seeking its first win in the tournament since 2005.
Georgia Tech is the Midwest Regional’s No. 10 seed for the first-round game against No. 7 seed Oklahoma State (22-10). The Georgia Tech-Oklahoma State winner will play Sunday against the winner of No. 2 seed Ohio State’s game against UC-Santa Barbara. Hewitt said he wasn’t worried about the seed.
“We got in. That’s all. We’re in it now,” Hewitt said. “I thought we could be anywhere from six to 11. Once you’re not one of the top four, it doesn’t matter anyway. You’re going to play a good team.”
The Yellow Jackets were projected by some to contend for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship but had inconsistent results in the regular season as a freshman class led by Derrick Favors needed time to fit in with such veterans as Gani Lawal and D’Andre Bell.
Hewitt’s team lost its last two regular-season games. There was much speculation about Hewitt’s status and Georgia Tech was considered an NCAA bubble team before it made a run to the ACC tournament final.
The Yellow Jackets narrowly missed becoming the first team in ACC tournament history to win four games in four days. The Yellow Jackets fell to No. 4 Duke 65-61 in Sunday’s championship game.
“I felt we played well,” Hewitt said. “I felt we played well all year but we got some good bounces this weekend. ... We’ve been playing really hard and really well defensively and showed we could take care of the ball a little better. We’re going to need a little bit of luck as we move into the tournament. Everyone does.”
Hewitt said he will give his team Monday and Tuesday off before it returns to practice.
“They need to sit back for a couple of days and just try to get their thoughts together and enjoy this moment,” Hewitt said. “Right now we’re just getting through this ACC tournament. It’s a tough tournament with four games in four days. It’s taxing. We’ll start getting our bodies right for Friday.”
Oklahoma State is led by Big 12 player of the year James Anderson, who had 27 points in the Cowboys’ loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 tournament.
Kansas, the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, also is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional.
Paul Hewitt had a warm flashback on Sunday when he saw his Georgia Tech team was being sent to Milwaukee for its NCAA tournament first-round game against Oklahoma State on Friday. The Yellow Jackets opened their successful 2004 tournament in Milwaukee.
“That’s where we started out in ‘04,” Hewitt said Sunday. “Hopefully that’s a sign of good things to come.”
Georgia Tech beat Oklahoma State in the 2004 NCAA semifinals before losing to Connecticut in the championship game.
Georgia Tech (22-12) is going to the tournament for the first time since 2007 and will be seeking its first win in the tournament since 2005.
Georgia Tech is the Midwest Regional’s No. 10 seed for the first-round game against No. 7 seed Oklahoma State (22-10). The Georgia Tech-Oklahoma State winner will play Sunday against the winner of No. 2 seed Ohio State’s game against UC-Santa Barbara. Hewitt said he wasn’t worried about the seed.
“We got in. That’s all. We’re in it now,” Hewitt said. “I thought we could be anywhere from six to 11. Once you’re not one of the top four, it doesn’t matter anyway. You’re going to play a good team.”
The Yellow Jackets were projected by some to contend for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship but had inconsistent results in the regular season as a freshman class led by Derrick Favors needed time to fit in with such veterans as Gani Lawal and D’Andre Bell.
Hewitt’s team lost its last two regular-season games. There was much speculation about Hewitt’s status and Georgia Tech was considered an NCAA bubble team before it made a run to the ACC tournament final.
The Yellow Jackets narrowly missed becoming the first team in ACC tournament history to win four games in four days. The Yellow Jackets fell to No. 4 Duke 65-61 in Sunday’s championship game.
“I felt we played well,” Hewitt said. “I felt we played well all year but we got some good bounces this weekend. ... We’ve been playing really hard and really well defensively and showed we could take care of the ball a little better. We’re going to need a little bit of luck as we move into the tournament. Everyone does.”
Hewitt said he will give his team Monday and Tuesday off before it returns to practice.
“They need to sit back for a couple of days and just try to get their thoughts together and enjoy this moment,” Hewitt said. “Right now we’re just getting through this ACC tournament. It’s a tough tournament with four games in four days. It’s taxing. We’ll start getting our bodies right for Friday.”
Oklahoma State is led by Big 12 player of the year James Anderson, who had 27 points in the Cowboys’ loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 tournament.
Kansas, the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, also is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional.