Buzz Bits
Sophomore Guard
Maurice "Moe" Miller
|
Georgia Tech returns three starters and several other key players from a 2007-08 team that closed with four wins in its final six games. The Yellow Jackets went 4-4 in ACC road games and were one of only four conference teams with a .500 or better record in league games away from home.
With 142 overall wins as an ACC head coach, Paul Hewitt is tied for 19th on the league's all-time list. Hewitt also ranks 19th in career ACC-game victories with 58. Yellow Jackets' chief losses from last season include a pair of graduated seniors in guard Anthony Morrow (14.3 ppg) and forward Jeremis Smith (10.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg), as well as outside shooting threat Matt Causey.
Maurice Miller averaged 8.1 points and 3.3 assists per game as a freshman. Miller closed out the season strong, winning ACC Rookie of the Week honors in late February and averaging 15 points, 4.5 assists and 4 rebounds in two ACC Tournament games.
D'Andre Bell averaged 6.6 points and handed out 61 assists while making 25 starts, but the veteran guard made perhaps an even bigger impact as a defensive presence. The 6-foot-5 rising
Junior Forward
Zachery Peacock
|
senior recorded 43 steals and earned honorable mention in ACC All-Defensive Team voting.
Zachery Peacock was another Yellow Jacket who finished last season with a flourish, averaging 16 points and 4.4 rebounds over his final five games. The 6-foot-8 Peacock did not start a game but still averaged close to 21 minutes of playing time per contest.
Gani Lawal made 25 starts last season, third on the team behind seniors Morrow and Smith. Lawal shot 57 percent from the floor while averaging 7.2 points and blocking a team-high 32 shots.
Alade Aminu averaged 6.0 points and 4.1 rebounds as a junior in 2007-08 and started seven games. Aminu had 25 points and nine rebounds in a 99-85 win over Tennessee State (N11) and has a career field goal percentage of .545.
Lewis Clinch averaged 9.0 points while making 14 starts as a junior. Clinch made good on 44 of his 3-points shots to rank second on the team and averaged 23.5 minutes played per contest.
Paul Hewitt was named the 12th head coach in Georgia Tech basketball history on April 6, 2000. In his eight years on The Flatts, Hewitt has recorded a mark of 142-112 and guided the Yellow Jackets to post-season play five times, including four NCAA Tournament berths. In 2004-05, he led the Jackets to their second consecutive 20-win season, a first for Georgia Tech since 1989-90. Three of his last five Tech teams have won 20 or more games. Despite being picked for seventh in the media preseason poll in 2003-04, the Yellow Jackets tied a school record with 28 wins and advanced to the NCAA’s National Championship game before losing to Connecticut 82-73. In 2001, Hewitt became only the second first-year coach to earn ACC Coach of the Year honors.
