After a disastrous 1998-99 campaign, this could be a make-or-break year for Georgia Tech and head coach Bobby Cremins. Last season, the Yellow Jackets posted only the fourth losing record in Cremins' Georgia Tech career, as they finished 15-16 after a first-round loss in the NIT.
The situation did not improve during the off-season, when standout sophomore Dion Glover surprised the basketball world by foregoing his remaining years of eligibility and entered the NBA draft. Glover was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 20th pick in the first round.
The departure was such a shock considering the star point guard missed all last season with a knee injury.
And although the loss will certainly be felt, Yellow Jacket assistant coach, former NBA star and Georgia Tech alumnus Mark Price said that the loss of Glover will not have the effect many expect.
"The loss of Dion is a blow, but not as severe as it was when he went down on the first day of practice," Price said. "That changed everything. I don't think our players ever fully recovered from that last season.
"This time it will be different. We have had time to prepare for the season with plans that will not include Dion."
In addition to the loss of Glover, the Yellow Jackets must contend with one of the toughest schedules in the country, featuring Kentucky, Stanford, Michigan and Georgia in addition to a Great Alaska Shootout invite.
But Tech has some reason to be happy-the starting frontcourt tandem of Jason Collier and Alvin Jones, arguably the best inside duo in the ACC.
Seven-foot forward Collier was fifth in the conference last season with an average of 17.2 points per game, while averaging 7.3 rebounds last season on his way to being named a second-team All-ACC selection.
This season the expectations for Collier are especially high, and he was one of 30 players named as a preseason candidate for the Naismith player of the year award.
Collier's scoring becomes more deadly when combined with the inside presence of Jones. The 6-11 center averaged 9.7 rebounds and 12.7 points last season, but his presence is felt even more on the defensive end of the floor. He used his standing reach of nine feet, two inches and a 35-inch vertical leap to lead the ACC in blocked shots last season with 3.5 per game.
"Jason and Alvin together, they're fun," Cremins said. "They're a really good combination. When they play well together, they're awesome. You've got some experience there on the front line."
The big men may be Georgia Tech's great strength, but the Yellow Jackets will need strong guard play if they are to contend in the ACC. This puts much of the responsibility in the hands of sophomore point guard Tony Akins.
Akins was highly regarded coming out of high school and was named Georgia's Mr. Basketball. However, his freshman year at Georgia Tech was anything but smooth. Akins struggled with the wealth of talented guards in the conference, finishing with 138 turnovers compared to 148 assists.
Despite the struggles last season, Cremins remains confident in his point guard.
"This is a big year for Tony Akins," he said. "He came in with a big reputation. At times he played very well, and at other times he did not play well. We strongly believe in Tony Akins. We believe he can be a special point guard."
Akins' job should be made significantly easier this season with the addition of junior transfer Shaun Fein. The 6-3 shooting guard was the Northeast 10 Conference player of the year as a sophomore at Stonehill College.
"I'm looking forward to having him added to what we already have," Cremins said. "We're excited about his talents. He was very impressive last year in practices."
The other big addition for the Yellow Jackets is 6-4 forward Clarence Moore, Louisiana's 5A player of the year as a senior at La Fourche High School in Galliano, La.
Last season may have been less than spectacular, but Georgia Tech returns every player that saw significant minutes. The new additions should provide major contributions and help lead Georgia Tech to a much improved record in the conference.
"We want to get back to the NCAA tournament," Cremins said. "We really feel like we're close, and we want to get over the top."
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