The Ramblin' Wreck, the little engine that just couldn't--until this year. At season's start, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (16-3, 4-2 in the ACC) were predicted to finish in the cellar of the ACC, where they usually end up. But after blazing to a 12-0 start, Paul Hewitt's club demanded respect around the league. The Ramblin' Wreck's next test, a date with Duke (16-1, 5-0) on Saturday afternoon in Alexander Memorial Coliseum, will prove whether or not they can hang with the big dog.
"Our guys are more mature [than last year]," Hewitt said. "Jarrett Jack is more experienced and with the addition of Will Bynum we can handle the pressure better."
The Blue Devils have been known to force the issue on both sides of the ball, as their interior play and defense have clicked recently. Shelden Williams has become a formidable power in the paint, averaging 12 points and seven rebounds a game. His counterpart on Saturday will be the Yellow Jackets' Luke Schenscher, who leads Georgia Tech in rebounding at six a game. The combination of Williams and sophomore Shavlik Randolph should be able to overpower the scrawny 7-foot-1, 255-pound frame of Schenscher.
"We have not responded well to aggressive play in our losses," Hewitt said. "We need to match their [Duke] aggressiveness from the start of the game in order to win."
In many ways, Hewitt's squad resembles Duke--Deep backcourt, tenacious defense and a swift transition game. The guard play will be pivotal Saturday, as the backcourt will be where the battle is won and lost. B.J. Elder, the Ramblin' Wreck's leading scorer, is the focal point of Georgia Tech's offense. His versatility on the wing will be a tough matchup for Blue Devils Daniel Ewing and Chris Duhon, the two most likely candidates to guard Elder.
The Yellow Jacket's never-ending guard rotation includes Jarrett Jack and Marvin Lewis, two players who are both capable of having a breakout game. In fact, nearly anyone on the court could have a big game as Georgia Tech and Duke each have five players averaging in double figures.
"After the Purdue game we started all over and started building our foundation over again...," Duhon said. "We focused on defense. It seemed to be the right move at the time and the right move for us now because when I look back, we are definitely playing a lot better."
Duhon's contagious defense has been a key factor in the Blue Devils' success all season. Fellow guard Ewing helped Duhon hold Maryland's leading scorer John Gilchrist to 10 points in Duke's 68-60 victory in College Park, Md. Standout freshman Luol Deng may draw defense duties against high-wire act Isma'il Muhammad, who is arguably the most athletic player the Blue Devils have faced all season.
If Muhammad and Elder can exploit his defenders' deficiencies, the rest of the Yellow Jackets will find themselves with open shots and lanes to the basket due to the Blue Devils collapsing defense. This will certainly be Georgia Tech's strategy as their offense is centered around penetration and breakaway baskets when they can get out in the open court. For the Blue Devils, Saturday's contest will be determined by their transition defense and guard play. Whichever squad can control the tempo of the game will walk out of Alexander Memorial victorious.
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