Like running backs at USC and centers at Georgetown, the point guards at Georgia Tech have dominated the position since Mark Price played in Atlanta from 1982 to 1986. Then came Kenny Anderson from '89 to '91, Travis Best from '91 to '95, and Stephon Marbury from '95 to '96.
Now that Georgia Tech has made it to its first Final Four since the 1990 season, it is time to add yet another player to the rich tradition of point men: sophomore Jarrett Jack.
"I'm not sure where to put him among those guys," head coach Paul Hewitt said. "But he should have no shame standing right there alongside any of them. I always said we couldn't compare them until he takes a team to the Final Four. Now we can do that."
The Port Washington, Md., native ranks among the team leaders in almost every important statistical category, showing his versatility as a point guard. He averages 31 minutes per game, 12.7 points, 5.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 1.9 steals and shoots 47 percent from the floor.
"I think everything starts with Jarrett Jack," said Duke guard J.J. Redick, whose team was 2-1 against the Yellow Jackets this year. "The way he pushes the ball up the court, and the way he runs their offense. One of the main keys to beating Georgia Tech is by limiting what Jack does."
Jack is coming off the biggest performance of his life, netting 29 points, grabbing nine rebounds, dishing out six assists and pilfering four steals in a 79-71 victory over Kansas in the St. Louis Regional Final.
"Today was Jarrett Jack's day," Hewitt said after advancing to the Final Four.
Jack, who is the second cousin of Duke point guard Chris Duhon, took it upon himself last summer to become one of the nation's best floor generals, asking assistant coach Cliff Warren to have daily sessions in which they would spend hours watching game tape.
"Some of it was painful," Jack said. "Inevitably I'd end up kicking myself for the mistakes I was making. But I learned."
Jack is the leader of a backcourt-which includes B.J. Elder, Marvin Lewis and Will Bynum that can hang with any group of small men in the country. Elder is the Yellow Jacket's big outside threat, scoring over 15 points per contest, and Lewis leads the team in three-point shooting at 40 percent. Bynum provides a tough defensive presence and is not afraid to take the big shot, as he hit the go-ahead three in the Kansas victory Sunday.
The frontcourt starts with the 7-foot-1 center from Austrailia, Luke Schenscher, who is adept at shooting high percentage shots (56 percent from the floor) and grabbing offensive rebounds. The forwards are quite small, gaining in speed what they lack in size. Chris Moore, Isma'il
Muhammad and Anthony McHenry stand in at an unimposing 6-foot-5, 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-7, respectively, but help create one of the most potent transition attacks in college basketball.
"Georgia Tech is a really talented team," Redick said. "They play a great perimeter game and they're one of the quickest teams in the country from top to bottom."
While they are an inexperienced team with a relatively inexperienced coach, the Yellow Jackets have beaten both teams in the other semifinal game and seem confident that they have as good a chance as anyone to cut down the nets in San Antonio.
"From summer on, we made a pact to get better," Lewis said. "Our confidence got better as we got going. As you can see, we are still rolling."
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