There are a lot of talented teams out there. And there are a lot of teams that compensate for a lack of talent with a toughness and tenacity that forces opposing teams to submit.
There are very few teams that combine talent and toughness; star power and unselfishness; depth and desire.
Georgia Tech is one of them.
The Ramblin’ Wreck won the Preseason NIT last night with an 85-65 dismantling of Bobby Knight’s Texas Tech team.
That 20-point blowout came two days after Georgia Tech handed previously No.1-ranked Connecticut a 77-61 thrashing.
“This team tonight was infinitely tougher than we are,” said Knight, who midway through the first half seemed resigned to the fact that his Red Raiders were overmatched.
“I can’t even make a comparison in toughness.”
Tough: Georgia Tech held Texas Tech to 39 percent shooting and won the boards, 38-34.
Talented: Isma’il Muhammad, the tournament MVP, hit all seven of his shots and had four assists.
Poised: When the Ramblin’ Wreck was in control on the scoreboard but threatening to get out of control on the court, point guard Jarrett Jack (seven assists; two turnovers in 35 minutes) slowed the pace and settles his squad.
Unselfish: Six players scored in double figures, led by Jack’s 17 and 16 each from Muhammad and B.J. Elder.
“I think we’ve got everything we need to be a very good basketball team,” said Georgia Tech Paul Hewitt.
It’s what the ‘Ramblin Wreck doesn’t have that might be the difference between last year’s 16-15 team and this year’s 5-0 squad.
Chris Bosh was the ACC Rookie of the Year last season before the Toronto Raptors took him with the fourth pick in the draft.
Without Bosh as the focal point, marvelously gifted players such as Muhammad, Jack, Elder, Marvin Lewis and Anthony McHenry are free to post up, or pop out. Later this year the Ramblin Wreck will gain the services of Arizona transfer Will Bynum and injured forward Theodis Tarver.
“I told our team that I was as impressed with watching Georgia Tech play the other night as I have been with a team in a long time,” Knight said of the Ramblin Wreck’s blowout of Connecticut.
“I think they are really well put together, extremely well coached and, beyond that, there’s an energy that I wish I could have been a spectator tonight. I could have really enjoyed the game.”
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St. John’s, winner of the Postseason NIT, plays at Georgia Tech on Dec. 21st. …
Utah’s Nick Jaconson, Conncticut’s Denham Brown, Texas Tech’s Andre Emmett and Georgia Tech’s Jack and Elder rounded out the all-tournament team.