Tech Topics - Winter 2007 - (Page 46) YellowJackets JACKETS HALL OF FAME HIGHLY RATED RECRUITING CLASS Women’s Basketball Shoots to Score at Next Level T In September, Joseph received a two-year he Georgia Tech women’s basketball team contract extension that runs through the 2010-11 returns four starters from last season’s squad, which posted a 21-12 record and reached season. Joseph had two years remaining on her existing contract, which she signed in May 2006. the second round of the NCAA tournament for “We are very excited to have the first time in school history. MaChelle Joseph continue to lead In all, the Yellow Jackets return our program,” Director of Athletics eight letter winners to the squad. Dan Radakovich said. “We look Women’s basketball head coach forward to great things in the MaChelle Joseph, who begins her future.” fifth year at the helm of the Joseph’s four-year record at program, also has the highest-rated Tech is 62-56. recruiting class in school history this “Last season, we were able to fall. The class is ranked as high as successfully navigate unchartered eighth in the United States by hoopgurlz.com and Collegiate Girls MaChelle Joseph waters with our team and we are anxious to take Georgia Tech to the Basketball Report. Headlining Tech’s new recruits are two top- next level,” Joseph said. Joseph is a 1992 graduate of Purdue 20 talents: 6-1 forward Alex Montgomery of University, where she was an All-American and Tacoma, Wash., the highest-rated signee in the one of the top players in Big Ten history. In history of the program as the No. 15 prospect in addition to her four seasons as the Georgia Tech the nation, and 5-11 guard/forward Iasia head coach, she has 11 years of experience as an Hemingway, rated No. 20 in the nation. assistant coach, including two seasons with the Top returnees include seniors Chioma Yellow Jackets as well as stints at Illinois, Nnamaka and Janie Mitchell and junior Jacqua Purdue and Auburn. Williams. Class of 2007 Hall of Fame inductees are, left to right, Bobby Ross, Laura Williams Hartman, Keith Brooking and Conrad Nichols. Bobby Ross Headlines Four Sports Standouts F ootball coach Bobby Ross, who directed the 1990 Yellow Jackets to a national championship, headlined four celebrated athletes named to the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in September. Joining Ross for the athletic honor was football All-American linebacker Keith Brooking, Cls 99; softball All-American Laura Williams Hartman, CE 98, MS CE 99; and seven-time track All-American Conrad Nichols, Cls 96. The four were recognized during halftime at the football game against Clemson on Sept. 29. “The accomplishments of Coach Ross and Keith Brooking, both at Georgia Tech and in the NFL, are well-chronicled. Laura is one of the pioneers in softball and women’s sports here at Tech, and Conrad is another in a long line of topnotch runners and people in our track program,” said Dan Radakovich, director of Athletics. “Their entry into the Hall of Fame is welldeserved.” Ross, who was head coach from 1987 to 1991, led Tech to the UPI national championship and the Institute’s first Atlantic Coast Conference football title in 1990. Among his many honors at Tech was being named National Coach of the Year in 1990 by the Kodak/American Football Coaches Association. NFL teams drafted 17 players he coached at Tech. He went on to a successful head coaching career in the NFL, including a Super Bowl appearance with the San Diego Chargers. Brooking, Tech’s leading tackler with 467, was captain of the 1997 squad that started the Jackets’ current bowl streak of 10 years in a row. The Senoia, Ga., native was the No. 12 pick in the 1998 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons, and he has been named to the Pro Bowl five times. Hartman was Laura Williams when she became the first softball AllAmerican at Tech. She is the first softball player to be inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame. She was named ACC Player of the Year in 1997, capping a fouryear career during which she was named All-ACC four times. She still is the only softball player in Tech history to accomplish that. Nichols was an outdoor national champion as a member of Tech’s 4x400meter relay team in 1994. He was a seven-time AllAmerican and eight-time ACC champion. Nine times he earned All-ACC honors for his performances in conference meets. Men’s basketball Continued from page 45 dependent on older players and we should be more consistent.” Tech’s offense and defense begin with point-guard play and the Jackets have two, Hewitt said. Causey, a 6-0 guard, played all 28 games as a freshman at Georgetown before transferring to North Georgia, where he spent two seasons leading that team in scoring and assists. After transferring to Tech, he sat out last season. Miller, a 6-2 pass-first, shoot-second player, was named Mr. Basketball in his classification in Tennessee. “Causey has the benefit of practicing with us for a year, and he’s a real savvy kid, can really shoot the basketball, played in the Big East. The fact that he’s been around us is going to help him,” Hewitt said. “Miller is a very smart player. He has a really good feel for how to run a basketball team.” Hewitt said he will work with the guards “about how to create tempo.” On the wings, Tech has three experienced players in Clinch, Morrow and Bell, a 6-5 highenergy player who has a solid left-handed midrange jump shot. Bell “has a chance to be a tremendous defender, and he shoots the ball well from 16 to 18 feet,” Hewitt said. Clinch, of Cordele, Ga., last year put up 20point games scoring beyond the 3-point arc and by penetrating the lane against the likes of UCLA, Penn State and Miami. Hewitt called Clinch “a very gifted and talented scorer.” Morrow started 10 of Georgia Tech’s last 11 TECHTOPICS games last year, scored in double digits in 15 of his last 20, hit 20 of his last 37 3-point tries and finished the year 10th in the ACC in 3-pointers per game. They are bolstered by another outside shooting threat in Storrs, who led Columbia High School to a 62-3 record and a AAAA state title his last two years and averaged 15.6 points as a senior. Faye, a 6-10 forward, will figure in at the small forward position as well as in the post, Hewitt said. Smith, the 6-8 senior, captain and Tech’s leading rebounder for the second straight year, is back, but fellow senior Ra’Sean Dickey is unavailable for duty due to academics. Hewitt has options in the frontcourt thanks to the rapid development of reserves 6-10 Alade Aminu and 6-8 Peacock. Lawal, a 6-8 freshman and a McDonald’s All-American, last year led Norcross High School to the AAAAA state title. He was Georgia’s Mr. Basketball and the nation’s 27thranked senior. He averaged more than 18 points a game as a senior, shot 73 percent from the floor and averaged 8.1 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots in Norcross’ title run. Sheehan, 611, scored more than 1,000 points in three high school seasons and averaged 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds as a senior. “You can never have too many big guys,” said Hewitt. “You need depth at the frontcourt. It provides insurance for fouls, creates competitiveness in practice, good depth on the boards, fresh bodies to run the court. I’m just thankful we have hard-working kids who are doing what they’re supposed to do.” GT 46 | WINTER 2007 http://hoopgurlz.com
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