ACC report

SportsLine.com Report
April 6, 2000

A glance at 2001

It's been a disappointing four years for Georgia Tech, with each ending without an NCAA Tournament berth.

With Bobby Cremins stepping down, several coaches were rumored to be headed to Atlanta (most notably Miami's Leonard Hamilton and Tulsa's Bill Self), though in the end the selection was something of a surprise.

Siena coach Paul Hewitt was tabbed to restore the program to the heights which saw Cremins take it to the Final Four in 1990.

His job will not be easy. He has plenty of players back next season, but none of them have ever had any legitimate college success and an air of underachievement seems to have settled in.

Only Clemson kept the Yellow Jackets from sitting in last place in the ACC, and the team has finished in the ACC's second division the last four years after winning it in 1996.

Still, with guys like Tony Akins, Shaun Fein and Alvin Jones coming back, maybe an energy infusion is all this team might really need.

Hewitt's fast-paced tempo might be just the thing. He was 71-27 in three years at Siena.

"There are very few places I can imagine are better for me," he said upon signing a five-year deal. "A dream has come true for me and my family."

Hewitt is familiar with a rebuilding mode. Siena went 23-59 in the three years before he arrived, but the Saints reached the NCAA Tournament in 1999, their first appearance in 10 seasons. They finished 24-9 in the 1999-2000 season, losing to Penn State in the second round of the NIT.

The coach

This is the sixth stop on Hewett's coaching tour, each one serving as the next logical step to a high-profile assignment like this one. He worked as an assistant at C.W. Post, Southern California, Fordham and Villanova before moving to the top job at Siena.

Only 36, he was with the Saints for four years, winning two Metro Atlantic titles and taking them to the 1999 NCAA Tournament. The team won the MAAC title this season, but lost to Iona in the conference tournament title game.

Hewett is a solid floor coach but is better known for his reputation as a standout recruiter.

Who'll be back

As usual GT will have a fine backcourt in Fein and Akins. Fein scored 10.6 points per game and shot 37 percent from 3-point range and also averaged 3.4 assists per game.

Akins didn't have the breakout year many expected from him, but 11.5 points and 3.6 assists per game aren't bad numbers for a sophomore.

Jones numbers were down a bit this year, but he has been a double-digit scorer in the past so a return to form is not an unreasonable expectation.

Who's gone

Getting over Cremins is the hard part. He was the program and his absence could be a bit disconcerting. Also, 7-footer Jason Collier will have to be replaced, though Jones probably can fill his shoes.

Key newcomers

Recruits are always a sticky part of coaching changes. Yet, none of the three players Cremins signed in the early period, have reneged on their commitments.

All are expected to come in and see some time immediately, with Marvin Lewis, a 6-4 guard out of Rockville, Md. Considered the gem of the class.

Also signing were Halston Lane (6-6, 200, F) and Brendan Plavich (6-2, 180, G).