Wearing the freshly cut net like a necklace, Jose Alvarado celebrated Tech’s first ACC championship since 1993 with his coach and teammates after knocking off Florida State on March 13. An improbable run, aided by the usual weirdness of this COVID plagued season, landed the Jackets major hardware, starting the postseason with a bang.

Tech clinched a double-bye on the last day of the regular season when they leapfrogged Louisville for the four-seed of the ACC tournament following the Cardinals’ loss to top-seeded Virginia. They were able to rest their legs until the third day of the tournament, a large boon for a team that played three starters 34-plus minutes per game in the regular season. 

After 13th-seeded Miami won back to back games over Pittsburgh and Clemson, the Hurricanes became Tech’s quarterfinals opponent for what would be Miami’s third game in as many days. Miami shot significantly better than Tech over the first half, though they did not make a single three-pointer and had more turnovers. Tech’s advantage in fast break points and points off turnovers kept the deficit at just four as Miami entered the half nursing a 33-29 lead.

Just before the half, Miami’s Isaiah Wong collided with Alvarado, sending the Tech guard to the floor holding his knee. After being helped to the locker room, he returned for the second half, avoiding what could have been a serious injury. Miami built a seven-point lead early in the second half, but two Tech runs helped the Jackets control momentum and take the lead during the second frame.

With the clock ticking down in the second half and Tech protecting a two-point lead, an errant pass on an inbound looked to be headed out of bounds for a turnover. Alvarado sprinted across the court just getting to the ball before it bounced out and eventually dished to Jordan Usher for a game-sealing jam as Tech beat Miami 70-66. Usher led Tech in scoring with 15 points, while Kameron McGusty led the Hurricanes with 25.

The season’s oddities continued the next day as a positive Covid test within the top-seeded Virginia program canceled the semifinal game and sent Tech directly to the ACC championship. Virginia had beaten Syracuse the day before on a buzzer-beating three. 

After FSU handled North Carolina in the other semifinal, the Seminoles and Jackets faced off in the tournament final. Each team won on their home court in their two regular season games.

Tech again shot the ball at a lower rate than their opponent in the first half. Florida State shot 50 percent-plus overall and beyond the arc and made all four of their free throws while Tech shot under 40 percent and did not even record an attempt from the stripe. FSU was loose with the ball though, and Tech’s turnover-forcing prowess led to the Seminoles committing over a dozen turnovers in the first half, allowing Tech to take a 31-30 lead into halftime.

A 14-4 FSU run out of halftime turned the game on its head, but momentum swung back in Tech’s favor shortly after with a 13-2 run of their own. The Jackets would not trail again. A Jordan Usher dunk with under three minutes left gave Tech the energy to finish as they hit 12 of 13 free throws in the final minutes to hold the lead. Alvarado picked up his fifth steal of the night before assisting Michael Devoe for a game-sealing layup in the waning seconds, setting an ACC championship record with 15 team steals in the process.

Tech committed only seven turnovers to FSU’s 25, stunning the Seminoles defensively and holding them to twelve fewer field goal attempts over the course of the evening. It was the most turnovers the Seminoles committed all season, and the most they had committed since their loss in McCamish. Four of five starters scored in double figures and Alvarado played every second to lead the Jackets to the win.

Devoe was Tech’s leading scorer for the tournament with 33 points across two games, pacing the team with 20 in the title game. He secured tournament MVP honors for his effort, and was joined by Alvarado on the all-tournament first team, while Usher received a second team nod. 

The team was emotional even before the final buzzer, coming onto the court and receiving a bench technical with 0.6 seconds left, allowing Florida State to set the final score at 80-76 after two free throws. When coach Josh Pastner was being interviewed pregame, he was joined by a visibly emotional Alvarado. When the interview turned to Alvarado, he expressed his gratitude, saying, “This is like a dream come true, and I’m proud of my guys. I love this win. This is gonna last me a lifetime.” He then turned to the stands and referenced his family, saying, “I got my daughter in the stands, I got my dad…I’m just so happy I get the chance to tell them I’m a champion, and I’ll bring a trophy home to Georgia Tech.”

The tournament win earned Tech an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as a conference champion, and they drew the nine-seed in the Midwest division. They play eight-seeded Loyola Chicago on Friday, March 19 at 4pm. The Ramblers recently gained fame when they went on a Cinderella run for a Final Four appearance, accompanied by then-98 year old nun Sister Jean. Tech will look to pick up their first tournament win since beating Oklahoma State in 2010.

It’s mid-March 2020, and everything is stopping. Students are heading home for what at first was supposed to be an extended spring break, but soon became much more. Stay-at-home orders and mask mandates rolled out, and the world changed heavily from that point onward.

As the virus spread around the world and things began to shut down, the sports world was still in full swing. Just as fast as everything else changed though, we went from having games from several different sports on any given night to practically nothing for three months. Rudy Gobert, the starting center for the Utah Jazz, gained notoriety and was at least a contributor to the rapid shutdowns. When discussing the early Covid protocols being implemented before the shutdown, Gobert seemed to be taking it lightly as he touched every microphone in front of him at a press conference. Two days later, Gobert officially tested positive for COVID-19, almost immediately followed by the NBA’s announcement that it would be suspending its season.

Utah’s March 11 game was postponed minutes before tipoff, as were the remaining games of the evening. Some teams, including the Hawks, had already begun to play that night, and had to finish their games wondering if there would be a next game. In the days following, more Jazz players tested positive, and as cases grew nationwide, the remaining leagues in play began to suspend operations.

After the NBA announced their suspension and positive tests, the rest of the sports world scrambled to follow suit. Some tried to hold out longer than others in hopes of the initial cases being an isolated incident, but before long all sports had subsided. The NHL and its affiliate leagues halted on March 12, and by the end of the day on the 13th the sports world was turned on its head.

The PLAYERS Championship only got through its March 12 first round before being called off. In college basketball, a Big East conference tournament game was called off at halftime, and the ACC tournament was canceled and Florida State was crowned champion just before the tipoff of the Seminoles’ matchup with Clemson. In the hours following, the NCAA canceled both the mens’ and womens’ tournaments outright, marking the first time the tournament had ever been called off. Atlanta sports were no different. The Hawks were mid-game when the NBA announced the shutdown, becoming one of the teams that had to play through confusion in an eventual overtime loss to the Knicks.

Vince Carter, playing what would be his last ever NBA game, hit a three-pointer in the dying seconds of the game to a massive ovation from a crowd that knew it may be his final salute. Not even two hours after NBA commissioner Adam Silver halted play, Atlanta United played a match against Club America, the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League matchup. After the suspension of play, the second leg was not played for another nine months, finally finishing on Dec. 16. The Braves played their spring training game as scheduled on the 11th and even played another on the 12th before the MLB shut down the Spring Training part of their season.

Without live sports, many were bereft of one of their favorite pastimes. ESPN and other major sports channels were left without much new content, and many turned to events of the past, breakdowns of historic games and players and slapped together virtual content.

Accompanied by the strange sight of the living rooms of sports punditry, athletics-based entertainment took on a different hue.

Zoom became a major necessity for broadcasting. While it was odd at first to see Shaquille O’Neal’s home while he traded barbs with Charles Barkley on air, the personalities persisted and helped fill the void left by the suspension of sports. Documentaries like The Last Dance helped us recall the greatness of past performances as we waited for the return of normalcy.

Major events did not entirely cease. The NFL draft occurred on schedule less than a month and a half after the shutdown, with players and fans enjoying the live experience from their living rooms instead of on a stage. When Burrow went first overall to the Bengals, he donned his team cap and answered interview questions with his parents. It was almost normal except for the stage being commissioner Roger Goodell’s basement.

Some turned to international sports as other countries opened up. When the Korean baseball season began, a number of idle sports bettors and action-starved fans picked teams and followed the league, despite games often being played in the early hours of the morning stateside. Bundesliga was the first major soccer league to return to action as Europe began to reopen.

Rumors of resumption in the U.S. slowly became a reality as the MLS, NBA, NHL, and MLB all announced their modified schedules for the beginning or remainder of their seasons. The MLS returned first, operating in a bubble in Orlando and playing their first games almost four months after the suspension. The NBA and NHL formed similar bubbles and successfully completed their seasons, while the MLB played an abbreviated season at teams’ empty home parks until the NLCS in Arlington. After the longest period without sports in my living memory — and most others’ too — the world’s best athletes returned to our screens live.

After a four month break, and with another eight months having followed since that point, there is much to reflect on.

Leagues the world over have figured out how to better keep their athletes safer during uncertain times, and fans have learned what a world without sports looks like.

As the one-year mark since the shutdown arrives, let us hope for the country to regain its health and for a crisis like the one that began last March never happens again.

After a blazing start to the season, Tech softball is amidst a ten-game losing skid. Only three of their losses have been by more than four runs, but their opponents have found a way to win each game.

After six straight losses to open ACC play, a four-game weekend could have been a chance to bounce back and regain a winning record. Instead, Miami (OH), Kennesaw State and archrival U(sic)ga all came to Mewborn Field and left with wins.

Miami came to town first on February 26 for a doubleheader. The Redhawks were hot first, building a 4-0 lead by the middle of the fourth inning before fifth-year senior Crosby Huckabay’s home run put Tech on the board.

The Jackets’ bats caught fire in the fifth scoring five, and had a one-run lead into the last inning after a Miami home run in the top of the sixth.

Two more solo home runs in the seventh put Miami back on top 7-6, which would hold as the game’s final margin.

Freshman Jin Sileo started the scoring in game two of the doubleheader with a bases-loaded RBI.

Tech held a 2-0 lead after a walk drove the second run in the next at-bat, but the floodgates opened for the Redhawks after that. They scored eight runs in the next three innings, seven of which came from extra-base hits.

Tech drew another walk with the bases loaded in the fourth, making the score 7-3 at that point, but ultimately only scored three runs on three bases-loaded situations.

Miami added a ninth run for insurance in the top of the seventh, and the Jackets dropped the second game of the doubleheader 9-3.

Kennesaw State came to Mewborn Field the next day, and Tech scored first in the second inning on a solo bomb from fourth-year junior Tricia Awald, beginning and ending the Jackets scoring on Saturday, as the Owls were the only ones to reach home thereafter. KSU scored a pair to regain the lead in the third, and a two-run homer in the sixth gave them insurance and set the final score at 4-1.

UGA was the final opponent of the weekend for Tech, and things went poorly from the first inning.

The Bulldogs scored on a wild pitch before a two-run homer on the very next pitch.

After keeping it 3-0 for the next two innings, a six-run Bulldog fourth inning blew the game open.

After another two runs in the top of the fifth and another scoreless inning for Tech, the game ended on the fifth inning run rule.

Looking at the season as a whole, it may seem odd where Tech’s record stands.

Their overall batting average is higher than opponents, their fielding percentage is better, almost every baseline stat shows a season-average advantage for the Jackets.

The stats are significantly more skewed when the first five games — all blowout wins — are factored out. Tech won those games by 8.2 runs per contest; since their win streak ended they have lost each game by an average of 3.9 runs.

Tech has still generally fielded well, with defensive standout Jin Sileo recording multiple highlight plays from shortstop.

No starting pitcher has an ERA worse than 5.00, though none have one better than 3.40 either. The bullpen rarely has a complete collapse in any inning, but teams have been able to chip away frame by frame as games wear on.

The offense has been the critical difference in most of the losses. After scoring 44 runs in the first five games, the Jackets have only managed 27 since.

They are facing much better pitching and are still getting on base at a reasonable rate, but have had trouble stringing multiple hits together that leave runners on base.

They have left 30 more runners on base than their opponents over the course of the season, and that number swelled to a nearly 2-to-1 discrepancy over the past week’s games.

15 games into the season, the Jackets have already left 100 runners stranded.

Going forward, those numbers will have to change if the Jackets want to be competitive again.

Editor’s Note: The language used to describe many of the organizations and events contained in this article reflects the rhetoric of its time. It is not the intent of the author, editor or the Technique to be insensitive or offensive, but merely to accurately describe the history contained in this piece.

In a somewhat controversial but generally appreciated move in December of last year, the MLB decided to officially recognize what it considered the seven major Negro Leagues. These leagues were organized baseball leagues of almost entirely Black and Latin American players who were by and large barred from MLB play. Only seasons from 1920 through 1948 are included, as those are considered to be the significant operating years of the seven leagues.

Opening with the first Negro National League’s (NNL) debut in 1920, a total of seven recognized leagues would play. The Eastern Colored League (ECL) debuted three years after the first NNL and played until 1928, while the first NNL ceased play in 1931. Those first two leagues played in what was often referred to as the Colored World Series from 1924-1927.

The American Negro League (ANL), the East-West League (EWL) and the Negro Southern League (NSL) each operated for a season or less at the major league level, forming in the wake of the original two leagues’ cancellations. The ANL and NSL each absorbed teams from recently folded leagues, and while the NSL only lasted one full season as a major league, it continued as a minor league for years thereafter.

The second Negro National League (NNL) and the Negro American League (NAL) debuted in 1933 and 1937 respectively. Both enjoyed tenures of over a decade and played in what was called the Negro World Series from 1942–1948. The second NNL is recognized as having ended in 1948, the last season of Negro League play that the MLB is adding to the record books. After Jackie Robinson’s ascension to the MLB in 1947, much of the Negro Leagues’ top talent was siphoned to the MLB.

The breaking of the color barrier in what had previously been an exclusively white man’s league allowed for integration at the expense of the Negro Leagues. The NAL would continue playing, albeit at a less official level, for another decade-plus after integration of the MLB.

However, 1948 is the last official year of the Negro Leagues according to the MLB, so statistics and records after that season have not been added to the official annals.

The MLB’s official statement cites their selected start and end dates for Negro League recognition as chosen based on preexisting milestones in play. Before 1920, most leagues were short-lived, and after 1948 there were no more segregated World Series and a significantly reduced number of officially scheduled League games as teams relied more on exhibition play.

Some held the belief that the MLB’s integration of the record books was poorly done, though. The records are flawed due to inconsistency in the quality disparity in the bookkeeping between leagues. Certain stats like strikeouts are poorly recorded or not recorded at all, and because of the frequency of exhibition games in the Negro Leagues, it is often unclear what games even count toward a player’s official career.

Some have criticized the MLB as attempting to gloss over an era in which Black players and leagues were not held as equal to white ones. It was not an accident that the leagues had different levels of bookkeeping and popular interest, and many believe that simply adding Negro League accomplishments to MLB ones is ignoring the conditions that caused the differences in the first place. The MLB’s lead historian, John Thorn, acknowledges the prejudice that led to these differences, but some argue that combining the records without proper context erases negative aspects of baseball’s history.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame officially began including Negro League players in 1971 at the behest of Ted Williams, Satchel Paige and general public will. Players and executives were inducted in a more recent wave in 2006 to recognize some of the established greats of the era. Several all-time greats, including Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, played in the Negro Leagues for at least short stretches of their career before their ascension to MLB superstardom.

A seamless integration of statistics will shake up the all-time lists for a number of metrics, most notably batting average. Four different Negro League players had over 3000 plate appearances and hold what would be a top-10 all time batting average, which would lead to a massive shakeup of that list. Separating legend from fact is another concern, as incomplete records and rumors inflate stats. Josh Gibson, for example, is officially credited with 115 home runs in the Negro Leagues, but some rumors place his count as high as 800, maybe due to legend, maybe due to numbers swollen from exhibition play.

It is clear that the Negro Leagues are an integral part of the history of American baseball. The starting point for a number of the sport’s best athletes, the Leagues also serve as a reminder of the flawed history of both the sport and the country. Black history in baseball was not limited only to the stretch of 1920-1948, but the events of that era have to be included in any telling of major baseball history.

It feels like some players are never meant to retire. Sports pundits have been predicting Tom Brady’s decline for years now. Lebron James was foretold to fall off after his supposed prime in Miami and again after he left Cleveland a second time. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Serena Williams, Jaromir Jagr, and an increasing number of athletes are playing at a high level well past their athletic primes. Is this phenomenon simply recency bias or the development of better dietary and recovery practices, lengthening the careers of the world’s best athletes?

Success begets success in the case of many of these athletes. Without the income provided by sustaining elite play, players are less able to afford the gaudy costs of keeping their bodies in prime shape.

Lebron is the foremost example of a big star spending big money on his health. Reports from 2019 pegged his annual spending on his fitness at around $1.5 million. Russell Wilson claimed to spend over $1 million himself in an interview with Bill Simmons.

It may be love of the sport that keeps some players going since many do play well into their decline. NBA legend Vince Carter, who just retired after last season, was only scoring five points per game in his final season, a far fall from the 20-plus he scored in his peak years. The late Kobe Bryant managed over 17 points per game in his final season, but even that was less than half of his best year and was often seen with ice wraps when on the bench.

Jaromir Jagr entered the NHL in 1990 at the age of 18 and played all the way until 2018, finally retiring from the world’s best hockey league with the second most points of all time at age 45. He still plays in the Czech Republic and contributes just under a point per game in Czech Extraliga at 49 years old. It may be a love for the game that keeps him playing at this point, but he still put up almost 50 points in his age 44 season in the NHL, almost overkill to add to an already magnificent career.

More and more high level players are having extended careers across a number of sports. Alex Rodriguez, Bartolo Colon and Adrian Beltre all played 21 or more seasons in the MLB and only retired in the last few years. Dirk Nowitzki played for over two decades for the Dallas Mavericks and Udonis Haslem is still playing at age 40, albeit only for a few minutes a game. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have each been playing tennis for at least eighteen years at an elite level and are still winning titles while Novak Djokovic is coming for their records.

Zdeno Chara, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton all debuted in 1997 and are still active in the NHL. Frank Gore has played 16 seasons and garnered almost 20,000 scrimmage yards at the bruising running back position, and a significant number of kickers and punters play into their 40s in the NFL. Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald have had long, consistent and illustrious NFL careers as well. Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney dominated top flight soccer for years before lighting up the MLS. Zlatan even returned to AC Milan after his stint with the LA Galaxy.

None of these players, however, have quite the impressive reign of dominance as some of the greatest of all time in their respective sports. Brady and Lebron are both in the GOAT conversation in football and basketball respectively. Brady just won his seventh Super Bowl at age 43, and it is his fourth title since turning 37.

Brady became the oldest MVP in league history at 40, winning his third. To still be the best at that age takes investment, and videos of massage tables in his massive houses and offseason training in scenic locations like the Bahamas show that he spares no cost.

Lebron started a streak of eight straight finals appearances when he was 26, in what would be most players’ prime. He had already been in the league for eight seasons and made it to the 2007 finals in his young career, but this streak consisted of his age 26 through 33 seasons. Most players are at least out of the league or beginning to decline at age 33, but after an age 34 season plagued by injuries, he bounced back to win his fourth title at 35 years old, leading the league in assists in the process.

Even in the early games of this, his 18th season, he is dominant again. After over 1,500 games including playoffs, he is dropping 25/8/8 on nearly 50% shooting. He throws down ferocious dunks like a young player and has upgraded the finer parts of his game to account for any wear years of elite play may have had on his body. Before his age 32 season he only had one year with over eight assists per game; he has eclipsed that mark every season since then. Advanced training and taking elite care of his physical health have kept him at near-MVP level play into what should be his decline.

These long careers aren’t a completely new, 21st century feature to sports. Wayne Gretzky, almost unanimously considered the best hockey player ever, had a 20 year NHL career. He only scored under 90 points three times, two of which came in shortened seasons. Michael Jordan still scored 20 points per game in his last season at age 39, though he retired twice earlier in his career and only played 15 total seasons. Brees, George Blanda and Brett Favre all played similar or greater numbers of games than Brady, but all three declined more dramatically than him. This level of sustained greatness, increasing one’s resume even into the 20th season of a career, is a newer phenomenon that comes with greater strides in the science of physical health.

On September 10, 2020, the first pandemic NFL season was underway. 267 games later, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became champions, beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians captured his first title as a head coach, while quarterback Tom Brady secured his seventh ring, giving him more than any single franchise in NFL history. Brady would earn his fifth Super Bowl MVP as well.

The game’s location at Raymond James Stadium was a point of interest, as it would in effect be a home game for the Buccaneers. It was the first Super Bowl played where the host city had made it to the game. That, coupled with multiple Chiefs players injured or in COVID-19 protocols after a potential exposure to the team barber, may have had an effect on the complexion of the game.

What was supposed to be a high-scoring matchup of two top offenses started off fairly slowly as both teams punted at least once before any scoring. Tech graduate Harrison Butker hit a 49-yard field goal with around five minutes left in the first quarter to begin the scoring, but the Buccaneers responded with a touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski near the end of the quarter.

Following a Kansas City punt that only went 27 yards, Tampa drove down the field to set up a goal-to-go situation. After short runs on first and third down plus an incomplete pass to a lineman on second down, the Buccaneers faced a fourth and goal from the one-yard line.

Ronald Jones II took the handoff from Brady and looked for a hole, but was met by Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu at the goal line and kept out of the endzone, preserving a 7-3 score.

Another short Kansas City punt followed, and this time Tampa Bay capitalized. After an offsides penalty gave the Buccaneers a new set of downs inside the 20-yard line, Brady and Gronkowski connected on a wide open pass for their second touchdown of the game, increasing their lead to 14-3.

The Chiefs responded with another Butker field goal, cutting the deficit to eight. A third Brady touchdown pass, this time to wide receiver Antonio Brown, pushed the margin to 15 as Tampa took a 21-6 lead into halftime.

After The Weeknd’s halftime performance, Kansas City started the second half with the ball. They mustered a field goal after the drive stalled at Tampa’s 34-yard line, but the 52-yarder off Butker’s foot would be their last score of the game.

The Buccaneers responded with a touchdown drive capped off by a 27-yard run by running back Leonard Fournette. A 52-yard Ryan Succop field goal following an interception thrown by Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes set the final margin of the game at 31-9. The remainder of the game saw the Chiefs futilely trying to score as they turned the ball over on downs in the red zone twice and Mahomes threw a second interception in the endzone on Kansas City’s final drive. Tampa kneeled out the clock and captured the franchise’s second Super Bowl victory, the first ever won in front of home fans.

The game was defined by defense, specifically Tampa Bay’s. It seemed like every time Mahomes dropped back he was bothered by the pass rush, and his numbers reflected that. He went 26-49 for 270 yards and two picks, and most of those yards came in the fourth quarter with the game falling out of reach.

Tampa recorded ten quarterback hits and three sacks in a dominant day against one of the league’s best quarterbacks. A depleted Chiefs offensive line contributed to the pressure, but Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaquill Barrett and other Tampa defenders routinely got in the backfield.

The secondary held up when Mahomes could even get a pass off, defending nine passes and securing interceptions by safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and linebacker Devin White.

Mahomes failed to break 100 yards until nearly the end of the third quarter and had to make several throws on the run trying to bail out his receivers.

Tampa had little trouble with Kansas City’s defense for most of the game. Brady was only sacked once and had three touchdown passes to only four incompletions at the half. He finished 20-29 for 201 yards and three scores, posting efficient albeit not eye-popping numbers.

Tampa ran for 145 total yards as Fournette and Jones each averaged over five yards per carry. Fournette’s third quarter touchdown run gave the Buccaneers a three-score lead that would hold, and both backs got touches while Tampa ran out the clock in the fourth quarter.

Penalties were a large contributor to multiple Buccaneers scoring drives. The Chiefs finished with a whopping 11 penalties for 120 yards, stalling drives and giving the Buccaneers unearned chances in critical moments.

The last two Tampa touchdowns before halftime were both set up by defensive penalties, and the lack of flags thrown on the Buccaneers, only four for 39 yards, prevented the Chiefs from capitalizing on mistakes.

Nearly 25,000 fans were present at the game, including a few thousand vaccinated healthcare workers being thanked for their contributions.
Referee Sarah Thomas became the first woman to officiate in the Super Bowl.

Brady announced postgame that he would return for another year, and both teams are projected to be early favorites for a title next season.

Tech women’s basketball is in the middle of a hot streak, with only one loss since the new year and a six game win streak at time of writing. A number of recent games have been canceled or postponed, but the Jackets have been a strong team when they play, tallying a 10-3 mark to start the season.

Led by junior Lotta-Maj Lahtinen and senior Lorela Cubaj, Tech has fought their way to 3rd in the ACC with a 8-2 conference mark. The only conference losses are to NC State, who are currently 11-1 and ranked fourth in the country, and a two-point loss to a Notre Dame squad that sits only a couple spots behind the Jackets in the ACC. Tech’s remaining eight ACC games have all been won by an average of about 14 points.

Four games across two separate stretches were postponed for Tech, leading to some choppiness in the middle of the season. Back to back home tilts with Miami and UCF were postponed on Dec. 17 and 21 respectively, and with the ACC moving into conference play it seems the UCF game may have just been canceled. After a couple of weeks back on the court, a jump in cases within the Institute caused a postponement of the Jan. 14 matchup with Syracuse and a cancellation of the Jan. 17 trip to Charlottesville to face Virginia.

The season opened with just three non-conference games before entering ACC play. A blowout win over Georgia State and a close win against Tulane sandwiched a tough overtime loss to UGA. The Jackets would move to 4-1 (2-0 ACC) before their December 31 loss to NC State.

Following a second ACC loss against Notre Dame on January 3, the Jackets have been unstoppable. Clemson and Virginia Tech both fell the next week. Tech beat the Tigers by 12 and won a nail-biter over the Hokies 56-54. After a two-week break due to COVID-19 issues, there could have been rust to overcome when the Jackets got back on the court. A 29-point win in Winston-Salem over Wake Forest dispelled any such worry, and three further wins against FSU, Miami and Syracuse pushed Tech toward the top of the ACC.

Team defense has been key to their success. Tech ranks around the top of the ACC and in the top-75 nationally in opponent points per game, and their rebound margin is nearly in the top-40 nationally at +6.8 per game. Their offense is respectable, not a juggernaut but in the top half of the nation by points per game. Lahtinen is good for about 16 points per game, Kierra Fletcher has added another 13 points per game in the seven games she has played, and Cubaj is a walking double-double with around 13 points and 12 rebounds per contest.

The rating percentage index (RPI) for women’s basketball has Tech in the top 20 in the country, ahead of U(sic)ga and ahead of a number of teams ranked in major polls. Their strength of schedule is rated as 14th, so the team’s accomplishments so far have come against some of the nation’s best talent.

The Jackets have begun receiving votes in the AP poll, receiving the second most votes among unranked teams in the most recent iteration. In or near the top 25 for all advanced metrics and polls, Tech women’s basketball is beginning to get the recognition it deserves.

The Jackets play around two games per week the rest of the season, fairly split between McCamish and the road.

Besides a game at Louisville on February 11, every remaining matchup is against a team behind Tech in the ACC standings, putting a top-four finish well within reach.

The final three games of the season are against teams in the bottom half of the conference, so the Jackets could build momentum heading into the ACC tournament in March.

Charlie Creme’s bracketology has Tech as a six-seed in his January 26 bracket, signaling that the odds of a NCAA tournament bid are high barring any major collapse.

Current projections show a matchup with a lower tier at-large team or mid-major conference champion. A streak to end the year and a deep ACC tournament run could result in a higher seed and thus easier matchup in the big dance.

The 2020 stars of college football were recognized at the beginning of the month at the College Football Awards. An event that in previous years had been held in Atlanta’s College Football Hall of Fame was instead held virtually on Thursday, Jan. 7. Among the winners was Tech’s own senior Pressley Harvin III, who took home the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s best punter.

Harvin joined Durant Brooks, the only other Jacket to win the award, and became the first African American athlete to receive the honor. Harvin is Tech’s third unanimous All-American, following wide receiver Calvin Johnson in 2006 and defensive back Ken Swilling in 1990. His unanimous All-American nod makes this the sixth consecutive year that a punter has achieved that feat.

Harvin’s season was more than just the best season by a punter this year, it may have been the best season by any punter in ACC history. His 48 yards per punt was the highest gross average ever in the ACC, and nearly half of his punts were 50-plus yards. Only around a sixth of his kicks were returned and 40% ended their roll inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. Tech’s net punting average of 44.6 yards per punt ranked second nationally this season.

2020 was not the only season where Harvin was a star. In 2019, he punted 80 times for an average of nearly 45 yards, and over his career he kicked 210 times for an average of about 44.7 yards. He handled a handful of trick plays during his time at Tech as well, most notably against the Miami Hurricanes in 2019. On a 4th and 7 near the end of the first quarter at Miami’s 41-yard line, Harvin took the snap and dropped a perfect ball to Nathan Cottrell for a touchdown. The toss was a pivotal moment in an eventual Tech win, and was one of the notable moments that cemented Harvin as a fan favorite.

Harvin’s journey to where he is today began to take off at Sumter High School in Sumter, South Carolina. He was the fourth ranked punter nationally and was a top-30 recruit in his state. At a press conference after winning the Ray Guy, he discussed the impact his play left on the school, saying “[I like] being able to know that there’s definitely a legacy that I was able to bring to Tech as well as to leave here now and have paved the way for other African American specialists that are behind me, too. I have a really good couple of friends of mine that played at high school with me, a good stat about that ever since I’ve been there when I graduated in 2017, there’s been, I think, three to four different African American specialists, after me.”

Later on the call, when asked how it feels to be the first African American to win the Ray Guy, he spoke about the lack of diversity at the position: “I would go to Kohl’s professional kicking camps and just being around a big group of guys … and being one of I think maybe three or four other [African American] specialists that were there at the time, was definitely eye opening to me.” He speaks about how he was one of only a few African American specialists on a roster in 2020, then reflected on the drive that has given him over the years, remarking that “being one of the ones to pave the way, I think that’s definitely something I’ll always look back on as being that one of three to four at every camp, kind of like the underdog type of perspective.”

Before Harvin joined the call, Tech Head Coach Geoff Collins joined and talked about him for a bit. When asked about his first impression of Harvin, Collins joked about his disbelief that Harvin was the punter, saying, “There were first impressions, first meetings that I’ll never forget, and Pressley Harvin was definitely one of those. I mean I thought he was the middle linebacker, and when he told me he was the punter, I was astounded.”

Those who have seen Harvin know what Collins means. Harvin is listed at six feet tall and 255 pounds, and his enormous legs are hard to miss. Videos of him squatting well over 500 pounds have circulated on social media.

Based on how fondly Collins speaks of Harvin, it is apparent that his popularity is just as high among those close to him as it is among those who know of him from afar. Collins, who refers to Harvin as “Press”, is aware of the fan love surrounding his big punter. “You see the memes that are Pressley Harvin memes,” said Collins.

“Or things that get retweeted or quote tweeted about him. It’s just scratching the surface of what a special, special man Pressley is and how much he means to this program, and [I’m] just really, really happy for him.”

The memes about Harvin are a good indicator of his presence off the field, which rivals his presence on it. Online, even besides the memes Collins mentioned, he has carved out his own following, boasting a verified Instagram page (@pharvin27) with nearly 10,000 followers as well as a Twitter account (@pharvin27) with close to 2,000 followers of its own, and he is working on getting verified.

He has found a platform for his interests off the field, primarily working on custom vehicles, including his own.

His car has 1,000+ followers on Instagram (@badblacktop2.4) and he shows off the work he has put into his other passions. The custom Dodge Dart can be seen and heard rumbling around campus and is almost as recognizable as the man himself. He uses both his car and his socials as a platform to advocate for social issues, including stickers under the front grille of his ride spelling “#BLACK LIVES MATTER.”

Harvin declared for the NFLdraft in December, and as the top punter to do so he has a shot at landing on an NFL roster this fall.

While rarely a position in high demand since only 32 slots are usually available at a time, a team with field position trouble may draft him to replace a struggling player or put pressure on in training camp.

Any team that picks up Pressley Harvin III will be gaining a talented punter with a positive locker room presence, and, as evidenced by that certain play in the 2019 Miami game, a pretty good arm too.

In front of a very limited crowd and a couple dozen cheerleaders and band members, Tech took on a pair of in-state foes at the Georgia Tech Showcase on Wednesday (11/25). Opening the season with a Midtown-Downtown matchup against Georgia State, Tech hoped to build off of last season’s top-five finish in the ACC. Four overtimes later, however, Tech sat at 0-1.

The starters came out hot after Georgia State won the opening tip, and at the first TV timeout around four minutes into the half Tech had an 11-5 lead on the back of a three-point barrage. At the second timeout a few minutes later, the Jackets lead was at four, but a 15-0 Panther run gave the visitors a double digit lead. While the lead shrank slightly, a 34% first half effort from the field by the Jackets kept the deficit at seven.

After the Georgia State lead grew to double digits early in the second half, a Tech run created a manageable difference, and steadier play allowed the Jackets to tie the game and eventually retake the lead in the waning minutes. The teams traded fouls late, but thanks to both teams shooting under 60% at the stripe neither group was able to pull ahead and the game went to overtime tied at 77. 

A low scoring first overtime went the last 2:41 without a point scored by either team and ended 83-83. Despite giving up a number of open three-pointers in the second overtime frame, Tech managed to keep it close and force a third extra period thanks to Jose Alvarado’s pair of made free throws with 7.6 seconds left, tying the game at 96.

The Jackets’ best chance to put the game away came late in the third overtime when a technical foul was charged against the Georgia State bench. Tech went up by four with barely a minute to play, but State clawed back and tied it with a pair of free throws with a second left to force overtime number four.

The fourth overtime, the first ever instance in Tech’s history, saw the teams trade baskets. The same five Tech players played every minute of the overtime periods until Wright and Alvarado fouled out with under a minute left, and with the preferred lineup off the floor, the Panthers were able to pull off the three point win.

Forward Eliel Nsoseme had an efficient night for State, scoring 22 points on 10-13 shooting, and Justin Roberts and Corey Allen scored 26 and 22 respectively playing through all overtime periods to lead the visitors to the win. 

On the Tech side, Wright and Alvarado were the stars, doing everything they could to prevent a loss. Wright had a monster game with 31 points and 20 rebounds, cashing in 14 attempts from the charity stripe after a slow start from that spot. Alvarado had a strong all-around game, totaling 29 points, 10 boards, 4 assists and six steals, while Michael Devoe tallied a double-double as well with 24 points and 12 rebounds. 

After a two day rest, a Tech squad that had four players play 47+ minutes matched up against Mercer. It was clear early on that there may have been some residual fatigue from Wednesday, as Mercer jumped to a quick lead. Tech had trouble chasing the Bears off the three-point line, leading to a flurry of open threes for the visitors. Very few fouls were called as Tech shot, and made, the only two free throws of the first half, and a high-scoring first half ended with the Jackets down by three. Pastner’s squad shot a much improved 58% in the opening frame including a respectable 38% from three, but allowed Mercer to shoot 48% themselves, with a staggering 57% rate from three.

Mercer pulled away in the second half, leading by as much as 19. Neither team got into the bonus until the final few minutes of the second half, and when Tech began to intentionally foul down by 13, near-perfect free throw shooting by Mercer kept the lead large. Tech fell to 0-2 on the year with an 83-73 loss despite another 20 point effort from Wright and an improved shooting night overall.

Tech has some key areas to work on through the rest of the season to salvage this rocky start. Opponents shot a combined 22-55 from beyond the arc, a 40% rate that, whether or not it is sustainable for opponents, belies the light defense Tech played on the perimeter. Turnovers have also been a problem for the Jacket offense this season, as they totaled 37 turnovers over the two games. Even adjusted to account for the numerous overtime periods, the rate of 14.8 per 40 minutes would place the team among the fifty highest turnover rates last season. 

Pastner tried multiple defensive schemes through the first two nights of action. The 1-3-1 zone from last year has appeared less often so far but still seems to be the primary zone look. Man defense looked to be the most common set on that end of the floor, and it remains to be seen which look will be the better one as the season continues.

Despite the losses, bright spots are apparent for the Jackets. The team has had a positive rebound margin in both games and has been getting in passing lanes well to the tune of 8.5 steals per game so far. Shooting was significantly improved at all three levels in game two, a sign that the opening night’s poor percentages could have been an anomaly.

Wright has arguably been the best player on the floor in both games, pacing both teams in scoring in each contest. Putting up 25.5 points on 50/50/61 shooting splits and grabbing 12.5 boards a game, he has been a presence on the offensive end. Bubba Parham has provided a spark playing significant minutes off the bench and adding 14 points per game on his own. Devoe has dropped 19 points per game and between Alvarado’s balanced effort in game one and seven assists in game two, he has filled the stat sheet in more ways than one.

The season may not have started the way Tech fans hoped, but the college basketball season is a long one. Performance will fluctuate from game to game, and Pastner’s squad still has potential. Tech sports are consistently inconsistent, so bear with the team through bumps in the road in hope of better play to come.

The Cardinals came to Bobby Dodd under the Friday night lights and left still winless in ACC play. Tech, in their gold helmets and navy uniforms, played a low-mistake game and moved to 2-1 in ACC play and 2-2 overall. Behind improvements in three key categories — turnover margin, penalty yardage, and negative plays — the team put together their best looking game of the season and came out on top against a team that was favored by a score entering the evening.

The game got off to a great start for the Jackets, forcing a fumble on Louisville’s first drive before marching 64 yards down the field and scoring on a Jahmyr Gibbs touchdown run. However, Tech’s next three drives went for only a total of 39 yards and Louisville scored 21 unanswered points in response. The final drive of the half was a perfect rendition of the two minute drill though, with Ahmarean Brown’s nine-yard trick play touchdown pass capping off a four play, 75 yard drive. The teams headed into their locker rooms with the Louisville lead just 21-14.

Cardinals quarterback Malik Cunningham was fairly effective in the first two quarters, though he overshot a number of throws, including one on which he was bailed out by a diving Tutu Atwell in the endzone for a touchdown. He was effective on the ground when the pocket collapsed and rushed for a score on a 4th and goal for his second touchdown of the half. Cunningham’s play coupled with strong work on the ground from running back Javian Hawkins gave Louisville a 100-plus yard differential at halftime.

Cardinals quarterback Malik Cunningham was fairly effective in the first two quarters, though he overshot a number of throws, including one on which he was bailed out by a diving Tutu Atwell in the endzone for a touchdown.

He was effective on the ground when the pocket collapsed and rushed for a score on a 4th and goal for his second touchdown of the half.

Cunningham’s play coupled with strong work on the ground from running back Javian Hawkins gave Louisville a 100-plus yard differential at halftime.

Tech’s second drive of the third quarter ended with a touchdown as Jamious Griffin found the end zone from three yards out.

A blocked Gavin Stewart extra point attempt left the Jackets still down by a point, but a forced fumble on the ensuing kickoff gave the ball right back to the offense on the Louisville 27.
Jeff Sims found a hole in the defense with his legs and made the score 26-21 after a failed two-point conversion try.

The Cardinals responded on their next drive with a 75 yard drive finished by Cunningham’s 11 yard run for the score. After a failed two-point conversion attempt of their own, Louisville held a one point lead at 27-26.

After a Pressley Harvin punt, Louisville began to drive again before the Jackets forced their third fumble of the night. With the momentum swung in their favor, Jeff Sims and company drove down to take the lead on a 19 yard touchdown pass to Jahmyr Gibbs, but another failed two-point attempt kept the lead at just five.

After forcing another punt, Tech extended the lead with a 34 yard pass to Malachi Carter, Sims’ second touchdown toss of the night.
Forcing a turnover on downs thanks to a pair of sacks, the home team got the ball back one last time, and Dontae Smith punched it in on a 12 yard run to cap off an unanswered 20-point rally and end the game with a score of 46-27.

After a first half where the Jackets hung around but were unable to impose their will, a dominant second half led to a convincing win.

The yardage numbers essentially flipped on the back end, with the game totals for each team ending up 471-450 in the Cardinals’ favor. A pair of forced fumbles in the second half and a +3 turnover margin for the game gave a number of short fields to Collins’ squad without gifting the opponent the same advantage.

Fewer penalties and penalty yards along with quadruple the number of negative plays forced were big contributors as well. Louisville’s Marlon Character picked up a targeting call for 15 of Louisville’s 78 penalty yards to earn himself an ejection and extend Tech’s first touchdown drive of the 3rd quarter.

Tech had two fewer penalties and 23 fewer penalty yards, generally avoiding drive-ending gaffes.

Posting eight tackles for loss to the Cardinals’ two and recording three sacks while taking none allowed the Jacket defense to force Louisville to play behind the chains.

Weather factored all evening, but after two weeks off to work on ball security, the rainy conditions only affected one side.

Tech is in the top ten in the country in turnovers forced with nine total after Friday’s game, so if the defense can continue at that pace, many more short fields may come. If the offense can continue to produce yards without handing the ball back to the opponents like they did on Friday, look for more wins after the Jackets play Notre Dame on Halloween.

The 450 yards of Tech offense came at the hands of a variety of players.
Five players recorded at least one carry, and four of those players recorded at least five runs. A half dozen players caught a pass, even with only twelve completions on the night.

Ahmarean Brown recorded a completion on a trick play, and seven players in all added a touchdown to their resume during the game.

Collins’ offense continues to spread touches among players, and the playcalling was as diverse as it has been all season, a good sign going into the Clemson game.

Following the loss, the Cardinals travel to South Bend, Indiana to take on No. 4 Notre Dame on Oct. 17.

Tech will play host to No. 1 Clemson at noon on the 17th after a week to prepare for what has become one of college football’s titans.

Heisman favorite Trevor Lawrence and head coach Dabo Swinney will face Notre Dame the week after.

Tech is going to be looking for an upset. Basically, it would be a mistake for Clemson to overlook the Jackets, given the potential shown against Lousiville.