Scooter Tuning Pics » TECH: Minus 13 starters from a year ago

ATLANTA -- Georgia Tech is starting over.Again.Once an Atlantic Coast Conference powerhouse and program that sent a steady stream of players to the NBA, the Yellow Jackets havent made the NCAA tournament since 2010 -- a streak that doesnt figure to end in Josh Pastners first season as coach.Even Pastner acknowledges that reality.Its going to take a couple of years, he said, but our mission goal is to get us back to a championship-level program year in and year out, so we have a chance to get back in the tournament, ACC championships and all those good things that go with it.Pastner left Memphis to take over the Yellow Jackets, who dumped coach Brian Gregory after five seasons produced just one postseason appearance (last years run to the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament) and a dismal 27-61 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference.With his job on the line, Gregory relied heavily on seniors and one-and-done graduate transfers in his final season. That forces Pastner to rebuild the program essentially from scratch, having lost five players who accounted for nearly all the scoring and rebounding.In the loaded ACC, which looks to have several national championship contenders and up to 12 teams that could contend for NCAA berths, Georgia Tech is expected to bring up the rear along with Boston College and Wake Forest.It definitely gives us a chip on our shoulder and some motivation, senior guard Josh Heath said.Pastner is known as a top-notch recruiter, but it wont be easy to persuade the type of prospects that Georgia Tech needs to compete in the ACC. The program has been down for so long -- first declining under Paul Hewitt, and then completely falling off the radar during Gregorys forgettable tenure -- that its going to take quite a selling job for the latest coach to turn things around.Since making it all the way to the national championship game in 2004, the Yellow Jackets have failed to post a winning record in the ACC or advance past the second round in three NCAA tournament appearances.---Some other things to watch for in Pastners debut season:HUGE LOSSES: The Yellow Jackets must replace their top four scorers from last season -- G Marcus Georges-Hunt (16.7 ppg), G Adam Smith (15.0), F Nick Jacobs (10.5) and F Charles Mitchell (10.1). Thats not all. Mitchell was the leading rebounder (9.7 rpg), followed by Jacobs (5.8) and another departed player, F James White (4.4).LOOKING FOR POINTS: Senior F Quinton Stephens, who made 14 starts, is the top returning scorer at 6.0 points per game. Hell need to do more, along with Heath (4.3) and junior G Tadric Jackson (5.4). Pastner will also be counting on players such as 6-10 center Ben Lammers to step up at the offensive end. He shot 65.5 percent from the field in limited minutes.NEWCOMERS: Kellen McCormick and Jodan Price are graduate transfers wholl get a chance to bolster Georgia Techs outside shooting. McCormick hit 42 percent from 3-point range over three seasons at Western Michigan, while Price averaged 4.2 points last season at Eastern Michigan. Pastner needs them both connecting at better than 40 percent beyond the arc.THINKING LONG TERM: Knowing that his team will likely struggle for wins, Pastners major goal this season will be installing a system that begins to win back fans and win over recruits. A fast-paced style of play would be a big step in that direction, especially after Gregorys teams often bogged down in a stilted, half-court offensive game.SCHEDULING MATTERS: After five straight home games to start the season, beginning with the Nov. 11 opener against Tennessee Tech, the Yellow Jackets go on the road to face Penn State, Tennessee and VCU. That stretch of games will give Pastner the first true indication of what hes up against before the ACC schedule kicks off Dec. 31 with a home game against North Carolina, followed by a trip to Duke four days later.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry .---AP College Basketball website: http://collegebasketball.ap.org Air Max From China . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Replica Air Max . 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Cheap Air Max For Sale .C. -- Todd Fiddler scored a hat trick, including the overtime goal, as the Prince George Cougars survived an 8-7 win against the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League play Sunday. FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Austin Allen connected with tight end Jeremy Sprinkle for a fourth-down touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and Arkansas rallied for a 21-20 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday.The game-winning pass was from four yards out and came after the Razorbacks (1-0) trailed for much of the second half.Making his first start at quarterback for Arkansas, Allen finished 20-of-29 passing for 191 yards and a pair of touchdowns along with two interceptions. Rawleigh Williams led the Razorbacks with 96 yards rushing on 24 carries, including a touchdown.Freshman JMar Smith, playing in place of suspended starter Ryan Higgins, finished 19 of 31 for 212 yards passing for the Bulldogs (0-1).Louisiana Tech took a 20-14 lead in the third quarter after a 20-yard field goal by kicker Jonathan Barnes.Arkansas -- after struggling to slow the Bulldogs pass rush for much of the game -- then righted itself and put together a 13-play, 67-yard touchdown drive midway through the fourth quarter. Allen capped the drive by finding Sprinkle on a throwback to the left side of the end zone on fourth down.Im glad (Arkansas coach Bret Bielema) called it, Allen said. Wed been practicing that play all week, everybody knew what they were doing and we did it perfectly. It worked out for us.After opening last season 2-5, including a loss to Toledo, Arkansas had stressed the need for a faster start to the season entering Saturdays home opener.However, a pair of first-half turnovers by the Razorbacks led to two touchdowns by the Bulldogs -- who settled for a 14-14 tie at halftime after kicker Barnes 54-yard field goal attempt went wide right to end the half.Barnes missed another kickk off the left upright from 39 yards that would have put Louisiana Tech up 23-14 in the fourth quarter.ddddddddddddrkansas then went ahead on the Sprinkle touchdown and then sealed with win with another fourth-down conversion late, this one on a run on fourth-and-inches by Kody Walker.You make the fourth-down decision looking to have success, Bielema said. The last one, its just a gut feel. I just had a feeling we were going to have a nice push, and it ended up sealing the game.THE TAKEAWAYLA. TECH: Minus 13 starters from a year ago, and with Higgins on the bench, the Bulldogs looked every bit as good as its teams that have won nine games in each of the last two seasons. Smith had little problem picking apart Arkansas defense, with wide receiver Trent Taylor leading the Bulldogs with eight catches for 78 yards.I think we have an awful lot of positive things to build on, but I dont think this a game we wanted to be close, Louisiana Tech coach Skip Holtz said. We dont want to be close, we want to win.ARKANSAS: The Razorbacks entered the season with three new starting offensive linemen, and their inexperience showed on Saturday. Arkansas allowed four sacks of Allen in the close victory, and it managed only 106 yards rushing on 40 carries.UP NEXTLA. TECH: The Bulldogs take a break from Power 5 conference competition when they face South Carolina State in their home opener, a week before traveling to face Big 12 Conference member Texas Tech.ARKANSAS: Life doesnt get any easier for the Razorbacks, who travel to Texas to take on No. 13 TC ' ' '