Cremins has brought back to Georgia a pair basketball prodigies from the Big Apple that have got the good folk of the ATL excited for the upcoming season.  Cremins already proved last year he could recruit and has the making of a pretty good program though last year the needle barely moved as they still finished far from the Madding Crowd in 7th place.in the 8 team league.  If it weren’t for football power Clemson the Yellow Jackets would have been in the basement though their might be some relief coming at least on the court as Florida State joins the ACC. Ironically Georgia Tech is located almost directly between these two schools as these three schools make up the deep south at least on the Atlantic Coast.  Cremins still must rely on some of the upperclassmen to lead them at least until the new recruits figure out how to play at this level which is quite a jump for prep stats no matter how big of a legend in the big city. 

Senior Rich Yunkus is and has been the main low post option for this team since he walked on campus from Benton Illinois.  Some would say he is the only low post option but Yunkus makes a living out of scoring from inside the paint.  He is a solid rebounder and can defend but at 6’9 215 is not exactly your prototypical center.  Shot blocking is not his forte as he would be better suited as a four and Cremins has help coming (there are three 6’11 and one six ten kid in this incoming class) but for now he is the primary post player for the Yellow Jackets.  Fellow senior Jim Caldwell will almost assuredly start next to Yunkus and has some height at 6’10 and is a solid 240.  This banger was born in of all places Durham North Carolina but matriculated to Lawrenceburg Indiana for High School brings toughness on the boards and will bang with anybody but he does not bring much offensively.  The square-headed big man with the military style brush cut is great to have on the team but he averaged less points than rebounds and is not exactly a rim protector and the one common dominator all of the new recruits have is being able to block a shot!  Foremost of these is sophomore John ‘Spider’ Salley who showed last year that he can definitely block a shot.  Salley was Cremins first get from New York City as this Brooklyn native quickly became a fan favorite with his hustle and enthusiasm. This lithe seven footer runs the floor like a wing and is not afraid to fly into the stands for a loose ball.  He will push Caldwell for minutes as this team needs his defense and attitude but for now is better coming off the bench with his effervescent style of play.  Salley also needs to pick up some tips offensively from Yunkus down on the blocks as for now all he scores is on alley-oops and put backs which is alright for now but next year he will be the number one option on the blocks as we have stated before most of the new big men coming in are like the Spider defensive first players.  Well, except Chris Bosh who has the same body type as Salley but has a much more evolved game already.  Bosh goes 6’11 235 but this lefty led his high school team to an undefeated (40-0) season and was heavily recruited but chose Georgia Tech over Memphis and Florida.  This kid will play and if he has half of the game he showed in Dallas this team might have finally found their big man who can hang with the Sampsons and Daugherty’s of this esteemed league.  *There are some late rumors about Bosh’s health as he was held out of the last few games (against his wishes) in an All-Star European trip due to some calf tightness and will be further tested when he returns from overseas. 

There is some healthy competition for the other spots up front as Cremins’ recruiting has given this lineup many diverse options.  Seniors Dave Denton, Pete Silas and Jim Nolan and junior Lenny Horton were once huge parts of this program’s success back in the SEC and Indy days.  None are big enough to hang at their respective positions in this league and faded into bench roles this year.  With all of the incoming big men who knows if these jackets will even get to take off their warm-up jackets this year?  Horton has the best chance of playing as he a terrific score and board guy and though he is only 6’7 190 will mix it up.  This Jersey kid would have a real shot if he had more of a diverse game but in reality size does matter STILL in basketball.  Denton who goes only 6’2 played the most often last year as he started at the three to start the season but got surpassed by a superstar freshman who can flat shoot. Dennis Scott, now a sophomore, can flat shoot the rock with range from behind the arc and in today’s game those guy are as valuable as the quickest point guards or biggest centers. Scott is 6’8 so has no problem getting his shot off and is also thick (229) enough to get through the minutia of players who teams send at him to stop him from getting his shot off.  He is a solid ball handler as well and could play the two but is a bit slow to guard the more athletic wings in this crazy league so will play the three (his nickname is 3-D after all and is not about the second part) once again because there is no way Cremins is taking this kid off the court with his range no matter how bad his defense is. Scott is a winner as he led his prep team in Oakton Virginia to a state title and a national ranking. This roster is full of those type of players as Cremins, the master recruiter, wants to build this program with winners and leaders above all else.  A couple more of those are fellow sophomores Duane Farrell and Tom Hammond.. Ferrell is more of a wing and gives the Yellow Jackets some physicality and size (6’7 209) at the three spot.  He does not quite have three point range yet but he can finish and does have a solid mid-range game.  He also can defend the likes of Worthy and Bias fairly well or as well as one can against super studs like those two.  Hammonds is more of a legitimate true forward (6’9 215) who was a huge get for Cremins after a stellar prep career in Crestville Florida. Hammonds works hard on the boards and will bang and has already developed a rep for having lethal elbows.  He is a terrific corner shooter but needs to get thicker if he is going to get big time minutes in this league.  Still, he was solid and tough and consistent down low and the Techster fans loved both of these guys work ethic.  These ‘bookend’ forwards complement each other perfectly and usually are on the court together and bring as much toughness and talent as any pair coming off the bench even in this league! 

You would think with all of these wonderful front court players coming aboard this program has been and will continue to be known for it’s backcourt play.  One of those perennial Guard U’s Cremins is not hedging on those bets and he might have taken that rep to an entirely different level with his two studs he landed from the Big Apple.  But more on that after a minute.  The player that set the tone for the Jackets is still around these parts for one more run. Senior Roger Kaiser has been the guy here since he traveled down from Dale Indiana.  The 6’1 scoring machine finished second in the SEC in points his sophomore year and finished third in the ACC last season.  He has range out to the parking lot but also get to the hoop and basically singlehandedly put this program on the map. Kaiser led them to their first post season berth a few years back while in the SEC and his number 21 will soon be in the rafters of the new Thrillerdome soon after he graduates to the next level.  The funny thing about the situation here is that Kaiser, as legendary as he is, might not the best guard on the team.  That is how good the kids Cremins have brought in are.  There is no way Cremins would dare replace ‘The Kaiser’ but Roger is also a terrific outfielder for the baseball team and has been known to ‘moonlight’ a few games early spring.  Will he average 20 plus again for the Yellow Jackets?  Probably not but he will start as the three studs competing to play next to him are all true point guards so the Kaiser will still be the King of Atlanta for one more year. With all of his New York connections it is funny that the first recruit Cremins brought in was a kid from Oklahoma.  Sophomore Mark Price stepped in next to Kaiser last year and was superb.  The Enid Kid looks like a choir boy and only goes 6’0 170 soaking wet but this coach’s kid can play.  He looks slower that what he is but he can get to the hoop and knows how to hit the open man.  What sets his apart from most point guards though is his ability to shoot the ball. He has a quick release (he obviously has to at 6’0) and will pull up from anywhere, even off the dribble, and nail a jumper.  His accuracy is incredible and teams with Kaiser and Scott to give the Yellow Jackets the best trio of shooters starting alongside each other in the ACC and perhaps in the nation.  Even with that Price might not be able to fight off the duo of incredible point guards heading south.  Kenny Anderson and Stephon Marbury are two of the most ballyhooed players the Big Apple has ever produced.  Anderson is the 1st player since Lew Alcindor to be named All-City four years in a row and has the kind of overall feel for the game very few have ever had.  This 6’2 170 pound Queens legend has no weaknesses in his overall game and makes getting to the hoop look like a Sunday stroll in the park though he is almost assuredly the quickest cat on the court.  This lefty has range as well and is a superior playmaker that will no doubt be a huge addition to this program.  Marbury is a similar player but a much better athlete who is not afraid to throw one down over anyone and is also not afraid to throw one up from the rafters.  ‘Starbury’ has got game for sure but will this be able to transition into the type of impact and success he had in AAU and high school especially with his penchant for being a bit of a head case and difficult to deal with.  It won’t help of course if he is not starting but on this team he might be the third best point guard.  REALLY!  If anyone wants to do a behind the scenes doc on a team this year the Yellow Jackets are your team. Apparently Marbury has been having some VISA problem while in China on a goodwill trip promoting some tennis shoe and missed some of the summer workouts.  This is going to be some fun stuff down in Hotlanta this year.  If Cremins can figure out a way to keep all of these guys happy and cohesive this team could make a huge leap even in the ACC as no team has EVER accumulated as much talent at one position as Cremins.  That is a big If, of course, as there is only one basketball but the Techsters and their large fan base are a team to watch this year. 

How good of a recruiter is Cremins?  He apparently convinced legendary Muncie Indiana school boy legend Sammy Drummer to transfer here.  The 6’5 208 pounder can flat jump through the roof with a 48 inch vertical jump.  He is by no means a complete player as his ball handling is suspect at best for a wing but this boy believes he can fly.  And on some nights he does. He will get a shot with his ability to score and his legendary history in Indiana but him playing is not a guarantee as the Jackets are loaded on the wing as well.  Junior Quatico Brown is another 6’5 kid who can score in droves.  Tico as he is known is also from Indiana (Kokomo to be exact and I know you humming that song in your head now) was beaten out by Scott last year but had some huge games off the bench.  He, like Drummer, does not have many skills except for scoring but he showed he can be relied upon to be some instant offense off the bench.  Seniors Pres Judy (right out of a John Grisham novel) and Phil Wagner plus Sophomores Bruce Dalrymple and Brian Oliver are also in the mix and all bring something substantial to the table.  One, if not more, of these guys will play a big role for this team this year! Or at least should.  But with all of those stud recruits the 64,000 dollar question is who you going to take minutes away from?  That is a nice situation to be in for Cremins and his burgeoning program.  But with all of this offensive talent you still got to stop the other team once in a while and grab a board or two.  If these Jackets do this they might be wearing the Yellow in April which usually signifies victory at a prestigious golf course not too far up the road.