Another forgettable season for Georgia Tech basketball ended Tuesday. The Yellow Jackets finished the year 14-18 (6-12) after they went down to the ACC’s last place team Notre Dame.
Josh Pastner’s three year mark at Georgia Tech is 48-53 ( 20-34 ), and he’s running out of time. Georgia Tech fans knew Pastner was taking over a mess from Brian Gregory. They knew this would be a multi-year rebuild. They have been patient, but Pastner is entering year 4. He needs to show progress next year… period.
Boston College waited for 5 years with Jim Christian. He was a questionable hire to begin with that never panned out. That BC stayed with Christian too long doesn’t mean Georgia Tech has to make the same mistake. Danny Manning got 5 years at Wake Forest, and it seems likely he won’t make it past this season. At least Manning has an NCAA appearance.
We always hear about coaches needing time to build up. After 4 years, if you aren’t starting to turn things around it probably isn’t going happen. If you wish to hope it will be my guest, but 4 full years is plenty in my estimation.
Pastner has a chance, a slim one, but a chance to do something next year. Jose Alvarado and Michael Devoe could form a sneaky good backcourt. Alvarado is a gamer, and Devoe showed flashes of his top 50 player talent late in the year. James Banks was an All-ACC defensive player that was of the ACC’s top shot blockers and Moses Wright played his best basketball towards the end of the season.
Incoming USC transfer Jordan Usher is a former 4 star top 150 player who averaged nearly 9 points a game for the Trojans. That’s a reasonably talented starting 5. Four of the projected starters were top 150 players in high school.
If Pastner can find another transfer or a late spring signee with some scoring ability, there could be enough components to field his best team next season.
For Pastner’s sake he better hope so, because another season without discernible progress and there won’t be any support or patience left from the Georgia Tech fanbase. I think most Georgia Tech fans are now skeptical Pastner can be the coach that can turn things around. Many had lukewarm feelings the day he was hired.
He enters next year on thin ice.
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