The Kevin Long Legacy..

[klong3201]

Bulldogs Hire New Men’s Basketball Coach...

Following a very disappointing 2002-2003 the Alabama A&M Bulldogs have decided that its time to bring in an entirely new coaching staff, in hopes of rejuvenating what has become a below mediocre program. The man that has been hired to do the job is Alabama native Kevin Long. Coach Long is just finishing up his 4th year as a high school coach in the Birmingham area. Where he has led the school to two state titles in 4 years. He is only 28 years old but has proven himself as a coach on the high school level and is looking forward to the challenge of taking on this task.

The school has also hired two brand new assistant coaches that both were interviewed and selected by Coach Long. The first assistant is Coach Al Stewart who comes to the university all the way from Papillion, NE. Coach Long was quoted as saying, “I think Al will be a be a great asset to our staff. He has a great vision of where we want to go with this program and what its going to take to get there. He will be our main recruiter as he has an amazing ability to find talent, as well as, to communicate to players.”

The second assistant is Coach Cory Moore who is being brought in from Northglenn, CO. “Coach Moore is a very good, loyal friend of mine. We graduated college together and he went on the be a successful JUCO coach in Colorado. When I called him about the opportunity to come be a part of this staff he told me he would love to. He is an excellent game planner and will assist us greatly in preparing for games.”

Coach Long also told reporters that the staff would be coming in an implementing a very fast-paced and exciting brand of basketball. The focus would be on pressure defense all game long(an assortment of full-court and half-court press/trap schemes), being a very deep team(expect an 8-10 man rotation every night), and a very loose, transition based offense. This new change into the A&M program has really generated a buzz on campus and around the Huntsville area and things are looking bright for this school.



P.S.- If any of you guys have any formatting tips.. how to indent, etc.. i'd appreciate them.. I know most of the basics..

[klong3201]

Alabama A&M Announces Starting Lineup for the 2003-2004 Season...

Coach Long addressed the campus during Midnight Madness and announced his starting line-up for the 2003-2004 season. The coach made sure to inform everyone that this line-up would probably changed over the course of the season. He was also quick to remind people that the team would be using a very deep rotation. The excitement in the gym was very high and the crowd was bigger than expected.

PG- Salim Mills 5'11 185 SR from Columbus, GA
Salim will be in charge of running the show. He will be 1 of 3 Seniors in the starting line-up. Salim has a pretty good touch from the outside and he can handle the ball pretty good as well. He is also very quick and athletic. The major concerns for Salim are his inability to be a consistent FT shooter and his knack for getting in foul trouble.

SG- Alan Wafer 6'1 185 SO from Florence, AL
Alan is the most talented player on the team this year. He will really have to step up if this team hopes to be a contender for the SWAC championship. He is the proficient scorer and defender on the team. Good shooter. The major concern for Alan is if he will be consistent enough every night for the Bulldogs to succeed.

SF- Byron Thompson 6'3 185 SR from Clarksville, TN
Byron is an all-around solid player. He can fill it up from the outside, but he also has the ability to get it done in the lane. Could be a very big support for Mr. Wafer. The major concerns for Byron are: Can he hold his own with bigger, more athletic SF’s.. Will he buy into the defensive based system that Coach Long is implementing, and will he be able to handle and distribute the ball.

PF- Damon Griffith 6'6 228 SR from Nashville, TN
Damon is a very athletic player. At 6'6" he will be undersized night in and night out for this Bulldog team. However, although he will be shorter than most of his competition he is very strong and is a very solid rebounder. Might be able to use his quickness and agility against bigger, slower defenders. Major concerns for Damon are: Can he stay out of foul trouble against bigger post players.. Will he be able to defend bigger post players..

C- Wesley Witherspoon 6'8 220 SO from Port Huron, MI
Wesley is the big man on this A&M team or at least he’ll be playing that role. He is a decent scorer on the inside, decent rebounder, and decent defender. He isn’t flashy and doesn’t do excel in any areas. Major concerns for Wesley are: Is he strong enough for the big men of the conference.. Will he be able to flourish in the new system?




Team Overview
This Alabama A&M team for the 2003-2004 campaign has a shot at being a darkhorse in the SWAC conference. Coming into the season expectations have been set very low and experts around the conference have placed them at the bottom. There are some key factors that will determine the success of the team..

+ The new coaching staff has brought in an exciting system and style of play.
+ Team full of athletic kids who should fit into the system pretty well.
+ Dangerous from the outside.. Features 4-5 guys that can fill it up from 3pt land.
+ Has senior leadership

- Can the new coaching staff prove to the critics they are for real?
- No legitimate ‘go-to’ players.
- Can the players change their attitude of losing and buy into the new system?
- Will they be able to control the tempo of their games?
- Can their frontcourt hang with other frontcourts?
- Senior leaders don’t know how to win.

[klong3201]

2003-2004 Schedule

@ J’Ville State -- Nov. 21
Birmingham So. -- Nov. 26
E. Kentucky -- Nov. 29
Tenn. State -- Dec. 12
Georgia Tech -- Dec. 17
UAB -- Dec. 20
@N. Iowa -- Dec. 30
@Jackson St. -- Jan. 3*
@Grambling St. -- Jan. 5*
AR-Pine Bluff -- Jan. 10*
Miss. Valley St. -- Jan. 12*
@Alabama St. -- Jan. 17*
@Southern -- Jan. 24*
@Alcorn St. -- Jan. 26*
Prairie View A&M -- Jan. 31*
Texas So. -- Feb. 2*
@AR-Pine Bluff -- Feb. 7*
@Miss. Valley St. -- Feb. 9*
Alabama St. -- Feb. 14*
So. Georgia St. -- Feb. 16
Southern -- Feb. 21*
Alcorn St. -- Feb. 23*
@Prairie View A&M -- Feb. 28*
@Texas So. -- Mar. 1*
Jackson St. -- Mar. 4*
Grambling St. -- Mar. 6*

*Conference Game

[Jackrabbit]

Man, GTech and UAB are going to be tough. My first year legacy ended up having UAB as a #5 seed...

Looking forward to the A&M going a long way!

[HotShot232]

good luck man

Holla at ya boy
hotShot

[klong3201]

Alabama A&M(0-0) vs. Jacksonville State(0-0)

J’Ville line-up
PG- Troy Prince 6'0 170 SR
SG- Cordell Mouton 6'3 185 SR
SF- Alexander Carlisle 6'6 185 SR
PF- Rubeen Simon 6'4 215 SR
C- Christopher Riddick 6'9 235 rJR

The Game***** came into this game with a very experienced group of guys.. all 5 starters have senior experience. This team came out and played a very tough 2-3 zone to compensate for their lack of height at the PF position.

We started the game off very tight and nervous and Jacksonville took advantage of that. We began the game off shooting a miserable 2-11 while Jacksonville's Cordell Mouton took no time at all to get hot hitting 3-3 from behind the arc. Jacksonville, as a team, shot 5-5 from 3 point land in the first half. Naturally, we fell behind by as many as 15 point in the first half.

Jacksonville took a commanding 43-27 halftime lead despite losing their key bSF Darron Sergent to a rib injury.

Key Half-time Team Stats:
A&M- 10-26FGs (38%)
Jacksonville- 18-32FGs(58%)
A&M- 2-5 3pt
Jacksonville- 5-5 3pt
A&M- 8 TO's
Jacksonville- 3 TO's
A&M Bench points- 6
Jacksonville Bench points- 15

Key players
Jacksonville:
SG Cordell Mouton- 15p.. 3-3 3pt’s
SF Alexander Carlisle- 7p.. 3a.. 2steals

A&M:
SF Byron Thompson- 7p, 3r only decent mark for the Bulldogs

Well.. after a nice hard pep-talk at Half-time the Bulldogs came out in the 2nd half and finally showed glimpses of being a decent team. we started off the 2nd half on a 13-6 run and pulled within 10 points. However, and this would be the story of the game, everytime we made a run.. they made a run. So.. just as quickly as we had gotten within 10.. they had increased the lead to 17.

Then the fun started.. and Alan Wafer took over hitting 2 back-to-back three's. Moments later, C Wesley Witherspoon followed up a missed shot with a huge put back dunk that sparked the Bulldogs 2nd half surge. We fought hard and pulled as close as 4 points, but everytime we made a good play.. Jacksonville answered.. especially Alexander Carlisle. Jacksonville's Carlisle and Mouton just made too many big plays down the stretch for us to overcome and we ended up losing 79-67..


Game stats:
A&M-------------------Jacksonville
FG- 26-68 38%-----31-51 60%
3pt- 6-17 35%------5-6 83%
FT- 9-12 75%-------12-15 80%
TO’s - 14 -------------15
Boards- 35(19!)*---27(4)
Steals- 9-------------4
Bench Points- 14--21
2nd chance points- 12*--4

*19 offensive rebounds and only 12 2nd chance points..

Key Players
A&M
SG Alan Wafer- 16p, 4r, 2a, 2steals (10p in 2nd half) led the comeback attempt..
SF Byron Thompson- 11p, 6r, 2steals.. 3TO’s... 5-14FG.. 0-4 3pts (only 4p 2nd half) .. He is going to have to step up and be more solid for us to win..
C Wesley Witherspoon- 12p, 8r, 3a.. 6-14FG


Jacksonville
SG Cordell Mouton- 23p, 2a.. 10-14FGs 3-3 3pts
SF Alexander Carlisle- 14p, 3r, 3a, 2steals 5-8FG, 1-1 3pts... 14 points isn’t anything shocking... but this guy was the key for their team.. He hit numerous shots during our comeback that just killed us.. He kept us from overcoming the deficit.

In a post game interview Coach Long gave a quick comment on the team and the game. "I don't see this loss as anything to get discouraged over. It's always tough to start a season off with a loss, but I am proud of my guys for fighting. Not many teams are going to come out as hot as they did tonight. That Mouton kid can shoot. Although we got behind by almost 20 points at one time, we kept fighting.. and I like that. We have a few positives to build off of, but shooting 38% isn't going to get it."

Next week(11/26) the Bulldogs take on Birmingham Southern at home in what should be a very good game.

[K Bomber]

Hey, like they way you're laying out your information, especially the player preview. You're doing a really nice job

Yet again, another great new take on the whole legacy doohickey.............

[vandnbyriver5]

Good start man, i never thought id see somebody take Alabama A&M

[Anonymous]

Alabama A&M(0-1) vs. Birmingham Southern(0-1)
The Bulldogs shoot and foul their way to a double-digit loss...

Birmingham So. Line-up:
PG- *Maurice Nsonwu-Amadi 5'9 175 SR
SG- Allen Steele 6'4 185 JR
SF- Allen Harrison 6'7 210 JR
PF- Ben Dickey 6'7 225 JR
C- Wilbur Hall 6'9 220 SR

*Player(s) to watch: Maurice Nsonwu-Amadi.. 15p, 9r, 4a in Birmingham Southern's 74-49 loss at Kansas State.

Coach Long's Pre-Game Comments:
"I think tonight is going to be a battle. Being from the Birmingham area I am actually pretty familiar with their style and their players. They are a very experienced group of guys. They are deep and their entire team can shoot the 3. The thought of them getting hot as a team kept me up all night last night. Heck, even their big men can step out and knock it down. However, my guys will be ready."

The Panthers used a 10-0 run midway through the first half and took advantage of getting into the bonus early to jump out to a 43-31 half-time lead.

A&M- 12-32FG (37%) 2-8 3pt... 9 TO's... 18(6)rebounds and 7 bench points.
Birmingham So.- 16-33FG (48%)... 2-3 3pt... 9-14FT... 5 TO's... 21(8)rebounds and 7 bench points..

Key Players
A&M- Byron Thompson.. 12p, 1steal on 5-8FG 1-1 3pt..
Birmingham So.- Maurice Nsonwu-Amadi... 12p, 2a, 2steals on 5-10FG 2-2 3pt..

The Bulldogs just couldn't get anything going tonight. They shot terrible and even in the second half continued to hack and put Birmingham Southern at the FT line.

Team Stats(Game):
A&M- 23-61(37%)FGs / 2-17(11%)3pts / 14-22(63%)FTs / 19TO's / 27 Team Fouls / 36(15) Rebounds / 24 Bench Points
Birmingham So.- 26-58(44%) / 3-6(50%)3pts / 23-35(65%)FTs / 16 TO's / 38(12) / 12 Bench Points

Key Players:
A&M-
Bryon Thompson- 18p, 3stls, 1TO.. 8-12FGs.. 1-5 3pts
Birmingham Southern-
Maurice Nsonwu-Amadi- 20p, 3a, 4stls, 1TO.. 6-13FG.. 2-2 3pts.. 6-9FTs
Wilbur Hall- 12p, 13r, 4a.. 4-10FGs.. 4-6FT

Coach Long's Post Game Comments:
"Well.. i'm just going to be honest.. That game was embarrasing. The guys from Birmingham Southern are good, but we are not playing like we're capable of playing. 27 team fouls is ridiculous.. and it'd be really nice if we could shoot over 40%. We're not going to win like this. They played a 2-3 zone 90% of the game and we just refused to attack it. We have to knock down some open looks from the outside and if we're not hitting them.. then we have to attack it off the dribble and get to the rim.. Simple as that.. We've got Eastern Kentucky coming up in 3 days and unless we work hard in practice and play like we can.. we're going to be 0-3"

Next game.. Sat(11/29) vs. Eastern Kentucky..

[klong3201]

"Man, GTech and UAB are going to be tough. My first year legacy ended up having UAB as a #5 seed... "

Yeh.. and with the way we're struggling through our first two games.. i'm thinking about just letting the guys have a day off those games.. ;-)


"Hey, like they way you're laying out your information, especially the player preview. You're doing a really nice job"

Thank you.. lots of good Legacies here..


"Good start man, i never thought id see somebody take Alabama A&M"

hehe.. I'm going try and stay in-state and get a job at UAB or Alabama.. but I might have to go somewhere else before then..

[klong3201]

Eastern Kentucky(1-0) vs. Alabama A&M(0-2)
Call the stinkin' foul!!

PG Evan Zahn 6'0 170 SO (8ppg, 8apg)
SG James Bradley 5'11 185 JR (12ppg, 4apg)
SF Theo Causwell 6'6 210 JR (13ppg, 12rpg, 3apg)
*PF Michael President 6'6 220 SR (22ppg, 9rpg)
C Charles Bell 6'9 205 SR (15ppg, 11rpg)

*Player to watch: Michael President.. Mr. President went 11-13 from the field as he led his team to victory in their opening game. Finished with 22pts and 9rbs.

Pre-Game Comments:
“Well alright.. We’ve struggled through our first two games, but I am optimistic about tonight’s match-up with Eastern Kentucky. We’ve had a couple of days of solid, hard-working practices and I think we’re ready. We’ve reviewed some film of last year and I think that these guys will be the best team that we’ve faced thus far. Keys to us winning are being able to force turnovers, control the tempo, and to limit their frontcourt’s production. We want to put the pressure on their guards to beat us. If we can do all three of these things then I think we will have a very good shot at winning tonight.”

The Game...

The first half saw several different lead changes as both teams tried to establish control and momentum. However, neither team got ahead by more than 7 points and the half ended with Eastern Kentucky up 30-29. Alabama A&M finally looked like a decent ball club as they came out playing ‘in-your-face’ defense and used a balanced offensive attack to stay within 1 of Eastern Kentucky.

1st Half Team Stats:
A&M- 12-26(46%) / 1-6(16%)3pts / 4-7(57%)FT / 6 TO’s / 16(6)reb / 22 pts in the paint / 15 Bench Points
Eastern Kentucky- 14-29(48%) / 0-3 3pt / 2-4(50%)FT / 6 TO’s / 16(6)reb / 28 pts in the paint / 12 bench points

Key Players:
A&M- There wasn’t a standout player in the first half for the Bulldogs.. Everyone did there role and 4 people had 4-5 points in the first half.
Eastern Kentucky- C Charles Bell led the way with 8pts and 4rbs.


The second continued just like the first half. Neither team could get a big lead going and they battled back and forth through a few lead changes. Eastern Kentucky led most of the 2nd half but the Bulldogs were within striking range.

Here is a feed of the radio broadcast of the final 1:15 of the game..

“Alright well its Eastern Kentucky’s ball with about 1:15 to go in the game. The Colonels are leading the Bulldogs 51-50. James Bradley has the ball at the top of the key. Here comes Michael President setting up the pick and roll. Bradley comes off the screen and fires a three.. Its good! Eastern Kentucky takes a 4 point lead with under 1:00 to go. Alabama A&M still has 4 TO’s and they move the ball across half-court and call a TO.

The ball is inbounded to Wafer. Its passed around the key and into the hands of Byron Thompson. BT jabs to the left and uses a quick first step to get his man on his hip.. He drives to the basket and is fouled.. The shot misses but we’re going to the line to shoot two. He hits the first free-throw.. 54-51.. The second free-throw is off the front of the rim... Wesley Witherspoon snags the offensive board, goes up.. and JAMS it back with authority.. 54-53.. :40 to go..

Eastern Kentucky brings the ball up court and they immediately go inside to Michael President who makes a move.. turns around to take a 12 footer... and is... BLOCKED from behind by Alan Wafer.. Alabama A&M retains possession and calls timeout with :30 to go..

The Bulldogs inbound the ball and go inside to Damon Griffith... but the ball is knocked away from behind!! A&M is forced to foul and send Eastern Kentucky to the line.. They manage to foul Michael President who steps to the line with :20 left in the game. The first free-throw is good!... The second one is up.. And good! President knocks down both free-throws and extends the Colonel lead to 56-53.

A&M brings the ball across half-court and calls a TO with :14 to go in in the ball game.. The inbound pass comes into Mills... Mills swings it out to Alan Wafer, just as he rounds a screen... the shot is up... and its... OFF the front of the rim.. BUT Thompson grabs the boards in traffic!! He puts it back up trying to draw a foul...

The shot is good!!


but no foul is called on the play and Eastern Kentucky hangs on to a hard-fought 56-55 victory. “


Team stats:
A&M- 24-51(47%) / 2-13(15%) 3pts / 5-9(55%)FT / 19TO’s / 32(10)reb / 44pts in the paint / 19 bench points
Eastern Kentucky- 24-51(44%) / 3-9(33%) 3pts / 5-8(62%)FT / 22TO’s / 29(9)reb / 42pts in the paint / 18 bench points

Key Players:
A&M-
PG Salim Mills- 11pts, 4reb on 5-7 from the field
SF Byron Thompson- 11pts, 5reb on 5-8 from the field
Eastern Kentucky-
C Charles Bell- 11pts, 10reb on 4-5FGs and 3-4FT
SG James Bradley- Only had 8pts on 3-9 shooting. He went 2-4 from the 3pt line but the two 3's he hit were huge. The last one put his team up 4 points with only a minute left to play which ended up being the deciding factor..

Coach Long’s Post Game Comments:
“Hmm.. I really don’t believe in ‘moral’ victories, but I will say that we are getting there. Its taken us dropping the first 3 games of the season, but I think tonight really showed the guys that they have some talent and potential. This program isn’t used to winning so it can be difficult at times getting people to realize that this could be the year we really turn things around. I’m proud of my guys tonight... they battled hard and that’s all I can ask them to do. Yes.. I think Thompson was fouled there at the end... but we should have won it without it coming down to that. We actually shot the ball half-way good tonight, but we have GOT to find our stroke from downtown. We’re going to continue to improve in practice and we’re going to get this thing right.”

The next match is against Tenn. State(12/12)..

[Anonymous]

Alabama A&M(0-3) vs. Tenn. State(0-3)
You can't miss layups..

Tenn. State Line-up
*PG Mensah Towe 5'10 165 SO (8.3ppg, 4.7rpg, 6.7apg, 3spg)
SG Al Witherspoon 6'3 180 SR (9.3ppg, 9.0rpg, 2.7apg, 2.3spg)
SF Curtis Mason 6'4 205 FR (7.7ppg, 5.0rpg, 2.7apg)
PF David Dickerson 6'6 175 JR (13.0ppg, 15.0rpg)
C Rod Balkman 6'10 270 SR (10.7ppg, 4.7rpg)

Player to watch: SO. PG Mensah Towe.. He is the general of this team. He is a little inexperienced but he is the key to this team's execution. If he has a big game the Bulldogs could be in trouble. If the Bulldogs take him out of his comfort zone.. they could snag their first win.

Coach Long's Pre-Game Comments:
"This Tenn. State team is a team that is in the same boat as us. They haven't had much success so far this year, but they have some talent. They have a solid frontcourt, but the key to beating this team is controling their guards. I think if we keep Towe from running the team like he wants to.. we will win"

The game..

Key notes 1st Half:
A&M- 12-25(48%)FG / 0-4 3pt / 6 TO's / 16(2)Reb. / 22 pts in paint / 8 bench points
Alan Wafer & Byron Thompson score 8pts each.
Nobody has more than 1 foul going into half-time..
Tenn. State- 14-37(37%)FG / 3-8(37%) 3pt / 7 TO's / 22(9)Reb. / 22 pts in the paint / 15 bench points.
Did a good job hitting the Off. glass.
Balkman picks up 3 first half fouls.
Mason 11pts

Back and forth battle in the second half... with A&M controlling the beginning of the half but they just don't know how to win. Many chances to keep the lead and in the end they missed 3-4 shots 2 of which were layups and lose by 2 points.. 63-61.

Key notes 2nd Half:
A&M- 25-53(47%)FGs / 4-10(40%) 3pts / 7-11(63%)FTs / 14TO's / 31(6)Reb / 40 pts. in paint / 15 Bench pts.
Salim Mills.. 10 2nd half pts.
Byron Thompson & Alan Wafer combine for only 5 pts. in the 2nd half.. shooting 3-10 from the field and both players missed layups to put A&M back in the lead late in the game.
Tenn. State- 25-61(41%)FGs / 6-12(50%) 3pts / 7-11(63%)FTs / 20TO's / 37(13)Reb / 38 pts. in paint / 19 Bench pts.
Win despite Mensah Towe's 3p, 3a, 8TO performance..
Curtis Mason leads the way with 23p
Won the game by controlling the boards and hitting clutch shots.

Coach Long's Post-Game Comments
"We're improving but we still don't know how to put opponents away. The first two games we started slow and had to fight our way back into the game only to run out of gas. However, in the last two games we've been right there the whole way through but just can't seem to hit shots when we need to. We should have won this game.. simple as that.. missing 2 layups with under 1:30 to go and your team down 1 pt is unacceptable. Our next two games our against Georgia Tech and UAB and those games will really test us and show just where we are as a team."

Next Match is against Georgia Tech(12/17)...

[elprez98]

Very clean...i'm lovin' the layout...when ya'll comin to the MEAC and enter the "SNAKE PIT...." lol.....

[irishpenguin]

Good layout, but only one suggestion...make the final score a little clearer. Like put it at the top of the post or bottom. It's like it is cryptic in the post. Good legacy though!

[Anonymous]

Prez- I'll be sure to schedule you guys next year.. but I'm not looking forward to it :lol:

Irishpenguin- Thanks for the suggestion.. and I will do that..


Thanks for following the struggles of the Bulldogs.. look forward to seeing how everyone else's teams do..

[Anonymous]

Georgia Tech(6-3) vs. Alabama A&M(0-4)


Georgia Tech Line-up:
PG Logan Rice 6'3 198 SO (9.9ppg, 6.4rpg, 6.9apg, 2.3spg)
SG Chad Marshall 6'4 215 JR (11.8ppg, 3.8rpg, 2.0spg)
SF Tom Carrington 6'4 208 SR (12.9ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.7apg)
*PF Brad Hart 6'9 230 SO (14.8ppg, 7.0rpg)
C Donald Grochowalski 7'1 255 JR (8.4ppg, 8.7rpg, 3.7bpg)

*Player to watch: Brad Hart - He is Georgia Tech's leading scorer and he will be going up against a much smaller opponent in Damon Griffith at 6'6 228. If the Bulldogs can't double and defend Hart successfully then look for them to be in for a long game. If they can and don't let the backcourt burn them.. they may can keep it close enough to shock the nation.

Coach Long's Pre-Game Comments:
"Geogia Tech is big. They have a nice sized group of guys and their one of the better team in the nation. However, they aren't as polished as they should be. We're going to come out and play hard. We're not going to be intimidated and are going to give them what we have. They have an incredible backcourt in Rice, Carrington, and Marshall. This game and then UAB will test the will, heart, and character of my guys."

The game..

The game started off scary for the Bulldogs as Georgia Tech came out and got up 9-2 behind 2 Tom Carrington 3 pt shots. The Bulldogs kept their composure and battled blow-for-blow with the Yellow Jackets and only trailed by 8 at half-time..

Halftime score: 46-38 GT

Key Notes:
A&M- 15-29(51%)FGs / 2-7(28%) 3pts / 6-9(66%)FTs / 7 TO's / 19(7)Reb / 15 Bench pts.
Wesley Witherspoon 8pts, 4rebs on 3-3FG's.. holding his own against the bigger Tech bodies.
Balanced scoring.. 9 people score in the 1st half..
Force 11 G.T. TO's in the 1st half.
Georgia Tech- 16-27(59%)FGs / 3-6(50%) 3pts / 11-13(84%)FTs / 11 TO's / 11(1) Reb / 2 Bench pts.
Tom Carrington goes crazy with 23 first half pts. on 8-12FGs and 3-3 3pts.
Chad Marshall- 10 1st half pts.
Only 2 pts. scored off the bench.


The 2nd half started extremely slow for the Alabama A&M Bulldogs as they came out and shot 3-13 from the field to begin the second half and Georgia Tech built upon their 8 pt lead.. leading by as much as 16pts. However, the Bulldogs continued to fight and while they never really came close to overcoming the deficit they made Tech sweat and only lost by 6.

Final score: GT-84, A&M-78

2nd Half notes:
A&M- Alan Wafer scores 10 2nd half pts.
Continued to fight, despite being down as many as 16pts.. and made the game closer than it should have been.
Players seem to finally be buying into Coach Long's system
Held Carrington to 3 2nd half points
Geogia Tech- Held on to a 6 pt. win.
Didn't really do anything very well in the 2nd half, but they hit shots when they needed to and converted numerous 3pt. plays.

Game Stats:
A&M- 30-68(44%)FGs / 5-17(29%) 3pt / 13-18(72%)FTs / 13TO's / 43(16)Reb / 36 Bench pts.
Alan Wafer 12pts, 4reb, 2ast
Wesley Witherspoon 12pts, 7reb
Geogia Tech- 33-63(52%)FGs / 4-11(36%) 3pt / 14-19(73%)FTs / 17 TO's / 31(6)Reb / 13 Bench pts.
Tom Carrington 26pts, 4reb.. 9-16FG, 3-3 3pts, 5-6FTs
Chad Marshall 19pts, 3ast.. 7-11FGs, 5-6FTs

Coach Long's Post-Game Comment:
"I really think we are getting there. My guys have heart.. there's no doubting that. We've gotten behind by double-digits in just about every game this year, but in each one we continued to fight. You can't teach that. We are becoming consistant and I think we are going to surprise some people in our conference this year. I really believe these guys have what it takes to win the SWAC this year. We face UAB next and they will be another challenge but as long as we're improving.. I can't really be mad."

Next match against UAB (12/20)..

[klong3201]

All the guests are of course me.. keep forgetting to log-in..

Oh well.. =)

[irishpenguin]

Lot better, thanks man.