ESPN Men's Basketball

Editor's Note: ESPN Insider has teamed with Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook to provide a comprehensive look at all 334 Division I teams. To order the complete 2009-10 edition of Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, visit www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.
(Information in this team report is as of Oct. 1.)

COACH AND PROGRAM

All eyes at Georgia Tech will be on an incoming freshman class many experts have rated as the best in the nation.

As well they should.

But as significant an impact as Blue Ribbon's choice for national newcomer of the year, Derrick Favors, and his rookie classmates figure to make, it will be a veteran nucleus of four returning starters who will have the most say in whether the Yellow Jackets live up to their heightened expectations in what could very well be a make-or-break season for coach Paul Hewitt.

"I think our core of guys understand that this isn't about the freshmen having to come in and save the day," said Hewitt, who has had just two winning seasons in five years since leading Tech to the national championship game in 2004. "It's about the freshmen coming in and adding to what we already have.

"When we went into the off-season and people were talking about our freshman class and how good we were going to be, I told everybody that the two keys for this year will be if Gani Lawal and D'Andre Bell return. If those two kids came back, I'd feel really good about our chances this season in the ACC."

Lawal, a third-team All-ACC forward, decided to come back for his junior season after testing the waters of the NBA draft this summer. Bell, a fifth-year senior and Tech's best defender, is making a comeback after missing all last season with back surgery.

Together with emerging freshman point guard Iman Shumpert, senior forward Zach Peacock and several dependable role players off the bench, they form a unit that endured its share of hard knocks last season on the way to a 12-19 (2-14 in the ACC) record.

The unusually high expectations that have been placed on them this season is, in part, a tribute to the way Tech handled its adversity and finished the season with an encouraging surge.

After losing 12 of their first 13 league games, including three in overtime, the Yellow Jackets went 2-2 in their final four games with both losses coming by one point. The biggest win of their season came on March 12 in the Georgia Dome when they stunned Clemson 86-81 in the opening round of the ACC tournament.

"Our guys competed very hard last year," Hewitt said. "Unfortunately you don't get credit for that when your record is what ours was, but I definitely appreciated how hard our guys played under some very difficult circumstances.

"I give them a tremendous amount of credit for coming back every single game and every single practice and really getting after it. The most important thing now is that our guys feel good about themselves again."

The excitement has only been heightened with the arrival of six talented reinforcements.

Hewitt's program-changing haul began in June 2008 when shooting guard Brian Oliver became the first top newcomer to commit to the Yellow Jackets.

He was followed in short order by power forward Kammeon Holsey, point guard Mfon Udofia and swingman Glen Rice, Jr.

But as good as that group was, the success or failure of Tech's recruiting effort still hinged on the decision of Favors, a long, sleek 6-10 Atlanta native whose services were being courted by every coach in the country.

He finally decided to stay home and play for the Yellow Jackets on Jan. 15, the day after his future team lost by 16 at home to Duke.

By choosing the Yellow Jackets, Favors not only helped produce a potential shift in the ACC's balance of power, but he almost immediately relieved most of the pressure that was building on his future coach.

Hewitt added one final recruit late in the process when 7-footer Daniel Miller backed out of his commitment to archrival Georgia and agreed to play for Tech. Although Holsey suffered a preseason knee injury and will not play until 2010-11, the early buzz around the ACC is that these Yellow Jackets could be ready to make the same kind of breakthrough this season that Wake Forest did last.

"With the new guys we have it's going to be a great time this year," Peacock said. "I guarantee you it's going to be better than last year."

The question is, how much better?

That all depends on how quickly the freshmen adjust to the college game, how well the veterans bond with their new young teammates -- many of whom have the potential to replace them in the starting line up -- and whether anyone, new or old, can step up and fill the perimeter shooting void left by the graduation of Lewis Clinch.

If everything goes according to plan, Hewitt will have an athletic, versatile roster that can be mixed and matched to suit almost any situation.

Now all the Yellow Jackets have to do is live up to all that potential -- something that might not be easy considering how much is expected of them. "I don't think there's any pressure on us at all," Peacock said. "All of us on the team have the same goal. We know that winning games is the answer to everything, and that's what we're planning to do."

PLAYERS

PG-IMAN SHUMPERT (6-5, 209 lbs., SO, #1, 10.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 5.0 apg, 2.1 spg, 31.6 mpg, .391 FG, .314 3PT, .656 FT, Oak Park-River Forest HS/Oak Park, Ill.). Shumpert got thrown into the starting role much sooner than expected because of injuries to D'Andre Bell and Maurice Miller, and he acquitted himself better than anyone could have predicted.

The McDonald's All-America from Illinois played the second-most minutes on the team behind Clinch, and he ranked fourth in the ACC in assists while leading the team in steals. More significantly, he displayed leadership ability and a willingness to take charges that can't be taught.

That was best displayed on the final two possessions of the Yellow Jackets' upset of Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, when Shumpert tied the score with a perimeter jumper with 19 seconds left, then calmly faked a drive into the lane, pulled up and hit the game-winner at the buzzer.

"I took what they gave me," Shumpert said afterward. "I knew I could shoot over whoever they put on me. I'm taller than their guards."

In addition to his superior height, which also allows him to become an effective rebounder out of the backcourt, Shumpert has a court sense that comes from spending hours in the gym working on his game. That work has helped him become equally adept at playmaking and shooting, though he needs to work on his patience in the halfcourt game and cutting down on his turnovers (116 last year against 154 assists).

Hewitt is confident those things will come in time as Shumpert matures. There should also be considerably less pressure on him this season with the return of Bell, Miller's regained health and the addition of top prospect Udofia to help him with the ball-handling chores. That should allow Shumpert to spend more time at the shooting guard position, which should increase his offensive production from last seasons.

"He learned a lot last year by fire," Hewitt said. "When we looked at our personnel and saw who could break down a defense, there wasn't a lot there that could do it. Who could post up guys from the perimeter? He was really the only one. So we asked him to do a lot, not only because of his talent level but out of necessity. I think he's a guy who can perform at a high level because he won't have the pressure on him to do everything. His experience will help Oliver, Rice and Udofia."

SG-D'ANDRE BELL (6-6, 222 lbs., SR, #13, 6.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.9 apg, .476 FG in 2007-08, Palisades Charter HS/Los Angeles). Bell was being counted on heavily last season for both his leadership and skills as the team's best defensive stopper until he collided with a teammate during a preseason workout and began experiencing severe back pain. When the condition didn't improve, he was sent to a doctor, who diagnosed the problem as a congenital condition called spinal stenosis.

Bell underwent surgery back home in Los Angeles on Dec. 18 and returned to Atlanta in time to begin the spring semester, then graduated in May with a degree in management. He was cleared to return to the court this spring and should be back to 100 percent by the start of the season.

A left-handed shooter whose mid-range jumper is usually overshadowed by a defensive ability that has stymied the likes of North Carolina's Wayne Ellington and Miami's Jack McClinton, Bell has shown the ability to score when necessary. His career-high of 15 points came early in his junior season against Florida State. His ball skills are also strong enough to fill in at the point.

Even with all the top talent coming into the program, Hewitt believes Bell's return will be among the most important additions to the Yellow Jackets this season. "He's a natural leader," Hewitt said. "He's already graduated, so he's achieved academically. He's achieved athletically. I think everyone will tell you had he played last year, he would have made a difference in some of the close games we had.

"He had to overcome an injury and he missed a lot of time. In my conversations with him, the hardest thing he's going through is getting his body back in shape. He's going to get a long look at significant minutes. If he can defend as well as he did before the injury and shoot the ball as reliably from the foul line and from 17 feet in, it will mean an awful lot to this team."

SF-ZACH PEACOCK (6-8, 235 lbs., SR, #35, 9.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.0 spg, 24.7 mpg, .456 FG, .400 3PT, .733 FT, Norland HS/Miami, Fla.). Peacock is a smart, strong player who is best suited for the power forward position -- and will play some there -- but because of the presence of Favors and Lawal in the lineup, he will again be called upon to play on the wing.

Offensively, he is at his best facing the basket. He has a solid midrange game and is very athletic for his size. Peacock is also a solid rebounder who knows how to box out and crash the boards without fouling. He can get even better at it if, as Hewitt has been asking, he improves his lower-body strength.

Peacock has also experienced some problems on the defensive end of the floor. But some of that difficulty comes from being asked to guard smaller, quicker forwards on the perimeter -- something he won't have to do as often this season. And when he does, he'll have more help with the assignment than he did last year.

"With D'Andre Bell back and with the experience of Iman Shumpert and the new guys here," Hewitt said, "we'll get some defensive support there."

At 73 percent (55-of-75), Peacock is by far the best free throw shooter among the Yellow Jackets' regulars.

PF-GANI LAWAL (6-9, 234 lbs., JR, #31, 15.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 1.0 spg, 29.6 mpg, .556 FG, .559 FT, Norcross HS/Norcross, Ga.). No one in the ACC made as much improvement last season as Lawal, who doubled his offensive and rebounding output from a solid freshman season to earn third-team All-ACC honors.

His performance was so impressive, even though he is still just learning the game on the offensive end of the court, that he was projected as a mid first-round choice in last summer's NBA draft. Lawal did explore his draft potential, but after attending several camps and individual workouts, he decided to return to school for at least one more season.

It was a decision his teammates consider Tech's first big victory of 2009-10. "That's a very big deal," said senior forward Peacock. "He's going to help us out tremendously. With him gone, we were going to be short a big. With him back, we've got one of the best frontcourts in the ACC."

Athletic and long, Lawal can run the floor, pass out of the low post and defend as well as anyone in the league. He is also a relentless force on the boards who led the league in rebounding until the final week of the regular season. He racked up 18 double-figure rebounding games, including nine straight during the month of January. He grabbed a career-high 17 boards against Duke on Jan. 14.

That rebounding prowess helped boost Lawal's scoring and shooting numbers. He led the ACC in offensive rebounds at 3.4 per game, helping him make a team-leading 56 percent of his field goal attempts.

Although Lawal had some big offensive games, hitting for a career-high 35 points against Penn State and an ACC-best 25 in a win at Wake Forest, he is still limited in what he can do once he steps away from the basket. To his credit, he knows his limitations and doesn't often force up low-percentage shots. Lawal also struggled from the free throw line, where he barely made 50 percent of his attempts and became a liability late in games. Given his worth ethic, the progress he's already made and the advice he got from the NBA scouts, there's no reason to believe he can't improve on his shooting touch -- along with his low post footwork and court awareness -- this season.

"I can tell there's a sense of purpose in terms of what he needs to work on," Hewitt said. "He plays with a lot of energy, effort and toughness, but there are times when he rushed himself into mistakes and missing shots. He came back from working out with NBA teams saying he's got to slow down."

In addition to being a major factor for the Yellow Jackets on the court, Hewitt is hoping Lawal will serve as a trusted mentor for the team's young new star -- Derrick Favors.

"Everything Derrick is about to go through on and off the court, Gani has already gone through," Hewitt said. "Gani has great leadership skills. He's just a terrific young man, a nice kid. He'll do a nice job of working with Derrick and helping him avoid some of those potholes."

C-DERRICK FAVORS (6-10, 246 lbs., FR, #14, 28.1 ppg, 13.3 rpg, 5.0 bpg, 3.0 spg, 2.0 apg, North Atlanta HS/Atlanta, Ga.). If Hewitt was on the hot seat last season while his team was in the midst of losing its first 11 ACC games and falling hopelessly out of postseason contention, he may very well have saved his job by nabbing the nation's highest-rated prep prospect right out of his own back yard.

There is little doubt Favors is the real deal, as he showed by winning MVP honors at both the McDonald's All-America game and the Jordan Brand Classic this summer. He is athletic enough to run the floor, quick enough to defend on the perimeter if necessary and powerful enough to establish position and get the job done inside. He also possesses an amazing 9-foot wingspan that is bound to make him into one of the nation's premier shot blockers.

He set school career records with 2,341 points, 1,511 rebounds and 741 blocked shots while leading North Atlanta to the AAA state championship his senior year. He was selected to the all-state team three times, was Georgia's Mr. Basketball in 2009 and was chosen national high school Player of the Year by both USA Today and Parade magazine.

And yet, despite all the accolades, he appears to be a grounded youngster who doesn't try to do too much on the court and works well in the team concept. He's also shown a willingness to work to improve his weaknesses, as he has with his shooting range and conditioning.

"The thing I like best about Derrick from watching him in high school is that he keeps it simple," Hewitt said. "He's a guy who's going to block shots, he's going to rebound, he's going to run the floor and score around the basket. "He's all about winning. If you watch a lot of the all-star games, you'll see that most of the scoring he did he got by outrunning people down the court, getting the rebound and sticking it back. He's a good big man with a good [fundamental] foundation."

Favors will almost certainly be the ACC's preseason Rookie of the Year and is a strong candidate to leave for the NBA after just one season. He will have to be a factor right away for Tech to realize the promise many are predicting.

G-NICK FOREMAN (6-3, 208 lbs., SO, #4, 1.7 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 12.8 mpg, .370 FG, .400 3PT, .636 FT, Bellaire HS/Bellaire, Texas). Foreman is a walk-on who found himself in the right place at the right time last year when the Yellow Jackets got caught short at guard with the season-ending injury to Bell and Clinch's first semester suspension.

The youngster from Texas took advantage of the opportunity by playing aggressive defense, rebounding and protecting the ball well whenever he was sent into games. He committed just nine turnovers all season in 397 minutes of action.

Hewitt became so confident in him that Foreman even started two games. His biggest contribution came in the final minute of the Yellow Jackets' win at Wake Forest, when he denied Deacon star Jeff Teague the ball on an inbounds play. Wake ultimately turned the ball over, setting up Shumpert's game-winning shot. Although his playing time will likely be slashed this season because of Tech's new depth in the backcourt, its hard to imagine Hewitt not finding some minutes for him because of the intangibles he brings to the team.

G-MAURICE "MOE" MILLER (6-2, 189 lbs., JR, #3, 5.8 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.0 rpg, 1.1 spg, 24.5 mpg, .296 FG, .203 3PT, .661 FT, Raleigh-Egypt HS/Memphis, Tenn.). Miller was projected as the starting point guard at the beginning of last season, but he suffered through an injury-plagued campaign that included two concussions and a broken nose.

Compounding his problems was the inexplicable loss of his shooting touch. After making nearly 40 percent of his three-point shots the previous season, Miller made just 12 of his 59 attempts (20 percent) last season, including a string of 21 straight misses. And he wasn't much better from closer range, going 40-of-135 (29.6 percent) overall.

On the positive side, Miller did a good job of running the team as Shumpert's top backup at the point and as a starter when Hewitt went to a three-guard lineup late in the season. He finished second on the team with 98 assists, even though he missed eight games.

F-BRIAN OLIVER (6-6, 220 lbs., FR, #11, 14.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 4.1 bpg, 3.7 apg, William Penn HS/Glassboro, N.J.). No relation to the former Yellow Jacket star who helped Tech to the Final Four in 1990, Oliver is a sharp-shooting swingman who is as adept at hitting the boards as he is the open three-pointer.

The pedigree includes a state championship, all-state recognition and selection to the Reebok All-Star Game this summer, and there's little doubt he will play big minutes for the Yellow Jackets. Oliver figures to have a shot at earning his way into the starting lineup by the end of the season.

G-GLENN RICE, JR. (6-5, 195 lbs., FR, #41, 21.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 5.4 apg, 3.1 spg, 2.1 bpg, Walton HS/Marietta, Ga.). Rice is yet another heralded freshman who is expected to come in and help Tech right away. Like his father, former Michigan star and NBA veteran Glen Rice, Sr. he has good size and even better court sense, and he can play both the big guard or small forward positions.

But unlike Glen Sr., he's not a natural shooter and needs to work on his touch from the perimeter. And yet, the youngster still found a way to finish his high school career as Walton's all-time leading scorer with 1,783 points, and he was ranked the No. 10 shooting guard nationally by Rivals. He also set a school record with 353 career assists.

"Watching him in high school, the thing that stood out for me was that he has a great feel for the game," Hewitt said. "Obviously with his dad being a professional player, he knows the game very well. He's a great athlete [and] he shot the ball better his senior year."

G-LANCE STORRS (6-5, 221 lbs., JR, #10, 4.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.2 apg, 20.8 mpg, .338 FG, .353 3PT, .529 FT, Columbia HS/Decatur, Ga.). Tech's first shooting guard option off the bench last season, Storrs will be called upon to make even more of a contribution this season with Clinch's departure. Although he's considered a better-than-average shooter, Storrs made less than 40 percent of his field goals last season. Oddly, though, he had better accuracy from three-point range than on shots from inside the arc.

Storrs made at least one three-pointer in 21 of his 31 games after making four his entire freshman year, and he increased his playing time by more than 12 minutes per game. That extra work, however, eventually took its toll on Storrs as the season went on. It's a problem he's spent his summer working to avoid this season.

"Storrs is one kid I've been very impressed with, especially after talking to our strength coach about how hard he's worked and how his body type has changed somewhat," Hewitt said. "He can flat-out shoot the basketball. Last year he had some problems with his conditioning, and consequently he'd wear down a bit. If he can get to a level where he can play extended minutes and not get tired, I think he can play that role.

G-MFON UDOFIA (6-2, 187 lbs., FR, #0, 20.1 ppg, 5.5 apg, 4.4 rpg, .480 FG, .541 3PT, Miller Grove HS/Stone Mountain, Ga.). Udofia is a quick, agile left-handed point guard who combines the smarts of a youngster who graduated in the top 10 of his high school class with athleticism that helped him become the first player in his school's history to hit a home run in baseball.

Udofia was ranked the No. 9 point guard nationally by Scout.com and was a third-team Parade All-America, and he could eventually allow Shumpert to move over to the shooting guard position. Udofia's three-point range and accuracy will allow him to play both backcourt positions for the Yellow Jackets. "Mfon can get into the lane and kick it out [to Shumpert], allowing him to knock down some open threes," Hewitt said. "I know from talking to him that he enjoys playing with Mfon."

Udofia is a winner. He led Miller Grove to the Georgia Class AAAA championship in 2009 and was also chosen AAAA Player of the Year.

C-BRAD SHEEHAN (7-0, 235 lbs., JR, #34, 2.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 9.1 mpg, .413 FG, .900 FT, Shaker HS/Latham, N.Y.). A raw big man who was red-shirted two seasons ago while he gained bulk and experience, Sheehan did a nice job for the Yellow Jackets in short spurts off the bench last season.

Though primarily utilized as a screener and rebounder, he showed a remarkably good shooting touch for a man his size -- especially from the free throw line, where he made nine of his 10 attempts.

He still needs to work on being more aggressive inside, especially because playing time this year will be harder to come by with Lawal's return and the addition of two freshmen big men.

C-DANIEL MILLER (6-11, 252 lbs., FR, #5, 20.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 5.0 bpg, 3.1 apg, 2.6 spg, Loganville Christian Academy/Loganville, Ga.). A solidly built big man, Miller originally signed with Georgia -- where his grandfather was the long-time track coach -- before opting out of his letter-of-intent and enrolling at Tech because of its Management program and because he was upset over the firing of former Bulldog coach Dennis Felton.

Just how much Miller will factor into Hewitt's plans this season is unclear, because he played at such a small high school against less-than-top competition.

ESPN.com did list him as a top-100 player and the 11th best center in his class. If he does contribute as a freshman, it will likely be on the defensive end.

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: A
INTANGIBLES: B+

When Michigan brought in its Fab Five in 1991-92, it relied almost primarily on the talents of its freshman class to surprise everyone and advance all the way to the national championship game against North Carolina.

That won't be the case with Georgia Tech this season.

As good as top recruit Derrick Favors and his four rookie teammates figure to be, they won't be under as much pressure to carry the load by themselves. That's because the Yellow Jackets return four starters from last season, including All-ACC big man Gani Lawal and emerging point guard Iman Shumpert.

With defensive stopper D'Andre Bell also back after missing last season because of back surgery, Tech has all the makings of a deep, versatile, athletic unit that could be tough to beat by the end of the season.

With virtually every other team in the ACC having lost its best player or players from last season, the opportunity is there for the newly restocked Yellow Jackets to make a major jump in the standings.

"I'm excited about this recruiting class. Our coaching staff did a great job of bringing it together," Hewitt said. "But I'm even more excited about getting D'Andre, Gani and some of the other guys back.

"There wasn't a lot wrong with this team [last season]. We didn't have some of the experience and depth on the perimeter. Having guys who compete like they did makes everyone a little tougher, makes them take care of the ball a little better, shoot free throws a little better. They will make a big difference on this team. In spite of our record, we weren't far off."

For the most comprehensive previews available on all 334 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college basketball, the 2009-10 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, at www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.