Georgia Tech's Jarrett Jack (left) looks to pass around Wake Forest's Jamaal Levy in last week's game. The Yellow Jackets hope to enter the NCAA Tournament on a roll. Associated Press

Georgia Tech can cause bracket problems

ATLANTA - Come Sunday night, the coach of a highly seeded team will look at the NCAA Tournament bracket and cringe.

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On the other side of the early round bracket will be Georgia Tech.

The coach's identity and how highly his team is seeded depends on how Yellow Jackets fare in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

The Jackets' 8-8 finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference almost assures them of making the 65-team field.

Their seeding has yet to be determined, though, and could likely range from as high as fourth to as low as 10th.

"One thing I will assure you is, if you talk to any coach and they see our name on the other side of the bracket, they're not going to be happy about it," Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt said.

Many analysts predict Hewitt's team as a No. 8 or 9 seed heading into the league tourney. That could lead to a potential early-round NCAA upset, with the Jackets facing one of the four top seeds in the second round.

But should Georgia Tech make a run in the ACC Tournament this weekend at Washington D.C.'s MCI Center, its seeding could rise rapidly. Maryland, which finished 7-9 in league play last year, won the 2004 ACC Tournament and received a No. 4 seed.

"That's what we're looking forward to," guard B.J. Elder said. "We're going up there with an opportunity to win some games, win some tough games and impress some people."

The Yellow Jackets will also be looking for payback. They open the tournament at Friday at 2:30 p.m. against Virginia Tech, a team that launched its improbable run to a fourth-place finish with an upset of Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Jan. 22.

Beat the Hokies, and Georgia Tech likely faces North Carolina in the semifinals. The Tar Heels pummeled Georgia Tech in a 22-point victory in the Jackets' ACC opener.

A semifinal win would likely lead to either a rubber game with Wake Forest - the Jackets and Deacons split this season - or a shot at Duke, which beat Georgia Tech twice this year.

"Whenever there's basketball left to play, the best thing to do is to win," Georgia Tech guard Jarrett Jack said.

"Regardless of who we play, we're going to go in there confident. Our coaches are going to have a great game plan, and its up to us to go out and execute it."

The Yellow Jackets could be shorthanded, at least in Friday's opener. Swingman Isma'il Muhammad played only nine minutes in the regular-season finale last Saturday, slowed by tendinitis in his knee.

Muhammad has dealt with the condition all season and is undergoing shockwave therapy to relieve the pain.

"He's done it on just absolute heart and determination," Hewitt said.

Reach Adam Van Brimmer at (404) 589-8424 or adam.vanbrimmer@morris.com.

--From the Wednesday, March 9, 2005 printed edition of the Augusta Chronicle