Elder could miss two more weeks

ATLANTA - Georgia Tech will be shorthanded this week as it tries to snap its longest losing streak in two seasons.

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Star guard B.J. Elder aggravated his strained hamstring injury and won't play Thursday when Georgia Tech faces Wake Forest, coach Paul Hewitt said in a Monday teleconference.

Elder is out indefinitely after suffering what Hewitt called a "relapse" of the injury he originally sustained on New Year's Day against Kansas. He won't practice this week leading up to Thursday's game and could miss two weeks or more, Hewitt said.

"I don't want to put a number on it," Hewitt said. "It's not significant like it was against Kansas, but it was enough for us to shut him down and wait until he's all the way back."

Elder returned to practice this past Monday and said afterwards he felt some pain in the hamstring. He showed improvement during an individual workout two days later before hurting his hamstring again Thursday.

He sat out Saturday's loss to Virginia Tech as a result.

Elder has missed five games already with the hamstring strain. The Yellow Jackets are 3-2 without him, also losing the game in which he suffered the injury.

The Jackets' current three-game losing streak is the longest since the 2002-03 season, when they lost five straight games late in the year.

Hewitt remained upbeat despite the streak. The coach said his team made progress offensively against Virginia Tech after two straight poor outings in losses to North Carolina and North Carolina State.

BYNUM'S RESURGENCE: Guard Will Bynum broke out of a three-game shooting slump Saturday to tie a career-high with 28 points.

Hewitt credited time off for Bynum's resurgence. The coach gave Bynum three days off of practice last week and limited his workout another day.

"He had tired legs," Hewitt said.

Bynum led the Yellow Jackets' second-half comeback against the Hokies.

DEACONS KNOW STREAK WELL: Georgia Tech's losing streak won't figure into Wake Forest's preparation for Thursday's game, coach Skip Prosser said.

Prosser's team went through a similar lull one year ago. Wake Forest opened ACC play ranked in the top five of both national polls, only to lose four straight games.

The Demon Deacons recovered and went on to advance to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16.

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