Hewitt’s teams have struggled in recent years, especially with all of the NBA defections he has had on the team.

The school is getting ready to completely remodel and renovate the current arena, and they want some positive energy around the program.

The head coach won’t go away unhappy, though, as he is do a very expensive buyout from the school. It’s said to be upwards of $6 million.

He took them to the national championship game in 2004 but has finished the past four of six seasons with a losing record.

The long season endured by Georgia Tech likely will end at some point in the next few days. It’s quite possible their head coach’s tenure at the school will end soon after that.

The Jackets come into their Atlantic Coast Conference tournament opener as the 11th seed in a 12-team conference. Tech plays a Virginia Tech team in the opening round on Thursday that it lost to by 25 points a few weeks ago.

Tech has won two games in a row entering tournament play, downing Wake Forest and Miami to close a regular season that can be best described as miserable.

Tech comes in at 13-17 overall, meaning an unlikely run to the ACC championship would push the Jackets’ record to .500. Starting with an 86-83 double-overtime loss Jan. 2 to UNC-Charlotte, the Yellow Jackets won just four times in 59 days. One of those victories came against the Hokies, a 72-57 triumph Jan. 25 in Atlanta fueled by Iman Shumpert’s triple-double.

For Tech coach Paul Hewitt, the tournament may be his final act as Jackets’ coach. Hewitt has drawn tremendous criticism the past three years, as the program has struggled to put things together. Tech did reach the ACC final last season and made it to the second round of the NCAAs, and a miracle late-season run this weekend might be required to save Hewitt’s job.

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It is not easy to find positives from the miserable season endured by Georgia Tech in 2010-11. But Iman Shumpert has done more than his part for the Yellow Jackets.

Shumpert, a junior guard, has earned selection to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference second team, getting the nod from the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.

Shumpert has been a shining light in an otherwise dark season for Tech. Shumpert leads the Jackets in scoring (17.5 points per game), rebounding (6.1 per game) and assists (3.5 per game). He will finish as just the seventh player in conference history to lead his team in all three categories.

Shumpert leads the ACC in steals per game and ranks in the top 10 in several categories, including free throw percentage, field goal percentage, scoring and assists.

Tech opens the ACC tournament on Thursday night against Virginia Tech in Greensboro, N.C. Shumpert recorded a triple double the last time against the Hokies earlier this season. Tech finished 11th in the ACC this season and is 13-17 overall.

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Seven home games, including a Thursday night contest against Virginia Tech, highlight Georgia Tech’s 2011 football schedule.

The Yellow Jackets open the 2011 season against Western Carolina at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 1. Also visiting Atlanta in September are Kansas and North Carolina (the ACC opener). Tech’s first road game is Sept. 10 at Middle Tennessee State.

Tech opens October at North Carolina State. After a home date with Maryland on Oct. 8, Tech plays back-to-back road contests at Virginia and at Miami. A home game with Clemson ends the October portion of the slate on Oct. 29.

Tech’s bye week is Nov. 5. The Yellow Jackets play host to Virginia Tech on Nov. 10 on Thursday Night Football on ESPN. After traveling to Duke on Nov. 19, Tech ends the regular season at home Nov. 26 against in-state rival Georgia.

Tech went 6-7 last season, 4-4 in the ACC.

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Georgia Tech’s top big man was out with an illness, which meant major issues when it came to slowing down Jordan Williams.

Williams finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds while controlling the interior, and Georgia Tech’s sloppiness with the ball really cost them.

The Yellow Jackets shot well from behind the three-point line, but turnovers gave Maryland too many easy baskets.

Georgia Tech has really struggled on the road this year, so they cannot afford to these types of games on their home floor.

Last season, Georgia Tech went bowling as champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

This year hasn’t been as smooth of a ride for the Yellow Jackets. But the nation’s No. 1-rushing team will get to take on No. 2 in that category this bowl season.

Georgia Tech and Air Force, the top two rushing teams in the nation, will meet in the Independence Bowl on Dec. 27 at Independence Stadium in Shreveport. La.

Combined, the Yellow Jackets (6-6) and Falcons (8-4) completed just 136 passes. Both teams average more than 310 yards rushing per game: Georgia Tech is No. 1 in the nation at 327 yards, while Air Force is No. 2 at 317.9.

Georgia Tech’s rushing attack is led by running back Anthony Allen, who has 1,225 rushing yards and six touchdowns this season. Air Force is led in rushing by Asher Clark (1,001 yards, five touchdowns).

It also will be a reunion of sorts for Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson, who beat Air Force six times as coach of Navy. Tech, last year’s winners of the Atlantic Coast Conference, struggled due in part to the loss of quarterback Joshua Nesbitt to a broken arm. Nesbitt hopes to return to action for the bowl game.

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The Yellow Jackets entered the fourth quarter trailing 17-6 but were able to rally back for a big road win.

Quarterback Josh Nesbitt and the Yellow Jackets vaunted triple-option attack finally got going in the final 15 minutes.

Nesbitt’s biggest play was a 20-yard touchdown pass on fourth down as he was pinned against the sideline and facing pressure.

He finished with 130 yards passing and two touchdowns and was also the team’s leading rusher with 72 yards on the ground.

The Yellow Jackets fell behind quickly in the first half and were forced to play catch-up the rest of the day.

Georgia Tech typically brings a tough defense to the table, but it’s been a big area of concern this year.

The unit had no answer for quarterback Russell Wilson, who was able to beat them with his arm and legs.

It also doesn’t help that Josh Nesbitt can’t throw the ball, so getting behind really is the kiss of death for them.

Everybody knows Georgia Tech can have issues on defense. But against a Kansas team that lost to North Dakota State on the opening weekend of the season?

Yep, the Jayhawks ran all over and around the Jackets on Saturday in Lawrence, thrashing out 407 yards of total offense in handing an out-of-sync Tech team a 28-25 defeat.

Sure, the Jackets ran for 291 yards on the ground. But little else went right for Tech in suffering its first loss of the season.

Tech committed nine penalties for 91 yards, booted a punt 13 yards and had a kickoff sail out of bounds.

Joshua Nesbitt rushed for two touchdowns and passed for 116 yards and a score. But all in all, Tech wasn’t sharp at all.

The Jackets, the defending Atlantic Coast Conference champions, open the ACC schedule Saturday at North Carolina.

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The final score was lopsided, as expected, for Georgia Tech in its season opener Saturday against South Carolina State.

What also was expected was Joshua Nesbitt kicking off his Heisman Trophy campaign in style.

And while the Yellow Jackets’ quarterback winning college football’s greatest award may be a longshot, especially if Nesbitt goes 1-for-6 passing as he did Saturday. But during Tech’s 41-10 blowout of South Carolina State at Bobby Dodd Stadium, Nesbitt showed off the running style that made him one of the nation’s more dangerous quarterbacks.

Nesbitt rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns, and Roddy Jones added two touchdown runs to fuel the Tech offense.

Tech travels to Kansas next week, then the defending Atlantic Coast Conference champions begin conference play Sept. 18 at North Carolina.

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