Dec. 22, 2010
Times Union Story by Mark Singelais
Georgia Tech men's basketball coach Paul Hewitt had his most recent game in Paradise Island, Bahamas on Saturday.
His next one will be in Albany on Wednesday night.
While no one confuses the Capital Region with a tropical resort, Hewitt said the change in location is just fine with him.
After all, he's coming back to the city where he led Siena College for three seasons from 1997-2000.
"It's paradise to me, too, as much fun as I had there," Hewitt said Tuesday. "I love visiting (Albany)."
Hewitt will coach his first game at Times Union Center in a decade when the Yellow Jackets (6-4) take on the Saints (3-6) at 7 p.m.
At Siena, Hewitt had a 66-27 record for a .710 winning percentage, the highest in program history for any coach with more than one season. He won a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title in 1999 before losing to Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
He also took the Saints to the second round of the 2000 National Invitation Tournament.
"Siena's always going to be special for me and my entire family," Hewitt said. "Dawnette (his wife) and I had such a great time up there. Obviously, on the court, everybody saw the success. We had a chance to be a part of getting to the MAAC final three times. We lived in a great community in Clifton Park. We really enjoyed it."
He has returned to visit Saratoga Race Course during the summer.
Hewitt left Siena in 2000 for Georgia Tech and reached the national championship game four years later. The Yellow Jackets lost to Connecticut 82-73 in the final.
Since then, he's had a tougher time in the highly competitive Atlantic Coast Conference. Hewitt is 107-94 since the 2003-04 season with two wins in the NCAA Tournament and three losing seasons.
Georgia Tech reached the NCAA's second round last year, but lost forwards Derrick Favors and Gani Lawal, who both declared early for the NBA draft.
Hewitt has reshaped his program with a guard-oriented, pressing attack that's reminiscent of his Siena teams.
The Yellow Jackets were embarrassed 80-63 at Kennesaw State on Nov. 15, but have improved and posted their best win of the season with a 67-54 triumph over Richmond in the Bahamas on Saturday.
"I'd be lying if I said it hasn't been up and down the past two years," Hewitt said. "But we'll keep working and getting better. We're on the verge of becoming an NCAA Tournament-caliber team and that's why this game is really important for this team."
Hewitt originally scheduled this game so Georgia Tech center Brad Sheehan, a Shaker High graduate, could play in front of his friends and family.
However, Sheehan decided not to return for his final season of eligibility this year, which puts the spotlight on Hewitt's return.
Georgia Tech arrived in Albany on Tuesday afternoon, and then Hewitt had dinner at Lombardo's on Madison Avenue.
Note: Siena forward Ryan Rossiter (sinus infection) and senior guard Clarence Jackson (ankle) both missed Tuesday's practice. Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro said Rossiter will "hopefully" play. Jackson said he's "not really sure" if he'll play.
