Latest news with #DamonStoudamire
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Georgia Tech makes major announcement amid athletic momentum
Georgia Tech makes major announcement amid athletic momentum originally appeared on Athlon Sports. When J Batt announced his departure as Georgia Tech's athletic director, many Yellow Jacket fans wondered who would maintain the Institute's athletic momentum. The answer: Jon Palumbo, a name already etched into nearly every major decision at Tech Athletics over the past several years. Advertisement Palumbo, the former chief operating officer and executive deputy athletic director, has officially stepped in as interim athletic director, and he brings more than just continuity. He brings proven results. A key architect behind the resurgence of Georgia Tech's football program, Palumbo has been the day-to-day administrator for a team that just posted back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time in over a decade. He played a central role in the hiring of head coach Brent Key and was instrumental in bringing in men's basketball coach Damon Stoudamire and women's coach Karen Blair, hires that signaled a new era of competitive ambition in Midtown Atlanta. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key on the sideline against the Louisville Cardinals in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports 'Jon has been a central figure in Georgia Tech Athletics' growth and momentum,' said President Ángel Cabrera. 'He cares deeply about our student-athletes, and brings the experience, vision, and steady leadership needed to keep us moving forward during this transition.' Advertisement Palumbo's leadership also extends beyond the sidelines. He's overseeing the development of the $100 million Thomas A. Fanning Student-Athlete Performance Center, a 100,000-square-foot hub for training, nutrition, sports science, and medicine, built to serve over 400 student-athletes. The Helluva Block Party, now a signature gameday tradition on North Avenue is another example of his innovation, transforming fan engagement into one of the best atmospheres in the ACC. While a national search is underway to find the Institute's next full-time athletic director, Palumbo isn't just keeping the seat warm. He's pushing forward. For Tech fans, that means one thing: the commitment to winning isn't slowing down. Advertisement Related: Georgia Tech football blasted for 7-win season rings reveal Related: Georgia Tech Football Faces Crossroads Season With New AD Coming This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Georgia Tech Athletic Director J Batt Leaving for Michigan State, Per Reports
Georgia Tech Athletic Director J Batt Leaving for Michigan State, Per Reports originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Georgia Tech athletic director J Batt is expected to take a similar position at Michigan State, according to a report by ESPN's Pete Thamel. He's emerged as a finalist for the job, and a deal is expected to come together in the near future. Advertisement This comes after Tony Paul of The Detroit News posted on Sunday morning that Batt was on a short list and likely the favorite. Batt has spent two years at Georgia Tech, where he has had a lot of success in fundraising and is known as a "big basketball guy" according to Paul. Michigan State parted ways with Alan Haller earlier this month after a nearly four-year run as athletic director. Haller's final day at MSU was May 11. Batt was at the forefront of hiring Brent Key to the football program and former All-American and NBA All-Star Damon Stoudamire as the Yellow Jackets' 15th men's basketball head coach. He oversaw a record-breaking $78.2 million in contributions to the Alexander-Tharpe Fund his first full fiscal year at the helm (FY 2024), shattering the previous single-year record by 43 percent. Advertisement Georgia Tech has also taken a big step towards re-establishing itself as one of college athletics' premier programs under Batt, highlighted by back-to-back football bowl berths for the first time since 2013-14, a plethora of high-profile gridiron victories, including a 28-23 win over previously unbeaten and No. 4-ranked Miami in November, and the program's first appearance in the Associated Press top 25 in nine years. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
All-WCC Guard Lamar Washington Announces Transfer Portal Decision
Damon Stoudamire and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets landed a commitment from Pacific guard Lamar Washington out of the transfer portal on Saturday, according to Tobias Bass of The Athletic. The 6'4 point guard was the No. 21 ranked transfer in the country according to Advertisement Washington will help fill the shoes of Nait George, an All-ACC point guard who Gonzaga pursued in the transfer portal in April before he committed to Syracuse. The rising senior was named to the All-WCC Second Team last year after averaging 13.5 points, 5.8 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game for the Pacific Tigers. He was second in the conference in steals and fourth in assists behind Ryan Nembhard, Moe Odum, and WCC Player of the Year Augustus Marciulionis. Prior to Pacific, Washington spent two years at Texas Tech where he averaged 2.8 points and 1.3 assists in 12.2 minutes before following coach Dave Smart, who was an assistant in Lubbock before taking the head coaching job at Pacific. Advertisement Originally from Portland and starring at Jefferson High School, Washington also played at Compass Prep in Arizona, the same high school as current Zag freshman Davis Fogle. Now Washington becomes one of four high profile WCC stars to transfer to the ACC, joining Oregon State guards Nate Kingz (Syracuse) and Damarco Minor (Pitt), as well as Washington State guard Nate Calmese, who is replacing Hunter Sallis at Wake Forest. Gonzaga's sleepy offseason was awakened on Friday with the team landing commitments from Arizona State guard Adam Miller and 2025 center Parker Jefferson, filling a major hole at shooting guard and adding key depth and a developmental piece to the frontcourt. Related: Projecting Gonzaga's Lineup and Rotation After Adding Adam Miller and Parker Jefferson
CBC
13-04-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Why this WNBA draft could provide clearest route for Tempo to acquire franchise player in 2026
Social Sharing In about one year, the Toronto Tempo could have their franchise player. At least, that's the goal. The first entry-draft pick in Tempo history may also be the most important, helping set the tone for the expansion team like Damon Stoudamire once did for the Toronto Raptors in 1995. "From a historical standpoint, it is the first, first-round pick, right? People will always remember that," said Darius Taylor, the chief basketball strategist and director of scouting for the Connecticut Sun "But I do think that each draft is different so you analyze and evaluate and you try to make the best decision for the organization at the time." On Monday, the Tempo will watch as 13 teams — the 12 who played last season, plus the expansion Golden State Valkyries — make their selections in the WNBA draft. Golden State will pick fifth, while the Dallas Wings, who hold the top choice, will likely land a franchise-changing superstar in UConn's Paige Bueckers. The 2026 draft will not represent the first player transaction in Tempo history — that will come at the expansion draft, likely sometime in the late fall or winter. But it could be the most impactful. Teams remain in the dark on the expansion rules for next off-season when Toronto enters the league alongside Portland, Taylor said. One certainty: the Tempo will have a first-round pick. If it follows the Valkyries, that choice will likely be dropped into the middle of the round. Building a team from scratch Then, Tempo president Teresa Resch and general manager Monica Wright Rogers will face perhaps their biggest roster decision, as they're afforded the rare opportunity to build a team from scratch. "Rookies are really important from a salary cap standpoint and also just from a building for the future standpoint," Taylor said. "Usually, first-round picks are impactful up to a certain number and then after that, some of them are more opportunities to develop and get them ready for their debut." Taylor said, if given a blank slate like the Tempo, he may lean toward drafting a point guard or power forward, since those positions have dominated the league of late. You only need to go back to last year's rookie-of-the-year battle between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese for proof of that. Potentially available for the Tempo in one year are the likes of LSU forward Flau'jae Johnson, Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles, UConn sharpshooter Azzi Fudd and UCLA centre Lauren Betts — all of whom were eligible to enter this year's draft but chose to spend an extra season at school instead. Those players would each bring some combination of talent – like the six-foot-seven Betts — and star power — Johnson has a side career as a rapper; Fudd has a brand deal with Steph Curry — or both. Perhaps the biggest potential prize could be JuJu Watkins of USC, who tore her ACL during March Madness but like Bueckers, Clark and Reese would make for an immediate draw as the Tempo establish their fan base. "At the end of the day it's a business, so if you can grab someone that can solve both the business and basketball side, I think it's a no brainer," Taylor said. "There are a lot of future stars coming in that have a brand outside of basketball. ... So that's great for the debut and it's great for whatever organization [drafts them]." Canadian player could hold extra appeal Similarly, a Canadian could hold extra appeal for the Tempo — and, Taylor said, for the league as a whole. "Anytime you can draft a player that is recognized as we expand into another country, I think that is awesome for the business," he said. As a former player and coach, Wright Rogers should be able to blend her experiences toward making the ideal choice for the Tempo. Resch, meanwhile, comes armed with knowledge from her time with the Raptors. Taylor, who coached at Temple and South Carolina under Dawn Staley before becoming head coach of the Atlanta Dream and eventually moving into the front office, said his history comes as an asset come draft time. "Just being in the college game, you're just able to collect a lot more intel on certain players. You've watched some of them since they were in high school playing AAU. So you've really gotten to know them in more depth than maybe some other places," Taylor said. "So I just draw on that experience as a coach and the evaluation of a player over a number of years and collaboration with our staff who all have experience as well to just make the best decision for our organization." CBA looms over everything Meanwhile, the expiry of the collective bargaining agreement after the 2025 season looms over everything. Taylor said there is league-wide uncertainty on its potential impact. Players, like Canada's Kia Nurse, are on record as planning to reach free agency next winter when a new U.S. media deal kicks in and more money is likely to be available. For Taylor's Sun, there's also the added element of the expansion draft. "When you're building your roster, you just have to be very conscious of that and understand that you're probably gonna lose a rotational player from your roster," he said. And for an expansion team like the Tempo, which faces the ultimate uncertainty of not even having players or a coach, it creates even more question marks. Which makes the entry draft, a relative certainty, all the more important.
USA Today
12-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Virginia vs Georgia Tech ACC Tournament betting odds, prediction, pick
Virginia vs Georgia Tech ACC Tournament betting odds, prediction, pick Virginia vs Georgia Tech at the ACC Tournament is priced close to a toss-up, as one would expect of a 9-versus-8 seed game We are now one week before March Madness reaches its apex and the NCAA Tournament Round of 64 begins. This week of college basketball sets up next week, with the conference tournaments eliminating lots of bubble teams and shaping the seedings for the Big Dance. The ACC Tournament and the other big power conference tournaments will all be in action on Wednesday. The Big Ten and SEC unveil their first-round tournament games. The ACC Tournament -- which ends on Saturday and not Sunday -- moves into the second round. Virginia versus Georgia Tech is the first of four second-round games on Wednesday from Charlotte. Virginia versus Georgia Tech is the 9-versus-8 game in the ACC Tournament bracket. The winner moves on to face Duke in Thursday's first quarterfinal game. Naturally, being able to play the big, bad Blue Devils is an opportunity the Cavaliers and Yellow Jackets both want. They will have to fight through each other in order to reach the big stage against Cooper Flagg and Company. Let's give you the Virginia-Georgia Tech betting odds and take a look at this first game of the ACC Tournament's Wednesday slate: Virginia vs Georgia Tech game odds: All college basketball odds via BetMGM Spread: Virginia +1.5 (-118), Georgia Tech -1.5 (-102) Money Line: Virginia -102, Georgia Tech -118 Over-Under: Over 130.5 (-115), Under 130.5 (-105) Virginia vs Georgia Tech prediction, pick: Both teams struggled for much of the season but played better basketball in recent weeks. Coach Ron Sanchez of UVA and coach Damon Stoudamire of Tech were able to stay patient with their players and get more out of them late in the journey. It's a sign their players respect them and want to play well for them. Sanchez is an interim who will be replaced. Stoudamire is trying to build something as he settles into the Georgia Tech job. This is his second season. Virginia could easily win this game, so we're not discounting the improvements the Hoos have made. However, Georgia Tech has a higher ceiling, as shown by wins over Louisville and Clemson, two of the three best teams in the ACC behind Duke. Georgia Tech minus 1.5 points? Sure, why not? Prediction: Georgia Tech 68, Virginia 64 Virginia vs Georgia Tech channel, start time, streaming: Start time: noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Wednesday, March 12 TV Channel: ESPN2 Live Stream: ESPN Plus Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
