ATLANTA -- The ritual began 10 days ago, just as the Georgia Tech men's basketball team was about to invade Charlotte. Looking for something to pump up his teammates, junior forward Gani Lawal created a pregame locker-room routine.
"It gets us hyped up, jumping around," senior forward Zach Peacock said after Saturday's 71-67 victory over then-No. 5 Duke. "We've got a little saying, but I can't tell you what it is. It's our little secret."
Tech's win over Duke exposed the not-so-little secret that the Yellow Jackets just might be good enough to return to the Final Four for the first time since 2004, when they fell to Connecticut in the championship game.
Blessed with an imposing front line of the 6-foot-9 Lawal, 6-10 freshman Derrick Favors and the underrated 6-8 Peacock off the bench, the Jackets also go nine deep. That many players average at least 12 minutes a game so far for coach Paul Hewitt, now in his 10th season at Tech.
Or as Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski noted after watching eight Jackets score, they "used the bench and they came after us and tried to wear us down. I don't know if they wore us down, but they got us out of rhythm."
Some would say the Jackets have been out of rhythm for much of the past five seasons. Three of the past four years were losing campaigns. The 2007 NCAA tournament appearance ended in the opening round. Reportedly on the hot seat, Hewitt brought in a sparkling recruiting class led by Favors from South Atlanta High School, named the 2009 national player of the year by both Parade and USA Today.
Hewitt also signed Glen Rice Jr., Brian Oliver and starting point guard Mfon Udofia from Stone Mountain to round out the precocious class.
But it all starts with Lawal and Favors, according to University of Tennessee at Chattanooga coach John Shulman.
Said Shulman after watching Lawal and Favors combine for 43 points in a 95-64 win over the Mocs: "We doubled (former Florida stars) Al Horford and Joakim Noah and they scored six points apiece against us. These guys are special. I think they are the two best in the country. I saw it on tape and I saw it in person. I don't want to see them in person anymore."
Taking a slightly different view after he lost to Tech, Mercer coach Bob Hoffman said, "It is a hard thing with two great centers, but Coach Hewitt had done a tremendous job with spacing and getting those guys in the right spot."
Or perhaps they just needed a point guard to guide them. Left in the lurch following the 2006-07 season when Javaris Crittenton unexpectedly went pro after his freshman year, Hewitt was forced to play shooting guards at point, including last year's freshman sensation, Iman Shumpert, who just returned from knee surgery this month.
Making it tougher for the alums to swallow, Tech often has been referred to as Point Guard U. for producing such past greats as Mark Price, Kenny Anderson, Travis Best, Stephon Marbury and Jarrett Jack.
But all that may have changed with Udofia, who has averaged 11 points, four rebounds and 2.7 assists while starting every game.
Said Duke's Coach K of the rookie: "Udofia played like a veteran today. He was excellent."
If the Jackets' top four freshmen all play like veterans come March, Tech just might display the excellence needed to make its third Final Four in 20 years. Until then, Jackets backers must busy themselves with uncovering Lawal's secret ritual for success.