Fansided

5 college basketball takeaways: Mick Cronin is angry

By Joseph Nardone

CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 29: Mick Cronin, head coach of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, reacts to a call during the first half of the game against the University of South Florida at Fifth Third Arena on January 29, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 29: Mick Cronin, head coach of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, reacts to a call during the first half of the game against the University of South Florida at Fifth Third Arena on January 29, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images) /
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SOUTH BEND, IN – FEBRUARY 26: Head coach Josh Pastner of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets is seen during the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Purcell Pavilion on February 26, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN – FEBRUARY 26: Head coach Josh Pastner of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets is seen during the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Purcell Pavilion on February 26, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Did you have Grambling State beating Georgia Tech?

Liar.

As the above video notes, the Yellow Jackets lost due to college basketball’s version of an own-goal.

The implications of that self-induced loss are not yet known, but it could become huge come Selection Sunday. Nothing against Grambling State, but losing to that lower-tiered opponent is often a deathblow come for bubble teams in March.

Georgia Tech might not even be a true bubble team, though. After an incredible uptick during year-one of the Josh Pastner era, many assumed the Yellow Jackets would continue with linear progression, making the NCAA Tournament with relative ease this season.

In the immortal words of Lee Corse, not so fast, my friend!

In typical still-in-transition-between-eras college basketball fashion, Georgia Tech has a weak non-conference schedule. The sort the program was banking on the team leaving with very few dents after.

While a loss to UCLA — in the “everyone is banned” game — to start the season isn’t a bad loss, Georgia Tech won’t leave this portion of the season with any great wins, but at least one awful defeat.

Thanks to that, Pastner needs to have his guys performing all kinds of crazy positive during the ACC docket. With the Atlantic Coast Conference journey being as dangerous as attempting to jump out a plane without a parachute, there’s now far more things working against them than previously considered.

To put it far more bluntly: Without knowing for sure how actually good Georgia Tech is yet, it might not matter, as the soft non-conference schedule, coupled with a historically awful loss, puts the Yellow Jackets in a position where it can no longer afford any slips for the rest of the season.

It is only December. Not ideal.