Dixon, Pastner do heroic work in first year
NEW YORK — Josh Pastner and Jamie Dixon both got their wish. Both coaches wanted one more opportunity to teach their teams.
Georgia Tech and Texas Christian will meet for the NIT title Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
But in order to win the title, Pastner and Dixon will have to go head-to-head.
“We love coaching these guys all year long and we just want two more days with them, so they gave us that. We’ll look forward to getting ready for Georgia Tech,” Dixon said after TCU’s 68-53 win against Central Florida in the second NIT semifinal Tuesday. “We don’t want the season to end. I think that might be more the motivation than anything..
“These guys are practicing hard. You talk to my assistants, you can’t believe how much energy they have brought to [each and every] practice. I think more than anything, we don’t want the season to end.
“They love going to practice and they love being around each other, and the celebration in the locker room was, you could just see the joy. We’re going to enjoy it for about a couple more hours and then we’ll get ready for Georgia Tech.”
That Georgia Tech and TCU have advanced to the NIT title game is a testament to the coaching jobs Pastner and former Pitt coach Dixon did in their first year.
Neither TCU nor Georgia Tech were expected to be competitive in 2016-17. Texas Christian was picked to finish last in the Big 12 preseason poll. Georgia Tech was picked 14th in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Instead, Georgia Tech went 21-15, and Texas Christian 23-15.
“I’ve said it many times: It’s a modern miracle. I can remember like yesterday watching our first workouts. If you told me we’re playing on Thursday for the NIT championship, I would say you’re crazy,” Pastner said after Georgia Tech’s 76-61 semifinal win against Cal State Bakersfield Tuesday.
“So it’s been a heck of a season, and as I said, it’s a great lesson for me that these guys, to see it all unfold, the power of team. That gets thrown in words a lot, team and chemistry.”