First, it took place in football, now it’s taking place in basketball. Georgia Tech athletics are on the move. Tired of only their baseball program getting national attention, Georgia Tech has boostered it’s football and basketball programs and are now receiving national attention in those as well.

It all began when freshman quarterback, Reggie Ball lead Tech to a 17-3 upset of nationally ranked Auburn earlier this fall. Ball, a Georgia native, also helped Tech pull off another upset over nationally recognized N.C. State.

Now, more Georgia natives are helping lead the Tech basketball program back to dominance. In the latest AP Basketball Poll, the Yellow Jackets were ranked tenth, the first time the program had been ranked in the top 10 in more than 10 years.

The reason for the ranking is that Tech (7-0) has surpassed everyone’s expectations, much like the football team, and knocked off then No. 1 Connecticut and won the preseason NIT tournament.

Leading Tech are three Georgia natives in B.J. Elder, Isma’il Muhammad, and Mario West. Elder, perhaps the team’s best player, comes from Morgan County.

During his prep career, Elder (6-4, 218, jr.) shattered a basketball goal on a dunk and averaged 26 points and six rebounds as a senior.

Muhammad, perhaps the best dunker in the Atlantic Coast Conference, comes from W.D. Mohammed High School, which is a Muslim school in Atlanta.

Muhammad (6-6, 225, jr.) has the team’s highest vertical leap at 35.5 inches and a running 40.5 inch vertical leap. During his senior season in high school, Muhammad averaged 28 points, four rebounds, and four steals per game. Muhammad was nominated for the coveted McDonald’s All-American team.

Mario West (6-4, 208, redshirt-freshman) rounds out the list of Georgia natives on the Tech roster.

West, a graduate from Douglas County High School in Douglasville, averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds a game his senior year in high school.

This season, the trio, much like the Georgia natives on the Tech football roster, have helped raise the Tech programs to a higher level.

As of press time, Elder was averaging 16 points per game, Muhammad was averaging 12.9 points and four rebounds a game, while West was contribuiting off the bench.

The same thing is happening at the University of Georgia as well. Their football program has improved steadily the last few years and are now a annual top ten team in football.

The reason for their success comes from many things. The main reason, however, is that Mark Richt began winning the recruiting battle for Georgia-native players after Steve Spurrier left the University of Florida for the National Football League.

Spurrier would raid south Georgia each year, signing the best talent and bringing them into the pass-happy Florida program. However, once he left, Richt was able to begin winning the recruiting battle and sign Georgia athletes.

It should come as no surprise that the UGA football program became significantly better once Georgia native players began going there. It has long been said that Georgia produces some of the best talent in America.