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By Andy Demetra | The sound of the yellow jackets
It’s tough to hold a top-5 scorer in the ACC to a season low.
Georgia Tech has done it twice… In the same game.
NC State’s backcourt of Terquavion Smith (19.1 ppg) and Jarkel Mixing (16.7 ppg) came in as the ACC’s most dynamic scoring duo. Instead, Georgia Tech tackled them in matching zones and the front Five points On 3-of-17 shooting. Smith dished out 10 assists, but that was a huge drop from his 32 points in the earlier game against Florida State.
Any ACC coach would happily take a shooting night from one of them. But both? Same night?
“A snake like that shows how we’re designed,” head coach Josh Pastner said.
Alas, Georgia Tech (8-15, 1-12 ACC) couldn’t match that performance to a win on the road against a team that was gunning for an NCAA at-large berth. There’s not much the Yellow Jackets can do about that missed opportunity…except, perhaps, redeem another missed opportunity before the season.
Tech’s 73-72 overtime loss at Notre Dame has haunted them ever since. Just like Saturday, the Jackets took a late lead before giving up a shutout run in regulation. Wednesday’s game against the Fighting Irish (10-13, 2-10 ACC) will not only provide a chance to snap a losing streak. It gives an opportunity to tech Rewrite the endingsomething that can add even deeper satisfaction.
Enjoy high notes from my chart as the Jackets and Irish renew their series at McMish (7 p.m. ET, Georgia Tech Sports Network with Legends Sports).
Josh Okogie’s layup at the buzzer gave Georgia Tech a 62-60 win over Notre Dame in 2016. The nine games between the two teams at McMish Pavilion were decided by 26 points. (Photo by Danny Carnick)
Wednesday’s game is the final scheduled meeting with Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey, who announced last month that he will step down after 23 seasons as the Irish’s head coach. Bray and Pastner have always had a great relationship, bonded by their good nature and self-deprecating humor.
Asked to give his favorite Bray story on his radio show Monday night, Pastner thought back to last summer’s ACC basketball coaches meeting in Amelia Island, Fla. Dan Gavitt, senior vice president of basketball at the NCAA, was there to explain the NET rankings and the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee’s thought process from last season. He mentioned to the team that if Texas A&M beat Tennessee in the SEC Tournament, Notre Dame would be out of the NCAA Tournament. The Irish finished second in the ACC at 15-5.
Pastor Titototal recalled: “Mike Bray stopped and said, ‘Daniel, I have to leave the meeting now and go get a drink.’ And this is around nine o’clock in the morning. So he left the room in the meeting and asked, ‘Where do you get the vodka?’ He was gone for about 15 minutes.” He returned, after realizing that Pastner does not sell alcohol anywhere in the hotel in the morning.
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Pastner and Bree’s coaching styles have made for some white-knuckle theater: Bree’s seven career losses at Georgia Tech have come together. 20 points.
Notre Dame’s guards move well without the ball, and despite their record, they can still score in spades. Six-foot-6 super-senior Dane Goodwin (11.8 ppg.), who scored a team-high 19 points against South Bend Tech, is strong and effective between zones. After a 2-for-12 shooting performance against Wake Forest on Saturday, he may be looking to ignite the offense. Six-foot-10 stretch-five Nate Lazewski (14.1 ppg) can free himself with the pick-and-pop and pick-and-slide, while freshman JJ Stallings (12.3 ppg) has the best burst off the bounce.
Georgia Tech will need to stay disciplined against the pump lies and posts that the Irish guards will use. Lasevsky committed six fouls last month, but Tech’s guards did a good job in front of the post when they replaced him ( Tech He played man to man. the entire game). Georgia Tech’s best defense may also be a ball safety: Notre Dame’s standards 358th variable speed defensebut he A discount of 18 points It was a season high at Tech.
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Kyle Sturdivant The classic “roll-and-replace” action of deflecting a pass to Myles Kelly at the top of the key is in every playbook. Kelly handles the ball unguarded and effortlessly in the highest percentage position behind the three-point line. Tech led NC State by one with 3:00 left.
Even though he’s locked in for the moment, Pastner can hear his fear screaming from the sidelines.
“When we opened this, I heard Kevin [Keatts] Say ‘O ––’ and I’m not going to say the word because I’m not going to curse,” Josh Pastner told me in our postgame radio interview.
But Kelly’s shot floated up and missed the rim completely. Instead of a four-point lead and PNC Arena cowering, Georgia Tech still leads by just one.
Whether it was to extend a lead, cut into a deficit or simply swing it, those three-point shots — clean, quality but ultimately useless — were all too common during Georgia Tech’s losing streak in the second half.
| The last 8 games | 3 points.% |
| 1st half | 34.4% (72 out of 209) |
| 2nd Half/OT | 21.3% (23 out of 108) |
Notre Dame meets. 4-of-21 three pointers Against Wake Forest, however, the Irish won’t be deterred — with most of their lineup combinations, all five players can start from deep. Guard Cormac Ryan has a clinical quick release and Trey Wertz made some clutch threes against the South Bend Jackets. Three shots on the team 43 percent of field goal attemptsGeorgia Tech can’t get a break from deep.
Only two ACC players in the past 10 years have had eight rebounds, five assists and five blocked shots in an ACC game. (Photo by Olivia Dale)
How rare it was. Yes, from Franklin The stat line against NC State? According to my research, only one other ACC player. In the last decade He has eight rebounds, five assists and five blocks in one conference game.
| 8 points, 5 assists, 5 assists in ACC play | |||
| Player | Opponent | day | Statistics |
| Zach Leday (Virginia Tech) | State of Florida | 3/9/2016 | 15 p./12r/5a/5b |
| Javon Franklin (Georgia Tech) | NC State | 2/4/2023 | 16p/8r/5a/5b |
Pastner said he received a postgame text from his friend and former NC State athletic director expressing his appreciation for Franklin athletics.
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Franklin Pogo-Ed played just three seconds at Purcell Pavilion in January and finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. Pastner preaches every year for his team to drive and finish against Notre Dame — the Irish don’t do much wrong, and they do. ACC- 55.5 percent of the two points In conference play.
Why do you want to pay attention to that number Wednesday?
As Notre Dame records:
- Allowing <55% 2pt. FG%: 8-3
- Allowing > 55% 2pt. FG%: 2-10
Can Georgia Tech get more touches in the paint on Wednesday? And should they brace themselves for an extra zone from Notre Dame? The Irish moved into a zone on downs and one in overtime in their first meeting.
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Now that we’re ready, we hope you are too. Join us for pregame coverage on the Georgia Tech Sports Network with Legends Sports beginning at 6:30 p.m. See you at McMish.
– AD-
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics and provides scholarships, operations and facilities for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech champions every day and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for major college athletic championships. Annual Athletic Scholarship FundScholarships awarded directly to Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
About Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball
The Georgia Tech men’s basketball team completed six seasons under head coach Josh Pastner by winning the 2021 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship and making its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 11 years. Tech has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1979, has won four ACC championships (1985, 1990, 1993, 2021), has played in the NCAA Tournament 17 times and has played in two Final Fours (1990, 2004). Connect with Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball on social media by liking or following their Facebook page Twitter (@GTMBB) And Instagram. For more information on Tech Basketball, visit Ramblinwreck.com.
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