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Georgia Tech Basketball: Yellow Jackets Have A Rising Star in Josh Okogie

By Dylan Callaghan-Croley

Jan 25, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Josh Okogie (5) celebrates with fans after their game against the Florida State Seminoles at McCamish Pavilion. The Yellow Jackets won 78-56. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Josh Okogie (5) celebrates with fans after their game against the Florida State Seminoles at McCamish Pavilion. The Yellow Jackets won 78-56. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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Twenty-one games into his freshman season, Josh Okogie has shown that he’s a rising star and the sky is the only limit for the Snellville, Georgia native and Georgia Tech basketball.

In the 2016 college basketball recruiting cycle, there were 27 current ACC freshman rated higher than Snellville, Georgia native Josh Okogie. Twenty-one games into the season, very few of those 27 recruits have had as much of an impact on their team as Okogie has had for the Yellow Jackets this season.

While North Carolina State’s Dennis Smith Jr will probably walk away at the end of the season with the ACC Rookie of the Year award, Okogie should very well be in the argument. So far this season, Okogie is the ACC’s second highest scoring freshman only behind Smith Jr, who’s averaging over 19 points per game. Nationally, Okogie ranks 12th in freshman scoring, not too bad for a player who received just three college offers.

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    • Okogie’s last game against sixth ranked Florida State is without a doubt his best game to date as a Yellow Jacket. The true freshman showed he could do it all, scoring 35 points while bringing down 14 rebounds and finishing with five assists. He’s shown this season he can score from all around, whether it’s from right under the basket or from beyond the arch. He’s also been money from the charity strike of recent, making 79% (31-of-39) of his free throws over the last five games.

    With all that being said, Okogie from the beginning of the season has been one of the Yellow Jackets most consistent shooters. It also appears that Okogie is only getting better with every game played this season. His 15.6 points per game speaks for itself as well as his shooting percentages of .439/.359/.766 over the course of the season.

    However over the course of his last five games, Okogie has seemed to come into his own. Over those five, he has averaged 20 points, five rebounds, and two assists per games. All three numbers are higher than his season averages of 15.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, and 1.7 apg. His shooting percentage over his last five is also off the charts, shooting at 51.6% from the field. While shooting at over a 50% clip for an entire season would be difficult, however the fact that he has been able to have this strong of consistency in his freshman season is a great sign for Okogie and the Yellow Jackets.

    Going forward, Okogie will have to continue making a big impact on the court. During the Yellow Jackets four ACC wins so far this season, Okogie has averaged just over 25 points per game this season. In their four in-conference losses, he’s averaging just 13 points per game, a stark difference. If Okogie can continue to be a high impact player and the rest of the team can evenly contribute the chances of making a run at the NCAA tournament is certainty possible. But that means that the Yellow Jackets as a whole have to do their part. Okogie can be one of the best players in the ACC down the stretch but if the rest of the team doesn’t pull their weight, it will all go to waste.

    The only certainty going forward is that the Yellow Jackets have a rising star in Josh Okogie. Combine Okogie’s skills with Josh Pastner’s coaching abilities and the sky may be the limit for Okogie and Georgia Tech going forward.