Georgia Tech Basketball: Yellow Jackets vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview
It is time for Brian Gregory and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9-3) to get it done in ACC play. They are going to be tested right out the gate with a 2:30 PM EST tipoff against the No.14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (13-1, 1-0 ACC ) in South Bend, Indiana.
Notre Dame was forecasted to finish out of the ACC Top 10 in a lot of publications this preseason, but their play has pundits rethinking that critique.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Mike Brey’s Fighting Irish are one of the top offensive teams in the country averaging 86.1 ppg, which is third best in the country.
A big reason for the explosive offense is a four-guard offense that has been utilized by Coach Brey, and the leader of that attack, Jerian Grant.
The 6-foot-5 senior is on The Naismith Top 50 Player of the Year Watch List as listed on nbc.com.
His 17.4 points and 6.2 assists per game, to go along with his 52.8% field goal shooting on the year, are worth taking notice of.
6-foot-10 junior forward, Zach Auguste, provides the size in the paint and is the second leading scorer for Notre Dame averaging 14.9 points and 6.6 rebounds on the year.
The Fighting Irish’s leading rebounder is 6-foot-5 senior guard/forward Pat Connaughton who snatches 8.2 rebounds per game to go along with his 14.0 ppg.
(Photo: Matt Cashore, USA TODAY Sports). 3. Jerian Grant …
Finally, 6-foot-1 sophomore guard, Demitrius Jackson, is Notre Dame’s most efficient scoring threat averaging 14.4 points per game on 58.1% field goal shooting.
Notre Dame as a team knocks the trey down at a 41.6% clip. The three-pointer has been the key to the defeats Georgia Tech has taken this season, though Tech’s three-point defense currently is holding opponents to 28.3% from beyond the arc, 28th best in the country.
Brian Gregory spoke about how the team’s perimeter defense is what has been the equalizer to his team’s poor outside shooting this season in a video interview on the Georgia Tech Athletics You Tube Channel:
It would be great if his team could find their outside touch during conference play and in particular this game.
Don’t forget that last time this team went on the road against a decent outside shooting team was their trip to Dayton.
On that night, the Flyers drained 10 of 18 three-pointers en route to handing the Yellow Jackets their worse defeat of the three losses during nonconference play.
Georgia Tech’s nonconference strength of schedule is ranked 33rd according to cbssports.com’s RPI rankings, and the Jackets played six teams in the RPI top 100.
The difficulty of their nonconference should serve them well as they go into conference play.
The depth and versatility of the team should be something that serves this team well also, and they are going to need both against Notre Dame.
The Irish can get out in transition as well as play sound half-court offense.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Georgia Tech must find a way to dictate the pace of the game so they can use their size advantage. If Tech can keep this game in the mid 60’s to low 70’s somehow, they have a shot at getting this road win.
You have to believe that Charles Mitchell and Demarco Cox should be able to get theirs inside. The key is going to be if Marcus Georges-Hunt and another perimeter scorer can emerge in this game offensively.
Georgia Tech holds the historical edge in the all-time series 7-3. Notre Dame won the last matchup in South Bend 65-62 on February 26th.
This game can be seen on the ACC Network at 2:30 PM EST. You can also listen to the game on the radio in the Atlanta area on 680 AM and 93.7 FM as well as satellite radio on Sirius 108 and XM 193.