Yellow Jacked Up
Fansided

Georgia Tech Basketball vs UCLA 2017 gameday guide

By Dylan Callaghan-Croley

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 07: A general view of the tipoff of the Louisville Cardinals' basketball game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the game at Hank McCamish Pavilion on January 7, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 07: A general view of the tipoff of the Louisville Cardinals' basketball game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the game at Hank McCamish Pavilion on January 7, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 07: Donovan Mitchell
ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 07: Donovan Mitchell /

Jackets’ Keys to the Game:

Key #1:  Shoot strong from the perimeter & free throw line

One of the Jackets biggest weaknesses last year was their ability to shot from beyond the arch and at the charity stripe. Their shooting percentages from the perimeter and free throw line respectively were .331 and .682 respectively, both ranked in the bottom third of the country.

While UCLA may not have the juggernaut roster they had a season ago, the Bruins do have a roster that is capable of scoring fast and often. If the Jacket are going to pull off an upset against UCLA without Okogie or Jackson, they’ll need strong performances in both these areas, especially from the free throw line.

If the Jackets come up short in both on Saturday, it’s going to be extremely difficult to have a chance to win the game.

Key #2:  Don’t try to be flashy on defense

This goes back to the Bruins highly talented roster that will be one of the highest scoring teams in the country this season. For the Jackets, they’ll have to recognize that they are the “lesser talented” team in raw the aspect of raw talent. They’re also going to most likely run a highly inexperienced and young lineup throughout the game. That means on defense, they’ll have to e simple and not try to be flashy.

The Jackets will not be able to afford to overplay balls, allowing UCLA to get open looks. If they can keep the Bruins shooters in front of them, they’ll have a much better chance of limiting their shot selection and overall chance of making shots.

Next: Football: Jackets have chance to redefine season

Key #3: Get Lammers rolling early

With Okogie and Jackson out against the Bruins, Ben Lammers becomes the Jackets top scoring threat. To have a chance to win, they’ll have to get Lammers rolling on both sides of the ball, especially on the offensive side. That means, the Jacket will need to feed Lammers the ball offensively early and often.

Last season, Lammers had a breakout season, averaging 14.2 points per game, second for the Jackets only behind Okogie’s 16.1 points per game. While the rest of the Yellow Jackets will need to shoot well, a bad game offensively out of Lammers would be a big obstacle for the Jackets to overcome.

If the Jackets hope to win, they’ll need a 20-30 point performance from senior big man.