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Georgia Tech Basketball: Jackets look to stay unbeaten against Georgia

By Dylan Callaghan-Croley

ATHENS, GA - MARCH 03: A general view of the court at Stegeman Coliseum prior to the game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Kentucky Wildcats on March 3, 2015 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GA - MARCH 03: A general view of the court at Stegeman Coliseum prior to the game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Kentucky Wildcats on March 3, 2015 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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The Georgia Tech men’s basketball team will look to stay unbeaten on Wednesday evening when they take on the Georgia Bulldogs.

On Wednesday night, the Georgia Tech men’s basketball team will travel to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2019 basketball version of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. Both the Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs enter Wednesday night’s affair unbeaten.

The Yellow Jackets enter the game 2-0 overall and 1-0 in ACC play after wins over NC State (82-81 in overtime) and Elon  (64-41) to start the season. The Bulldogs on the other hand are 3-0 on the season after taking down Western Carolina, The Citadel and Delaware State to start the season.

According to Kenpom ratings, this matchup should be a pretty close matchup overall. The Bulldogs are ranked 61st while the Jackets are just one notch behind UGA at 62.Last season, the Yellow Jackets fell to the Bulldogs 70-59 at home in late December.

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The Bulldogs this season through three games have been dominant offensively, averaging 95.3 points per game, the fourth best average in the country. That being said, the Bulldogs haven’t faced the most talented teams in the country with KenProm ratings of  176 (WCU), 311 (Citadel) and Delaware State (351). All three are among the worst teams in the country in terms of defensive efficiency.

That being said, interestingly enough the Bulldogs offensive efficiency is only ranked 48th in the country despite scoring 95.3 points per game. That could mean that by going up against a tougher Georgia Tech defense tomorrow, the Bulldogs could be in for a struggle.

What the Bulldogs do well:

  • Strong shooters from inside the perimeter: The Bulldogs shoot strong from inside the perimeter so far this season, hitting 63.1% of their shots. That’s strong enough to be the 8th best in the country
  • Doesn’t turn off the ball: The Bulldogs only have 33 turnovers so far this season, an average of 11 turnovers per game.
  • Spreading the ball around: The Bulldogs aren’t afraid to pass the ball and get everyone involved. Five different Bulldogs have scored 10+ points per game this season. They’ll get everyone involved if needed, the Yellow Jackets won’t be able to rest on their laurels.

What the Bulldogs don’t do well:

  • Shoot the ball from beyond the arch: The Bulldogs have struggled immensely this season in shooting from beyond the arch, shooting just 29.3%.
  • Shoot their free throws well: They’ve struggled mightily at the charity stripe as well, shooting an abysmal 64.4%. If that continues they’ll struggle to win games as the season goes on.

Bulldogs to watch:

Five different Bulldogs are averaging 10+ points per games so far this season but we’ve selected two for Tech fans to watch above the rest.

G Anthony Edwards: The five-star freshman is playing up to what people have expected out of him entering this season. Edwards is averaging 19.7 points, 5 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 3.3 steals. That is an incredible stat line for any freshman. It’s only three games into his career but it’s still amazing to say the least.

F Rayshaun Hammonds: While Edwards is the most dangerous player the Bulldogs have, Hammonds is almost just nearly as dangerous. The junior forward through three games is averaging 14.3 points per game and 11.7 rebounds.

Yellow Jackets to watch:

G Michael Devoe: Devoe is off to a tremendous start this season averaging 22 points per game this season and shooting 60.9% from the field. He’s been the Jackets best shooter through the first two games and if they hope to win on Wednesday, he’ll need a big game.

F James Banks III: James Banks is another player off to a tremendous start and he’s been tremendous on both sides of the court. He’s averaging 15.5 points per game, 10 rebounds and 5.5 blocks.

Prediction:

I’m going to say that the Yellow Jackets are going to find a way to pull out another victory on Wednesday night and continue their hot start to the season. I think the Yellow Jackets defense will stifle the Bulldogs enough to give the Jackets a quality chance offensively to make some noise and potentially pull out a win. If they do so, it will be rather low scoring game. Final score prediction: 76-70 Georgia Tech