Yellow Jacked Up
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Georgia Tech Women’s Basketball: Jackets enter 2020 as one of ACC’s best

By Dylan Callaghan-Croley

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 20: A general view of basketballs before the game between the Georgia Bulldogs and Michigan State Spartans during the second round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 20, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 20: A general view of basketballs before the game between the Georgia Bulldogs and Michigan State Spartans during the second round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 20, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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The Georgia Tech women’s basketball enters the 2020 calendar year as one of the ACC’s best in Nell Fortner’s first year.

Georgia Tech women’s head coach Nell Fortner is showing why she’s one of the best women’s basketball coaches in the country. Fortner, in her first season as the leader of the Yellow Jackets has the women’s basketball team heading into 2020 with a 10-2 record including a 1-0 record in conference play.

The Jackets are currently perfect at home with a 6-0 record and on the road at 2-0. They’ve split their four neutral site games going 2-2.

Their lone losses of the season came in a narrow defeat against Rutgers (46-43) and No. 11 Texas A&M (60-48).  Combined the Scarlet Knights and the Aggies are a combined 23-2 this season. With that being said, the Jackets have an argument of being the best, two-loss team in the country and are in prime position to get into the NCAA Tournament with a strong performance in upcoming conference play.

It won’t be easy for the Jackets but they found themselves in a strong place going forward. In front of the Jackets in terms of overall records in the ACC is No.8 Florida State (13-0), No.9 North Carolina State (12-0), and No.7 Louisville (12-1). Over the course of the remainder of the regular season, the Jackets have four games lined up against that trio with two against Florida State (Jan. 9, Feb. 23), North Carolina State (Feb. 16), and Louisville (Feb. 20).

Based off their current play, the Jackets shouldn’t have too much trouble in conference play outside of that trio above. Virginia Tech (10-2) and Miami (9-3) are also off to good starts this season. The remainder of the ACC, however, is 7-5 or worst entering 2020.

If Georgia Tech hopes to be successful in conference play, they’ll need their four offensive stars so far this season to continue their success. Senior guard Farncesca Pan has averaged 14.9 points so far this season while also averaging four rebounds per game. Lorela Cubaj, Jasmine Carson, and Lotta-Maj Lahtinen are the Jackets three other leaders offensively, all averaging over 10-points per game. Another name to know going forward is Kierra Fletcher who is averaging 9.7 points per game.

Overall, it’s been a fantastic start to the Nell Fortner era of Geogria Tech basketball as the veteran head coach has led the Jackets to start this season in her return to coaching. The Jackets don’t have the easiest road to the NCAA Tournament in upcoming months but it surely is a manageable schedule. The women’s basketball team will surely be one team to watch here in the early months of 2020.

The women’s basketball team will look to start the 2020 calendar year off strong when they welcome the Miami Hurricanes to Atlanta on Thursday night.