With the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets season-ending loss in the first round of the NIT Tournament on Tuesday, the Yellow Jackets can now look forward to the 2025-26 season. How will the Yellow Jackets look different next season?
The biggest question regarding the Yellow Jackets next season is how to replace the team’s leading scorer from this past season, Lance Terry. Terry had a presence to him that I believe can not be duplicated by a player currently on the bench, but in the latter part of the season, it looked as if freshman Jaeden Mustaf would be the guard that head coach Damon Stoudamire would look at to replace the spot in the starting lineup.
There will always be suspicions that maybe a player enters the transfer portal after a good season, so it will be crucial for the team to keep a trio of players that did well last season intact: Duncan Powell, Baye Ndongo, and Naithan George. George finished the season as the ACC assist leader, Ndongo was fourth in the ACC in rebounds last season, and Duncan Powell emerged as one of the best bench players in the country, finishing second in the ACC Sixth Man of the Year award.
Maybe Kawacie Reeves Jr returns to the starting lineup next season after playing just six games this season, as he could make a case for a medical hardship waiver, gaining him one more year of eligibility. Senior Luke O’Brien could make the claim for it as well, as he only appeared in ten games this season for the Yellow Jackets. If he is, it could be a big plus having him in as a rotational forward for the team, pairing him with Ndongo and Powell.
So, if you ask me, the most likely starting five for the team next season will be Naithan George, Jaeden Mustaf, Kawacie Reeves, Duncan Powell, and Baye Ndongo.