July 29, 2016

@GTMBB Non-Conference Slate Set

July 29, 2016

THE FLATS – Six games against teams that played in a post-season tournament last year, as well as road trips to Power 5 conference teams Penn State and Tennessee, highlight the non-conference men’s basketball schedule for Georgia Tech in 2016-17.

The Yellow Jackets will play nine times at home before Jan. 1 in head coach Josh Pastner’s first Tech campaign, with the home slate interrupted by three consecutive road games in late November/early December.

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Tech opens the campaign with five home games against Tennessee Tech (Nov. 11), Southern University (Nov. 14), Ohio University (Nov. 18), Sam Houston State (Nov. 22) and Tulane (Nov. 26). All but Tulane, whom the Jackets defeated last season in New Orleans, played in the post-season last year. Tennessee Tech played in the inaugural Vegas 16 event, while Southern University won the Southwest Athletic Conference to make the NCAA Tournament field. Ohio (RPI #81) reached the semifinals of the College Basketball Invitational, while Sam Houston State played in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Those four teams combined to win 82 games in 2015-16.

The Jackets travel for the first time on Nov. 29 to make their first-ever visit to State College, Pa., to face Penn State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. It will be the third time the teams have met as part of that event, fourth meeting overall.

Following that, the Yellow Jackets visit two teams they defeated last season in close games at McCamish Pavilion — Tennessee on Dec. 3 and VCU (RPI #37) on Dec. 6. The Tennessee game is the second of four scheduled meetings between the two teams; Tech defeated the Volunteers, 69-67, last Nov. 16. The visit to VCU, which won 25 games and played in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight year last March, completes a two-game series between the two teams. The Jackets defeated the Rams, 77-64, last December.

Tech then comes back to McCamish Pavilion for four home games during the semester break in December against Alcorn State (Dec. 18), Georgia (Dec. 20), Wofford (Dec. 22) and North Carolina A&T (Dec. 28). The Bulldogs (RPI #62), who won 20 games and played in the NIT last spring, downed Tech 75-61 last year in Athens to snap a four-game Yellow Jacket winning streak in the series. The Yellow Jackets are playing Wofford at home for the second straight year after defeating the Terriers, 77-61, last December.

Tip times will be announced at a later date to coincide with the release of the entire Atlantic Coast Conference schedule.

Schedule notes: Tech hosts Shorter University, an NCAA Division II team, from Rome, Ga., in an exhibition game Nov. 5 … The Yellow Jackets have played every other team on the non-conference schedule previously except Sam Houston State … Tech will play Georgia for the 193rd time, Tennessee for the 81st time, Tulane for the 71st time … Last meeting vs. Tennessee Tech (12/27/2007), Southern (3/19/1993), Ohio (3/11/1960), Alcorn State (1/18/1989), North Carolina A&T (11/24/2013) … Tech’s only previous meeting vs. Southern was in the opening round of the 1993 NCAA Tournament in Tucson, Ariz.; Tech was upset by the Jaguars after the Yellow Jackets had won the ACC Championship … In the only previous meeting with Ohio, Tech defeated the Bobcats in its first-ever NCAA Tournament game in 1960, then lost in the second round to eventual NCAA champion Ohio State.

Season ticket packages for the Yellow Jackets’ fifth season in McCamish Pavilion start as low as $360, or $20 per game. Purchasing season tickets guarantee patrons the lowest price per game for all 18 home games. A complete list of season-ticket holder benefits is available at TogetherWeSwarm.com, the official site for renewing or purchasing Georgia Tech basketball tickets. Fans can also purchase tickets by calling 1-888-TECH -TIX.

Pastner’s first Tech team welcomes back seven letterwinners, including senior forward (6-9, Atlanta, Ga.), senior guards (6-2, Tampa, Fla.), and (6-1, Duluth, Ga.) and junior guard (6-2, Tifton, Ga.), who have started 76 games between them in their careers, and junior center (6-10, San Antonio, Texas). Pastner also welcomes a three-man freshman class that includes guards (6-4, San Diego, Calif.) and (6-5, Snellville, Ga.) and wing forward (6-6, Fort Washington, Md.).

Tech’s home Atlantic Coast Conference schedule for 2016-17 also includes Florida State, an NIT participant and 20-game winner last season, Boston College, Clemson and NC State. The complete ACC schedule will be announced in late August.

2015-16 GEORGIA TECH NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

DateOpponent (Conference)2015-16RecordSeriesNotable