Georgia Tech Basketball Hosts Elon for 2019-20 Home Opener

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THE FLATS – Georgia Tech begins the non-conference portion of its 2019-20 schedule Monday night when the Yellow Jackets host Elon for a 7:30 p.m. tip at Mccamish Pavilion. It is the teams’ first meeting since 2006.

Tech (1-0. 1-0 ACC) began its fourth season under head coach Josh Pastner last Tuesday night with a dramatic 82-81 overtime victory over NC State in Raleigh, N.C. It was the first time in 40 years the Yellow Jackets had started a season with a conference game, or a true road game, and Tech prevailed despite never leading in regulation. Monday’s game is the first of six home non-conference games for the Jackets.

Elon (2-0, 0-0 CAA) is off to strong start in its first season under head coach Mike Schrage with a pair of home court wins, defeating Mars Hill, 90-84, and Milligan, 94-54, the team’s first 2-0 start since 2013-14. Tech is the first of three straight power conference foes the Phoenix will play on the road in the next 10 days, continuing at Michigan Friday night and North Carolina on Nov. 20.

Monday’s game will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra, available through the ESPN app. Radio coverage is provided through Learfield IMG College, airing in Atlanta on 680 AM and 93.7 FM the Fan and through the TuneIn app. The Tech broadcast is also available on satellite radio (XM ch. 371, internet ch. 371).

Khalid Moore was solid to begin his sophomore year with 11 points, four rebounds and six steals at NC State.

THE TIPOFF

• Beefing up – With a more veteran team in 2019-20, Georgia Tech made an effort to strengthen its non-conference schedule, beginning a two-game series with Kentucky and finishing another two-game set with Arkansas, while accepting an invitation to play in the Diamond Head Classic, in which the Jackets could wind up playing a pair of 2019 NCAA Tournament teams in Houston and Washington. Also on the schedule are power conference foes Georgia and Nebraska.
• Rise above – The Yellow Jackets finished last season 10th in the ACC after being projected to finish no higher than 13th in the preseason. It was Tech’s highest finish since tying for ninth in 2013. Tech also outperformed projections in 2016-17, finishing 11th after being picked to finish 14th in Josh Pastner’s first season. The Jackets have been projected to finish 12th this season in the official preseason poll of ACC media.
• Core group returns – Georgia Tech returns all five players who started its final two games of the season, and eight players who started a total of 123 games.
• Firepower returning – Tech returns its top three scorers from the 2018-19 season – Jose Alvarado, James Banks III and Michael Devoe – who accounted for 48.4 percent of its points, 41.6 percent of its rebounds and 47.2 percent of its minutes. Altogether, Tech returns eight ot its top 11 players, who combined for 73.2 percent of its points, 66.4 percent of its points and 73.7 percent of its minutes. Those eight players combined to start 123 games.
• Get old and stay old – Tech’s core eight returning players include two seniors, three juniors and three sophomores.
• Reinforcements – Tech has added two high-level transfers in 6-7 forward Jordan Usher from Southern California and 5-11 guard Bubba Parham from VMI, both of whom hail from the Atlanta area and were successful with their former schools. Usher, a former 4-star high school prospect, averaged more than eight points a game last year at USC, while Parham, an All-Southern Conference selection, led the SoCon in scoring at 21.4 points per game. Parham was granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA. Usher, who enrolled at Tech last January, becomes eligible for the Jackets’ Dec. 18 game against Ball State. The Jackets also signed an all-state high school guard from South Carolina in 6-5 Asanti Price.
• 105th season – Georgia Tech is playing its 105th season of basketball in 2019-20 and has an all-time record of 1,355-1,243.
• First time – Georgia Tech’s roster is composed entirely of student-athletes recruited by head coach Josh Pastner and his staff for the first time in Pastner’s tenure.
• Better than par – Junior guard Bubba Parham was ranked No. 18 among the 2019-20 transfer class by Stadium’s Jeff Goodman, who quoted one scout as saying, “He’s a badass. Cat-quick combo guard who can score 40. Elite in ball screens, deep range and can really pass.”
• 55 – Total years of full-time experience on Division I staffs for Tech’s coaching staff.

SERIES VS. ELON

• Georgia Tech won all three prior meetings with Elon, all taking place between 2003 and 2006 at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
• Tech won the three games by an average of 21.5 points, including an 83-49 win in the teams’ last meeting on Nov. 10, 2006.
• The last Tech team to face Elon had five future NBA players on the roster, including 2007 first-round picks Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton, as well as Alade Aminu, Anthony Morrow and Mario West. Young is still active as a member of the Chicago Bulls, along with four players still active overseas (Aminu, Mouhammad Faye, Zachery Peacock and Jeremis Smith).
• Tech is 22-3 all-time against the current membership of the Colonial Athletic Association, and Monday marks the Jackets’ first game against a CAA foe since Dec. 8, 2012, a 73-66 victory over UNC Wilmington.

VETERANS OFFERED FREE TICKETS FOR ELON GAME

As a Salute to Service on Veterans Day, Georgia Tech athletics is offering complimentary tickets for Monday’s men’s basketball game against Elon to all military personnel and first responders through VetTix, an organization that provides tickets for a wide range of events to U.S. military members and veterans.

The home opener for the Yellow Jackets, the Tech-Elon game tips off at 7:30 p.m. at McCamish Pavilion. Service members can register for up to four tickets each through VetTix at this link.

Tickets redeemed through the site can be claimed with valid identification until game time. Those who do not redeem tickets through the VetTix site can show a valid ID that they are a member of the military or a first responder at the ticket window, and receive a ticket to the game.

As a grateful thanks to all military members and first responders, head coach Josh Pastner is paying for all tickets that are redeemed.

FOLLOWING THE TRENDS

• All five starters scored in double figures at NC State. It was the first time that five Jackets reached double figures since last Dec. 22 vs. Kennesaw State. It was the first time Tech placed all five starters in double figures since Feb. 4, 2018 at Boston College (all five starters plus one reserve).
• Georgia Tech shot 49.2 percent in the game (30-for-61), falling just short of extending to four straight games having shot 50 percent or better from the floor. Tech finished last season by hitting 50.8 percent against Boston College, 58.1 percent at NC State and 51.7 percent against Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament.
• Tech converted 60 percent of its field goals in the second half to bring the Jackets back from a 7-point halftime deficit.
• KenPom numbers – Tech exceeded its offensive efficiency at NC State (100.4 points per 100 possessions) only four times in 19 games against conference opponents last year. Tech matched or exceeded its 73 possessions only six times.
• The 15-point deficit was the largest from which Tech has rallied to win a road game under Josh Pastner, and matched the largest overall (15 points vs. Boston College at home on Feb. 11, 2017).
• Tech held the Wolfpack to 38 percent overall from the floor, 35.1 percent after halftime. Tech is 37-13 under Josh Pastner when holding opponents under 40 percent.

PERSONNEL HIGHLIGHTS

• Jose Alvarado reached double digits for the 37th time in his career at NC State. With seven assists and three turnovers, the junior has 33 assists against 11 turnovers in his last seven games dating back to last Feb. 20 against Pittsburgh. Alvarado picked up his fourth foul with 16:54 left in regulation and managed to avoid fouling out.
• Moses Wright has reached double figures in five of his last six games. He averaged 15.0 points and 6.8 rebounds and hit 42-of-67 shots from the floor (62.7 pct.) in those games. Prior to that, Wright had averaged 4.9 points and 3.2 rebounds. Wright scored 12 points (6-of-9) before fouling out with 10:05 left in the NC State game. He has scored 30 points in two games vs. hometown team (18 last March 6, 12 tonight).
• James Banks III has scored in double digits in five straight games. He hit 26-of-35 shots from the floor (74.2 pct.) and 8-of-11 from the foul line in the last four games of last season. He posted his eighth career double-double and his fourth in an ACC game at NC State. Stat line – 20 points (8-14 FG, 4-4 FT), 13 rebounds, 5 blocked shots, 3 assists.
• Banks blocked 31 shots over the last 10 games of last season and finished with 78 in 31 games – 2.52 per game, which led the ACC. He blocked five in the season opener at NC State.
• Banks played the final 9:15 of regulation and all of overtime with four fouls at NC State, getting six of his points, three rebounds and one assist in that time.
• At NC State, Michael Devoe posted 16th double digit game and tied his career high of 22 points first set at Virginia Tech last year (2/13). The sophomore was perfect shooting in the second half – 4-for-4 from the floor, two 3s, and 2-for-2 from the foul line. He finished the game 7-of-12 from the floor, 3-of-4 on 3s, and 5-of-6 from the foul line, adding three assists and a steal with only two turnovers in a team-high 41:54.
• Devoe finished last season with four double-figure games in the last five, averaging 11.6 points and 3.2 assists. The 6-4 freshman hit 42 percent of his shots from the floor (21-50) and 40.7 from behind the three-point stripe. Devoe hit a team-best 43.8 percent of his three-point tries in regular-season ACC play, leading the Jackets with 32 threes. Devoe was 25-of-54 from three-point land (46.3 pct.) in his last 10 games.
• Alvarado (2-for-7) and Devoe (3-for-4) combined to go 5-of-11 from three-point land against NC State. They combined to convert 37.7 percent in ACC games last year.

Michael Devoe matched his career high with 22 points at NC State.

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ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL

Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team is in its fourth year under head coach Josh Pastner. Tech has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1979, won three ACC Championships (1985, 1990, 1993), played in the NCAA Tournament 16 times and played in two Final Fours (1990, 2004). Connect with Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball on social media by liking their Facebook Page, or following on Twitter (@GTMBB) and Instagram. For more information on Tech basketball, visit Ramblinwreck.com.

Season tickets for men’s basketball can be purchased here.