Jackets Travel to Face Virginia Tech

Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech

Wednesday, February 2, 2022 | 9 p.m. ET | Blacksburg, Va. | Cassell Coliseum

Television:  ACC Network

Play-by-Play:  Jay Alter  |  Analyst: Malcolm Huckaby

Radio: Georgia Tech Sports Network by Legends Sports (In Atlanta: 680 AM/93.7 The Fan | XM 381, SiriusXM app 971 | Listen Online | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets App | TuneIn

Play-by-Play: Andy Demetra  |  Analyst: Randy Waters

THE FLATS – On the road for the first time in 18 days, Georgia Tech travels to Blacksburg, Va., Wednesday for a 9 p.m. tip against Virginia Tech at Cassell Coliseum. It is the first of two scheduled meetings between the two teams this season. The Hokies come to Atlanta Feb. 23.

Tech (9-11 overall, 2-7 ACC) have split their last six games, capturing ACC victories over Boston College on the road (81-76 on Jan. 12) and Florida State at home (75-61) as well as a non-conference win over Clayton State (103-53) during its bye weekend. The Jackets are coming off a 73-62 home loss to Miami Saturday.

Reigning ACC Tournament MVP Michael Devoe (Orlando, Fla.), the ACC’s No. 3-leading scorer (18.8 points per game), No. 6 three-point shooter by volume (2.42 per game) and No. 4 by percentage (39.0), leads the Jackets along with senior forward Jordan Usher (Canton, Ga.), averaging 15.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Virginia Tech (11-10 overall, 2-7 ACC), who has played three of its last four games away from home, captured its second ACC win Saturday with an 85-72 decision over Florida State behind a barrage of three-point shooting, ending a streak of three straight losses by a total of 18 points.

Wednesday’s game will be televised live on the ACC Network, with a live stream available through the ESPN app. Radio coverage will be on the Georgia Tech Sports Network by Legends Sports and flagship station WCNN (680/93.7 the Fan), and on satellite radio (XM channel 381, SiriusXM app 971).

📸📸 pic.twitter.com/Oi8t6BkYOH

— Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball (@GTMBB) January 31, 2022

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— Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball (@GTMBB) January 31, 2022

THE OPENING TIP

• On the road – Georgia Tech plays seven of its final 11 ACC games on the road, where the Yellow Jackets are 1-2 this season in conference play, 2-2 in all games. Virginia Tech is just 1-3 in ACC games at home this season, the win coming against Notre Dame on Jan. 15, 6-3 in all games.
• Taking on the top – Georgia Tech played eight of its first nine ACC games against the teams in the top half of today’s conference standings. Eight of the last 11 games will come against the bottom seven teams.
• Overturning turnovers – Georgia Tech has improved its turnover rate on both ends of the floor in conference play from early in the second, and ranks No. 3 in the ACC in turnover margin (plus-2.0). The Jackets were minus-0.6 in non-conference games.
• Grand theft basketball – The Jackets are No. 2 in the conference in turnovers forced (14.33 per game) and steals (9.33) in conference games. Tech’s last three ACC foes (Wake Forest, Florida State, Miami) have coughed it up 50 times, 35 of them takeaways for Tech.
• Eight lineups – For the last three games, Tech has returned to the original starting lineup with which it began the season and used for six of the first eight games (Michael Devoe and Kyle Sturdivant at the guards, Jordan Usher and Khalid Moore at the forwards, Rodney Howard at center). The Jackets had not used that starting five since Dec. 5 vs. North Carolina. Tech has utilized eight different starting lineups this season, and Jordan Usher and Khalid Moore are the only players to play and start all 20 games.
• Hot streak – Usher has averaged 16.6 points and 7.2 rebounds over Tech’s last 12 games, having hit 75-of-151 shots from the floor (49.7 percent) and 21-of-51 threes (41.3 percent).
• Over a thousand – Senior Jordan Usher cleared the 1,000-point milestone for his career when he scored 22 points Jan. 15 at North Carolina. He has 1,071 points, 797 of them scored in a Tech uniform, giving Tech three 1,000-point scorers on its roster, including Michael Devoe (1,507) and Bubba Parham (1,452).
• Iron Mike – Senior guard Michael Devoe fell from the top spot in the ACC in scoring average for the first time this season after Tech’s game at at Boston College, and is currently No. 3 at 18.8 points per game. Devoe is No. 4 in the ACC in three-point percentage (39.0) and No. 6 in three-point field goals per game (2.42).
• Climbing the ladder – After beginning the season No. 36 in career points at Tech, Devoe has risen to No. 17 on the Tech career points list with 1,507 points, passing such Tech luminaries as Iman Shumpert, Drew Barry, Jarrett Jack, Michael Maddox, Tico Brown, Marvin Lewis, Anthony Morrow, Lenny Horton, former teammate Jose Alvarado, and most recently Kenny Anderson on Saturday.
• Getting Moore done – Senior forward Khalid Moore has averaged 7.9 points over Tech’s last 14 games, after averaging 3.8 in the Jackets’ first six games of the season. He has hit 40-of-76 from the floor over that stretch. Moore is averaging a career high 8.1 points in ACC games.
• Sturdy Sturdivant – Kyle Sturdivant has a 18:5 assist/turnover ratio over Tech’s last seven games. The junior guard has averaged 7.2 points with two double-digit efforts over that stretch.
• Rescheduled – The ACC has rescheduled Tech’s postponed ACC game at Syracuse for Monday, Feb 21 at 7 p.m. (was originally scheduled for Dec. 29). That will give the Jackets three conference games in a five-day stretch (Feb. 19 at Pitt, Feb. 21 at Syracuse, Feb. 23 vs. Virginia Tech).

Khalid Moore is averaging a career-high 8.1 points in ACC games after setting his personal scoring high Saturday with 19 points against Miami. (photo by Danny Karnik)

SERIES NOTES VS. VIRGINIA TECH

• Virginia Tech has won 20 of 28 all-time meetings with Georgia Tech, including 16 of 23 as a member of the ACC.
• Georgia Tech has won the last two meetings, however, capturing a 69-53 vicotry in Blacksburg in the teams’ only scheduled meeting of the 2020-21 season, The Jackets also took a 76-57 victory in Atlanta in the teams’ only scheduled meeting of the 2019-20 season, snapping a six-game losing streak in the series and matching its largest margin of victory in the series.
• Tech has won only twice in 12 trips to Cassell Coliseum, last season’s victory and a 64-54 win on Feb. 9, 2013.
• Tech has defeated Virginia Tech only four times in 12 meetings at home since the Hokies joined the ACC, and the Yellow Jackets received extroardinary performances by individuals to win two of those games. On Jan. 19, 2008, reserve guard Matt Causey came off the bench to hit seven threes and pour in 30 points in the Jackets’ 81-70 victory. On Jan. 25, 2011, Iman Shumpert recorded the fourth triple-double in Tech history with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the Jackets’ 72-57 win.
• The Hokies, led by future NBA star Dell Curry, held off the Jackets and their future All-Americans Mark Price and John Salley, 77-74, in a first-round post-season NIT game, at Cassell Coliseum in 1984.
• The teams have split two ACC Tournament encounters, the Jackets capturing a 73-54 victory in the first round of the 2005 tournament in Washington, D.C., and the Hokies winning a 59-43 decision in the first round in 2011 in Greensboro.
• Georgia Tech’s first victory over Virginia Tech occurred on Dec. 27, 1962, a 73-72 overtime triumph at the Gator Bowl Tournament that was part of an 11-0 start for the Yellow Jackets. Tech went on to finish the season 21-5. That remains the only meeting between the two teams when both were ranked in the nation’s top 25.
• Both teams were members of the old Metro Conference, but not at the same time. Georgia Tech was a member for three seasons from 1975-76 through 1977-78 before leaving to join the ACC. Virginia Tech joined the league for the 1978-79 season.

Alexander-Tharpe Fund

The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.   

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL

Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team won the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship in 2021 after finishing fourth in the regular season. Tech has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1979, winning four ACC Championships (1985, 1990, 1993, 2021), playing in the NCAA Tournament 17 times and playing 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.