Dec. 19, 2014
THE FLATS – Looking to build momentum late in its non-conference schedule, Georgia Tech concludes a two-game post-exam homestand Saturday when it hosts Vanderbilt in a 2 p.m. matinee at McCamish Pavilion.
Coach Gregory interview | Complete Game Notes | ESPN3 link
Tech is 7-2 in its fourth season under head coach Brian Gregory after defeating Appalachian State, 70-57, Monday night. The Yellow Jackets have won three of their last four games and 10 of 13 dating back to the end of last season.
Vanderbilt, also 7-2 in its 16th season under head coach Kevin Stallings, has won two in a row at home, defeating Purdue last Saturday and Western Carolina Tuesday night. The Commodores’ only losses were a pair of three-point decisions to Rutgers, in the Barclays Center Classic, and at home to Baylor.
Saturday’s game will be not be televised but can be viewed online at ESPN3.com. The Georgia Tech IMG Radio Network, with flagship station WCNN (680 AM/93.7 FM) will also carry the game. Radio coverage can also be heard in satellite radio nationally (Sirius Ch. 93, XM Ch. 193).
Tech finishes out its non-conference schedule with a pair of teams ranked high in the RPI when it visits Dayton (No. 29) next Tuesday and hosts Charlotte (No. 42) on Dec. 30. Vanderbilt comes in as high as No. 66 in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings.
Five Things to Know About Saturday’s Game
• Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt are playing for the 73rd time, the most for Tech and any non-conference foe outside Georgia (191) and Auburn (114).
• Vanderbilt’s Kevin Stallings is looking for his 300th victory as the Commodores’ head coach.
• Only four of Tech’s current players participated in last year’s game at Vanderbilt, and scored a total of 10 points (Bolden 7, Georges-Hunt 3) in the 76-63 loss. Demarco Cox scored a total of eight points and took a total of eight rebounds in five games vs. Vanderbilt while at Ole Miss.
• Tech held steady in the CBSSports.com RPI rankings after defeating Appalachian State. The Jackets’ next three games are against teams ranked in the top 100 of at least one of the RPI rankings. Vanderbilt is No. 66 in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings, although out of the top 100 in the others. Dayton and Charlotte are in the top 50 in each of the RPI rankings. The Jackets are 3-1 vs. teams in the top 100, having defeated Georgia, Rhode Island and Northwestern.
• Georgia Tech’s football team will be presented with the Governor’s Cup trophy at halftime of Saturday’s game. The Governor’s Cup goes to the winner in the annual Georgia Tech-Georgia football game. The Jackets are off until after Christmas when they begin preparing for the Dec. 31 Orange Bowl vs. Mississippi State, but several of the players will be on hand for the presentation.
Series Notes vs. Vanderbilt
Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt are completing a home-and-away series with Saturday’s game at McCamish Pavilion. The Commodores took a 76-63 decision last Dec. 21 at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville.
• The teams have met six times since Tech left the Southeastern Conference in 1964, each team winning three times. The Jackets won a single meeting (86-77, ot) at the Georgia Dome in 1993, and the teams split a four-game series that took place between 2006 and 2008. Each team won the two home games in that four-game series.
• Vanderbilt won 34 of 56 meetings between the two teams when Tech was a member of the Southeastern Conference. The Commodores won 13 of 14 meetings during one stretch in the 1950s.
• While head coach at Dayton, Georgia Tech coach Brian Gregory was 0-2 in a home-and-away series vs. Vanderbilt and its coach Kevin Stallings in 2004 and 2005.
About Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball
Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team is beginning its fourth year under head coach Brian Gregory. The Yellow Jackets have 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 (@GTMBK).
For more information on Tech basketball, visit Ramblinwreck.com. Tickets for men’s basketball can be purchased here.
