Feb. 13, 2015
Gregory interview | Complete Game Notes | ACC Network Affiliates
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech looks ahead to the second of its three straight Saturday-Monday basketball weekends Saturday, playing the first of two straight home games against Florida State at 2:30 p.m. at McCamish Pavilion.
Tech, in its fourth season under head coach Brian Gregory, slipped to 11-13 overall and 2-10 in the ACC Monday with another heart-breaking loss, 65-63, to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. The Yellow Jackets, who have won twice in their last five games, have lost nine of their ACC games by a total of 34 points.
Florida State (13-12, 5-7 ACC) is coming off a 73-70 home loss Monday to No. 4 Duke. In their 13th season under head coach Leonard Hamilton, the Seminoles hold 11th place in the ACC standings and have seen their last eight games all decided by eight or fewer points.
Saturday’s game will be televised regionally on the ACC Network (WATL-TV in Atlanta) and will be streamed live on ESPN3 (subject to blackout). The Georgia Tech IMG Radio Network, with flagship station WCNN (680 AM/93.7 FM) will also carry the game. Tech’s radio coverage can be heard on satellite radio nationally (Sirius Ch. 117, XM Ch. 194).
Tech turns around quickly after Saturday’s game to prepare for a 7 p.m. game Monday night against Clemson at McCamish Pavilion.
STARTING FIVE FOR SATURDAY’S GAME
• Saturday’s game is the front end in the second of three consecutive Saturday-Monday turnarounds for the Yellow Jackets. Both of this weekend’s games are at home, with the Florida State game followed by a Monday home game against Clemson. Next weekend, Tech visits North Carolina Saturday and hosts Louisville Monday.
• Tech’s strength of schedule is ranked No. 21 in ESPN’s RPI rankings, and its non-conference strength of schedule is ranked No. 64.
• Tech ranks 13th nationally in rebound margin (+8.2), 10th in offensive rebounds per game (14.2).
• Virginia defeated Tech by 29 points, but the Yellow Jackets’ other nine conference defeats have come by a total of 34 points (3.8 points per game), two of those in overtime. Tech has lost twice by one point, twice by two points, once by three, once by five, once by six and twice by seven. The seven-point loss at Notre Dame was a double-overtime defeat. Eight of those defeats have been one- or two-possession games at the 1-minute mark.
• Tech has a minus-0.65 “Luck” rating, KenPom.com’s measure of a team’s number of close games and its success in them. The Jackets rank No. 304 in that category, or to look at it another way, the 51st unluckiest team in the country.
SERIES NOTES VS. FLORIDA STATE
• Florida State has won the last nine games in the series, including an 81-71 win in Tallahassee last season and a 56-54 win in the teams’ last meeting at McCamish Pavilion. Georgia Tech’s last win over the Seminoles occurred in Tallahassee on Feb. 13, 2007 by a score of 63-57.
• Tech won five of six from the Seminoles prior to the current eight-game FSU streak.
• The last two meetings in Tallahassee are the only two of the nine games to be decided by double digits. The other seven were decided by an average of 4.1 points.
• Going back to the team’s March 6, 2004 meeting, eight of the 15 games have been decided by three or fewer points.
• The scores of nine of the last 10 games, dating back to the last Tech win, have been in the 60s or the 50s, with the exception of FSU’s 72-66 win on Feb. 10. 2011 in Atlanta and last year’s game. Tech has scored more than 66 points against FSU only once.
• Since FSU joined the ACC, Tech is 17-24 against the Seminoles. Florida State won the first six in a row, Tech followed by winning five straight, and is 12-18 against the Seminoles since then.
• In those 41 games, 20 have been decided by four points or less, 30 by fewer than 10 points. One of those games went to double-overtime, which the Yellow Jackets won 111-108 on Feb. 11, 1999 in Tallahassee.
• Tech is 16-15 against the Seminoles in Atlanta, all but one of those games at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
• Tech is 6-12 against Seminole teams led by head coach Leonard Hamilton. Tech is 7-12 against Hamilton overall, with a victory over his Miami team in December of 1997.
• Tech is 10-20 in games played in Tallahassee, including a 7-12 mark at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, formerly known as the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center.
• Tech and Florida State were both members of the old Metro Conference from 1976-78, and the Seminoles won three of those four meetings.
• Florida State has won both ACC Tournament meetings between the schools, including a 64-62 win at the Georgia Dome in 2009. 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.
