Feb. 3, 2015
Gregory interview (video) | Gregory interview (audio) | Complete Game Notes | WatchESPN link
THE FLATS – Once again looking for a rebound after a heart-breaking loss, Georgia Tech goes back on the road to face a nationally-ranked team when it visits No. 4 Duke at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Tech, in its fourth season under head coach Brian Gregory, slipped to 10-11 overall and 1-8 at the halfway point of the Atlantic Coast Conference schedule after falling to NC State, 81-80, on a three-point shot at the buzzer in overtime on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets, who had captured a 70-50 win at No. 23 Miami last Wednesday, have lost seven ACC games by a total of 26 points.
Duke (18-3, 5-3 ACC) is just the opposite. The Blue Devils rebounded from a Wednesday loss at Notre Dame by rallying for a 69-63 win at No. 2 Virginia Saturday night. Duke, which holds fifth place in the ACC, is playing just its fourth home game in ACC play, where it is 2-1, the lone loss coming to Miami on Jan. 13.
This is the only meeting between Tech and Duke during the 2014-15 regular season. Wednesday’s game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 and will be streamed live on the WatchESPN app. The Georgia Tech IMG Radio Network, with flagship station WCNN (680 AM/93.7 FM) will also carry the game. Duke’s radio coverage can be heard on satellite radio nationally (Sirius Ch. 91, XM Ch. 91).
Tech follows up Wednesday’s game Saturday at 12 noon at McCamish Pavilion against Wake Forest.
STARTING FIVE FOR WEDNESDAY’S GAME
• Duke is the fifth game for Georgia Tech against a top-25 team in the last month, and its second against a top-5 team on the road. Tech has two wins against top-10 teams and one against a top-25 team on the road under Brian Gregory.
• Tech’s strength of schedule is ranked No. 27 in CBS’ RPI rankings. Tech’s future strength of schedule ranks No. 46 in TeamRankings.com.
• Virginia defeated Tech by 29 points, but the Yellow Jackets’ other seven conference defeats have come by a total of 26 points (3.7 points per game), two of those in overtime. Tech’s other seven ACC losses have come by seven, one, seven, three, five, two and one points. The seven-point loss at Notre Dame was a double-overtime defeat.
• Tech has a minus-0.42 “Luck” rating, KenPom.com’s measure of a team’s number of close games and its success in them. The Jackets rank No. 273 in that category, or to look at it another way, the 78th unluckiest team in the country.
• Tech ranks eighth in the nation in rebound margin (+8.8) and 10th in offensive rebounds per game (14.4).
SERIES NOTES VS. DUKE
• Georgia Tech and Duke played twice last season for the first time since the 2009-10 season, when the teams also played each other in the ACC Tournament. The Blue Devils swept the regular season series with a 79-57 win in Durham and a 68-51 win in Atlanta.
• Duke has won 31 of the last 34 games in the series and the last seven in a row.
• The Blue Devils won 11 of the last 13 meetings at Alexander Memorial Coliseum and posted a 21-13 lead over Tech in games played on the Jackets’ former home court, as well as a 25-16 mark in games played in Atlanta. Duke’s win on Feb. 18 was its first game at McCamish Pavilion.
• Duke leads the overall series 68-23, and is 55-19 against Tech since the Jackets joined the ACC.
• Tech’s best stretch of the series occurred between 1982 and 1989, with 10 wins in 17 meetings. Tech has never won more than two in a row.
• Tech is 19-57 against Duke teams coached by Mike Krzyzewski, 12-19 in games played in Atlanta.
• Tech has won just five of 38 games played at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the first four coming in (1959, 1984, 1987 and 1996). Tech’s most recent win occurred on Mar. 3, 2004 in a 76-68 victory, which snapped a 41-game home court winning streak for the Blue Devils.
• Tech is 3-7 against the Blue Devils in ACC Tournament encounters. Tech defeated Duke on the way to each of its three tournament titles, including semifinal victories in 1985 and 1990 and a first-round triumph in 1993. The Blue Devils have defeated Tech three times in championship games (1986, 2005, 2010).
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.
