By Andy Demetra | Voice of the Yellow Jackets
It’s not often that an opening tip-off doubles as crunch time, but Georgia Tech may be wise to put itself in that mindset Saturday.
In their last three games, the Yellow Jackets have averaged 33% shooting and nine turnovers in the first half, numbers that not surprisingly have led to double-digit deficits in each. They now face a NC State team (12-5, 3-1 ACC) that hasn’t trailed past the 16:35 mark of the first half of its last two games and recently broke a school record for largest margin of victory in an ACC road game.
There may be even greater urgency to, well, play with urgency.
Then again, Georgia Tech (10-8, 1-4 ACC) showed how a crisp start at Duke can set the tone for a competitive game against a Quad 1 opponent. And if the Jackets can be disciplined on defense, decisive on offense, and attack the opening minutes like the closing minutes of a tight game?
They could unlock the key to a good time in Raleigh.
Enjoy the top notes from my chart as the Yellow Jackets gear up for tip-off at the Lenovo Center (12:00 p.m. ET, Georgia Tech Sports Network).
Georgia Tech takes on its fourth Quad 1 opponent in Raleigh on Saturday. (photo by Eldon Lindsay)
NC State has had a week to rest up – and hopefully, to cool off.
In their last game, the Wolfpack blowtorched the nets for an ACC record-tying 19 threes in a 113-69 demolition of Florida State in Tallahassee. That followed a 13-for-22 performance at Boston College, meaning NC State comes home, seven-day layoff and all, on a molten heater from deep:
NC State – 3pt.%
Last 2 games: 56.1% (32 of 57)
Season: 40.1% (#7 NCAA)
3pt. FGM/g 11.0 (#14 NCAA)
Three-pointers are the centerpiece of a pindown-heavy, collapse-and-kick offense that has put NC State in the top 30 nationally in efficiency. The Wolfpack have started to use 6-6, 225-pound Darrion Williams (14.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.3 apg), the ACC Preseason Player of the Year and a onetime teammate of Lamar Washington at Texas Tech, in more of a point-forward role to loosen up their offense. Freshman Matt Able has made 8 of his last 12 three-pointers, sophomore Paul McNeil Jr. (14.1 ppg) tied an ACC record by burying 11 threes in a 47-point eruption against Texas Southern, and 6-6 Quadir Copeland (13.5 ppg, 6.0 apg) gives the Wolfpack yet another lanky, active, athletic facilitator.
Among the keys for Tech: defend with high hands, keep its positioning on the weak side, win the battle of 50-50 balls, and not get caught in scrambles.
NC State head coach Will Wade will face Georgia Tech in a home game for the first time since Dec. 7, 2016, when the Yellow Jackets knocked off his VCU Rams 76-73 in overtime at the Siegel Center in Richmond.
It was the only home game VCU lost that year (15-1).
Chas Kelley III has gone 5-for-9 from three-point range in his last two games. (photo by Danny Karnik)
Chas Kelley III didn’t intend to cosplay as Miles Kelly, but after drilling 3 of 6 threes against Pitt, the senior is now connecting on 46.9% of his triples this year (15 of 32). He came to Georgia Tech a career 29% three-point shooter at Boston College.
Kelley and the Jacket guards will face a NC State team that plays a frenetic, 2-2-1, full-court defense that hassles teams into the highest rate of turnovers in the ACC (14.1%). Tech has struggled with turnovers lately, but if they can avoid the kind of risky, overheated passes NC State’s defense tries to coerce, they could have chances for early, downhill shots.
Another side effect of NC State’s style: opponents attempt a three-pointer on 48.8% of possessions, one of the highest rates in the country. It could make for a fascinating dynamic with Tech, which shoots threes far more selectively.
Team 3PA/FGA NCAA Rank
Georgia Tech offense 30.7% #342
NC State defense 48.8% #356
A few points worth noting: Georgia Tech quietly ranks fourth in the ACC in three-point percentage in conference play (37.3%). Kam Craft made four threes against Pittsburgh and finished with his highest point total since mid-November, which could bode well against the Wolfpack. Kowacie Reeves Jr. has tied his career-high in scoring in back-to-back road games (23 points). And Baye Ndongo exploded for a career-high 29 points and an ACC career-high 17 rebounds against NC State last year. Tech will need to be sharp with its inside-out passing; NC State is a switch-heavy team in the halfcourt.
Davi Remagen played a season-high 20:15 minutes against Pitt. (photo by Danny Karnik)
In back-to-back games, Georgia Tech will have faced a transfer whose career high in scoring came against his current team. Pitt’s Cameron Corhen scored 25 points against the Panthers as a member of Florida State in 2024, while Quadir Copeland scored 25 for Syracuse against NC State as a sophomore.
When it comes to transfer portal peculiarities, though, Ven-Allen Lubin may have both of them beat. NC State is the senior’s fourth school in as many years; he’s played against the Wolfpack in each of his previous three stops (Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, North Carolina). A position-less forward and industrious offensive rebounder, Tech will need to match his work rate underneath.
Davi Remagen saw his first action of ACC play against Pittsburgh, finishing with three points, four rebounds and three assists in 20 minutes off the bench. With NC State’s propensity for harassing and trapping in the full court, the freshman guard could be due for more action in Raleigh.
Remagen wears No. 10, the same number his great-uncle Pele made famous on the soccer pitch. So, is the Köln, Germany, native wearing it as a tribute to his global icon relative?
Nope, just a coincidence. Remagen said he was assigned the No. 10 when he arrived at Georgia Tech this summer.
Now that we’re prepared, we hope you are as well. Join us for pregame coverage starting with the “Ramblin’ Wreck Tip-off Show” starting at 11:30 a.m. ET on the Georgia Tech Sports Network. See you in Raleigh.
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