By Andy Demetra | Voice of the Yellow Jackets
Mechanical issues forced a change in game plan for Georgia Tech Sunday – instead of flying from Pittsburgh, the Yellow Jackets had to bus the six hours to Syracuse instead.
Yet even with a long travel day ahead, Tech’s charter bus peeled onto I-79 in good spirits. How could it not? A 68-62 win over Pittsburgh snapped a four-game ACC road losing streak. Sunlight filtered through the windows. Players took turns answering questions for an Instagram story. Jokes and laughs rippled throughout the rows. A pre-airport gas station trip ensured there’d be plenty of sustenance for the ride ahead.
That same adaptability will serve the Jackets well as they face Syracuse (14-12, 8-7 ACC) and its fabled 2-3 zone Monday. The Orange have won four of their last five and haven’t trailed in their last two games.
Then again, Georgia Tech (11-15, 4-11 ACC) has already proven it doesn’t mind taking the hard way. The Jackets will see if they can reach their other destination – the win column – to close out their road trip. Enjoy the top notes from my chart as Tech and Syracuse get set to tip at the Dome (7 p.m. ET, Georgia Tech Sports Network from Legends Sports):
Rodney Howard has averaged 12.7 points and 6.7 rebounds over Tech’s last three games. (photo by Anthony McClellan)
Rodney Howard’s best highlight may have been on a miss.
With less than a minute remaining in the first half, the 6-10 junior spun away from a steal attempt at the elbow, divebombed to the rim, and nearly threw down a violent, two-handed slam over a pair of Pitt defenders. His dunk popped off the rim – curiously, the official scorer credited Pitt with a block – but the ball ricocheted perfectly to guard Michael Devoe in the corner, who sank a three-pointer in rhythm to give Tech a 37-28 lead.
He didn’t get the dunk, but Howard got plenty of other buckets Saturday, finishing with a career-high 14 points for a second straight game. It’s a welcome sign for a Georgia Tech team that continues to search for a reliable third scorer, and it continues a late-season surge for the Ypsilanti, Mich., native:
Rodney Howard
- Last 3 games: 38 points
- Previous 13 games: 42 points
He may not have reputation as a quick-off-his-feet leaper, but Howard’s missed dunk drew an audible gasp from the Petersen Events Center crowd. I asked Rodney if he should at least get credit for an assist, seeing how his miss functioned essentially as a drive-and-kick bounce pass to Devoe.
He let out a baritone laugh. “I need to talk to somebody about that,” he said.
*****
Over the last two years, Moses Wright seemed factory-made to break down Syracuse’s zone. The 6-9 current G-Leaguer averaged an absurd 32.0 points and 13.0 rebounds in his final two games against the Orange, showing an ability to pass, catch-and-rip, and shoot soft jumpers from the high post.
Howard, of course, is a different player than Wright. So who might fill that high post role Monday? Pastner praised the work of Jordan Usher and Khalid Moore against Syracuse last year – the wings combined for 28 points and 12 rebounds, and both recorded career highs in assists (Usher had seven, Moore six). If that happens, and Tech plants Howard in the “alley” (behind the block on the baseline), can he play with strong hands and make assertive decisions at the rim? Worth noting: Syracuse center Jesse Edwards (12.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg), who ranks second in the ACC in blocks in league play, suffered a season-ending wrist injury two weeks ago.
Pittsburgh’s zone caused some stagnant moments late, but overall the Jackets made solid decisions and abstained from some of the high-risk passes that have hurt them lately. They’ll need to follow the same blueprint against Syracuse Monday. The Orange in particular like to jump corner-to-wing passes in their zone.
*****
Moore and Devoe made some timely ones, but Saturday was Georgia Tech’s first win when it shot less than 35 percent from three-point range (6 of 18).
The Jackets had been 0-11.
They offset it not only with stingy defense, but ACC-high differentials in fast break points (+13) and points off turnovers (+13). And despite its low percentage, Tech didn’t get sucked into shooting too many threes – Pittsburgh ranks 327th nationally in three-point rate. The Yellow Jackets’ three-point rate was the third-lowest of the season against the Panthers.
Three Point Rate Defense
- Pitt: #327 NCAA (43.3%)
- Syracuse: #357 NCAA (49.8%)
- GT vs. Pitt: 32.1% 3pt. Rate
That discipline could be needed against a Syracuse team that ritually forces a lot of threes in its zone.
Michael Devoe surpassed Tech’s current director of player personnel B.J. Elder for 14th place on the Jackets’ career points list with his final basket at Pitt. (photo by Anthony McClellan)
The Jackets will now try to stunt a free-flowing, three-point gunning Syracuse team that leads the ACC in made threes per game. Six-foot-6 Buddy Boeheim (19.1 ppg) can twitch off the dribble and also back defenders into the lane for pull-ups. Joe Girard III (13.8 ppg), the ACC’s overall leader in three-point percentage (43.8%), likes to fly off curls and handoffs to run into his shot. Pay attention to 6-9 Cole Swider (13.2 ppg) as a hidden barometer of Syracuse’s offense: the Villanova transfer ranks second in the ACC in three-point percentage in conference play (41.3%) but that number drops to 30.7 percent in the Orange’s ACC losses. Tech will need to stay alert and keep high hands against Syracuse’s shooters, especially in secondary transition.
An underappreciated stat from Saturday: the Yellow Jackets forced Jamarius Burton and Femi Odukale, Pitt’s two primary ball handling guards, into a combined 1-of-14 shooting. The duo finished with as many points (7) as turnovers (7). Tech’s mixing defenses and hard digs forced them into passive passes and tentative drives to the rim. The Orange have more dangerous shotmakers off the dribble than the Panthers. Still, can the Jackets’ active hands and hard digs produce more flat offensive possessions Monday?
*****
The column began with a bus story, and fittingly, it ends with a bus story.
On the way back from the Petersen Events Center Saturday night, Josh Pastner commandeered the bus’ internal microphone for a pair of announcements. The first was a rundown of the itinerary for the rest of the night and Sunday morning (an itinerary that, as it turned out, required some audibles). The second was to congratulate Michael Devoe for surpassing B.J. Elder for 14th on the all-time career scoring list. Elder, the Jackets’ director of player development, was seated near the front of the bus.
As Devoe’s teammates showered him with applause – which no doubt doubled as a bit of teasing for Elder – the Georgia Tech Hall of Famer smiled and said, “I’ll play you in H-O-R-S-E after the season.”
*****
Now that we’re prepared, we hope you are as well. Join us for pregame coverage Monday starting at 6:30 p.m. ET on the Georgia Tech Sports Network from Legends Sports. See you in Syracuse.
.
-AD-
