Full 2019-20 Georgia Tech schedule | Men’s Basketball ACC Packs
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team began its official preseason practice schedule Tuesday night, hitting the court to begin preparations for the 2019-20 season with its most veteran team in four seasons under head coach Josh Pastner.
Tech welcomes back the Yellow Jackets’ top three scorers from last season – 6-foot junior guard Jose Alvarado, 6-10 senior center and ACC All-Defensive team member James Banks III and 6-5 sophomore guard Michael Devoe – who accounted for 48.4 percent of Tech’s points, 41.6 percent of its rebounds and 47.2 percent of its minutes.
Also returning are fast-rising 6-9 junior forward Moses Wright, who finished the season with 25 points against Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament, and 6-8 sophomore sharpshooter Kristian Sjolund. Altogether, Tech returns eight of its top 11 players, who combined for 73.2 percent of the team’s points, 66.4 percent of its rebounds and 73.7 percent of its minutes. Those eight players combined to start 123 games.
The Jackets also will benefit from a pair of transfers – 6-7 forward Jordan Usher from Canton, Ga., who becomes eligible in December after a season and a half at Southern California, and 5-10 guard Bubba Parham, an all-Southern Conference performer eligible immediately after spending two seasons at VMI.
Tech fans will get to see the Yellow Jackets in action for the first time at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, for the team’s only exhibition game against Georgia College at McCamish Pavilion. The Jackets open the regular season with an Atlantic Coast Conference game at NC State on Nov. 5, making their debut on the ACC Network, then begin the 16-game home slate on Nov. 11 against Elon.