Jackets Return Home to Host SyracuseJackets Return Home to Host Syracuse
Men's Basketball

Jackets Return Home to Host Syracuse

Yellow Jackets and Orange tip at noon Saturday at McCamish Pavilion

THE FLATS – Looking for its fourth straight win in Atlantic Coast Conference play, Georgia Tech plays the first of two straight home games Saturday with a noon tip against Syracuse at McCamish Pavilion.

Georgia Tech update – The Yellow Jackets, 6-5 since returning from its 17-day COVID pause, are alone in eighth place in the ACC standings and have a NCAA NET ranking of No. 38. Tech’s last two wins have come on the road by double digits at Miami (87-60) and No. 16/15 Virginia Tech (69-53), which followed a 71-65 home win over Pittsburgh on Feb. 14. The Jackets are 6-1 at home in ACC play this season.

Syracuse update – The Orange come to Atlanta having won six of their last nine ACC games and were on a three-game winning streak before their 85-71 loss at Duke Monday night. Syracuse is 2-6 on the road in the ACC, having won at Boston College in mid-December and at NC State on Feb. 9. Saturday is the final road game of the season for the Orange.

Broadcast information – Live TV broadcast on the ACC Network and live streaming on the ESPN app. Radio coverage is provided by the Georgia Tech Sports Network by Learfield IMG College and flagship station WCNN-Radio (680 AM, 93.7 FM) in Atlanta. The Tech broadcast can be heard on SiriusXM Ch. 380 (internet 970) and the TuneIn app.

Head coach Josh Pastner speaks to the media Thursday

THE TIPOFF

  • How much is a road win worth? – Georgia Tech’s first two road wins of the season, Feb. 20 at Miami and Tuesday at No. 16 Virginia Tech) prompted a jump of 22 spots for the Yellow Jackets in the NCAA’s NET rankings (from 62 to 40) and 22 spots in the KenPom.com rankings (from 55 to 33). Those are Tech’s highest positions in both rankings during head coach Josh Pastner’s tenure.
  • Tech’s ACC schedule rated the toughest – Georgia Tech’s ACC schedule is ranked No. 1 in strength according to KenPom.com. The Yellow Jackets have played five games against the top three teams in the current standings, dropping two games to Virginia by a total of 10 points, splitting with Florida State and beating Virginia Tech. Ten games have been played against teams ahead of the Jackets, only four games against teams below them in the ACC standings (4-0). Of the Yellow Jackets’ final three games, two come against teams above them in the standings.
  • Big wins for the Jackets – Tech has defeated four AP top 25 teams this season – No. 20 Kentucky (Dec. 6), No. 20 Clemson (Jan. 20), No. 16 Florida State (Jan. 30) and No. 16 Virginia Tech – all by double digits, an average of 15.5 points per game. Only Virginia Tech has beaten as many top 25 teams (also four).
  • It’s nice to win – With a 8-6 ACC record to follow last year’s 11-9 finish, Georgia Tech has its most conference victories (19) in back-to-back years since the Yellow Jackets went 8-8 in 1994-95 and 13-3 in 1995-96 (21 wins). If Tech finishes with a winning ACC record, it would be the first time in back-to-back seasons that the Yellow Jackets have done that since 1989 and 1990 (both 8-6). Further, Tech has not posted .500-or-better ACC records in consecutive seasons since 2004 (9-7) and 2005 (8-8).
  • Four-large – Georgia Tech is one of two NCAA Division I teams (Ole Miss is the other) to have four active players with 1,000 career points. This has never happened in Tech history. Moses Wright joined the group Feb. 20 at Miami and has 1,031 career points. Michael Devoe (1,049 points) reached that benchmark Feb. 14 against Pitt. Bubba Parham (1,427) already had 1,000 when he transferred to Tech, and Jose Alvarado (1,365) surpassed the mark late last season.
  • Up for Naismith – Jose Alvarado is on the Naismith Trophy Midseason Team for its men’s college player of the year. The senior guard is one of three ACC players on the 30-player list along with Pitt’s Justin Champagnie and Louisville’s Carlik Jones.
  • Break up to make up – Two of Georgia Tech’s five postponed ACC games were rescheduled and played, at Louisville (Feb. 1) and at home against Pitt (Feb. 14). No makeup dates have been set for the Yellow Jackets’ games at Notre Dame (originally Jan. 6) and NC State (Jan. 16) or Boston College (Feb. 17). Tech also had a non-conference game at UAB (Dec. 23) cancelled due to COVID concerns with the Blazers.
  • No rest for the weary – As part of Tech’s effort to reschedule its postponed games, the Yellow Jackets played three games on just one day’s rest while its opponents in those games had four days (Louisville), five days (Clemson) and six days (Pitt).
  • What’s left? – Tech has a pair of quad 2 games (Syracuse and Duke) and a quad 3 game (at Wake Forest) remaining, The Jackets have had a quad 1 game (at Notre Dame) and two quad 2 games (at UAB, at NC State), as well as a quad 4 game (Boston College Feb. 17), postponed or cancelled due to COVID.
  • All in for Alvarado – Jose Alvarado ranks among the ACC’s top 10 in eight (8) statistical categories – No. 6 in ACC in scoring (16.55 ppg), No. 6 in FG percentage (.524), No. 10 in three-point FG made (2.1 per game), No. 1 in FT percentage (.864), No. 6 in assist average (4.10), No. 1 in steals (2.90), No. 4 in assist/turnover ratio (1.91), No. 3 in average minutes (36.52). With enough makes he would also rank in the top 10 in three-point percentage (.429).
  • The Wright stuff – Moses Wright also holds top 10 rankings in seven (7) ACC stat categories – currently No. 4 in the ACC in scoring (16.80), No. 8 in rebound average (7.65), No. 5 in field goal percentage (.532), No. 5 in steals (1.60 per game), No. 5 in blocked shots (1.70), No. 5 in offensive rebounds (2.70) and No. 6 in average minutes played (35.33).
  • Moses climbs the mountain – Moses Wright has become the 21st player in Tech history to score 1,000 points and grab 500 rebounds in a career, reaching the scoring mark Feb. 20 at Miami and the rebound mark Jan. 30 vs. Florida State. The 6-9 senior now has 1,031 career points and 566 career rebounds.
  • On guard – Michael Devoe (15.79) and Jose Alvarado (15.71 ppg vs. ACC) rank No. 7 and 8, respectively, in the ACC and have accounted for 45 percent of the Yellow Jackets’ points in conference games. They have scored or assisted on 69 percent of Tech’s field goals in conference play. The Jackets are 9-1 this season when both players score in double digits, 7-0 in the ACC.
  • The Three Amigos – Michael Devoe (15.79 ppg), Jose Alvarado (15.71) and Moses Wright (15.07) all average above 15 points per game in conference play and rank among the top 11 players in scoring average. They are within 10 total points of each other, and have accounted for 66.5 percent of the Jackets’ scoring in league games. Tech is 5-0 in ACC games (7-1 overall) this season when all three reach double figures.
  • Bombs away – Alvarado and Devoe have combined to make 43.8 percent of their three-point shots in ACC games, combining for 64 of the Yellow Jackets’ 113 threes.
  • Ball security – The Jackets remain No. 1 in the ACC in turnover margin (plus-4.44) and rank No. 10 nationally in turnover margin. Tech’s margin of plus 4.71 in ACC games also ranks No. 1. Tech leads the ACC in turnovers forced (15.36) in league games, and is third in turnovers committed (10.92).

Moses Wright speaks to the media Thursday

SERIES VS. SYRACUSE

Tech has won four of 10 meetings between the two teams since Syracuse joined the ACC and six of 14 meetings in the history of the series, which dates back to the 1986 NCAA Tournament. (2017 victory vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions) … Tech and Syracuse met twice in 2019-20, only the second time since the Orange joined the ACC that the teams had played twice. Syracuse won both games, 97-63 in Atlanta, 79-72 at Syracuse … Seven of the 10 meetings as ACC brethren have been decided by seven points or fewer … Tech has won three of the five meetings between the two teams at McCamish Pavilion, including a 55-51 decision in the 2017-18 season.

TEAM TRENDS

  • Four of Tech’s starters are averaging in double figures in scoring for the season, only Bubba Parham below that mark at 7.5 points per game. Four or more Yellow Jackets have reached double figures in eight games this season, at least three in all but three games.
  • Tech has turned the ball over just 11.00 times per game this season, most impressively Moses Wright who has just 27 turnovers in more than 706 minutes of action, and Bubba Parham, who has only eight in 556 minutes. The Yellow Jackets are plus-4.55 in that category this season (plus-4.71 against ACC teams), ranking No. 1 in the ACC. Tech was minus-2.4 last year and ranked 14th.
  • Tech made great strides in its offensive efficiency during the latter part of last season and continues to progress, ranking No. 20 nationally at 114.1, its highest ranking under Josh Pastner. The Jackets have managed to exceed one point per possession in 16 of 20 games this season (Tech reached that benchmark 11 times in all of 2019-20). Tech has been over a point a game in four straight games.
  • Tech has shot better than 50 percent from the floor in nine games this season, winning eight of them. The Jackets fell at Clemson on Feb. 12 despite hitting 52 percent of its field goal tries.
  • Tech now has a winning streak or has won the last meeting against nine of its 14 ACC foes. A win over Syracuse Saturday would make it 10 of 14.
  • Tech’s wins at Miami and Virginia Tech makes only the second time in team history that the Yellow Jackets have won back-to-back ACC road games by double digits, and the first time by more than 15 points each. The Jackets defeated Clemson (83-71) and NC State (67-54) in back-to-back ACC road games during the 1985-86 season, when Mark Price and John Salley were seniors.
  • Seventeen in its last 18 games, Tech has won the turnover battle (seven to Virginia Tech’s 16), and the Yellow Jackets have a plus-4.71 turnover margin in conference play, plus-4.55 in all games. Both rank No. 1 in the ACC. Tech also leads the ACC in turnovers forced in conference games (15.36) and is second in all games (15.55).
  • Tech has snapped out of a five-game funk from the three-point line in its last two games, hitting 19-of-46 (41.3 percent) in its wins at Miami and Virginia Tech (11-of-26 vs. Miami, 8-of-20 at Virginia Tech). Tech went 5-of-9 from distance in the second half against the Hokies. The Jackets had shot just 30.1 percent over its previous five games.
  • Tech held its third straight team under a point per possession (KenPom.com defensive efficiency) and has done so in five of its last eight games (four of those were wins).
  • One of the bottom teams in the ACC in rebound margin, Georgia Tech outrebounded both Miami (35-26) and Virginia Tech (31-23).
  • Moses Wright scored a game-high 26 points against Virginia Tech, hitting 9-of-11 shots from the floor, his only three-point attempt and 7-of-11 from the foul line. It was his highest scoring game since tallying 31 against Georgia State in the season opener, and his most against an ACC team since his 33-point game last Feb. 22 at Syracuse. It was his eighth 20-pont game this season and lifted him back into the team scoring lead at 16.8 points per game. He has hit 53.2 percent of his shots from the floor.
  • Wright also grabbed 10 rebounds against Virginia Tech, giving him his 12th career double-double and fifth this season. Four of those have come in Tech’s last nine games, all of them on the road (Duke, Louisville, Miami, Virginia Tech).
  • Alvarado is bidding to become the first Tech player to lead the ACC in steals twice and the first ACC player to do so since Chris Paul in 2004 and 2005. Alvarado’s conference leading rate is and his season average is 2.90 in all games, 3.21 in ACC games. His overall rate is the most by an ACC player since Johnny Rhodes of Maryland set the ACC record in 1996 (3.7), and his rate in ACC games is the most since Clemson’s Vernon Hamilton set the conference record of 4.1 in 2006.

Alexander-Tharpe Fund

The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the A-T Fund’s Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes, and the Support The Swarm Fund, created to give fans an opportunity to help Georgia Tech athletics maintain its recent momentum through the financial challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic! To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org. 

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL

Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team is in its fifth season under head coach Josh Pastner, having finished fifth in the ACC in 2019-20, the program’s highest finish since 2005. Tech has 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 (@GTMBB) and Instagram. For more information on Tech basketball, visit Ramblinwreck.com.