Jackets Return Home to Host Northern IllinoisJackets Return Home to Host Northern Illinois
Men's Basketball

Jackets Return Home to Host Northern Illinois

Tech and Huskies tip off at 8 p.m. Thursday at McCamish Pavilion

GEORGIA TECH VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS

 

THE FLATS – Back home for its second game of the season at McCamish Pavilion. Georgia Tech hosts Northern Illinois of the Mid-American Conference in a nationally-televised game at 8 p.m. Thursday evening.

Off to their first 2-0 start since the 2019-20 season, the Yellow Jackets scored their first road victory of the season Saturday night, 59-57 across town at Georgia State, after soundly defeating Division II Clayton State, 93-63, in their opener Nov. 7 at home.

The Huskies (1-2) got in the win column for the first time Monday night with a 99-73 victory over Division II Purdue Northwest, following a pair of losses to Illinois-Springfield, 83,77 at home, and Northwestern, 63-46 on the road.

The game will be televised on the ACC Network, with a live stream available on the ESPN app. Radio coverage will be on the Georgia Tech Sports Network by Legends Sports and flagship station 680 the Fan (680 AM/93.7 FM), as well as on satellite radio (SiriusXM channel 371, SXM app 371).

JACKETS AT-A-GLANCE

Georgia Tech welcomes back eight players who logged significant playing time during 2021-22, looking to replace the 1-2 scoring duo of Michael Devoe and Jordan Usher, who combined to average more than 32 points per game.

Among the eight key letterwinners returning are two starters from the 2021-22 squad, both seniors in 6-3 point guard Kyle Sturdivant (7.6 ppg, 2.3 apg) and 6-11 center Rodney Howard (6.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg), as well as the backup point guard, 6-1 junior Deivon Smith (5.7 ppg, 2.0 apg) and a rising trio of sophomore perimeter players in 6-6 Dallan “Deebo” Coleman (6.2 ppg), 6-6 Miles Kelly (4.5 ppg) and 6-7 Jalon Moore (2.8 ppg). Junior 6-2 guard Tristan Maxwell and 6-8 junior forward Jordan Meka return to provide additional depth.

Pastner and his staff have augmented the eight returnees with a pair of transfers in 6-2 guard Lance Terry (14.3 ppg at Gardner-Webb) and 6-7 forward Ja’von Franklin (12.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg at South Alabama), and over the summer signed a pair of international players – 6-8 forward Freds Pauls Bagatskis from Latvia and 7-foot center Cyril Martynov of Canada.

Tech finished off the 2021-22 season with an 84-74 loss to Louisville in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Tech (12-20 overall, 5-15 ACC) finished in 14th place in the ACC regular season standings, one year after winning the fourth conference title in program history.

pastnerJ_gsu-111222_6668_click-e1674850281764Josh Pastner - Georgia Tech at Georgia State, November 12, 2022, GSU Convocation Center, Atlanta, Ga.

The Yellow Jackets are looking for their first 3-0 start since the 2015-16 season. (photo by Clyde Click)

 

SERIES VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS

  • Georgia Tech and Northern Illinois have never faced each other in men’s basketball, but the Yellow Jackets are 2-4 against members of the Mid-American Conference, of which the Huskies are a member.
  • Tech is 0-3 against members of the MAC under head coach Josh Pastner, having lost to Ohio (67-61 in the 2016-17 season), Ball State (65-47 in 2019-20) and Miami of Ohio (72-69 to open last season), all at home.

NOTABLE

  • Tech is 2-0 for the first time since the 2019-20 season, and for the third time in Josh Pastner’s seven seasons on The Flats. The Jackets have not started a season 3-0 since 2015-16.
  • Tech has scored 17 points per game from the free throw line in two games, a seven-point improvement over its season average a year ago. The Jackets have scored 22.3 percent of their points from the stripe, compared to 14.6 in 2021-22. This continues a pattern from the Jackets two closed scrimmages, in which Tech made 40-or-50 free throw attempts.
  • Tech ranks among the ACC’s top five in all rebound categories, fifth in rebound margin, fourth in defensive rebounds per game and second in offensive rebounds per game.
  • Tech has limited its first two foes to 6-of-36 shooting from three-point range (16.7 percent), tops in the ACC and fourth nationally.
  • Sophomore Deebo Coleman led the Yellow Jackets in scoring for the second time in his career with his 16 points against the Panthers. Coleman scored 19 to pace Tech in its win over Lamar in the third game of last season.
  • Coleman established career highs for both free throws made (9) and attempts (13) against Georgia State. His five rebounds matched a career high.
  • Coleman logged a career-high 36:59 on the court against Georgia State, surpassing his previous best of 34:46 last season against Clemson.
  • Miles Kelly reached double figures for the fifth time in his career and in his fourth straight game dating back to last season’s regular-season finale against Boston College. He has averaged 15 points over his last four games.
  • Kelly has hit 25-of-51 (49 pct.) from three-point range over Tech’s last 16 games dating back to Jan. 23 vs. Clayton State. He was 5-for-30 over the Jackets’ first 17 games of last season.
  • Kelly has made a three-point field goal in eight consecutive games dating back to last Feb. 21 at Syracuse. He went 0-1 at Pittsburgh the game before that. Over the eight-game stretch he is 17-for-31 (54.8 percent).
kellyM_gsu-111222_0065_clickMiles Kelly - Georgia Tech at Georgia State, November 12, 2022, GSU Convocation Center, Atlanta, Ga.

Sophomore Miles Kelly has hit a three-point basket in eight straight games, and he has made 17 of his last 31 attempts. (photo by Clyde Click)

 

Competitive Drive Initiative

In a unified endeavor, Georgia Tech, the Georgia Tech Foundation, Georgia Tech athletics and the Alexander-Tharpe Fund have come together to accelerate funding for student-athlete scholarships with the launch of the Competitive Drive Initiative. The initiative kicks off with the Accelerate GT Match Program, where any new gift to the A-T Fund’s Athletic Scholarship Fund made through Dec. 31 will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Georgia Tech Foundation, up to $2.5 million. Should Accelerate GT reach its $2.5 million fundraising goal, the matching gift would result in a $5 million impact for Georgia Tech athletics. To learn more and to contribute online, visit atfund.org/accelerate.

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL

Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team has completed six seasons under head coach Josh Pastner, winning the Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 2021 and making its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 11 years. Tech has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1979, won four ACC Championships (1985, 1990, 1993, 2021), played in the NCAA Tournament 17 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.