Tech Returns Home to Face North AlabamaTech Returns Home to Face North Alabama
Men's Basketball

Tech Returns Home to Face North Alabama

Jackets and Lions tip off at 4 p.m. Saturday at McCamish Pavilion

GEORGIA TECH VS. NORTH ALABAMA

THE FLATS – Looking to rebound from a pair of losses earlier this week at the Fort Myers tip-Off, Georgia Tech returns to its campus to face North Alabama from the Atlantic Sun Conference for a 4 p.m. tip Saturday at McCamish Pavilion.

Tech (3-2) dropped its first two games of the season in Fort Myers, 68-64 to Utah Monday and 84-60 to Marquette Wednesday, in the Tip-Off event. Before that, Tech put together its first 3-0 start since the 2015-16 season with wins over Clayton State (93-63) and Northern Illinois (68-50) sandwiched around a last-second 59-57 victory at cross-town foe Georgia State.

North Alabama (4-2) continues a four-game road stretch with Saturday’s game. The Lions are coming off a split of two games in Santa Barbara, Calif., defeating Hampton, 75-74, and losing to UC Santa Barbara, 89-71, Tuesday and Wednesday. UNA began the road trip with a 76-68 loss at Mississippi Valley State.

The game will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra and ESPN+, available on the ESPN app. Radio coverage is  on the Georgia Tech Sports Network by Legends Sports and flagship station 680 the Fan (680 AM/93.7 FM).

Fans who have attended Tech’s volleyball game Saturday (1 p.m., O’Keefe Gym) against Florida State can see the men’s basketball game free by presenting their volleyball match ticket.

JACKETS AT-A-GLANCE

Georgia Tech has eight players who logged significant playing time during 2021-22 back for this seventh season under head coach Josh Pastner, looking to replace the scoring punch of of Michael Devoe and Jordan Usher, who combined to average more than 32 points per game in the Yellow Jackets’ 12-20 campaign.

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.

franklinJ_marquette-112322_RR_9869-1Ja'von Franklin - Georgia Tech vs. Marquette, November 23, 2022, Fort Myers Tip-Off, Suncoast Credit Union Arena, Fort Myers, Fla.

Ja’von Franklin has averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds over Tech’s last three games. (photo by Reily Rogers)

 

SERIES VS. NORTH ALABAMA

  • Georgia Tech and North Alabama are meeting in men’s basketball for the first time.
  • The Yellow Jackets have played 19 games previously against current members of the Atlantic Sun Conference, most recently Stetson last season (a 77-52 Tech win), Kennesaw State (an 87-57 Tech win in 2018-19) under head coach Josh Pastner.

BUZZ BYTES

  • Tech changed its starting lineup for the first time this season for the Marquette game, inserting Ja’von Franklin at the “5” spot in place of Rodney Howard. had started the same lineup for each of the first four games – four guards around Howard. The four guards remained the same (Lance Terry, Kyle Sturdivant, Deebo Coleman, Deivon Smith). The change snapped a string of 11 straight starts for Howard dating back to last season.
  • Tech has utilized a nine-player rotation in each of its first four games. All nine scored points against Clayton State and Northern Illinois, while eight registered in the scoring column at Georgia State. Seven tallied against Utah, and nine of 10 scored against Marquette.
  • Tech has shot a season-low from the floor in each of its last two games – 34.8 percent against Utah, followed by 33.8 percent against Marquette.
  • After getting to the free throw line 51 times in its first two games, Tech has attempted just 43 foul shots in the last three.
  • Tech lost the turnover battle for the first time this season, matching its season high of 13 while forcing 11 from Marquette. The Jackets committed more than 13 turnovers 15 times last season.
  • Tech still averages just 10.6 turnovers per game and has a turnover margin of plus-3.8
  • Tech limited its first four foes to 16-of-76 shooting from three-point range (21.1 percent) but surrendered 39.1 percent (9-of-23) to Marquette. The Jackets led the ACC and ranked fourth nationally in three-point defense entering the game.
  • Ja’von Franklin has scored 42 points (14.0 ppg), taken 33 rebounds (11.0 rpg), blocked eight shots and dished six assists in Tech’s last three games. He had 10/7/4/2 in Tech’s first two games.
  • Franklin has two double-doubles in his last three games – 14 points and 11 rebounds vs. Northern Illinois and 17 points and 14 rebounds vs. Marquette. He has 10 for his career, eight of those last season at South Alabama.
  • Franklin also reached double figures in points for the 25th time in his career, third as a Yellow Jacket.
  • Miles Kelly saw his consecutive-game streak of making at least one three-point basket end at 10 games. Over the 10-game stretch he is 19-for-45 (42.2 percent). He is just 2-for-17 in his last three games.
  • Kelly has hit 27-of-68 (39.7 pct.) from three-point range over Tech’s last 18 games dating back to Jan. 23 vs. Clayton State. He was 5-for-30 over the Jackets’ first 17 games of last season.
  • Kyle Sturdivant reached double figures in points for the second time this season with 10 points against Marquette, and first time since the season opener against Clayton State (10 points in each game). He made 4-of-8 from the floor, 2-of-4 from three-point range.
  • Freshman Freds Pauls Bagatskis appeared in his second game of the season, playing the final 3:03 against Marquette, and scored his first college points on a three-pointer from the left corner with one second remaining in the game.
  • Deivon Smith has 10 assists in his last two games and leads the Yellow Jackets with 15 in five games. He also has 21 rebounds in the last three games and is No. 2 on the team this season at 6.4 per game.
smithD_marquette-112322_RR_0214Deivon Smith - Georgia Tech vs. Marquette, November 23, 2022, Fort Myers Tip-Off, Suncoast Credit Union Arena, Fort Myers, Fla.

Deivon Smith leads the Yellow Jackets in assists and steals. (photo by Reily Rogers)

 

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.