Tech Opens Homestand vs. Alabama StateTech Opens Homestand vs. Alabama State
Men's Basketball

Tech Opens Homestand vs. Alabama State

Yellow Jackets and Hornets tip off at 2 p.m. Saturday at McCamish Pavilion

GEORGIA TECH VS. ALABAMA STATE

THE FLATS – After playing five of its first 10 games away from home, Georgia Tech has its next four in the friendly confines of McCamish Pavilion, beginning with a 2 p.m. contest Saturday against Alabama State.

Tech (6-4) looks to remain undefeated at home, where the Yellow Jackets have scored wins over Clayton State, Northern Illinois, North Alabama, Northeastern and Georgia this season. Tech has not played since last Saturday, a 75-59 loss in its Atlantic Coast Conference opener at North Carolina, and wrapped up fall semester final exams on Thursday.

Alabama State (1-8) has yet to play a game at home, having had its only scheduled home game cancelled (Nov. 18 vs. Carver College). The Hornets have two more road games slated – Monday at Arkansas State and Wednesday at Memphis – before hosting Mississippi Valley State on Jan. 2. ASU’s only win came against Eastern Illinois on Nov. 26 in a neutral court game in Athens, Ohio.

Saturday’s game will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra and ESPN+, both 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), and also on satellite radio (SiriusXM channel 390, SXM app 980.

SERIES VS. ALABAMA STATE

  • Tech has won both prior meetings against Alabama State, a 64-37 win in November of 2004 at Alexander Memorial Coliseum), and a 75-41 win in December of 2012 at McCamish Pavilion.
  • The Yellow Jackets are 17-2 all-time against teams from the Southwestern Athletic Conference, including a 3-1 mark against those teams under head coach Josh Pastner. The most recent meeting was a 65-54 win over Prairie View A&M during the 2018-19 season, and the most recent loss was a 64-63 defeat to Grambling State during the 2017-18 season.

LAST MEETING VS. ALABAMA STATE

  • Brandon Reed scored 14 points, Robert Carter Jr. added 13 with 11 rebounds, and Mfon Udofia pitched in 12 points on 3-point shots to lead Georgia Tech over overmatched Alabama State, 75-41, on Dec. 17, 2012.
  • Tech led 40-20 at halftime and by as many as 35 points in the second half, when coach Brian Gregory used every player available.
  • The Hornets trailed just 13-10 after Brown hit a 3-pointer with 12:03 left in the half. But from there, the Yellow Jackets scored the next nine points to start a 19-2 run.
  • Udofia led the way, making all three of his 3-point tries in the half, and the Yellow Jackets took a 40-20 lead into the break.
  • Tech’s starters combined to shoot 63.7 percent (14 of 22) in the opening half, center Daniel Miller blocked three shots and the Yellow Jackets had 13 assists by halftime, bettering their season average of 12.4 per game. They finished with 20 assists.
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Miles Kelly continues to lead the Jackets in scoring and three-point shooting. (photo by Jaylynn Nash)

 

BUZZ BYTES

  • Saturday’s game is the Yellow Jackets’ final non-conference game of the season save for a Feb. 18 game against Florida Tech that fills a bye in Tech’s ACC schedule.
  • Saturday’s game begins Tech’s longest homestand of the season, four games. The Yellow Jackets host Clemson next Wednesday, No. 2 Virginia on Dec. 31 and No. 25 Miami on Jan. 4 before their next road game, Jan. 7 at Florida State.
  • Tech has won six straight games at McCamish Pavilion, dating back to last March 4 against Boston college, the final regular season game of 2021-22.
  • Tech’s three sophomores – Miles Kelly, Deebo Coleman and Jalon Moore – who comprised a 2021 signing class ranked 28th in the nation, are currently 1-2-3 on the Yellow Jackets’ scoring chart, accounting for exactly one-third of the Jackets’ points this season.
  • Kelly and Coleman have taken 100 of Tech’s 195 three-point attempts and have converted on 37 percent of them. The rest of the team has connected on 22.5 percent.
  • Tech has started the lineup of Deebo Coleman, Deivon Smith, Miles Kelly and Jalon Moore around Ja’von Franklin for the last five games and won three of them. Only Coleman and Smith have started all eight games this season.
  • Tech has used 10 players for the six times in 10 games this season. Ja’von Franklin was limited to a season-low 6:26 and Deivon Smith to 22:52 due to injuries.
  • Tech set season highs for three-point field goals made (9) and attempted (26) against North Carolina.
  • Tech has reached its target of 11 turnovers or fewer for seven times in 10 games, an area of significant improvement for the Yellow Jackets over 2021-22. The Yellow Jackets have a season turnover margin of plus-2.5, which ranks fourth in the ACC, and rank fourth in fewest turnovers per game (10.5). Its percentage of possessions that end in turnovers (15.3 pct.) ranks 16th nationally.
  • Tech leads the ACC and ranks 11th nationally in three-point percentage defense (26.8 pct.), another significant improvement over last season.
  • Tech’s sophomore trio of Miles Kelly (15), Jalon Moore (15) and Deebo Coleman (13) combined for 43 of the team’s 59 points against North Carolina. They combined to make 16-of-29 shots from the floor and 7-of-15 from three-point range.
  • Miles Kelly has led Tech in scoring in each of the last four games (21 vs. Iowa, 16 vs. Northeastern, 17 vs. Georgia, 15 vs. North Carolina) and has reached double figures in eight of 10 games this season.
  • Kelly has started Tech’s last five games (after coming off the bench for the first five), and has averaged 16.2 points and 4.6 rebounds over that stretch. He has connected on 29-of-56 shots from the floor, 14-of-30 from three-point range and 9-of-10 from the line across those five games.
  • Jalon Moore has scored in double figures in five straight games since entering the starting lineup, averaging 13.2 points and 6.4 rebounds over that stretch, while hitting 24-of-47 from the floor and 17-of-20 from the line.
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Jalon Moore has averaged more than 13 points and six rebounds over his last five games. (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

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 met its initial fundraising goal of $2.5 million in less than six weeks and has extended its target to $3.5 million raised by Dec. 31. 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, meaning that if the $3.5 million fundraising goal is met, the matching gift would result in a $7 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.