Tech Resumes ACC Play by Hosting ClemsonTech Resumes ACC Play by Hosting Clemson
Men's Basketball

Tech Resumes ACC Play by Hosting Clemson

Yellow Jackets and Tigers tip off at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at McCamish Pavilion

GEORGIA TECH (7-4, 0-1 ACC) VS. CLEMSON (9-3, 1-0 ACC)

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech continues a four-game homestand and resumes Atlantic Coast Conference play Wednesday night when Clemson comes to McCamish Pavilion for a nationally-televised contest at 7:30 p.m.

Tech (7-4, 0-1 ACC) looks to remain undefeated at home, where the Yellow Jackets have scored wins over Clayton State, Northern Illinois, North Alabama, Northeastern, Georgia and Alabama State this season. Tech is looking for its first ACC win after dropping a 75-59 decision Dec. 10 at North Carolina, and build off its 96-60 victory Saturday over Alabama State.

Clemson (9-3, 1-0 ACC) has won five of its last six games, smothering Wake Forest at home, 77-57, in its ACC opener on Dec. 2 as part of the run. The Tigers bounced back from a 76-58 loss to Loyola Chicago on Dec. 10 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta to rout Richmond, 85-57, last Saturday in Greenville, S.C. Clemson has played one true road game, a 60-58 loss at South Carolina on Nov. 11 in its second game of the season.

Wednesday’s game will be televised live on ESPN2, with a live stream 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 387, SXM app 977.

SERIES VS. CLEMSON

  • This is the oldest and longest-running series the Yellow Jackets have with an ACC member. The 142 all-time meetings are more than 30 greater than Tech has played with any other ACC opponent. The series dates back to the 1912-13 season, when John Heisman coached the Tech basketball team.
  • Clemson is one of two permanent home-and-away opponents on Tech’s schedule each year (Notre Dame is the other).
  • Tech has won four of the last six games in the series, and the teams have split their two regular season meetings each of the past two seasons. The home team won each of the four meetings.
  • The Yellow Jackets have swept the season series just once (2019-20) since the 2004-05 season.
  • Clemson holds a 9-8 in games played over the last eight seasons.
  • The Yellow Jackets trail 52-39 to the Tigers since joining the ACC.
  • Tech has an all-time record of 46-26 against the Tigers at home, including a 27-15 record at Alexander Memorial Coliseum and a 6-4 mark at McCamish Pavilion.
  • Tech is 5-7 on the court against Clemson under head coach Josh Pastner, and 8-18 vs. Tiger teams coached by Brad Brownell.

 

usherJ-smithD_clemson-020522_9556_acm-e1671548080303Jordan Usher, Deivon Smith - Georgia Tech vs. Clemson, February 5, 2022, McCamish Pavilion, Atlanta, Ga.

Deivon Smith scored 16 points, his career best as a Yellow Jacket, in last year’s home win over Clemson. (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

LAST YEAR VS. CLEMSON

February 5 in Atlanta – Georgia Tech used a first-half 16-0 run to pull out to an double-digit lead and never trailed again, defeating Clemson 69-64 at McCamish Pavilion. The Yellow Jackets held the Tigers to just 20 points in the opening half — but it would be their bench’s 37 points of offense that loomed large over the game. Tech was led by Deivon Smith, who turned in an impressive all-around performance in 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Also finishing in double digits was Jordan Usher (13), and Miles Kelly, who finished with a season-high 10. Michael Devoe was held to just three points on the day, but dished out five assists in the effort. Tech forced Clemson into 18 turnovers and scored 23 points from them, and held the Tigers to 41.4 percent from the floor, 6-of-24 from three-point range.

March 2 at Clemson – Georgia Tech let a 13-point second-half lead slip away and Clemson’s Naz Bohannon converted an old-fashioned 3-point play with 14 seconds to go to hand the Yellow Jackets a 68-65 defeat at Littlejohn Coliseum. Tech, which led 33-26 at halftime, used a 14-2 run early in second half to take a commanding 49-36 lead on Kyle Sturdivant’s fast-break 3-pointer with just under 14 minutes left in the game. The Yellow Jackets’ advantage remained at 13 points with less than 12 minutes to go, but they scored just eight points over the next nine-plus minutes, which allowed Clemson to rally for a 61-60 lead. The final 2:37 of the contest featured three ties and two lead changes. Tech’s Rodney Howard made 1-of-2 free throws with 42 seconds remaining to knot the back-and-forth affair at 65-65, but on Clemson’s final possession, Bohannon backed his way into the low post against the smaller Michael Devoe and was fouled as he scored the go-ahead basket. He made the ensuing free throw to complete the 3-point play and give the Tigers a 68-65 lead. Sturdivant’s long attempt at a game-tying 3-pointer was off the mark at the buzzer.

BUZZ BYTES

  • Tech is in the midst of its longest homestand of the season, four games. The Yellow Jackets defeated Alabama State Saturday, 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 seven 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 45.5 percent of the Jackets’ points this season.
  • Kelly and Coleman have taken 107 of Tech’s 219 three-point attempts and have converted on 36.4 percent of them. The rest of the team has connected on 29.4 percent.
  • Tech started its fourth different lineup of the season against Alabama State, primarily due to injury. Ja’von Franklin did not dress, still nursing a groin injury sustained in last week’s game at North Carolina. Deebo Coleman, both nursing injuries, did not start but played in the game. No one on Tech’s roster has started every game this season – Coleman and Smith had started the first 10.
  • Tech’s bench has outscored that of its opponent in seven of 11 games. Tech leads the ACC in bench scoring (23.8 ppg).
  • Tech is 22-of-50 from three-point range in its last two games, setting season highs for three-point field goals in each – 13-for-24 against Alabama State, 9-of-26 at North Carolina. The 13 threes against Alabama were the third most in 201 games under Josh Pastner.
  • Tech is fourth in the ACC in fewest turnovers per game and NINTH in the nation, one of the Jackets’ biggest areas of improvement over 2021-22.
  • Tech has reached its target of 11 turnovers or fewer for eight times in 11 games. The Yellow Jackets have a season turnover margin of plus-2.5, which ranks fifth in the ACC. Its percentage of possessions that end in turnovers (14.4 pct.) ranked seventh nationally, according to KenPom.com.
  • Tech has permitted its opponents to make just 26.2 percent of their three-point field goal tries this season (Alabama State was 4-for-20, North Carolina 3-for-13 in the last two games). Tech leads the ACC and ranks ninth in the nation in three-point defense.

PERSONAL BESTS

  • Tristan Maxwell doubled his season point total (17 prior to Saturday) with his game-high 18 points against Alabama State. It was his first double-figure game since scoring a career-high 22 last Jan. 12 at Boston College.
  • Rodney Howard is 18-of-22 from the floor dating back to Nov. 23 vs. Marquette. In his last three games, he is 12-for-13 (4-for-4 vs. Georgia, 3-for-3 at North Carolina and 5-for-6 against Alabama State. For the season he has connected on 65 percent (26-of-40).
  • Kyle Sturdivant has 14 assists and just three turnovers over Tech’s last five games.
  • Miles Kelly has started Tech’s last six games, reaching double-digit points in each one, and has averaged 15.2 points and 4.2 rebounds over that stretch. He has connected on 33-of-65 shots from the floor (50.7 pct.), 16-of-36 from three-point range (44.4 pct.) and 9-of-10 from the line across those six games.
  • Jalon Moore has started Tech’s last six games and also scored in double figures in each one, averaging 13.5 points and 6.5 rebounds over that stretch. He has hit 29-of-55 from the floor (52.7 percent) in those six games.
  • Lance Terry has four double-figure scoring games this season after his 13-point effort (5-6 FG) against Alabama State that included two three-pointers. Over Tech’s last four games, Terry has averaged 10.3 points and hit 16-of-26 shots from the floor.
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Rodney Howard has averaged 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds over Tech’s last four 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.