Tech’s turnover rate this season is its best on record. (photo by Danny Karnik)
Their three-point barrage got the most attention. But in the cauldron of intensity that was Conte Forum, Georgia Tech did a terrific job playing with ball toughness on offense. Boston College came in ranked second in the ACC in turnover rate in conference play (17.9%). The Yellow Jackets only committed five turnovers, none in the second half.
Turnover Rate (ACC only)
- Boston College: 17.9%
- vs. Georgia Tech: 7.5%
Like BC, Florida State likes to swarm paint touches and use their length to agitate for steals. They also switch every ball screen (and go over the top when they do, a rarity for teams that play that way). That switching and swarming has a downside though: the Seminoles allowed 40.6-percent three-point shooting in ACC play this year, the highest average in the league.
For a Tech team that’s made double-digit threes in three straight games for the first time since 2002, that stat could have them salivating. Can the Jackets skip and re-attack, avoid pick-six turnovers, and be sharp in “play after the play” situations to get FSU scrambling? While Kyle Sturdivant has deserved praise for his clutch shooting, don’t overlook the play of Deebo Coleman. The sophomore, who has handled more point guard responsibilities in the absence of Deivon Smith, has 11 assists and only 1 turnover over his last two games. Pastner called him the MVP of last week.
*****
Turnovers became an official NCAA statistic in 1992-93. Georgia Tech’s media guide has tracked them since at least 1986-87, when the Yellow Jackets committed six in a non-conference game against SMU.
In a 35-year span from 1987-2022, Georgia Tech committed five or fewer turnovers in a game seven times.
| Fewest turnovers in game – Since 1986-87 |
| 4 |
LSU |
3/17/1990 |
| 4 |
Wake Forest |
2/13/1988 |
| 4 |
Tulane |
11/9/2012 |
| 5 |
Marist |
12/23/2003 |
| 5 |
Virginia |
2/24/2013 |
| 5 |
Notre Dame |
1/13/2016 |
| 5 |
Notre Dame |
2/2/2020 |
Georgia Tech has done it five times this year alone (Utah, Alabama State, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Boston College).
*****
Florida State lurches into the postseason having lost six of its last seven, but its lone win was an eye-opener. On February 25 at the Watsco Center, the Seminoles rallied from a 25-point deficit to upset conference champion Miami, breaking the ACC record for largest comeback.
That game – not to mention their win over Tech in Tallahassee – should give fans an insight into FSU’s firepower. Six-foot-7 sophomore Matthew Cleveland (14.0 ppg) had 21 points and 12 rebounds against Tech, showing an ability to get downhill from the elbows and sink soft jumpers from the short corners. He’s also terrific at single-handedly starting fast breaks with defensive rebounds. Guard Caleb Mills (13.2 ppg) is a loping slasher who had 27 points against Boston College in February; he’s only made four of his last 23 three-pointers but buried three confidence-boosting treys in the first half against Tech. Guard Darin Green Jr. (13.5 ppg) leads the ACC in three-pointers (88) and caught fire in the second half, scoring all 18 of his points after halftime. He’s a deep-range shooter whom Tech can’t afford to lose in its mixing defenses.
One X-factor to pay attention to Tuesday: 7-4 Naheem McLeod only logged two minutes in the Seminoles’ season-ending loss to Virginia Tech. After Tech raced out to a 16-7 lead in January, Leonard Hamilton inserted McLeod into the lineup. The ACC’s tallest player immediately changed the geometry of the halfcourt – though he only finished with seven points and four rebounds, McLeod’s +13 plus-minus was the highest on the team. He also had a then-career high 10 points against Tech last season. Could he be ticketed for more minutes in Greensboro?
