Men’s Basketball Travels to MiamiMen’s Basketball Travels to Miami
Men's Basketball

Men’s Basketball Travels to Miami

Yellow Jackets and Hurricanes tip off at 4 p.m. EST Saturday at the Watsco Center

GEORGIA TECH (11-16, 4-12 ACC) vs. MIAMI (15-12, 6-10 ACC)

THE FLATS – After splitting a pair of home games against Syracuse and Clemson, Georgia Tech gets back on the road Saturday for its next game, a 4 p.m. contest Saturday afternoon against Miami at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla.

Tech (11-16, 4-12 ACC) fell by an 81-57 count Wednesday night to Clemson, unable to get back-to-back wins after defeating Syracuse. 65-60, last Saturday. The Yellow Jackets also have defeated No. 7 Duke, Clemson and No. 3 North Carolina in conference play this season, but have dropped five of their last six games.

Miami (15-12, 6-10 ACC) has lost its last five games, including an 84-55 defeat to Duke Wednesday night at the Watsco Center. The Hurricanes have swept season series against Notre Dame and Virginia Tech this season, and also have defeated Clemson and Pittsburgh.

Saturday’s game will be televised live on the ACC Network, 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). The Tech broadcast is also available on SiriusXM channel 383 and the SiriusXM app.

THE TIP-OFF

  • Georgia Tech and Miami are meeting for the first time in more than 13 months. The Yellow Jackets toppled the 12th-ranked Hurricanes, 76-70, on Jan. 4, 2023 in Atlanta.
  • Georgia Tech is 2-8 and true road games this season, 4-9 in games played away from McCamish Pavilion. The Yellow Jackets are 5-8 all-time at the Watsco Center.
  • Eleven of Tech’s 16 ACC games have been decided by single digits. Eighteen of Tech’s 27 games overall this season have been decided by fewer than 10 points, which is tied for second-most in Division I (Tech is 9-9 in those games). Eleven of those by five points or fewer.
  • Tech is 6-11 against Quad 1 and Quad 2 teams this season, with Quad 1 wins over Duke, Clemson and North Carolina and Quad 2 wins over Mississippi State, Penn State and Massachusetts. The Jackets have two Quad 1 and one Quad 2 opponents remaining on its schedule (Miami is a Quad 3 opportunity). Tech was 3-14 last season against Quad 1/2 foes.
  • Three of Georgia Tech’s ACC wins have come against the ACC’s three highest-ranked teams in the NCAA’s NET rankings – North Carolina (10), Duke (12) and Clemson (26).
  • Miles Kelly (14.4 ppg) leads three Yellow Jackets averaging in double figures this season, including freshman forward Baye Ndongo (11.8) and junior guard Kowacie Reeves, Jr. (10.0). Tech’s other rotation player averaged between 4.8 and 9.0 points per game.
  • Kelly became the 48th player in Georgia tech history to reach 1,000 career points Wednesday against Clemson. He scored eight points in the game and has exactly 1,000 career points.

Head coach Damon Stoudamire Friday media availability

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SERIES VS. MIAMI

  • Georgia Tech won the teams’ only regular-season meeting in 2022-23 with a 76-70 victory in Atlanta, and has won four of the last six meetings. The most recent meeting came as the Hurricanes were ranked No. 12 in the AP poll, and the Yellow Jackets are 3-2 against Miami when it has been in the top 25.
  • Miami has 15-11 edge against the Yellow Jackets since it joined the ACC. Tech won the first two meetings against Miami after they became members of the ACC, but Hurricanes won nine of the next 11 before the Yellow Jackets captured seven of the last 13.
  • Tech has split its last six games against Miami in Coral Gables, including a 71-69 victory over 6th-ranked Miami on March 6, 2013. It was Tech’s first win at the Watsco Center since Feb. 26, 2005. The Jackets also captured a 70-50 win against No. 23 Miami on Jan. 28, 2015.
  • Eighteen of the 29 meetings have been decided by 10 points or less.
  • Tech is 7-9 against Miami teams coached by Jim Larrañaga, and 8-9 against Larrañaga, including a 70-62 win over his George Mason team on Nov. 20, 2009 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
  • The teams met three times prior to Miami joining the ACC, the most recent being a December 1997 meeting that was part of the Orange Bowl Classic at Miami Arena, the Hurricanes’ home court until the team moved into the on-campus Convocation Center (now called the Watsco Center). The Yellow Jackets won that game, 69-61, over a Hurricanes’ team coached by Leonard Hamilton.
  • Tech played Miami twice under former head coach Whack Hyder (prior to the Hurricanes putting their program on hiatus from 1971-84), losing the first-ever meeting in the series by 22 points in 1953, then taking a six-point homecourt victory in 1967. That was the only pre-ACC visit by the Hurricanes to Alexander Memorial Coliseum, and the 90-84 Tech win remains the highest scoring game in the series.

 

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Kyle Sturdivant (1) needs nine points to reach 900 for his career. (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

TEAM TRENDS

  • Tech has out-rebounded its last two opponents, edging Clemson, 34-31, after building a 49-28 advantage over Syracuse Saturday. The Tigers had out-rebounded the Jackets, 45-33, in their first meeting.
  • Tech has made 74.3 percent of its free throws (143-of-188) in its last seven games, hitting 19-of-21 against Clemson (90.5 pct.), its highest percentage this season.
  • Tech has scored under one point per possession in its last five games, coming on a heels of a seven-game streak of more than one point per possession. The Jackets have failed to convert 40 percent from the floor in four of their last five games, and connected on less than 30 percent of their threes in three of the five games.
  • At least nine players have seen the court in 26 of Tech’s 27 games (only eight played against Hawai’i). Nine players average more than 10 minutes per game in ACC games.
  • Tech ranks No. 2 in the ACC and No. 83 nationally in bench scoring (23.5 points per game). Tech’s reserves have scored 20 or more points in nine of its last 11 games, and have out-scored its opponent’s bench in seven straight games.
  • Ebenezer Dowuona and Deebo Coleman both missed the last four games (Louisville, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Clemson) games with injuries.

PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS

  • Miles Kelly became the 48th Georgia Tech player to reach 1,000 for his career after tallying eight against Clemson. He made his first two shots of the game, both three-pointers, then didn’t score again until he made two free throws at the 13:24 mark of the second half to get to the milestone.
  • Kelly’s 170 career three-point field goals rank 13th in Tech program history. He needs six to break into the top 10.
  • Tafara Gapare has reached double digits in Tech’s last two games, scoring 20 points with 16 rebounds.
  • Kyle Sturdivant has nine points to go to reach 900 after scoring a team-high 14 against Clemson.
  • Sturdivant is 21-for-23 from the free throw line over Tech’s last 11 games. He leads the Jackets at 87.3 percent from the line this season, 88.5 percent (31-of-35) in ACC play.
  • A freshman has led Tech in scoring 12 times this season. Baye Ndongo led the Jackets in points in eight games this season, Naithan George in three, Ibrahima Sacko in one.
  • Freshman Baye Ndongo ranks No. 4 nationally among freshmen in rebound average (7.9 per game) and No. 2 in field goal percentage (57.7).
  • Ndongo is one of two freshmen in the nation (JT Toppin of New Mexico is the other) to average at least 11.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and hit 57 percent from the floor.
  • George ranks No. 2 in the ACC in assist average (5.3 per game) and No. 1 in assist-turnover ratio (2.80-1) in conference games. He is one of only three freshmen who rank among the top 40 nationally in assist rate, according to KenPom.com.

 

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Tafara Gapare (5) has scored 20 points with 16 rebounds in Tech’s last two games. (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

Alexander-Tharpe Fund

The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of the development of Yellow Jackets that thrive academically at the Institute and compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL

Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team is in its first year under head coach Damon Stoudamire. 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.