Men’s Basketball Hosts Central Arkansas to Close HomestandMen’s Basketball Hosts Central Arkansas to Close Homestand
Men's Basketball

Men’s Basketball Hosts Central Arkansas to Close Homestand

Yellow Jackets and Bears tip off at 1 p.m. EST Saturday at McCamish Pavilion

GEORGIA TECH (2-3, 0-0 ACC) vs. CENTRAL ARKANSAS (2-4, 0-0 Atlantic Sun)

 

THE FLATS – Looking for its second straight win for the first time this season, Georgia Tech closes out its seven-game homestand Saturday with a 1 p.m. contest against Central Arkansas at McCamish Pavilion.

Tech (3-3), looking to improve upon a 14-18 mark in Damon Stoudamire’s first season as head coach on The Flats, snapped a two-game skid Wednesday night with a 91-67 win over Charleston Southern. The Yellow Jackets also have defeated West Georgia (85-62) and Texas Southern (81-62), while dropping decisions to North Florida (105-93), Georgia (77-69) and No. 18 Cincinnati (81-58).

The Bears (2-4) have are playing for the first time since last weekend, when they hosted a pair of games in their Central Arkansas Classic, falling to Southeast Missouri 77-73 in overtime, and defeating UNC Asheville 92-83 in double-overtime. UCA’s only other win came Nov. 13 in a 108-49 rout of Randall University.

Saturday’s game will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra, 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 the SiriusXM app.

 

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Baye Ndongo ranks among the ACC’s top 10 in field goal percentage and rebound average. (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

THE TIP-OFF

  • Tech is facing its third opponent from the Atlantic Sun Conference in seven games to start the 2024-25 season, all for the first time. The Yellow Jackets previously faced West Georgia and North Florida.
  • Saturday is the final game of Georgia Tech’s seven-game homestand to open the 2024-25 season. The Yellow Jackets leave Atlanta for the first time next Tuesday to visit Oklahoma in the SEC/ACC Challenge. It will be the first of three straight games away from home for Tech.
  • Tech has scored 80-plus points four times in six games and is averaging 79.5 points per game this season. The 91 points against Charleston Southern were the second-most under Damon Stoudamire behind the 95 the Jackets scored against North Florida on Nov. 10.
  • Through the first five games, 41.3% of Tech’s field goal attempts had come from beyond the three-point line. Against Charleston Southern, the Yellow Jackets attempted only 11 shots from three-point range out of 72 total field goal tries.
  • Four Tech players are averaging in double-figure points through five games (Baye Ndongo 14.2, Lance Terry 13.0, Javian McCollum 12.8, Naithan George 10.7).
  • Tech remains ahead of its pace in several offensive categories through five games compared to the same period a year ago – scoring average (79.5 ppg over 72.7), field goal percentage (43.6 pct. over 39.4), three-point percentage (30.8 over 29.8), free throw percentage (67.2 over 65.5), assist/turnover ratio (93/68 over 56/62).
  • Tech also ranks much higher in adjusted tempo, according to KenPom.com – 72.3 possessions per game (33rd in the nation), compared to 67.6 possessions (168th nationally) a year ago. And its average length of possession is a full second faster, but it has been less efficient (1.08 points per possession compared to 109.4 in 2023-24.

SERIES NOTES VS. CENTRAL ARKANSAS

  • Georgia Tech and Central Arkansas are meeting for the first time. The Bears are one of six current members of the Atlantic Sun Conference whom the Yellow Jackets had never played prior to the 2024-25 season.
  • Tech also faced North Florida and West Georgia for the first time this season, splitting the two games.
  • Tech has faced CAU head coach John Shulman three times, all during his tenure as the head coach at Chattanooga. The Jackets won all three games in 2009, 2011 and 2013.
  • Central Arkansas is located in Conway, Ark., hometown of one of two four-time, first-team All-America golfers in Georgia Tech history, Bryce Molder. Molder played on the PGA Tour for 14 years and won one tournament.

 

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Naithan George ranks in the ACC’s top 10 in assist average and assist/turnover ratio. (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

JACKETS BOUNCE BACK

Powered by 55.3% shooting in the first half, Georgia Tech men’s basketball raced out to an early double-digit lead and maintained it throughout nearly the entire final 30 minutes of a 91-67 win over visiting Charleston Southern on Wednesday night at McCamish Pavilion.

Naithan George and Baye Ndongo led four scorers in double-figures with 17 points apiece for Georgia Tech (3-3), which shot 52.8% for the game (38-for-72), including its white-hot 21-for-38 opening half.

TECH BYTES

  • Nine players saw the court for the Jackets against Charleston Southern and all of them scored.
  • Tech scored season highs 52 points in the paint and 23 fast-break points against the Buccaneers.
  • Tech shot 50 percent from the floor for the first time this season (52.8% vs. Charleston Southern). That included a 57.3% clip from inside the three-point arc.
  • Tech committed a season-low seven turnovers and a season-high 10 steals against CSU.
  • Tech ranks 19th nationally in 2-foul participation (54.8 pct.) – that is, percentage of first-half minutes played by players with two fouls.
  • Lance Terry has reached double figures four times in six games this season and 50 times in his career. He played a season-high 36:40 vs. Charleston Southern and stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points (7-10 FG), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals and no turnovers.
  • Terry is now within 30 points of 1,000 for his career – he has 970 for the season after beginning the season with 892.
  • Freshman guard Jaeden Mustaf scored in double figures for the first time in his Tech career, tallying 16 points off the bench against Charleston Southern with three rebounds, two assists and two steals in 24:25.
  • Naithan George has scored 10-plus points in each of Tech’s last two games and three times this season after leading the Jackets with a season-high 17 against Charleston Southern
  • George has dished six or more assists four times this season and 14 times in his career (7 vs. Charleston Southern with no turnovers). He ranks in the top 10 in the ACC in assist average (5.2 per game) and assist/turnover ratio (2.82).
  • Baye Ndongo went 8-for-10 from the floor to tie for top scoring honors for the Jackets (17 points). He also grabbed eight rebounds while playing less than 19 minutes due to foul trouble. The sophomore forward tops Tech in field goal percentage at 53.4% for the season.

Full Steam Ahead

Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL

Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team is in its second season 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.