Tech Hoops Visits No. 21 Oklahoma for SEC/ACC ChallengeTech Hoops Visits No. 21 Oklahoma for SEC/ACC Challenge
Men's Basketball

Tech Hoops Visits No. 21 Oklahoma for SEC/ACC Challenge

Yellow Jackets and Sooners tip off at 9 p.m. EST Tuesday in Norman, Okla.

GEORGIA TECH (4-3, 0-0 ACC) vs. No. 21 OKLAHOMA (7-0, 0-0 SEC)

 

THE FLATS – Looking to build on a two-game winning streak, Georgia Tech leave Atlanta for the first time this season with a visit to undefeated and No. 21-ranked Oklahoma at 9 p.m. EST Tuesday at the Lloyd Noble Center in the second edition of the SEC/ACC Challenge.

Tech (4-3), looking to improve upon a 14-18 mark in Damon Stoudamire’s first season as head coach on The Flats, takes the modest streak on the road after defeating Central Arkansas, 87-68, Saturday, and Charleston Southern, 91-67, last Wednesday to finish off a seven-game homestand to open the season. The Jackets also have defeated West Georgia and Texas Southern during their opening stretch.

The Sooners (7-0) gained national attention Thanksgiving week by sweeping through the Battle 4 Atlantis event in the Bahamas, defeating Providence (79-77), Arizona (82-77) and Louisville (69-64) in succession. OU won four straight home games to open its season before the Atlantis event.

Tuesday’s game will be televised live on ESPNU, 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 the SiriusXM app.

 

THE TIP-OFF

  • Tech downed No. 21 Mississippi State, 65-59, in the inaugural SEC/ACC Challenge last season in Atlanta, The Yellow Jackets went 9-13 in the 23-year run (1999-2022) of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and 2-1 in the ACC/Big East Challenge (1989-91).
  • Tech will play its second game of the season against a ranked team in No. 21 Oklahoma. The Jackets dropped an 81-58 contest at home to No. 18 Cincinnati on Nov. 23 and are 3-3 vs. Top-25 teams under Damon Stoudamire.
  • Tech is playing its first game away from Atlanta after opening the season with seven consecutive home games. It is the first of three straight games away from home for Tech, which opens ACC play Saturday at North Carolina and faces Northwestern in a neutral-site game Dec. 15 in Milwaukee.
  • Each team in Tuesday night’s game has a player who transferred from the other. Former Sooner Javian McCollum is Tech’s second-leading scorer at 14.0 points per game, leads the Jackets in three-point percentage (40.9) and is No. 3 in field goal percentage (47.7). Jalon Moore, who began his college career at Tech, leads Oklahoma at 18.4 points per game and in field goal percentage (51.2) and three-point percentage (42.3).
  • Similar to the 2023-24 season, Tech is playing its SEC/ACC Challenge game and opening its ACC schedule (at North Carolina) in the same week. Last year, the Jackets knocked off No. 21 Mississippi State and No. 7 Duke, though both games were at home.
  • Four Tech players are averaging in double-figure points through five games (Lance Terry 14.7, Javian McCollum 12.8, Baye Ndongo 14.0, Naithan George 11.4).
  • Tech has scored 80-plus points five times in seven games and is averaging 80.6 points per game this season.

SERIES NOTES VS. OKLAHOMA

  • Georgia Tech and Oklahoma are meeting for the fourth time, all of them during the tenure of head coach Bobby Cremins, and the series is tied, 2-2.
  • The teams last met on Nov. 17, 1995, an 83-72 Tech victory at the Georgia Dome in a second-round Pre-Season NIT matchup. The teams also met in the old Rainbow Classic on Dec. 29, 1994, a game won by the Yellow Jackets, 89-85.
  • The first two meetings took place in Norman, Okla., in 1982 and 1985, both won by the Sooners. Tuesday’s game is Tech’s first trip to Norman since then.
  • Tech has faced OU coach Porter Moser once before in his final season as head coach at Loyola Chicago, which won the opening-round game in the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis.
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Lance Terry scored 40 points in Tech’s two wins last week. (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

TECH BYTES

  • Tech has used four different starting lineups in seven games this season, all of them occurring as a result of injury. Against Central Arkansas, Kowacie Reeves, Jr., missed his first game as a Yellow Jacket after starting 38 in a row.
  • Eight players saw the court for the Jackets against Central Arkansas and seven of them scored.
  • Through the first seven games, 38.7% of Tech’s field goal attempts have come from beyond the three-point line. The Jackets fired up 32 threes against Central Arkansas, second most this season, and matched their season high by making 13.
  • After hitting shy of 40 percent from the floor in three straight games, Tech has connected on 50.4 percent in its last two games combined.
  • Tech has committed just 12 turnovers in its last two games, setting season lows each time, 7 vs. Charleston Southern and 5 vs. Central Arkansas.
  • Tech has 36 assists against 12 turnovers in its last two games, and a 1.5-to-1 ratio (111 assists, 73 turnovers) for the season.
  • Tech remains ahead of its pace in several offensive categories through seven games compared to the same period a year ago – scoring average (80.6 ppg over 72.7), field goal percentage (44.1 pct. over 39.4), three-point percentage (32.6 over 29.8), free throw percentage (69.0 over 65.5), assist/turnover ratio (111/73 over 56/62).
  • Tech also ranks much higher in adjusted tempo, according to KenPom.com – 71.2 possessions per game (44th in the nation), compared to 67.6 possessions (168th nationally) a year ago. And its average length of possession is a full second faster, and its average efficiency is equal (1.094 points per possession) to 2023-24.
  • Tech has held each of its last two opponents under 40 percent from the floor (36.9% combined) and done so four times in seven games. The Jackets defensive efficiency rating is marginally better (103.2, 127th in the nation) than a year ago (105.0, 148th).
  • Tech ranks 16th nationally in 2-foul participation (56.6 pct.) – that is, percentage of first-half minutes played by players with two fouls.
  • Lance Terry has reached double figures five times in seven games this season and 51 times in his career. His 25 points against Central Arkansas were a career high and left the fifth-year senior just 5 points away from 1,000 for his career.
  • In Tech’s last two games, Terry has played nearly 73 minutes, scored 40 points (15-of-24 FG) with 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 0 turnovers and 5 steals.
  • Naithan George posted his first career double-double with 16 points and 11 assists against Central Arkansas. He matched his career high for assists, reaching double figures for the second time in his career.
  • George has scored in double figures in Tech’s last 3 games, averaging 15.3 points while hitting 18-of-38 from the floor, 8-of-17 from three-point range.
  • George has 18 assists and 1 turnover in Tech’s last 2 games, and a 42-to-12 assist/turnover ratio for the season.
  • Freshman guard Jaeden Mustaf has scored 34 points over Tech’s last 2 games, setting season highs in each (16 vs. Charleston Southern 18 vs. Central Arkansas) while hitting 11-of-22 from the floor and 11-of-12 from the foul line. He also have 4 assists and just 2 turnovers across the 2 games
  • Baye Ndongo has gone 13-for-19 from the floor in Tech’s last 2 games for 30 points. He has hit 53.7 percent from the floor this season, which ranks among the top 10 in the ACC.
  • Duncan Powell has grabbed a season-high rebounds in each of Tech’s last 2 games, 8 against Charleston Southern, 9 vs. Central Arkansas.

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.