Tech Faces No. 5 Duke in ACC Home OpenerTech Faces No. 5 Duke in ACC Home Opener
Men's Basketball

Tech Faces No. 5 Duke in ACC Home Opener

Yellow Jackets and Blue Devils tip off at 12 p.m. EST Saturday at McCamish Pavilion.

GEORGIA TECH (5-6, 0-1 ACC) vs. #5/5 DUKE (8-2, 1-0 ACC)

 

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech closes out its pre-holiday schedule by hosting No. 5 Duke in its Atlantic Coast Conference home opener at 12 p.m. Saturday at McCamish Pavilion.

Tech (5-6) downed UMBC, 91-82 Wednesday night, snapping a three-game skid that included losses at No. 21 Oklahoma (76-61), at No. 20 North Carolina (68-65) and Northwestern in a neutral-site game (71-60). The Yellow Jackets are 5-3 at home this season, winning the last three.

The Blue Devils (8-2) have won their last five games, including their ACC opener at Louisville (76-65) and a home win over No 2 Auburn (84-78). Duke is 2-0 in true road games this season, having defeated Louisville and No. 17 Arizona (69-55).

Saturday’s game will be televised live on the ACC Network, with a live online 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 Sirius XM channel 392 and the SiriusXM app.

 

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Baye Ndongo (11) had his breakout game as a freshman last December with 21 points in Tech’s upset of the No. 7 Blue Devils. (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

THE TIP-OFF

  • This is the first time Tech has faced both North Carolina and Duke in the month of December. It is the second straight year that the Yellow Jackets have opened their home ACC schedule against the Blue Devils. Tech won last year’s meeting, 72-68.
  • Duke is the highest ranked team Tech has faced since the Yellow Jackets knocked off No. 3 North Carolina, 74-73, last Jan. 30. Tech is 0-3 vs. top-25 teams this season after winning three of four such games last season.
  • Tech is in the midst of a five-game homestand that continues after Christmas with games against Alabama A&M (Dec. 28), Notre Dame (Dec. 31) and Boston College (Jan. 4).
  • Four Tech players are averaging in double-figure points through (Lance Terry 15.5 ppg, Baye Ndongo 12.9, Naithan George 11.0, Javian McCollum 10.3). Six are averaging more than 9 points per game.
  • Tech has used five different starting lineups in 11 games this season, most of them occurring as a result of injury. Tech played four games without starting guard Javian McCollum, who returned against Northwestern, and Kowacie Reeves, Jr., who has missed the Jackets’ last five games. Jaeden Mustaf missed 2 games, and Darrion Sutton missed 8 games.
  • In Tech’s last 6 games, Lance Terry has averaged 36 minutes, averaged 18 points (44.6% FG, 42.9% 3pt FG) with 23 total rebounds, 12 assists and 10 steals.
  • Naithan George leads the ACC in assist average (6.0 per game) and ranks 6th in assist/turnover ratio (2.64-1). He has six games of seven or more assists this season.
  • Freshman guard Jaeden Mustaf has averaged 13.7 points over his last seven games, which include five in double digits.

SERIES NOTES VS. DUKE

  • Duke leads the overall series 78-25, and is 66-21 against Tech since the Jackets joined the ACC.
  • Tech and Duke split their regular-season series in 2023-24, the Yellow Jackets winning 72-68 in Atlanta and the Blue Devils answering with an 84-79 decision in Durham.
  • Duke has won 17 of the last 19 games in the series. The Yellow Jackets earned an 81-77 overtime victory on March 3 2021 in Atlanta, snapping a 14-game losing streak in the series that dated back to 2010.
  • Since 2010, Tech and Duke have met home-and-away just three times – in 2013-14, 2019-20 and 2023-24.
  • Tech has swept the Blue Devils only twice in the team’s ACC history, in the 1986-87 season and again in 1995-96.
  • The Blue Devils won 11 of the last 13 meetings at Alexander Memorial Coliseum and won 21 of 34 games over Tech in games played on the Jackets’ former home court, as well as a 31-18 mark in games played in Atlanta. Duke is 5-2 at McCamish Pavilion.
  • Tech’s four wins over Duke since 2000, not counting last season’s victory, were by Yellow Jacket teams that made the NCAA Tournament (2004, 2007, 2010 and 2021).
  • Tech’s best stretch of the series occurred between 1982 and 1989, with 10 wins in 17 meetings. Tech has never won more than two in a row.
  • Tech is 1-2 vs. current Duke coach Jon Scheyer, and 1-1 under its head coach Damon Stoudamire.
  • Tech is 3-7 against the Blue Devils in ACC Tournament encounters. Tech defeated Duke on the way to its first three three tournament titles, including semifinal victories in 1985 and 1990 and a first-round triumph in 1993. The Blue Devils have defeated Tech three times in championship games (1986, 2005, 2010).

JACKETS SNAP 3-GAME SKID

A 19-0 run erased an early deficit and Georgia Tech men’s basketball never looked back on its way to a 91-82 win over UMBC on Wednesday night at McCamish Pavilion.

Naithan George led four scorers in double-figures for the Yellow Jackets with 18 points and also led all players with eight assists. Baye Ndongo (17 points), Lance Terry (15) and Jaeden Mustaf (15) rounded out Tech’s four double-digit scorers. Making his first start as a Yellow Jacket, Ryan Mutombo added six points and seven rebounds.

TECH BYTES

  • Senior guard Lance Terry has reached double figures eight times in 11 games this season and 55 times in his career. He scored 15 vs. UMBC.
  • Terry has started Tech’s last 6 games, averaged 36 minutes and 18 points (44.6% FG, 42.9% 3pt FG) with 23 total rebounds, 12 assists and 10 steals.
  • Baye Ndongo has scored in double digits in eight of 11 games. He leads the Jackets and ranks No. 2 in the ACC in field goal percentage at 51.9%. Ndongo also ranks 8th in rebound average (7.7 rpg). He came up one rebound shy of a double-double (17 points, 9 rebounds) against UMBC.
  • Ndongo has three double-doubles this season, nine for his career.
  • Freshman guard Jaeden Mustaf has scored in double digits in five of his last seven games after tallying 15 against UMBC. After starting the season 2-of-13 from the floor, Mustaf is 28-of-62 over his last six games (45.2%).
  • Naithan George has scored in double digits five times in his last seven games and is averaging 12.4 points per game over that stretch.
  • George has 42 assists and 14 turnovers in Tech’s last 6 games. He leads the ACC in assist average (6.0 per game) and ranks 8th in assist/turnover ratio (2.64-1). He has five games of seven or more assists this season.
  • George has grabbed 18 rebounds in Tech’s last 3 games, including a career-high 8 rebounds at North Carolina.
  • Center Ryan Mutombo, a graduate transfer from Georgetown, got his first start as a Yellow Jacket against UMBC, and second of his college career (last was during his freshman season at Georgetown. In his 2 games played after sitting out Tech’s first 9 of the season, Mutombo has scored 16 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked 4 shots in 35 minutes.
  • Javian McCollum, who missed 4 games with a concussion, has scored 8 points (2-8 FG) with 5 assists in 41 minutes in 2 games since his return.
  • Freshman Darrion Sutton played a season-high 11 minutes against UMBC, scored his first collegiate points (4) and grabbed his first collegiate rebounds (3). He missed 8 games with an injury before returning to the court against Northwestern Dec. 15.

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.