Tech Welcomes Clemson for Late Night TiltTech Welcomes Clemson for Late Night Tilt
Men's Basketball

Tech Welcomes Clemson for Late Night Tilt

Yellow Jackets and Tigers tip off at 9 p.m. EST Tuesday at McCamish Pavilion

GEORGIA TECH (8-9, 2-4 ACC) vs. CLEMSON (13-4, 5-1 ACC)

 

THE FLATS – Clashing in the first of two scheduled meetings this season, Georgia Tech and Clemson meet on the hardwood for a 9 p.m. Atlantic Coast Conference contest Tuesday night at McCamish Pavilion.

Tech (8-9, 2-4 ACC) is looking to stop a two-game skid after suffering road losses at Syracuse (62-55) and SMU (93-71) last week. The Yellow Jackets had evened their conference record with home wins over Notre Dame (86-75) and Boston College (85-64) prior to that, and are 8-4 at home this season.

Clemson (13-4, 5-1 ACC), who spent one week in the top 25 in December and is currently tied for second place in the ACC behind Duke, has won all four of their conference games at home, including a 77-57 victory over Florida State last Saturday, and are 1-1 in ACC games on the road.

Tuesday’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 386 and the SiriusXM app.

Photo-Dec-11-2024-4-10-40-PM

Javian McCollum (2) has scored 20 or more points in three of his last five games. (photo by Mario Terrana)

 

THE TIP-OFF

  • A win over Clemson would give Georgia Tech its first Quad 1 win of the 2024-25 season. The Yellow Jackets are 0-5 vs. Quad 1 teams this season with losses to Duke (2), Georgia (26), North Carolina (39), and SMU (44) and Oklahoma (47). Tech was 4-7 vs. Quad 1 teams in 2023-24.
  • Counting Tuesday, Tech has three Quad 1 opportunities remaining on its schedule – Clemson (38), Florida State (71) and Pittsburgh (27).
  • Tech had lost five straight games last season when it went to Clemson and came away with a 93-90 overtime victory on nearly a year ago (Jan. 16).
  • Four Tech players are averaging in double figures for the 2024-25 season – Lance Terry (15.4), Javian McCollum (12.5), Baye Ndongo (11.9) and Naithan George (10.2).
  • Five Yellow Jackets have averages in double-digits for ACC games so far – Terry (15.2), McCollum (14.6), Ndongo (11.5), Duncan Powell (10.5) and George (10.0).
  • In ACC games, Terry leads the Jackets at 15.2 points per game while connecting on 44.1 percent from the floor and 39.4 percent from bonus land.
  • Sophomore guard Naithan George remains the ACC leader in assist average (6.5 per game) and ranks 13th nationally. He is the first Tech player since Iman Shumpert to reach 100 assists in each of his first two years.

SERIES NOTES VS. CLEMSON

  • The oldest and longest-running series the Yellow Jackets have with an ACC member, the 146 all-time meetings are more than 30 greater than Tech has played with any other ACC opponent. The series dates back to the 1912-13 season, when John Heisman coached the Tech basketball team.
  • Clemson is one of two permanent home-and-away opponents on Tech’s schedule each year (Notre Dame is the other).
  • The teams have split the last 10 meetings, and split the two games in 2023-24 each team winning on the other’s home court. Tech won 93-90 in double-overtime at Clemson, and the Tigers defeated the Jackets, 81-57, in Atlanta.
  • The Yellow Jackets have swept the season series just once (2019-20) since the 2004-05 season.
  • The Yellow Jackets trail 55-40 to the Tigers since joining the ACC.
  • Tech has an all-time record of 46-28 against the Tigers at home, including a 27-15 record at Alexander Memorial Coliseum and a 6-6 mark at McCamish Pavilion.
  • Tech is 9-21 vs. Tiger teams coached by Brad Brownell.
powellD_gtmbb-smu-011125_63_terrana-scaled-e1736784008888Duncan Powell (31) - Georgia Tech men's basketball vs. SMU, January 11, 2025, Moody Coliseum, University Park, Texas

Duncan Powell (31) has two double-doubles this season. (photo by Mario Terrana)

 

TECH BYTES

  • Tech has utilized five different starting lineups through its first 17 games this season. Freshman Jaeden Mustaf and graduate transfer Ryan Mutombo have started the last seven games.
  • Sophomores Baye Ndongo and Naithan George are the only Yellow Jackets to have started every game this season; no one else has started more than 11. Ndongo has started 46 consecutive games, George 45, dating back to last season.
  • Tech players have missed a total of 39 games this season because of injury, illness or other absence. Kowacie Reeves, Jr., has missed the last 11 games with a foot injury, Luke O’Brien missed the last 6 games, also with a foot injury, and Doryan Onwuchekwa has missed the last 7 for personal reasons. Those three players had combined to start 20 games before their current absences.
  • Tech has attempted 22 more free throws than its opponents in ACC play. The Yellow Jackets have finished a season with more free throw attempts than their opponents since the 2016-17 season, and only once since 2000.
  • Tech’s defense inside the three-point arc has improved more than 100 spots nationally over last year. The current Yellow Jackets yield 45.8% within the arc, ranked No. 40 nationally by KenPom.com, compared to 49.5% in 2023-24 (137th).
  • Tech’s adjusted offensive tempo, according to KenPom.com, also has improved more than 100 spots nationally (70.6 possessions ranked No. 65 over 67.6 possessions ranked No. 168).

PLAYER NOTES

  • Sophomore point guard Naithan George has posted two double-doubles in points and assists in his last three games, and three total this season after scoring 11 points with 10 assists at SMU. He also had 10 points with 10 assists Jan. 4 against Boston College, and 16 points with a career-high-matching 11 dimes back on Nov. 30 vs. Central Arkansas.
  • George’s assist average is the highest rate for a Tech played since Drew Berry averaged 6.6 in 1995-96 (and 6.7 in 1994-95). It is also the 6th- highest average in Tech history behind those two Barry seasons.
  • Duncan Powell has scored in double figures 6 times this season, all vs. Power 4 opponents, 4 vs. ACC teams. He is averaging 10.5 ppg vs. ACC teams, 10.0 vs. P4 teams.
  • Powell has averaged 11 points and 6.2 rebounds over his last 6 games. The Sacramento State transfer has hit 47.7% (21-of-44) from the floor, 47.6% (10-of-21) from three-point range and 14-of-23 from the foul line in that stretch.
  • Javian McCollum has scored 20 or more points in 3 of his last 5 games (21 vs. Notre Dame, 20 vs. Boston College, 20 at SMU), and has averaged 17.0 points over his last 5 games (scored 18 vs. Alabama A&M). He dropped 5 3-point field goals at SMU, a season high.
  • In those five games, McCollum has connected on 49.1% from the floor, 41.3% (12-of-29) from three-point range and 17-of-18 from the free throw line.
  • McCollum’s three 20-point games off the bench are the most for a Tech player since Tadric Jackson had 6 during the 2016-17 season. Since 2000, only one other player has had as many as 3 in one season.
  • Senior guard Lance Terry has averaged 16.8 points in his last five games. The senior guard has gone 31-of-60 (51.7%) from the floor, 12-of-30 from three-point range (40%).

 

 

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.