Inside The Chart: Georgia Tech at Louisville

By Andy Demetra | Voice of the Yellow Jackets

The fascination began on a vacation but fully took off during a punishment.

While walking around New Orleans on a family trip as a kid, Chas Kelley III and his family encountered a street magician who mesmerized them with card tricks. A few weeks later, Kelley said he got in trouble and his parents confiscated his phone.

Television wasn’t off limits, though, so Kelley passed the time by indulging his curiosity and streaming YouTube tutorials of card tricks.

They’ve since become a not-so-hidden talent of the Houston, Tex., native, who has already impressed some of his Georgia Tech teammates with them. He’s particularly fond of a trick that involves inviting someone to take a cell phone picture of a blank screen, then picking a card and inserting it into the deck. A few sleights of hand later, Kelley has transported the card into the mark’s hand – and to his greater astonishment, unlocks his phone to find a picture of the exact same card.

Chas Kelley III is skilled at playing with cards. Can he be equally skilled at playing against Cards – and turn in a performance that will produce a similarly stunned reaction?

Enjoy the top notes from my chart as Georgia Tech gears up to face the No. 21 Louisville Cardinals (19-7, 8-5 ACC) at the KFC Yum! Center (2:15 p.m. ET, Georgia Tech Sports Network).

Chas Kelley III has a unique talent that surprises his teammates. (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

Hand down, man down? Yes.

Hand up, shot up? That too.

Few teams shoot three-pointers with more ruthless abandon than Louisville, which comes in ranked fourth nationally in makes per game.

Louisville – 3-pointers
3pt. Rate (3pt. A/FGA)                  52.9%                  #4 NCAA
3pt. FGM/g                                     11.7                     #4 NCAA
3pt. FGA/g                                      32.7                     #5 NCAA

The Cardinals slash, spread and spray in a way that can pull teams into a constant state of skittishness. That may not seem ideal for a Georgia Tech team that has been deluged by three-pointers lately, but the Jackets will need to have disciplined closeouts, locate shooters in transition, and attack long misses. Among the Cardinals’ top threats:

• Freshman Mikel Brown Jr. (18.6 ppg), Louisville’s explosive, lottery-bound point guard, comes in on a Level 5 heater, scoring 29 or more points in three straight games. He’s also made 18 of 29 three-pointers during that span.
• 6-4 Xavier transfer Ryan Conwell (18.4 ppg), a preseason 1st Team All-ACC pick, is a wily, well-built lefty who leads the ACC in made three-pointers per game (3.4) and moves around screens with pace.
• Senior Isaac McKneely (10.9 ppg), an old nemesis from Virginia, sank a career-high 7 threes against the Jackets in the 2025 ACC Tournament.

The Cardinals stay faithful to a “threes or layups” philosophy on offense. Missed three-pointers can also lead to long, off-script rebounds, and Georgia Tech will need to handle those better against Louisville’s fast-paced, five-out system. Of Virginia’s 23 missed three-pointers on Wednesday, the Cavaliers grabbed an offensive rebound on 15 of them (1 was a dead ball rebound). Long defensive rebounds can also help trigger the Jackets’ transition and early offense.

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Though overshadowed by the final score, Jaeden Mustaf tied his career high with 18 points against Virginia, a feat made more impressive by the fact the Cavaliers ranked 15th nationally in field goal percentage defense. Before entering the 1990 NBA Draft, his dad Jerrod was reportedly contemplating a transfer from the University of Maryland. According to the Baltimore Sun, two of the schools he considered were Virginia and Georgia Tech.

Jaeden Mustaf tied his career-high of 18 points against Virginia. (photo by Danny Karnik)

 

Of the teams that rank in the top half of the ACC in three-point defense in conference play, Georgia Tech has faced six of them on the road (Cal, Stanford, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Duke, NC State). Their averages range from 30.4% to 35.0% allowed.

The Jackets shot 37.4% against them.

Three-point defense has been a bit of a blind spot for Louisville – the Cardinals rank 14th in that category in conference play (36.6%). Tech and Louisville also play at the two fastest tempos in the ACC. Can the Jackets use that free-flowing style to find some rhythm and confidence early on offense?

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The end of a long season tests any player’s stamina.

For Baye Ndongo, that toughness gets tested even more.

Following Wednesday’s game against Virginia, the junior forward began fasting for Ramadan in observance of his Muslim faith. From now until March 19, Ndongo will abstain from food or liquids every day from sunup to sundown. On game day, that means waking up before sunrise, getting his fluids and electrolytes in, eating a big meal, and trusting it will sustain him through game’s end.

For someone who has logged heavy minutes over the past couple weeks, adding a fasting regimen may seem even more daunting. But Ndongo has navigated this part of the schedule before, and he knows his body will adjust.

“My mom used to tell me, Ramadan is really going to help your whole body,” he said.

“The first day might be hard, the second day might be hard too, but after those days, your body is going to feel so natural (with your) energy.”

As for fears of his numbers dropping off, consider this. In his first game after the start of Ramadan last year, Ndongo poured in a career-high 29 points and pulled in 17 rebounds in a win over NC State. He’ll duel in the post with 6-11 Sananda Fru (10.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg), a mobile lob threat who’s averaging 75% from the field.

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Diehard Louisville fans may remember – and if they do, hopefully they won’t hold a grudge. Head coach Damon Stoudamire originally committed to Louisville, but flipped to Arizona the day before National Signing Day.

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Now that we’re prepared, we hope you are as well. Join us for pregame coverage starting with the “Ramblin’ Wreck Tip-off Show” at 1:45 p.m. ET on the Georgia Tech Sports Network. See you in Louisville.

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