Post-Game Notes - ACC Tournament Round 1

March 8, 2017

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MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

• Georgia Tech starting lineup: Heath, Jackson, Okogie, Stephens, Lammers
• First subs for Georgia Tech: Moore for Jackson, 16:00-1st half
• On the floor for Georgia Tech at the end: Heath, Jackson, Okogie, Stephens, Lammers
• Opening tap won by Pittsburgh. Georgia Tech has won the opening tap in 14 of 32 games this season.
• Series record vs. Pittsburgh: Georgia Tech is 7-4 overall, 2-1 on neutral courts, 0-1 in the ACC Tournament, 1-1 under Josh Pastner, 4-4 vs. Kevin Stallings
• Current series streak: Pittsburgh won the last meeting
• Georgia Tech is 15-4 at McCamish Pavilion this season, 58-30 in its fifth season in the building, 15-4 under Josh Pastner
• Georgia Tech’s next game: to be determined

TEAM NOTES

• Georgia Tech sustained its fifth opening-round loss in the ACC Tournament in the last seven years. The Yellow Jackets’ all-time record in the ACC Tournament is now 26-35. Tech has won only two games in that span – 2014 over Boston College and 2016 over Clemson. The Jackets last advanced past the second round was 2010, when they reached the finals in Greensboro.
• Tech has lost four of its last five games and five of its last seven. The Jackets did not win a game away from home after defeating NC State on Jan. 15.
• Tech inserted Tadric Jackson in its starting lineup for Corey Heyward for the Pittsburgh game, along with Josh Heath, Ben Lammers, Josh Okogie and Quinton Stephens, the first time this season the Yellow Jackets had started that lineup. The Jackets had started Heath, Heyward, Lammers, Okogie and Stephens for the last 12 games. Three Yellow Jackets – Lammers, Okogie and Stephens – have started every game this season.
• Tech has played its last nine games without backup forward Abdoulaye Gueye (fractured wrist).
• Tech continued to struggle offensively, its 59 points the fewest for the Yellow Jackets since tallying 49 at Virginia on Jan. 21. The Jackets averaged just 65.4 points per game in the ACC regular season, and just 60.3 over its last four games, scoring no more than 61 in any of those four.
• During that stretch, Tech has shot 42.4 percent from the floor, 22.4 percent from three and 62.7 percent from the free throw line.
• Also during that stretch, Tech assisted on only 46.4 percent of its made field goals, far below its season norms of 61.4 percent in all games, 63.2 percent in ACC regular-season games. .
• Tech managed to win eight ACC games this year despite ranking 14^th in the ACC in scoring, 15^th in field goal percentage and three-point percentage, and 14^th in free throw percentage. The Jackets rank No. 270 in adjusted offensive efficiency according to KenPom.com.
• Tech held Pitt to 38.9 percent shooting from the floor, the 10^th time it has limited an ACC foe to under 40 percent this season. The Yellow Jackets led the ACC in field goal percentage defense in conference games, and have the third-lowest yield (39.8 percent) against all comers.
• Tech ranks No. 8 nationally in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency ratings, allowing 90.7 points per 100 possessions. The Jackets also rank 16^th in 2-point field goal percentage yield (43.6).
• Against Pittsburgh, Tech and the Panthers were even in scoring in the paint (24-24), the first time since Feb. 4 at Wake Forest that the Yellow Jackets did not have the upper hand in that area.
• The Yellow Jackets trailed at the half for the ninth straight game against an ACC opponent (Jackets led Tusculum at the half), winning just three of those games. During the ACC regular season, Tech was outscored in the first half by 76 points over 18 games, but outscored them by 10 in the second half.
• Owing to Tadric Jackson’s insertion into the starting lineup, Tech’s bench was scoreless against Pittsburgh.
• Tech continued to defend well in transition, allowing Pittsburgh just two fast break points. Except for the regular season finale against Syracuse, who scored 14 points in transition, the Jackets have allowed an average of just 5.4 fast break points over their last seven games.
• Tech has averaged just 60.7 points over its last three games. The Jackets have won eight ACC games this season while averaging 65.1 points per game, which ranks 14^th in the ACC and is the sixth-lowest average in program history.
• Tech outrebounded Pittsburgh, 40-38, and has outrebounded three of its last four opponents on the boards.
• Tech turned the ball over a season-low seven times. The previous low was 10 against Wofford and Virginia Tech.
• Pastner meter 1 (assists to made field goals): Tech had nine assists on 22 made field goals (40.9 pct.) vs. Pittsburgh – not meeting its 60 percent goal. It dropped Tech’s season rate to 61.4 percent, and 63.2 percent in ACC games.
• Pastner meter 2 (free throws made to opponents’ attempts): Tech made 11-of-17 free throws (10-of-11 second half), to Pittsburgh’s 13-of-17 (goal of making more than opponent tries not accomplished). The Yellow Jackets maintain a 69.8-percent clip from the foul line in ACC games, 68.0 percent in all games.
• Pastner meter 3 (guard rebounding): Tech’s guards combined for 12 of Tech’s 28 defensive rebounds, 46 of 80 in Tech’s last three games.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Two Tech players – Ben Lammers and Josh Heath – played the full 40 minutes against Pittsburgh. It was the first such game in the career of Heath, who averaged 32.7 minutes per ACC game this season. It was the fourth 40-minute game for Lammers, the most for one player in a season since Matt Harpring logged five in the 1996-97 season.
• Tadric Jackson made his fifth start of the season, first since Jan. 4 in Tech’s second ACC game of the season at Duke. He scored a team-high 17 points (8 for a career-high 21 from the floor) for his 19^th double-figure game this season and ninth in Tech’s last 12 games. He is Tech’s third leading scorer (11.8 ppg). In his five starts this season, Jackson has averaged 11.4 points on 44.9-percent shooting from the floor (6-for-18 on threes).
• Jackson is 3-for-22 from three-point range in Tech’s last four games, dropping his season rate to 33.0 percent. Over that same stretch, he is 22-for-37 (59.5 percent) from inside the arc. For the season, Jackson has shot exactly 50 percent on his two-point tries.
• Josh Okogie scored 15 points (4-of-11 FG, 7-of-9 FT), his 27^th double-digit game this year and his 18^th in 19 games against ACC teams. He averaged a team-high 17.1 points per ACC game during the regular season, and is averaging a team-high 15.5 in all games. Only six times previously has a freshman led Tech in scoring; he is Tech’s highest-scoring freshman since Chris Bosh in 2002-03.
• Quinton Stephens recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and went 3-for-10 from three-point range. It was his 18^th double-digit scoring game of the year. He added six rebounds, four assists and made two threes, giving him a team-high 45 for the season.
• Ben Lammers matched his season low for points with six, only the fifth time all season he has failed to reach double figures.
• Lammers did, however, grab 15 rebounds, matching his second-highest total of the season (high is 17) and giving him his 14^th double-digit rebounding game of the season. He ranks third in the ACC with 9.3 per game.
• Lammers blocked just one shot, giving him 104 for the season, the third-highest season total for a Tech player. Alvin Jones holds the top two positions (141 in 1997-98, 107 in 1998-99). Lammers is averaging 3.25 blocks per game, which ranks No. 2 nationally and leads the ACC.
• Corey Heyward has committed just four turnovers in 210 minutes over his last 13 games. He has played 21 turnover-free games this season.