February 22, 2018

Post-Game Notes (Game 28)

Feb. 21, 2018

Recap | Final Stats | USATSI Gallery

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MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Georgia Tech starting lineup: Jackson, Okogie, Cole, Wright, Lammers
First subs for Georgia Tech: Ogbonda for Lammers – 14:11, 1^st half
On the floor for Georgia Tech at the end: Alston, Jackson, Okogie, Cole, Lammers
Opening tap won by Georgia Tech: Georgia Tech has won the opening tap 11 times in 28 games this season
Series record vs. Virginia: Georgia Tech is 40-41 overall, 11-23 on the road, 38-40 as ACC members, 0-3 under Josh Pastner, 2-11 vs. Tony Bennett
Current series streak: Virginia has won the last four meetings
Georgia Tech is 10-7 at McCamish Pavilion this season, 70-37 in its sixth season in the building, 27-11 under Josh Pastner
Georgia Tech is 1-9 on the road this season, 1-10 away from McCamish Pavilion
Georgia Tech’s next game: Feb. 24 at Clemson, 3 p.m. [ACC Network, 680 AM, 93.7 FM]

TEAM NOTES

Georgia Tech used its eighth different starting lineup this season against Virginia, inserting freshman Moses Wright into the lineup, replacing Abdoulaye Gueye, along with Tadric Jackson, Josh Okogie, Evan Cole and Ben Lammers. It was the first time this year that freshman Cole and Wright had started together.
Gueye had started Tech’s last 15 games at the “4” position. Wright made his fifth start of the season, and first since Coppin State on Dec. 27.
Tech has had its full roster to practice only for seven games this season. Injuries or other absences have forced Tech players to miss 46 games cumulatively this season. Freshman Jose Alvarado and Curtis Haywood II both suffered season-ending injuries, Alvarado on Feb. 11 early in Tech’s game against Duke, and Haywood prior to the Jackets’ Jan. 31 game against Syracuse.
Ben Lammers is the only Tech player to start every game this season, and has started Tech’s last 66 consecutive games.
Tech’s playing rotation this season has featured four freshmen and a first-year graduate transfer who have combined to start 61 games and log 43 percent of the Yellow Jackets’ total minutes.
Pastner remains one victory shy of 200 for his head coaching career (199-106).
Tech matched its season low for turnovers with six against Virginia (six vs. North Texas and Coppin State). The Jackets stayed under 10 for the first time since committing nine against Clemson and Syracuse in back-to-back games on Jan. 28 and 31.
Tech shot 43.1 percent from the floor against the ACC’s top team in field goal percentage defense (39.3 percent to ACC teams).
In the month of February (since its last victory on Jan 31 over Syracuse), Tech has allowed an average of 76.2 points per game, 47.9 percent from the floor. Tech’s February opponents have made an average of 9.0 threes per game and shot 50.9 percent from distance. Tech also has turned the ball over 12.5 times per game and forced just 9.7.

PASTNER’S KEY METRICS

Assists to made field goals: Tech assisted on 11 of 22 made field goals (50 percent) against Virginia, below its nightly goal of 60 percent. The Jackets have assisted on 53.8 percent of their made field goals for the season (52.1 percent vs. the ACC), after finishing last season at 62.7 percent (63.2 percent rate in ACC games).
Free throws made to opponents’ attempts: Tech connected on 6-of-8 free throw attempts to Virginia’s 12-of-18 (nightly goal of making more than opponent tries not accomplished). For the season, Tech has converted 389 free throws, while opponents have attempted 473. Tech is 29-9 under Josh Pastner when attempting more free throws than the opponent.
Turnovers: Tech has committed 12.6 turnovers per game this season, down from last season (13.4), and 12.1 in ACC games, down from 13.3 last season. Pastner’s threshold to win is nine or fewer, which the Jackets have accomplished six times this season, four times in conference play.
Guard rebounding: Tech’s guards combined for six of Tech’s 18 defensive rebounds against Virginia Tech. Tadric Jackson, Jose Alvarado and Josh Okogie are all averaging 3.7 rebounds per game or higher this season.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

Tadric Jackson started and played the majority of the game as Tech’s point guard against Virginia, the first time he has played extensive minutes in that role. The 6-2 senior played a career-high 38 minutes, scored 15 points (6-14 FG, 3-8 3s) and had just one turnover.
Jackson reached double figures for the second straight game following a three-game drought, and for the 17^th time in 25 games this season.
Jackson, who became the 44^th player in Tech history to reach 1,000 career points on Jan. 31 vs. Syracuse, now has 1,060 points over his four seasons.
Ben Lammers had his most productive game offensively since Tech’s season opener against UCLA, scoring 22 points against Virginia while hitting 9-of-15 shots from the floor, 4-of-6 from the free throw line. He added seven rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot in 39 minutes. Lammers has 20 double-digit scoring games this season, 41 over the last two seasons.
Lammers’ final point in the Virginia game, from the free throw line, gave him exactly 1,000 points for his career. He became the 45^th player in Tech history to reach 1,000, and gives the Jackets two 1,000-point scorers on their current roster. Sophomore Josh Okogie is 43 points away from 1,000.
Virginia is the only team to hold Josh Okogie under 10 points this season, limiting the sophomore guard to nine points in the first meeting on Jan. 18, and seven in the second on Feb. 21. The first game snapped a 25-game streak of double-digit games.
Okogie has scored in double figures 50 times in 57 career games. He has scored 30 or more three times (two vs. ACC), 20 or more 18 times (11 times in an ACC game).
Okogie has averaged 18.1 points per game after missing the first eight games of the season, including 17.8 in ACC games so far (fourth-best in league rankings). He averaged 16.1 points as a freshman, 17.1 against the ACC.
Okogie has scored more points in his first two seasons at Tech (957) since Matt Harpring accumulated 1,021 by the end of his sophomore season (1996-98). At his present rate, Okogie can become the sixth Tech player to reach 1,000 career points by the end of his sophomore season.
Okogie, who came into the Virginia game leading the ACC in free throw attempts per game (7.3), failed to get to the free throw line for the first time in his career. Only once before had he failed to score a point from the charity stripe, missing his only attempt at Miami in Feb. 15 of last season. Okogie is one of the ACC’s top free throw shooters by percentage at 82.4 percent. He averaged 6.5 attempts as a freshman, which ranked third in the ACC, and connected on 74.7 percent.
Okogie did grab six rebounds against Virginia and is averaging 6.7 rebounds per game in ACC play, third best among league guards, and 6.2 for the season. Okogie has snared 73 rebounds in his last 10 games (7.3), including a pair of double-digit games.
Okogie has 40 assists in his last 13 games, a 3.1 average, and has matched his career high of five twice (second meeting vs. Notre Dame and at Florida State) in that stretch. He had four assists and no turnovers in Tech’s last game against Virginia.
Ben Lammers moved into 11^th place on Tech’s career rebounding list, grabbing seven against Virginia for a career total of 748. He needs 14 to catch Eddie Elisma (762 from 1994-97) and move into the top 10 all-time.
Lammers blocked one shot against Virginia, giving him 244 blocks for his career and third place in Tech history alone, surpassing John Salley (243 from 1982-86). Daniel Miller (286 from 2011-14) holds second place.
Lammers is averaging 36.2 minutes this season, sixth-most in the ACC (37.1 mpg vs. the ACC), and ranks No. 1 among centers nationally in average minutes played and percentage of possible minutes. Okogie is averaging 36.9 minutes in ACC games. Both players rank among the ACC’s top 10 in minutes per conference game.
Okogie played the full 40 minutes for the third time this season. Jose Alvarado logged eight complete games before he was injured, and Lammers has gone start-to-finish five times.
Freshman forward Evan Cole has averaged 23.3 minutes, 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in his last four games, which includes starts against Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and Virginia. The 6-9 rookie has hit 8-of-15 shots from the floor, 3-of-8 from three-point range, with six assists.
Moses Wright, another freshman, started his first game since Dec. 27 and scored six points with seven rebounds in a season-high 35 minutes against Virginia. The 6-9 rookie has averaged 24.8 minutes over his last four games, averaging 5.5 points (9-of-19 FG) and 5.5 rebounds.