February 24, 2018

Post-Game Notes (Game 29)

Feb. 24, 2018

Recap | Final Stats | Photo Gallery

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MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Georgia Tech starting lineup: Jackson, Okogie, Cole, Wright, Lammers
First subs for Georgia Tech: Alston for Jackson – 17:03, 1^st half
On the floor for Georgia Tech at the end: Alston, Jackson, Rice, Gueye, Lammers
Opening tap won by Georgia Tech: Georgia Tech has won the opening tap 12 times in 29 games this season
Series record vs. Clemson: Georgia Tech is 62-70 overall, 16-44 on the road, 34-47 as ACC members, 1-3 under Josh Pastner, 4-14 vs. Brad Brownell
Current series streak: Clemson has won the last three 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 1-10 on the road this season, 1-11 away from McCamish Pavilion
Georgia Tech’s next game: March 1, 8 p.m. [ACC Network, 680 AM, 93.7 FM]

TEAM NOTES

For the second straight game, freshmen forwards Evan Cole and Moses Wright started alongside Ben Lammers on the front line, with Tadric Jackson and Josh Okogie in the backcourt. Cole started his fourth straight game, and Wright his second in a row, sixth overall this season. Georgia Tech has used eight different starting lineups this season.
Tech has had its full roster to practice only for seven games this season. Injuries or other absences have forced Tech players to miss 40 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 67 consecutive games. Brandon Alston is the only other player not to have missed a game
Tech’s playing rotation this season has featured four freshmen and a first-year graduate transfer who have combined to start 62 games and log 43 percent of the Yellow Jackets’ total minutes.
Pastner remains one victory shy of 200 for his head coaching career (199-107).
Tech’s nine three-point field goals matched its output from behind the arc for its previous three games combined. It was the most the Jackets have made in an ACC game this season, second most overall (10 vs. Grambling State). Six those three came in the first half, most than the Jackets had made in 12 full ACC games this season.
Tech scored 17 points off second chances, matching its highest total this season.
Tech’s 16 assist matched its most in an ACC game this season (also against Clemson on Jan. 28). The Jackets’ high for a game overall this season is 18 against Texas-Rio Grande Valley.
In the month of February (since its last victory on Jan 31 over Syracuse), Tech allowed an average of 76 points per game, 48 percent from the floor. Tech’s February opponents made an average of 8.4 threes per game and shot 48 percent from distance. Tech also has turned the ball over 12.6 times per game and forced just 9.7.

PASTNER’S KEY METRICS

Assists to made field goals: Tech assisted on 16 of 24 made field goals (66.7 percent) against Clemson, above its nightly goal of 60 percent for the first time since its last victory, Jan. 31 vs. Syracuse (17 of 21 FG). The Jackets have assisted on 54.1 percent of their made field goals for the season (53 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 10-of-12 free throw attempts to Clemson’s 24-of-30 (nightly goal of making more than opponent tries not accomplished). For the season, Tech has converted 399 free throws, while opponents have attempted 503. Tech is 29-9 under Josh Pastner when attempting more free throws than the opponent.
Turnovers: Tech has committed 12.7 turnovers per game this season, down from last season (13.4), and 12.4 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 19 defensive rebounds against Clemson. Tadric Jackson, Jose Alvarado and Josh Okogie are all averaging 3.6 rebounds per game or higher this season.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

Tadric Jackson started and played the majority of the game as Tech’s point guard for the second straight game, achieving career highs in minutes both times (38 at Virginia, 40 at Clemson), the first time he has played extensive minutes in that role. The 6-2 senior scored 15 points (6-14 FG, 3-8 3s) at Virginia, 13 points (4-16 FG, 3-6 on 3s) and had just four turnovers combined.
Jackson reached double figures for the third straight game against Clemson following a three-game drought, and for the 18^th time in 26 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 1,073 points over his four seasons.
Ben Lammers notched his second straight double-digit game after falling short in three of the previous four. He added seven rebounds for the second straight game, three assists and two blocked shots in 35 minutes. Lammers has 21 double-digit scoring games this season, 42 over the last two seasons.
Lammers, who became the 45^th player in Tech history to reach 1,000 with his 22 points at Virginia, now has 1,011 career points and gives the Jackets two 1,000-point scorers on their current roster. Sophomore Josh Okogie is 21 points away from 1,000.
Lammers has converted 25 of 49 shots from the floor in his last four games.
Okogie scored 22 points, his 10^th game this season with 20 or more points. He went 8-of-12 from the floor, 3-of-3 from three-point range, and 3-of-3 from the free throw line. He also grabbed eight rebounds and had a career-high six assists in 35 minutes.
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. Each time he has rebounded with a big scoring game – 18 at North Carolina and 22 at Clemson.
Okogie has scored in double figures 51 times in 58 career games. He has scored 30 or more three times (two vs. ACC), 20 or more 19 times (11 times in an ACC game).
Okogie has averaged 18.2 points per game after missing the first eight games of the season, including 18.1 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 (979) 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 and attempted only three free throws at Clemson. Okogie is one of the ACC’s top free throw shooters by percentage at 83 percent. He averaged 6.5 attempts as a freshman, which ranked third in the ACC, and connected on 74.7 percent.
Okogie is averaging 6.8 rebounds per game in ACC play, third best among league guards, and 6.3 for the season. Okogie has snared 81 rebounds in his last 11 games (7.4), including a pair of double-digit games.
Okogie has 46 assists in his last 14 games, a 3.3 average, dishing a career-high six at Clemson and getting five twice (second meeting vs. Notre Dame and at Florida State) in that stretch. He has 10 assists and three turnovers in Tech’s last two games.
Ben Lammers stands in 11^th place on Tech’s career rebounding list, grabbing seven against Virginia for a career total of 755. He needs seven to catch Eddie Elisma (762 from 1994-97) and move into the top 10 all-time.
Lammers blocked two shots at Clemson, giving him 246 blocks for his career and third place in Tech history. He surpassed John Salley (243 from 1982-86) in Tech’s game at Virginia. Daniel Miller (286 from 2011-14) holds second place.
Lammers is averaging 36.1 minutes this season, sixth-most in the ACC (36.9 mpg vs. the ACC), and ranks No. 1 among centers nationally in average minutes played and percentage of possible minutes. Okogie is averaging 36.8 minutes in ACC games. Both players rank among the ACC’s top 10 in minutes per conference game.
Jackson played the full 40 minutes for the first time in his career at Clemson. Jose Alvarado logged eight complete games before he was injured, Lammers has gone start-to-finish five times, and Okogie has done it three times.
Freshman forward Evan Cole has averaged 25.4 minutes, 6.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in his last four games, which includes starts against Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Virginia and Clemson. The 6-9 rookie has hit 11-of-21 shots from the floor, 5-of-11 from three-point range, with eight assists.
Moses Wright, another 6-9 freshman, has averaged 25.8 minutes over his last four games, averaging 6.0 points (11-of-34 FG, 7-of-13 FT) and 5.6 rebounds with five assists and six steals.