March 2, 2018

Post-Game Notes (Game 30)

March 2, 2018

Recap | Final Stats | Quotes | GT Gallery

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MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Georgia Tech starting lineup: Jackson, Okogie, Cole, Wright, Lammers
First subs for Georgia Tech: Alston for Wright – 18:07, 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 13 times in 30 games this season
Series record vs. NC State: Georgia Tech is 40-57 overall, 23-18 at home, 32-43 as ACC members, 2-1 under Josh Pastner, 1-0 vs. Kevin Keatts
Current series streak: Tech snapped a four-game home-court losing streak to the Wolfpack
Georgia Tech is 11-7 at McCamish Pavilion this season, 71-37 in its sixth season in the building, 28-11 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 3 vs. Wake Forest, 12 p.m. [RSN, 680 AM, 93.7 FM]

TEAM NOTES

For the third 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 fifth straight game, and Wright his third in a row, seventh 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 42 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 68 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 64 games and log 43 percent of the Yellow Jackets’ total minutes.
After being stuck on 199 wins the entire month of February, Pastner earned the 200^th victory of his head coaching career (200-107).
Georgia Tech snapped a four-game home-court losing streak to NC State, and defeated the Wolfpack for the first time in McCamish Pavilion.
Tech’s 78 points against NC State was its high against an ACC team this season and matched its third-highest total of the entire season (81 vs. Wright State, 79 vs. Florida A&M, 78 vs Texas-Rio Grande Valley).
Tech won for the first time this season when giving up 70 or more points (0-12 previously) and improved to 6-18 under Josh Pastner when giving up 70 or more.
Tech shot 51.6 percent from the floor against NC State, its highest in an ACC game this season, and its 32 field goals was an overall season best. It was the third time in an ACC game and the sixth time all year that the Yellow Jackets shot 50 percent from the floor. Tech has won only two of those games, however (Texas-Rio Grande Valley and NC State).
Tech hit 62.5 percent of its shots from the floor in the second half against the Wolfpack, its second-best half of the season (66.7 percent, 14-of-21 in the first half at Wofford).
Tech’s 20 second-half field goals against the Wolfpackwere a season high in any half, and matched or exceeded the Yellow Jackets’ total in six entire games this season.
Tech’s 47 second-half points against NC State was a season-high, beating the 46 it scored in the second half of games against Texas-Rio Grande Valley and Coppin State.
Tech is 12-4 this season when it has a higher field goal percentage than its opponent, 0-13 when it has a lower percentage.
Tech is 15-of-30 (50 percent) from three-point range in its last two games, 19-of-43 (44.2 percent) in its last three games.
Tech has been on the plus-side in assist/turnover ratio for three straight games (45 assists/33 turnovers combined). The Jackets pulled even for the season (381 assists/381 turnovers) and into the plus-side in ACC games (215/212).

PASTNER’S KEY METRICS

Assists to made field goals: Tech assisted on 18 of 32 made field goals (56.3 percent) against NC State, below its nightly goal of 60 percent, b but a season high in both assists and field goals. The Jackets have assisted on 54.2 percent of their made field goals for the season (53.2 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 8-of-17 free throw attempts to NC State’s 10-of-12 (nightly goal of making more than opponent tries not accomplished). For the season, Tech has converted 407 free throws, while opponents have attempted 515. Tech is 29-10 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 12.5 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 11 of Tech’s 22 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 has started and played the majority of the game as Tech’s point guard in the Jackets’ last three games, the first time he has played extensive minutes in that role, and has logged the three highest-minute games of his career (38 at Virginia, 40 at Clemson, 39 vs. NC State). The 6-2 senior has averaged 16.7 points and shot 20-of-49 from the floor (40.8 percent) in those three games (15 points at Virginia, 13 at Clemson and 22 points against NC State).
Jackson reached double figures for the fourth straight game against NC State following a three-game drought, and for the 19^th time in 27 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 1,095 points over his four seasons.
Jackson had connected on 11-of-27 shots from three-point range (40.7 percent) in his last four games.
Jackson matched his career high with five assists against NC State.
Ben Lammers notched his second straight double-digit game after falling short in three of the previous four, averaging 17.7 points over that stretch with 22 points at Virginia and 20 against NC State. Lammers has 22 double-digit scoring games this season, 43 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 1,031 career points and gives the Jackets two 1,000-point scorers on their current roster. Sophomore Josh Okogie is three points away from 1,000.
Lammers has converted 34 of 62 shots from the floor (54.8 percent) in his last five games.
Lammers added nine rebounds against the Wolfpack, established a career-best with seven assists and tied a career best with four steals in 38 minutes.
Josh Okogie scored 18 points (6-of-11 FG, 3-4 on 3s) and grabbed six rebounds while logging his fourth 40-minute game this season. He is averaging a team-high 37.0 minutes per ACC game.
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 52 times in 59 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 (997) 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 went just 3-for-6 from the free throw line against NC State, dropping his season free throw rate to 81.6 percent. He remains the ACC leader in free throw attempts per game (6.7). He averaged 6.5 attempts as a freshman, which ranked third in the ACC, and connected on 74.7 percent.
Okogie is averaging 6.7 rebounds per game in ACC play, third best among league guards, and 6.3 for the season. Okogie has snared 87 rebounds in his last 12 games (7.3), including a pair of double-digit games.
Okogie has 48 assists in his last 15 games, a 3.2 average, dishing a career-high six at Clemson and getting five twice (second meeting vs. Notre Dame and at Florida State) in that stretch.
Ben Lammers moved into 10th place on Tech’s career rebounding list, grabbing nine against NC State for a career total of 763 and passing Eddie Elisma (762 from 1994-97). He needs 25 to catch ninth-place John Salley (798 from 1982-86).
Lammers blocked two shots against NC State, giving him 248 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 36.2 minutes this season, sixth-most in the ACC (37.0 mpg vs. the ACC), and ranks No. 1 among centers nationally in average minutes played and percentage of possible minutes. Okogie is averaging 37.0 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 fourth time this season. Jose Alvarado logged eight complete games before he was injured, Lammers has gone start-to-finish five times, and Tadric Jackson had his first at Clemson.
Freshman forward Evan Cole has averaged 26.3 minutes, 6.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in his last five games, which includes starts against Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Clemson and NC State. The 6-9 rookie has hit 14-of-26 shots from the floor, 5-of-11 from three-point range, with eight assists.
Moses Wright, another 6-9 freshman, has averaged 25.3 minutes over his last six games, averaging 5.7 points (12-of-43 FG, 9-of-17 FT) and 5.3 rebounds with six assists, four blocks and six steals.