Georgia Tech vs. NC State
Tuesday, February 15, 2022 | 8 p.m. ET | Atlanta, Ga. | McCamish Pavilion
Television: ACC Network
Play-by-Play: Dave O’Brien | Analyst: Cory Alexander
Radio: Georgia Tech Sports Network by Legends Sports (In Atlanta: 680 AM/93.7 The Fan | XM 385, SiriusXM app 975 | Listen Online | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets App | TuneIn
Play-by-Play: Andy Demetra | Analyst: Randy Waters
THE FLATS – Playing its only home game in a five-game stretch, Georgia Tech returns to McCamish Pavilion to host NC State in an 8 p.m. contest Tuesday night. It is the only scheduled meeting between the two teams this season.
Tech (10-14, 3-10 ACC), which escaped the ACC cellar Feb. 5 with a homecourt victory over Clemson, will look to stay out with a victory over the Wolfpack. The Jackets have lost twice, at Miami (79-70) and Virginia (63-53), since beating the Tigers, and also own wins at Boston College on Jan. 12 (81-76) and Florida State (75-61) at home on Jan. 26.
Reigning ACC Tournament MVP Michael Devoe (Orlando, Fla.), the ACC’s No. 3-leading scorer (18.6 points per game), No. 5 three-point shooter by volume (2.48 per game) and No. 4 by percentage (38.8), leads the Jackets along with senior forward Jordan Usher (Canton, Ga.), averaging 14.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.
NC State (10-15 overall, 3-12 ACC) comes to Atlanta riding a six-game losing streak that includes road losses to Notre Dame, North Carolina and Pittsburgh, a close, 71-69 decision Saturday. The Wolfpack’s three ACC wins have come over Virginia at home (77-63) and on the road at Virginia Tech (68-63) and Louisville (79-63).
Tuesday’s game will be televised live on the ACC Network, with a live stream available through the ESPN app. Radio coverage will be on the Georgia Tech Sports Network by Legends Sports and flagship station WCNN (680/93.7 the Fan), and on satellite radio (XM channel 385, SiriusXM app 975).
Everything we do we do together 💛#TogetherWeSwarm pic.twitter.com/kO600zQwM2
— Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball (@GTMBB) February 13, 2022
THE OPENING TIP
- Once around – Tech’s game against NC State is part of a stretch of four games against teams the Yellow Jackets will face just once this season, including Virginia (last Saturday), and Pittsburgh and Syracuse coming up. The Jackets then finish the regular season with rematches against Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Clemson and Boston College.
- At home – Georgia Tech is 2-5 at McCamish Pavilion in conference play this season, 8-7 in all games. The Yellow Jackets have just two remaining home games after Tuesday night. NC State is 2-5 in road games, all of them conference games.
- Dynamic duo – Georgia Tech seniors Michael Devoe and Jordan Usher have accounted for 47.3 percent of the Yellow Jackets’ scoring this season, and as the top two assist men on the team, have had a hand in 68.3 percent of Tech’s field goals made. Those numbers for ACC games are similar (46.4, 69.3). In Tech’s 10 wins, they account for just 41.4 percent of the Jackets’ points; in Tech’s three ACC wins: 34.6 percent.
- Grand theft basketball – The Jackets rank No. 2 in the ACC in turnovers forced against conference opponents (14.08 per game) and also are No. 2 in steals (9.08). Tech’s last seven ACC foes (Wake Forest, Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Miami, Virginia) have coughed it up 106 times (15.1 per game), 69 of them takeaways for Tech.
- Eight lineups – Tech has utilized eight different starting lineups this season, and Jordan Usher and Khalid Moore are the only players to start all 24 games. Tech’s most frequent lineup has been the original one (Michael Devoe and Kyle Sturdivant at the guards, Jordan Usher and Khalid Moore at the forwards, Rodney Howard at center), which the Jackets used for six of the first eight games and the last six before Virginia.
- House of Usher – Usher has averaged 15.5 points over Tech’s last 16 games, having hit 92-of-192 shots from the floor (47.9 percent) and 27-of-71 threes (38.0 percent).
- Mikey likes it – Senior guard Michael Devoe fell from the top spot in the ACC in scoring average for the first time this season after Tech’s game at at Boston College, and is currently No. 3 at 18.61 points per game. Devoe is No. 4 in the ACC in three-point percentage (38.8) and No. 5 in three-point field goals per game (2.48).
- Century mark – Michael Devoe will make the 100th start of his collegiate career against NC State.
- Climbing the ladder – Michael Devoe is within 12 points of surpassing two more Georgia Tech legends on its career scoring chart – John Salley (1,587 from 1982-86) and Bruce Dalrymple (1,588 from 1983-87). After beginning the season No. 36 in career points at Tech, Devoe has risen to No. 17 on the Tech career points list with 1,577 points, passing such Tech luminaries as Iman Shumpert, Drew Barry, Jarrett Jack, Michael Maddox, Tico Brown, Marvin Lewis, Anthony Morrow, Lenny Horton, former teammate Jose Alvarado, and most recently Kenny Anderson.
- Three over a thousand – Senior Jordan Usher cleared the 1,000-point milestone for his career Jan. 15 at North Carolina. He has 1,120 points, 846 of them scored in a Tech uniform, giving Tech three 1,000-point scorers on its roster, including Michael Devoe (1,577) and Bubba Parham (1,452).
- Freshmen rising – Kick-started by strong performances against Clayton State, Tech freshmen Deebo Coleman and Miles Kelly have combined to average 12.4 points and hit 23-of 47 shots (50 percent) from three-point range combined over Tech’s last seven games.
- Sturdy Sturdivant – Kyle Sturdivant has a 27:10 assist/turnover ratio over Tech’s last 11 games. The junior guard has averaged 6.9 points with three double-digit efforts and five turnover-free games over that stretch.
- Rescheduled – The ACC has rescheduled Tech’s postponed ACC game at Syracuse for Monday, Feb 21 at 7 p.m. (was originally scheduled for Dec. 29). That will give the Jackets three conference games in a five-day stretch (Feb. 19 at Pitt, Feb. 21 at Syracuse, Feb. 23 vs. Virginia Tech) and four over eight days (Feb. 26 at Notre Dame).
Everything we do we do together 💛#TogetherWeSwarm pic.twitter.com/kO600zQwM2
— Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball (@GTMBB) February 13, 2022
SERIES NOTES VS. NC STATE
- NC State has a 57-43 lead in the overall series which dates back to 1925. Georgia Tech has won six of the last seven meetings, including both regular-season meetings during the 2019-20 season (82-81 in overtime in Raleigh, 64-58 in Atlanta).
- The teams did not play their only scheduled meeting in the 2020-21 season due to COVID issues.
- Twenty-three of the last 27 meetings in the series have been decided by 10 points or less, with four of those decided in overtime.
- Tech is 24-18 against the Wolfpack in Atlanta, including one home-court meeting that was played at the Omni in 1986 and one at Philips Arena in 2012. NC State won the first three games played at McCamish Pavilion before Tech won the last two.
- Since it joined the ACC, Tech is 35-43 against NC State, including regular-season and tournament.
- Tech has won five of six games (one win was vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions) against the Pack under head coach Josh Pastner, and is 4-0 vs. NC State coach Kevin Keatts.
- The Jackets are 13-31 against NC State in Raleigh, including a 6-11 mark at PNC Arena.
- Tech is 3-3 against NC State in ACC Tournament games, the last meeting occurring in 2003 in a 71-65 Wolfpack victory in Greensboro. The Jackets won first-round games in 1996 in Greensboro (88-73) and 1990 in Charlotte (76-67).
Big time 🪣 @mdevoe0
📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/sKpEqxMR5e
— Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball (@GTMBB) February 12, 2022
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
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ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S BASKETBALL
Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team won the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship in 2021 after finishing fourth in the regular season. Tech has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1979, winning four ACC Championships (1985, 1990, 1993, 2021), playing in the NCAA Tournament 17 times and playing in two Final Fours (1990, 2004). Connect with Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball on social media by liking their Facebook Page, or following on Twitter (@GTMBB) and Instagram. For more information on Tech basketball, visit Ramblinwreck.com.
