@GTMBB Visits South Carolina in NIT 2nd Round
43rd meeting between the Jackets and Gamecocks tips at 9 p.m. Monday in Columbia, S.C.
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech (20-14), seeded fourth in the National Invitation Tournament, travels to top-sseded South Carolina (25-8) for its second-round game, which tips off at 9 p.m. Monday night at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C. This is the 24th post-season appearance in Georgia Tech’s basketball history, and the eighth appearance for the Yellow Jackets in the NIT.
Complete game notes | NIT home page | Watch live online | Coach Gregory interview (audio)
The Yellow Jackets have compiled a 20-14 overall record this season, the most wins by a Tech team since the 2009-10 season, and went 8-10 in the ACC, only the 15th team to win as many conference games in the program’s 37-year history in the league. This Tech team is the 15th in program history to win 20 games, and only the fourth since 1996.
The Jackets go to Columbia having won seven of their last nine games, including an 81-62 victory over Houston Wednesday night at home in the NIT opening round. Over its last six regular season games, Tech defeated Florida State, No. 19 Notre Dame, Clemson, Boston College and Pittsburgh, and lost only to No. 11 Louisville, on the road by three. The Jackets then defeated Clemson in the first round of the ACC Tournament before falling to fourth-ranked Virginia.
South Carolina began the season by winning its first 15 games before falling to Alabama on the road in its third Southeastern Conference game. The Gamecocks finished the regular season in third place in the SEC (11-7) before losing to Georgia in their first SEC Tournament game. South Carolina defeated High Point, 88-66, in its NIT opener.
Monday’s game will be televised nationally on ESPN and will be streamed live on the WatchESPN app. Radio coverage of the game is provided by the Georgia Tech/IMG Sports Network, and can be heard in Atlanta on 680 the Fan (680 AM and 93.7 FM).
TRANSITION POINTS
• Free basketball - Georgia Tech is playing in the post-season for the first time since 2010, when the Yellow Jackets last played in the NCAA Tournament. Tech is in the NIT for the first time since 2003, and has advanced past the first round for the fourth time.
• Twenty-something - A win for Georgia Tech in the first round of the NIT gave the Yellow Jackets their first 20-win season since 2009-10, and their fourth in the last 20 years. Tech has won 20 games in a season 15 times in its history.
• Next up - The winner of Monday’s game will face either No. 2 seed San Diego State (26-9) or No. 3 seed Washington (19-14) on Wednesday night. The Aztecs and Huskies play at 11:30 p.m. Eastern time Monday night. Tech would have to travel the venue of the winner should they defeat South Carolina. The Gamecocks would play the winner at home.
• Common opponents - Tech and South Carolina have both played Arkansas, Clemson, Georgia and Tennessee this season. The Yellow Jackets went 4-1 against those teams, while the Gamecocks went 3-4, losing to Georgia three times.
• On the road - Tech is 4-7 in road games this season, winning at Tulane, NC State, Florida State and Boston College.
• Senior citizens - Five Georgia Tech seniors - Marcus Georges-Hunt, Charles Mitchell, Nick Jacobs, Adam Smith and James White - have accounted for 135 of a possible 170 starts this season, 62.2 percent of the minutes played and 76.2 percent of the Yellow Jackets’ scoring.
• Experienced - According to KenPom.com, Tech has the ninth most experienced roster in the nation, with an average number of years’ experience at 2.37. Tech has five seniors (one a fifth-year), three juniors (one in his fourth year in the program) and four sophomores (one in his third year).
• Finishing strong - Georgia Tech won five of its last six regular-season games (the lone loss by three points at No. 11 Louisville) and won six of eight games entering the NIT. It was the Yellow Jackets’ best finish since they won seven of nine to close out the 2001-02 regular season.
• Winning - Georgia Tech has achieved its highest win total, both overall and in the ACC, under Brian Gregory, and has its most wins overall since 2009-10 (23-13) and most in the ACC since 2006-07 (8-8).
• Historical look - In Tech’s 37 years in the ACC, 15 Yellow Jacket teams have won eight or more ACC games in the regular season. Only four have won nine or more.
• No cigar - ESPN’s Basketball Power Index (BPI) has Tech No. 48 with an overall schedule strength ranking of No. 3. The Yellow Jackets are the highest-rated team to not receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
• Close calls - Tech’s 18 regular-season ACC games were decided by an average of 5.2 points, only one of those by double digits (66-52 loss at Clemson on Feb. 13). The Yellow Jackets won their eight ACC games this season by an average of 4.3 points, and their 10 losses came by an average of 6.3 points. Tech’s last seven games before the ACC Tournament quarterfinal loss to Virginia, which included six wins, were decided by a total of 24 points.
• Close calls II - Tech lost by double digits only three times all year, two of those to top-2 seeds in the NCAA Tournament - Villanova (69-52) back in November and No. 4 Virginia (72-52) in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. Until defeating Houston Wednesday night, Tech had not won a game by more than seven points since Dec. 23.
• Tough at home - Tech finished the season 14-5 at home, percentage-wise its best home record, and its most home wins, in five seasons under Brian Gregory. The Jackets, who closed out the home schedule with five straight wins, have not had a better home record since going 14-2 in 2009-10.
• All-Conference - Marcus Georges-Hunt was named second-team All-ACC by the league’s coaches and third-team by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. He is the second all-conference honoree for Tech under Brian Gregory (Daniel Miller third-team in 2014).
• Old school - All five of the schools that Tech’s four transfers attended previously (Adam Smith attended two schools before Tech) are in the postseason. Maryland (Charles Mitchell), UNC-Wilmington (Adam Smith) and Arkansas-Little Rock (James White) are in the NCAA tournament. Alabama (Nick Jacobs) and Virginia Tech (Smith) are in the NIT.
43rd meeting between the Jackets and Gamecocks tips at 9 p.m. Monday in Columbia, S.C.
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech (20-14), seeded fourth in the National Invitation Tournament, travels to top-sseded South Carolina (25-8) for its second-round game, which tips off at 9 p.m. Monday night at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C. This is the 24th post-season appearance in Georgia Tech’s basketball history, and the eighth appearance for the Yellow Jackets in the NIT.
Complete game notes | NIT home page | Watch live online | Coach Gregory interview (audio)
The Yellow Jackets have compiled a 20-14 overall record this season, the most wins by a Tech team since the 2009-10 season, and went 8-10 in the ACC, only the 15th team to win as many conference games in the program’s 37-year history in the league. This Tech team is the 15th in program history to win 20 games, and only the fourth since 1996.
The Jackets go to Columbia having won seven of their last nine games, including an 81-62 victory over Houston Wednesday night at home in the NIT opening round. Over its last six regular season games, Tech defeated Florida State, No. 19 Notre Dame, Clemson, Boston College and Pittsburgh, and lost only to No. 11 Louisville, on the road by three. The Jackets then defeated Clemson in the first round of the ACC Tournament before falling to fourth-ranked Virginia.
South Carolina began the season by winning its first 15 games before falling to Alabama on the road in its third Southeastern Conference game. The Gamecocks finished the regular season in third place in the SEC (11-7) before losing to Georgia in their first SEC Tournament game. South Carolina defeated High Point, 88-66, in its NIT opener.
Monday’s game will be televised nationally on ESPN and will be streamed live on the WatchESPN app. Radio coverage of the game is provided by the Georgia Tech/IMG Sports Network, and can be heard in Atlanta on 680 the Fan (680 AM and 93.7 FM).
TRANSITION POINTS
• Free basketball - Georgia Tech is playing in the post-season for the first time since 2010, when the Yellow Jackets last played in the NCAA Tournament. Tech is in the NIT for the first time since 2003, and has advanced past the first round for the fourth time.
• Twenty-something - A win for Georgia Tech in the first round of the NIT gave the Yellow Jackets their first 20-win season since 2009-10, and their fourth in the last 20 years. Tech has won 20 games in a season 15 times in its history.
• Next up - The winner of Monday’s game will face either No. 2 seed San Diego State (26-9) or No. 3 seed Washington (19-14) on Wednesday night. The Aztecs and Huskies play at 11:30 p.m. Eastern time Monday night. Tech would have to travel the venue of the winner should they defeat South Carolina. The Gamecocks would play the winner at home.
• Common opponents - Tech and South Carolina have both played Arkansas, Clemson, Georgia and Tennessee this season. The Yellow Jackets went 4-1 against those teams, while the Gamecocks went 3-4, losing to Georgia three times.
• On the road - Tech is 4-7 in road games this season, winning at Tulane, NC State, Florida State and Boston College.
• Senior citizens - Five Georgia Tech seniors - Marcus Georges-Hunt, Charles Mitchell, Nick Jacobs, Adam Smith and James White - have accounted for 135 of a possible 170 starts this season, 62.2 percent of the minutes played and 76.2 percent of the Yellow Jackets’ scoring.
• Experienced - According to KenPom.com, Tech has the ninth most experienced roster in the nation, with an average number of years’ experience at 2.37. Tech has five seniors (one a fifth-year), three juniors (one in his fourth year in the program) and four sophomores (one in his third year).
• Finishing strong - Georgia Tech won five of its last six regular-season games (the lone loss by three points at No. 11 Louisville) and won six of eight games entering the NIT. It was the Yellow Jackets’ best finish since they won seven of nine to close out the 2001-02 regular season.
• Winning - Georgia Tech has achieved its highest win total, both overall and in the ACC, under Brian Gregory, and has its most wins overall since 2009-10 (23-13) and most in the ACC since 2006-07 (8-8).
• Historical look - In Tech’s 37 years in the ACC, 15 Yellow Jacket teams have won eight or more ACC games in the regular season. Only four have won nine or more.
• No cigar - ESPN’s Basketball Power Index (BPI) has Tech No. 48 with an overall schedule strength ranking of No. 3. The Yellow Jackets are the highest-rated team to not receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
• Close calls - Tech’s 18 regular-season ACC games were decided by an average of 5.2 points, only one of those by double digits (66-52 loss at Clemson on Feb. 13). The Yellow Jackets won their eight ACC games this season by an average of 4.3 points, and their 10 losses came by an average of 6.3 points. Tech’s last seven games before the ACC Tournament quarterfinal loss to Virginia, which included six wins, were decided by a total of 24 points.
• Close calls II - Tech lost by double digits only three times all year, two of those to top-2 seeds in the NCAA Tournament - Villanova (69-52) back in November and No. 4 Virginia (72-52) in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. Until defeating Houston Wednesday night, Tech had not won a game by more than seven points since Dec. 23.
• Tough at home - Tech finished the season 14-5 at home, percentage-wise its best home record, and its most home wins, in five seasons under Brian Gregory. The Jackets, who closed out the home schedule with five straight wins, have not had a better home record since going 14-2 in 2009-10.
• All-Conference - Marcus Georges-Hunt was named second-team All-ACC by the league’s coaches and third-team by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. He is the second all-conference honoree for Tech under Brian Gregory (Daniel Miller third-team in 2014).
• Old school - All five of the schools that Tech’s four transfers attended previously (Adam Smith attended two schools before Tech) are in the postseason. Maryland (Charles Mitchell), UNC-Wilmington (Adam Smith) and Arkansas-Little Rock (James White) are in the NCAA tournament. Alabama (Nick Jacobs) and Virginia Tech (Smith) are in the NIT.