Category: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech’s success against top college basketball teams continues with Wake Forest win

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are 4-1 in Quad 1a games, giving them among the most unique NCAA Tournament resumes of all-time.

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets pulled off a surprise victory on the road over Wake Forest on Tuesday, 70-69, thanks to a floater from Baye Ndongo with 0.4 seconds remaining.

The loss for the Demon Deacons likely puts them out of the NCAA Tournament at-large picture, making an ACC Tournament victory their only secure path to the big dance.

While no one is clamoring for Georgia Tech, who sits 14-16 overall and 7-12 in the ACC, as an at-large team – they do have one of the most unusual college basketball resumes of all-time.

Since the NET rankings have gone in to place, only three teams have ever entered Selection Sunday with four or more Quad 1A victories, and one or fewer Quad 1A losses – Gonzaga in 2021, Baylor in 2021, and Arizona in 2023. A Quad1A victory is the top half of a typical Quad 1 victory, meaning a home win over a top 15 NET team or a road win over a top 37 NET team.

This year two teams qualify: Purdue, who is 8-0 in Quad 1A games, and Georgia Tech, who is 4-1 in such games.

Of course, no one is truly comparing this year’s Tech team to the epic Gonzaga and Baylor teams of 2021, Arizona’s great season last year, or this year’s Purdue team, but the fact they have won 80% of their five toughest matchups this season is a testament to the great work first year head coach Damon Stoudamire has done in getting his team ready for big matchups.

The Yellow Jackets picked up those wins at home against Duke, on the road against Clemson, at home against North Carolina, and now on the road against Wake Forest. The only loss was a road game at Cameron Indoor against the Blue Devils – a game Georgia Tech led by 10 in the second half and only trailed by one with two minutes left.

Now, for Stoudamire and the Yellow Jackets to take the next step they’ll need to find a way to be far more consistent in the rest of their games – as they have gone 0-4 in Quad 1B games, 4-7 in Quad 2 games, and just 3-4 in Quad 3 games, leaving them nowhere near an at-large bid despite ridiculous success against the premier programs in the ACC.

Georgia Tech closes the season on the road at Virginia on Saturday, with tip-off slated for 8:00 PM ET on the ACC Network.

What Brad Brownell, Chase Hunter said after Clemson beat Georgia Tech

Clemson had one of its best shooting nights of the season in Wednesday’s 81-57 blowout victory over Georgia Tech at McCamith Pavilion in Atlanta.

Clemson had one of its best shooting nights of the season in Wednesday’s 81-57 blowout victory over Georgia Tech at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta.

The Tigers (18-8 overall, 8-7 ACC) made a season-high 14 3-pointers on 29 attempts from behind the arc and shot 53 percent from the field in their most lopsided victory in ACC play this season.

Chase Hunter and Ian Schieffelin had big nights in their respective returns to their home state. Schieffelin edged out Hunter for a game-high 19 points, 13 of which came in the first half. Hunter, an Atlanta native who was a prep standout at Westlake High School before committing to Clemson, had 18 points — including 11 in the final 11 minutes of the game.

Joe Girard added 14 points and PJ Hall, who celebrated his 22nd birthday Wednesday, added 11 to give Clemson four players in double figures.

The Tigers led by as many as 26 points in the second half.

Here’s everything Hunter and Clemson coach Brad Brownell said after Wednesday’s victory over Georgia Tech.

Clemson gets season-high 14 3-pointers to drop Georgia Tech, 81-57

Clemson built a big lead in the first half over Georgia Tech by way of an array of 3-pointers and cruised to an 81-57 victory over the Yellow Jackets in ACC play Wednesday at the McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta.

Clemson built a big lead in the first half over Georgia Tech by using an array of 3-pointers and cruised to an 81-57 victory over the Yellow Jackets in ACC play Wednesday at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta.

The Tigers (18-8 overall, 8-7 ACC) finished with a season-high 14 3-pointers and were 14-of-29 from behind the arc in Wednesday’s contest.

A pair of Peach State natives led the Tigers in scoring. Clemson got 19 points from Ian Schieffelin and 18 from Atlanta native Chase Hunter.

The Tigers used a 14-0 run in the first half to race out to a 23-9 lead after PJ Hall and Joe Girard nailed 3-pointers. Clemson made nine of its first 10 shots from the field, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range.

When Georgia Tech (11-16, 4-12) cut the lead to six at 28-22 with 7:04 remaining in the half, it would be the closet the Yellow Jackets would get the rest of the night.

By halftime, Hall and Schieffelin had combined for 24 points and Clemson led, 43-31.

In the second half, Clemson held Georgia Tech to just 26 points. The Tigers’ biggest lead of the night came with 3:06 left when Hunter made a layup to stretch the Clemson advantage to 26 at 77-51.

Hunter, who attended Atlanta’s Westlake High School before beginning his Clemson career, finished with 18 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Girard added 14 points. Hall, who celebrated his 22nd birthday Wednesday, had 11.

The 19 points from Schieffelin, who grew up in the Atlanta metro area in nearby Loganville, Ga., were the most he’d scored in regulation this season.

The win was also the largest of the ACC schedule for a Tigers team that suffered an embarrassing home loss to Georgia Tech in the schools’ previous meeting at Littlejohn Coliseum just over a month earlier.

In Wednesday’s contest, the Yellow Jackets made only 16-of-53 shots including 6-of-25 from the floor in the second half. Kyle Sturdivant led Georgia Tech with 14 points.

UP NEXT: Clemson will host Florida State Saturday night at Littlejohn Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. EST. The game will be the second meeting between the two schools this season after the Tigers defeated the Seminoles, 78-67, in Tallahassee last month. Saturday’s game will be televised regionally by the CW Network.

Clemson vs. Georgia Tech: Where to Watch/Stream/Listen

A look at where Clemson fans can watch, stream and listen to Wednesday’s basketball game against Georgia Tech.

A win over Georgia Tech in Atlanta Wednesday night would help Clemson keep its footing in the ACC, as well as go a long way toward easing the sting felt by the Tigers the last time the two teams met.

Back on January 16, Clemson squandered a nine-point lead with just over a minute and a half remaining in regulation. The Tigers would fall in double overtime to the Yellow Jackets in what remains their worst loss of the 2023-24 season.

The good news for Clemson (17-8 overall, 7-7 ACC) is that this close to March, they’re considered a lock for the NCAA tournament. The Tigers were already 11-1 when ACC play resumed on January 3, and they have strong wins over North Carolina, Alabama, and others on their résumé.

When the NCAA tournament selection committee released its in-season top 16 tournament teams over the weekend, committee chair Charles McClelland stated that Clemson was one of the schools considered as the 16th team.

Coach Brad Brownell wants more from his team, though, and therein lies the bad news for Clemson — the Tigers have have yet to show any real consistency since January.

The team did win three straight, including its 80-76 upset over North Carolina in Chapel Hill, but fell last Saturday at home to NC State, 78-77. It was the third straight defeat in which Clemson lost by only one point.

The Tigers got 23 points from Joe Girard and 18 from PJ Hall in the loss. DJ Horne scored 27 for NC State, including the game-winner with 9.8 seconds remaining.

Georgia Tech (11-15 overall, 4-11 ACC) is coming off a 65-60 win over Syracuse last Saturday that snapped a four-game losing streak. Kyle Sturdivant had 17 points for the Yellow Jackets, and leading scorer Miles Kelly and Baye Ndongo (16 points) each had double-doubles.

Damon Stoudamire has had a rough go of things overall in his first year as Georgia Tech coach, but the team has a pair of strong victories on their schedule. In addition to winning at Clemson, Georgia Tech has upset both North Carolina and Duke on its home floor this season.

Series Notes and Recent History

Clemson leads the all-time head to head series, 66-47.

Where to Watch/Stream/Listen

Here’s a look at how and where Clemson fans can watch, listen, and stream Wednesday’s game against Georgia Tech.

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 21

Time: 7 p.m. EST

Where: McCamish Pavilion

TV Channel: ACC Network

Live Stream: ESPN+

Radio: Clemson Athletic Network | TuneIn App | SiriusXM (Channel 383)

Broadcast Teams

ACC Network: Wes Durham, Cory Alexander, Jim Boeheim

Clemson Radio: Don Munson, Tim Bourret

Damon Stoudamire joins rarified air in first season at Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech’s Damon Stoudamire became the third first year ACC head coach to beat both Duke and North Carolina in the same season.

A first glance at Damon Stoudamire’s Georgia Tech squad is about what you’d expect for a new coach taking over a struggling program.

They are 10-11 on the year, only 3-7 in ACC play and 13th in the conference standings. With losses in eight of their last 10 games, it is clear this team is still a few years away from truly contending in the ACC, even with the conference having a bit of a down season.

However, Stoudamire managed to accomplish something only two coaches have done in the past 30 years: he led his team to wins over both Duke and North Carolina, having handed the Tar Heels their first conference loss on Tuesday evening in Atlanta.

Stoudamire joins Sidney Lowe and Kevin Keatts as the only first year ACC head coaches to accomplish this feat, and is now the only one who did not do it while coaching at NC State.

Lowe went on to have a mediocre five year stint with the Wolfpack, winning 86 games from 2006-2011 and failing to make an NCAA Tournament, while Keatts has gone dancing in just two of the past five seasons.

Stoudamire looks like he could have the best career out of the trio. The former NBA All-Star was the head coach at Pacific from 2016-2021, turning an 11 win program into a 23-10 team in 2019-20 before ultimately taking an assistant job in the NBA.

Now he’s in the ACC and already playing spoiler, not just on the court but as a high level recruiter which could help this Yellow Jackets program reach heights they haven’t seen in roughly 20 years.

Stoudamire will have a chance to celebrate this accomplishment with Keatts on Saturday when they head to Raleigh to take on the Wolfpack. Tip off is scheduled for 5:30 PM ET on the CW Network.

What Brad Brownell said after Clemson’s collapse to Georgia Tech

A look at what Brad Brownell said after Clemson’s double-overtime loss to Georgia Tech on Tuesday.

Clemson blew a nine-point lead with just over a minute and a half to play in regulation en route to a staggering 93-90 loss to Georgia Tech at Littlejohn Coliseum in double-overtime on Tuesday night.

The Tigers’ (12-5 overall, 2-4 conference) slide continued as the team fell for the fourth time in five games since the resumption of ACC play on Jan. 3.

Here’s what Clemson coach Brad Brownell had to say after the loss.

On his team’s 3-for-21 shooting from 3-point range:

“This is a kick in the gut. Both teams played extremely hard. Obviously we had a (lead) there at the end and couldn’t hold it. Some incredible shot-making by their guys late. We just had another day where we’re not making 3’s. I don’t know if it was fatigue or what-not, but when they make 15 and you only make three, that’s a 36-point difference. It’s hard to overcome that. This was hard. We’ve just got to hang in there and stick together. We’ve got a chance on Saturday to get a road win. Something we need.”

On Georgia Tech freshman Naithan George:

“He’s unbelievable. I said to our staff late in the first half that he thinks he’s the best player on the court, and he’s walking around like it.A couple of the shots he made at the end were amazing. He had the ball where he needed it and he was terrific. They have a very good, young team. Kowacie Reeves made some big shots for them. They didn’t miss a shot in the last two minutes of (regulation). They made like four or five 3’s. It’s disappointing. Our guys are hurting right now. I thought we did what we wanted to do for a long time and had a chance to get a win. We kind of let it slip away.”

On his team’s 22 offensive rebounds:

“I thought those were battles and I thought we had some advantages in there at times and really went at them. They were very aggressive. The sad part of that [the offensive rebounds] is there’s a lot of missed shots. We have to shoot a better percentage, and obviously we missed a couple of free throws that could have made the outcome a little different as well. A lot of times in basketball, it’s about timely shooting. Give Georgia Tech credit. They made some very timely shots tonight.”

UP NEXT: Clemson will travel to Tallahassee to face a streaking Florida State (10-3 overall, 4-1 conference) team that has won all four of its ACC contests since league play resumed earlier this month. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. EST Saturday. The game will be televised by ACC Network.

How to Watch/Stream/Listen: Clemson vs. Georgia Tech

A look at how Clemson fans can watch, stream, and listen to the Tigers’ game vs. Georgia Tech this week.

Clemson got a much-needed victory over Boston College on Saturday at Littlejohn Coliseum to snap a three-game losing streak. Now, the Tigers are hoping to find some momentum with struggling Georgia Tech next on the schedule.

The Tigers (12-4 overall, 2-3 conference) will face a Georgia Tech team that has lost five consecutive games and is 0-4 since ACC play resumed on Jan. 3. The Yellow Jackets haven’t won since Dec. 23.

Not that Georgia Tech (8-8 overall, 1-4 conference) can’t be dangerous. On Dec. 2, the Yellow Jackets picked up a 72-68 upset win in Atlanta against a Duke team that had lost star Tyrese Proctor early in the game to an ankle injury.

More recently, they played the No. 7 Blue Devils to a dangerously close game over the weekend at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke didn’t put the game away until the final minute, and only after they had trailed by as many as 10 at one point in the second half.

Miles Kelly leads Georgia Tech with an average of 15.6 points per game. Freshman forward Baye Ndongo is second with 12.8 and averages almost nine rebounds a game (8.8).

For their part, Clemson can’t afford a letdown at home after taking advantage of a Boston College team that was missing one of its best players in Quinten Post. The Tigers’ three straight losses — all by double digits — kicked them out of both the AP and USA TODAY Coaches’ Top 25 polls this week.

Clemson coach Brad Brownell is hoping for another effort like the one he got Saturday from PJ Hall. The 6’10” senior had 26 points, three shy of his season high. Joe Girard added 26 as well.

Here’s a look at how and where Clemson fans can watch, listen, and stream Tuesday’s game.

How To Watch

Date: Tuesday, Jan. 16

Time: 9 p.m. EST

Where: Littlejohn Coliseum

TV Channel: ACC Network

Live Stream: ESPN+

Radio: Clemson Radio Network | Varsity App | SiriusXM

Broadcast Teams

ACC Network: TBA

Clemson Radio Network: Don Munson, Tim Bourret

Georgia Tech pulls away from UCF in second half for a Gasparilla Bowl victory

The Yellow Jackets scored the final 23 points of Friday’s game to come back from an early 17-3 deficit and finish with a winning record.

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets overcame an early two-touchdown deficit to beat UCF 30-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl.

The Knights offense came out firing to open the game, with quarterback John Rhys Plumlee throwing two touchdown passes in the first nine minutes. The senior quarterback may not have thrown another touchdown after the first quarter, but he ended the game with 198 passing yards and his third game of the 2023 season with multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions.

Despite Plumlee’s good start, UCF couldn’t stop Georgia Tech once the Yellow Jackets got going on the ground. Georgia Tech only threw 13 passes for the game but still outscored the Knights 30-3 in the final three quarters. The Yellow Jackets ran for 284 yards, averaging 5.4 yards per carry as a team.

Running back Jamal Haynes led the Georgia Tech charge. The sophomore didn’t reach the end zone, but he had 128 yards on 18 carries. Quarterback Haynes King and senior Dontae Smith added 154 combined yards on 28 carries, each scoring a touchdown.

The Yellow Jackets scored for the final time with less than five minutes remaining, a field goal to extend the lead to 13. After a turnover on downs and an interception from backup quarterback Timmy McClain on the Knights’ final two drives, the win was sealed.

Here are the best photos from the Georgia Tech victory.

Damon Stoudamire picks up first signature win as Georgia Tech defeats No. 21 Mississippi State

Damon Stoudamire picks up a big win as the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defeat the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the ACC SEC challenge.

No one expected Damon Stoudamire to turn the Georgia Tech basketball program around right away.

The Yellow Jackets have been to just one NCAA Tournament since 2011, typically sitting near the bottom of the standings in the ACC – which included going a combined 11-29 the past two years in conference play.

However, after back-to-back losses to UMass Lowell and Cincinnati, coach Stoudamire picked up a signature win on Tuesday at home against the No. 22 ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs – never trailing in a 67-59 victory during the ACC/SEC challenge.

Neither team was particularly efficient from the field but Tech was able to win the battle on the boards and converted 17 of their 23 free throw attempts.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs went 7-30 from beyond the arc and had just five assists and 13 turnovers, which allowed Georgia Tech to post a 16-5 advantage in points off turnovers.

Stoudamire added freshman guard Naithan George to the starting lineup for the first time in this contest, and he responded with 11 points, four rebounds, and an assist while complimenting leading scorer Miles Kelly, who dropped 22 with 12 rebounds and an assist.

“I’ve been seeing him coming and playing well for a long time,” Stoudamire said of George, per ESPN. “He’s wore on me. I like the way he plays. I like the way guys play with him. … I know there’s going to be ups and downs. I’m OK with that.”

The Yellow Jackets will have another opportunity for a huge win on Saturday when they host No. 7 Duke. The tip-off is set for 2:15 p.m. ET.