Georgia Tech vs Virginia Basketball Preview
In their regular season finale, the University of Virginia Men’s Basketball team will host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Saturday. The Cavaliers enter with an overall record of 21-9, including a 12-7 mark in ACC play. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 PM Eastern, televised on ACC Network.
About Georgia Tech
Led by first-year head coach Damon Stoudamire, the Yellow Jackets are 14-16 on the season, 7-12 in the ACC. Despite the record, they’ve proven themselves capable of beating the top teams in the league with wins over Duke and North Carolina this season. And the Jackets are coming in on a high note, having won four of their last five games. Including an upset over Wake Forest in Winston-Salem on Tuesday.
Virginia won the first meeting between these teams by a score of 75-66 in Atlanta back in late January.
Georgia Tech’s Personnel
The Yellow Jackets are a program on the rise under Stoudamire, with talented young players making a major impact. Four starters are in their first season at Georgia Tech, including two terrific freshmen. They’ll usually go eight deep, with the following starting lineup.
Guard Naithan George (6’3” Freshman) Averages 9.4 points, 4.6 assists
Guard Miles Kelly (6’6” Junior) Averages 14.6 points, 5.8 rebounds
Guard Kowacie Reeves Jr (6’7” Junior, Florida transfer) Averages 10.1 points, shoots 39% from three
Forward Tafara Gapare (6’9” Sophomore, UMass transfer) Averages 5.2 points. 1.2 blocks
Forward Baye Ndongo (6’9” Freshman) Averages 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.1 blocks
They bring a Veteran trio off the bench. Senior guard Kyle Sturdivant (8.8 PPG) shoots 39% from deep. Junior wing Deebo Coelman (6.0 PPG) is another shooting threat. And Western Carolina transfer Tyzhaun Claude (4.8 PPG) provides depth up front.
Life On The Bubble
This is an immensely important game for Virginia. There’s a good possibility the outcome will determine whether they’re chosen for an at-large birth in the NCAA Tournament. Just about every projection has the Wahoos sitting barely on the right side of the bubble, including the outstanding breakdown by Raleigh_Hoo, featured on Locker Room Access.
Meanwhile, Georgia Tech is enjoying the spoiler role. They just knocked off fellow bubble team Wake Forest on Tuesday, greatly damaging Wake’s tournament hopes. The Yellow Jackets are 124th in the NCAA's NET rankings, which means anyone they beat on the road is saddled with a Quad-3 bad loss on their resume.
Virginia has already secured a double bye for the ACC Tournament. A win Saturday would guarantee them the 3rd seed in DC next week. Should they lose and Pittsburgh wins, Virginia would drop to the 4th seed.
Senior Day
Saturday will be a special night, as Virginia honors their seniors. Reece Beekman and Tristan How have spent their entire college careers in a Wahoo uniform, making it all the more special in today’s environment. Coach Bennett said he wasn’t sure if Jacob Groves and Jordan Minor would take part in ceremonies, since they both graduated from their previous schools before transferring to UVA.
There will undoubtedly be an outpouring of appreciation from Virginia fans for Reece Beekman. Deservedly so. He’s had an incredible college career. A four-year starter, the program’s career steals record holder, 3rd in career assists, an ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and sure to win more awards this season. He’ll go down as an all-time great Wahoo.
👑 Last week, Reece Beekman became the program's all-time steals leader! Congratulations, @reece_beekman!
— Virginia Men's Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) March 5, 2024
🔶⚔️🔷#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/pSlpEcxxJG
Be sure to tune in for the Locker Room Access pregame show starting at 7:30 PM Eastern, available on Facebook, YouTube, and X.
(Featured Image Credit: Getty)