No. 20 Virginia at Georgia Tech, Noon NBC29, WTTG
The Cavaliers travel to Atlanta today to take on the Yellow Jackets, who are 12-11 and 3-7 in the ACC. The big story of today's game is Georgia Tech's injuries.
Trae Golden, a Tennessee transfer and the Yellow Jackets' leading scorer at 14 points per game, has been battling a groin injury and will be a game-time decision, according to coach Brian Gregory, via Daily Progress writer Whitey Reid. Golden did not play in the team's last game, a 45-41 setback at Clemson on Tuesday. He also averages 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest. Robert Carter, Jr., a 6-foot-8, 247-pound sophomore forward, has yet to play in an ACC game because of a knee ailment but is expected to play against the Cavaliers. He is averaging 10.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He gave Virginia fits last year in Atlanta, recording 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in Georgia Tech's 66-60 win on Super Bowl Sunday. UVa got revenge in Charlottesville a few weeks later, 82-54.
Other players done for the year or out indefinitely for the Ramblin' Wreck include Solomon Poole (conduct and accountability issues), Travis Jorgenson (injury) and Jason Morris (injury). All were expected to be contributors this season according to Georgia Tech's athletics website.
At times this season, Georgia Tech has played with only seven scholarship players. So who's left besides
Golden and Carter, Jr., who aren't sure to play vs. the Wahoos? Marcus Georges-Hunt, a rangy 6-foot-5 forward, is the team's second-leading scorer at 12.4 points per game and and he also grabs 4.3 rebounds per game. Daniel Miller, the Yellow Jackets' 6-foot-11 senior center, is Tech's other major inside presence besides Carter, Jr. He scores 11 points per game and grabs eight boards per game. He also leads the conference in blocked shots at 2.3 per contest. Senior 6-foot-8 forward Kammeon Holsey (12 points vs. UVa in win last year) records 7.2 ppg and 5.4 rpg. Sophomore guard Chris Bolden (14 points in victory vs. Virginia last season) puts up 5.2 ppg and 2.3 rpg. The Yellow Jackets' website notes that in the absence of some of their teammates, Quinton Stephens and Corey Heyward have been seeing more time. Combined, they are averaging a little over five points and three rebounds per game.
Georgia Tech ranks anywhere in the second fifth of ACC schools (6th to 10th) in various ACC categories. A couple outliers are 3-point shooting, where the Jackets rank 14th (30.6 percent) and assists, where they rank fifth.
Missing bodies have mostly hurt Georgia Tech on the defensive side of the court and in rebounding, especially with Carter, Jr. not playing the past 10 games. Ironically, in ACC games, the Wreck's scoring is up from a year ago. Carter, Jr. is a major presence inside and if he can give more than 50 percent of himself against UVa, the Yellow Jackets can be that much closer to pulling the upset. If he has problems going at least 50 percent and/or Golden also does, then it will probably be very tough for Georgia Tech to pull out the win. It will likely need a big game from Miller and role players to nab a victory.
Virginia needs to remain on guard, though. As I emphasize, Virginia tends to relax sometimes when things are going well. UVa has that ranking now and every team will be coming at the Cavs hard to knock them off their perch. I hope coach Tony Bennett also has the players' attention after the Boston College game. Virginia won, 77-67, but nearly gave up a 19-point lead in the final four minutes of the game. The Eagles closed to within 73-67 before Malcolm Brogdon sealed the Wahoo victory with some solid free throw shooting (as a team, the 'Hoos were not solid, just 19 of 34 from the stripe). If Virginia plays in Atlanta like it did in the first half vs. BC, building a 40-21 lead, it should have no issue with dispatching Georgia Tech. But if the Cavs play like they did in the final four minutes of Wendesday's contest, the Jackets could very well spring the upset.
The Cavaliers travel to Atlanta today to take on the Yellow Jackets, who are 12-11 and 3-7 in the ACC. The big story of today's game is Georgia Tech's injuries.
Trae Golden, a Tennessee transfer and the Yellow Jackets' leading scorer at 14 points per game, has been battling a groin injury and will be a game-time decision, according to coach Brian Gregory, via Daily Progress writer Whitey Reid. Golden did not play in the team's last game, a 45-41 setback at Clemson on Tuesday. He also averages 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest. Robert Carter, Jr., a 6-foot-8, 247-pound sophomore forward, has yet to play in an ACC game because of a knee ailment but is expected to play against the Cavaliers. He is averaging 10.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He gave Virginia fits last year in Atlanta, recording 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in Georgia Tech's 66-60 win on Super Bowl Sunday. UVa got revenge in Charlottesville a few weeks later, 82-54.
Other players done for the year or out indefinitely for the Ramblin' Wreck include Solomon Poole (conduct and accountability issues), Travis Jorgenson (injury) and Jason Morris (injury). All were expected to be contributors this season according to Georgia Tech's athletics website.
At times this season, Georgia Tech has played with only seven scholarship players. So who's left besides
Georgia Tech ranks anywhere in the second fifth of ACC schools (6th to 10th) in various ACC categories. A couple outliers are 3-point shooting, where the Jackets rank 14th (30.6 percent) and assists, where they rank fifth.
Missing bodies have mostly hurt Georgia Tech on the defensive side of the court and in rebounding, especially with Carter, Jr. not playing the past 10 games. Ironically, in ACC games, the Wreck's scoring is up from a year ago. Carter, Jr. is a major presence inside and if he can give more than 50 percent of himself against UVa, the Yellow Jackets can be that much closer to pulling the upset. If he has problems going at least 50 percent and/or Golden also does, then it will probably be very tough for Georgia Tech to pull out the win. It will likely need a big game from Miller and role players to nab a victory.
Virginia needs to remain on guard, though. As I emphasize, Virginia tends to relax sometimes when things are going well. UVa has that ranking now and every team will be coming at the Cavs hard to knock them off their perch. I hope coach Tony Bennett also has the players' attention after the Boston College game. Virginia won, 77-67, but nearly gave up a 19-point lead in the final four minutes of the game. The Eagles closed to within 73-67 before Malcolm Brogdon sealed the Wahoo victory with some solid free throw shooting (as a team, the 'Hoos were not solid, just 19 of 34 from the stripe). If Virginia plays in Atlanta like it did in the first half vs. BC, building a 40-21 lead, it should have no issue with dispatching Georgia Tech. But if the Cavs play like they did in the final four minutes of Wendesday's contest, the Jackets could very well spring the upset.
Comments
Post a Comment