Georgia Tech Basketball should aspire to dance in 2019-20 with their talent. Which players will likely make up the starting lineup for the squad?
While many rosters are yet to be completed, the Georgia Tech Basketball roster is pretty well set for the 2019-20 season. Even with a spot on the roster still open, for the purposes of this exercise, I see no reason why we can’t explore the potential starting lineup. I don’t think there is a transfer out there that Coach Pastner is currently involved with that will impact the 2019-20 Georgia Tech season. That said, there is one out there that might make a difference in the 2020-21 season. We’ll wait and discuss that in a couple of days.
Right now, there are a couple of variables in determining the starting five. We do not know if Jordan Usher or Donald “Bubba” Parham will be eligible to begin the season. Usher will be eligible on December 12th at the latest and Parham may need to sit out the entire season. Initially, I was optimistic that both players would be granted waivers, allowing them to play immediately as the NCAA seemed to judge favorably when student-athletes transferred “home” in recent years. However, given the NCAA’s intention of using revised guidelines, I’m now not so sure.
Now that all of that is out of the way, let’s take a look at a possible starting lineup.
PG: Jose Alvarado (Jr): The junkyard dog and leader of the Ramblin’ Wreck will once again lead the offense. Alvarado played off the ball seemingly as much as on with the arrival of Michael Devoe last season, but he is still the lead guard. For Jose, health is always the key. He has been nicked up during his first couple seasons and played through it for the most part. In his 56 games as a Yellow Jacket, Alvarado has averaged north of 34 mpg. Having the depth to give him a breather without a massive fall-off in offensive production is a major concern. That caveat is one reason why Parham’s eligibility is paramount.
SG: Mike Devoe (So): Next to the junkyard dog, you have the gentleman. The highest-rated recruit of the Pastner era was very good at times in his freshman campaign. He started 23 games and averaged 9.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 32 minutes per game as a freshman. As a sophomore, he needs to cut down on his turnovers, but that will come with experience. Devoe is a heady, intelligent player who can really stroke it. His shooting prowess will be relied upon this season as the Jackets seek their first NCAA Tournament birth since 2010. In his final 9 games last season, the southpaw averaged 11.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 46.7% from deep.
SF: Khalid Moore (So): Moore is a player that I really like for the Yellow Jackets next season. He is a player many people thought was undervalued by recruiting services due to playing the third fiddle at Archbishop Molloy behind Cole Anthony and Moses Brown. Moore’s biggest question mark coming into last season was his ability to shoot from deep. He only shot 7-for-22 from behind the arc on the season, but he looked pretty good doing it (see video below). The tools are there. He also showed a nice stroke from the stripe. Up until the final three games of the season, he shot 72%. He can get to the rim and he can finish; now it looks as if he has put on some good weight in the offseason. He also gets the nod over Kristian Sjolund due to being a better defender. Khalid could be a breakout player for the Jackets.
PF: Moses Wright (Jr): If Jordan Usher receives his waiver, I expect him to slide into this spot. As it stands right now, Moses is the four. The athlete from Raleigh was somewhat of an enigma for Georgia Tech through his first 49 games but came alive in the final six contests of last season. Wright started the final seven games of the 2018-19 season and in the final six, averaged 14.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocked shots. The biggest adjustment was bringing Moses into the painted area, where he shoots better than 50%, and away from the 3-point line, where he shoots less than 21%. I expect him to back up the pivot when Usher becomes available but, if he continues to be effective, he may just stay in the starting lineup.
C: James Banks III (Sr): Banks is as much of a lock as Alvarado and Devoe. The former Texas reserve lived up to his prep ranking last season after sitting behind NBA forwards Jarrett Allen and Mo Bamba at Texas. The 6-foot-9 center averaged 10.5 points, 7.7 rebounds 2.5 blocks, and 1.4 assists per game in his first season with his hometown team. He also provided one of the greatest highlights of the season, throwing down a thunderous jam over Duke’s Zion Williamson at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Now that he has had an entire offseason working with assistant coach and noted big man whisperer Eric Reveno, don’t be shocked to see Banks make another big leap this year.