Georgia Tech basketball is entering the 2019-20 season with NCAA Tournament aspirations. How might the Jackets make that happen?
Despite not having reached the NCAA Tournament since 2010, there is optimism surrounding Georgia Tech basketball, and rightfully so. Why? Well, I will get into that in just a second, but first of all, let’s talk about recent events.
The Yellow Jackets (or at least most of them) recently completed a team trip to Spain in which they visited both Madrid and Barcelona. They played two games in each city and each game came against opponents comprised of professional players. While the competition, officiating, and overall feel were…different, it was simply nice to see the Jackets back on the court.
Coach Pastner’s group went 4-0 on the trip and showed that the preseason optimism is warranted, but there is still work to be done. As noted in previous pieces, Moses Wright did not play due to a high ankle sprain. David Didenko, a player I was very eager to see, was unable to make the trip due to visa issues. This is a pretty common thing with teams who travel outside the country for these events.
Here are a few quick notes regarding the trip:
- Sophomore Michael Devoe led Georgia Tech in scoring during the four-game trip at 12.3 points per game. This is not a surprising development.
- Georgia Tech’s average margin of victory was 19.25 points per game. The largest margin being 36 in Game 2 and the smallest being 4 in Game 4.
- On offense, Georgia Tech’s best quarter scoring wise was the first. The Jackets averaged 28 points in the initial ten minutes during the trip. That is an inspiring number for a team that has been historically lethargic offensively coming out of the gate.
- On defense, Pastner’s group continues to be elite. Georgia Tech surrendered an average of 15.25 points in the third quarter of the trip, never giving up more than 18 points in that frame. Pastner continues to prove he is a quality X’s and O’s coach.
There are some other items from the trip that I will get into in a little bit, but overall, I would say the trip appeared to be a success. This team seems to enjoy each other’s company and a four-game average north of 92 points per game is something you like to see. The officiating was different than expected, and the rim in Madrid closely resembled the ones I put over my closet door as a child (springy), but I was thankful just to be able to watch some Yellow Jacket basketball in August.
Now, let me tell you why these guys are going to dance this year…