Georgia Tech focusing on limiting turnovers
One of the areas that Georgia Tech needs to tighten down before it jumps into its daunting ACC schedule is ball security.
With little room for error — head coach Josh Pastner likes to say “the margin of error is zero” — the Yellow Jackets can’t afford to continue averaging 15 turnovers per game. With a turnover margin of minus-0.64 per game, only Boston College and Pittsburgh are worse in the ACC.
“What I would tell you is that every game we play, our margin of error is zero,” Pastner said. “Absolutely zero. We haven’t had a game besides the Alcorn State game where you have had the opportunity to breathe.”
Wednesday’s game against North Carolina A&T (7:30 p.m.) might be the Yellow Jackets’ final chance to draw a breath until the oddly placed game with Tusculum on Feb. 7. North Carolina A&T is 1-11 and has lost 11 straight since winning its opener against Greensboro College. The Aggies are led by Jacksonville transfer Sam Hunt with 13.5 points per game.
Georgia Tech (7-4) turned the ball over a season-low 10 times against Wofford. The Yellow Jackets have turned it over 15 or more times in seven of their past nine games.
“We did a better job at valuing the ball (against Wofford), and that has been an Achilles heel of ours,” Pastner said.
Pastner likes to say the lineup is always in flux, but the lack of offense might indicate that Tadric Jackson will continue to start. On a team that’s dead last in the ACC in scoring (68.9 points), Jackson’s offensive potential might be too great to waste. He’s averaging 12.1 points in 10 games.
“I said let me start him (against Wofford), trying to get him going a little bit, because we’re going to need him, and he played very well for us in the first half,” Pastner said. “He was excellent. He was an elite-level player.”
Jackson scored 14 points in the first half against Wofford but didn’t score in the second half.
“The issue is the consistency of it. We’re going to need both halves. If he can start putting two halves together like that, then it takes our team to another level. That’s just part of us continuing to push and hold him to that standard.”
Center Ben Lammers (15.2 points), forward Quinton Stephens (10.2) and freshman guard Josh Okogie (14.0) have been the most consistent offensive contributors. Point guard Justin Moore showed a positive sign against Wofford by scoring 12 points.
Georgia Tech begins its ACC schedule at noon on Saturday against No. 8 North Carolina. That’s followed by a trip to No. 5 Duke on Jan. 4 and a home game against No. 6 Louisville on Jan. 7.
This story was originally published December 27, 2016 at 2:52 PM with the headline "Georgia Tech focusing on limiting turnovers."