Defense a big key for Georgia Tech in NIT semifinal
The NIT semifinal between Georgia Tech and Cal State-Bakersfield has all the makings of a defensive donnybrook.
Both teams have well-earned reputations for their defensive emphasis, meaning Georgia Tech’s flight plan for Madison Square Garden isn’t likely to deviate far from normal. In this instance, each possession may carry even more weight than normal. It could be a slugfest.
Georgia Tech (20-15) will meet CS Bakersfield (25-9) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The other semifinal features Central Florida vs. TCU at 9 p.m. The winners meet on Thursday at 8 p.m. for the NIT championship. All games will be shown on ESPN.
“We’re extremely limited on offense,” Georgia Tech head coach Josh Pastner said. “One of the things we hang our hat on is defense. We’re one of the top five or six defensive teams in the country. We led the ACC in defensive field goal percentage in conference games. We take great pride in that. It’s a great compliment to our staff and the execution of the players.”
Georgia tech allows 66.4 points (fourth in the ACC, 47th in the country) and opponents are shooting only 39.5 percent against the Yellow Jackets (13th in the country).
Cal Stat-Bakersfield has impressive defensive credentials of its own. The Roadrunners rank 13th in the nation in scoring defense (63.5 points) and are holding opponents to just 37 percent from the field, third best in the country.
Bakersfield has thrived under head coach Rod Barnes, the former Mississippi standout player and coach. The Roadrunners made their first trip to the NCAA Tournament a year ago, and this year won the Western Athletic Conference regular-season title, only to be tripped up in the conference tournament.
The Roadrunners showed their toughness, a trait of teams coached by Barnes, throughout the NIT. They won three road games (Cal, Colorado State and Texas-Arlington) and became the first No. 8 seed to reach the NIT semifinals.
“They told us we were the No. 8 seed in the beginning, but I knew we had a good basketball team,” Barnes said. “We’re still in the stage where we have to earn people’s respect. We’ve got to continue to prove ourselves. That’s what we’ve been built to do.”
The defense has come at a price for Cal State-Bakersfield, which commits an average of 22.7 fouls per game, seventh most in the country. If that trend holds, it will be important for Georgia Tech to have another good night at the line. The Yellow Jackets made 17 of 20 against Mississippi.
The Bakersfield offense is led by guard Jaylin Airington (14.4 points), Damiyne Durham (12.8 points) and Dedrick Basile (12.5 points). Airington, a first-team All-WAC pick, has 1,038 career points and needs 18 to move into the school’s all-time top 10.
In the NIT, CSUB has been great at shooting 3-pointers, making 32 in the first three rounds. Durham had five in the last round against UT-Arlington. Until then, the Roadrunners were shooting a pedestrian 35.1 percent and making 6.5 per game.
The Georgia Tech defense has been locking down the opposition’s 3-point shooters most of the season. They allow 7.4 per game and a 33 percent success rate, but limited Mississippi to six and Indiana to five.
“We’re defending the 3-point shot well,” Pastner said.
The Yellow Jackets will be challenged on offense to produce points. Center Ben Lammers (14.4 points, 9.3 rebounds) will need to score in the paint and guard Josh Okogie (16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds) will again be asked to lead the break and score on drives to the basket.
Georgia Tech would benefit greatly if forward Quinton Stephens can muster up another double-digit game. He scored 10 points against Ole Miss and has rediscovered his 3-point stroke in the postseason.
Georgia Tech women host NIT semifinal
The Georgia Tech women joined their male counterparts in reaching the NIT semifinals, only they’ll get to host the next round at McCamish Pavilion.
Georgia Tech beat Alabama 76-66 on Sunday and reached the semifinals of the NIT for the first time since 1992, when it won the tournament. The Yellow Jackets will play Washington State on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
Georgia Tech improved to 21-14, the most wins in a season since the 26-9 campaign in 2011-12.
“I think it’s a really exciting time for our program and a really exciting time for this team because we know the journey we’ve been on all season long and to see them come together at this point is pretty amazing,” Georgia Tech head coach MaChelle Joseph said.
Michigan and Villanova play in the other semifinal. The championship game will be Saturday at 3 p.m. at an undetermined site.
This story was originally published March 27, 2017 at 6:55 PM with the headline "Defense a big key for Georgia Tech in NIT semifinal."