5 observations about Georgia Tech basketball at midway point in ACC play
Georgia Tech will play its 10th conference game of the season at Saturday, the halfway mark in ACC competition. The Yellow Jackets basketball team is an improved product this year — even if the record doesn’t show it.
“We’re way better than we were at the start of the season,” coach Josh Pastner said. “Unfortunately in sports it’s about wins and losses, and we haven’t had the results go our way to show we’ve gotten better.”
Georgia Tech hosts N.C. State at 4 p.m. Saturday at McCamish Pavilion. The Yellow Jackets opened the season by beating the Wolfpack 82-81 in Raleigh. That win looks impressive now that N.C. State is 14-5 overall and tied for fourth in the ACC at 5-3.
The Yellow Jackets are currently 8-11 overall and 3-6 in conference play. They are in 11th place in the ACC, one-half game behind Boston College and one game ahead of Notre Dame.
The last three games have been difficult. Georgia Tech lost to Notre Dame by four, lost to defending national champion Virginia by five and fell at Louisville by four. A couple breaks here and there, and perhaps the complexion of the season looks differently.
“I love my team. They’ve given me everything they have and that’s all I can ask for,” Pastner said. “That’s life in the ACC. You can play well in the ACC and still lose.”
Here are five things we know about Georgia Tech at the halfway point in the conference schedule.
The offense has improved
Guard Michael Devoe has blossomed into a legitimate threat from the outside and has become a more consistent scorer. Forward Moses Wright is light years ahead of where he was when he arrived and isn’t hesitant to shoot the ball. Center James Banks has some good moves around the basket. And Jose Alvarado isn’t afraid to take it inside against guys who have a 14-inch height advantage. Even if one is having an off night, there’s typically another starter capable of taking up the slack.
Too many turnovers
You can’t expect to win many games when you commit 16.8 turnovers per contest. The Yellow Jackets allow 2.6 more turnovers than they create, which equals from five to eight additional points per game.
“That’s been our Achilles heel,” Pastner said. “We’re doing everything we know possible to try and correct it and solve that problem. So we’re a way better offensive team, but turnovers have kicked us in the rear.”
The bench is extremely thin
Transfer Bubba Parham has proven to be a solid pickup and has evolved into the long-range shooter that’s been needed. Evan Cole and Khalid Moore have been inconsistent, and Moore has seen his playing time dip to three or fewer minutes in four of the last five games. It would be nice to have more contributing bodies available off the bench, but that luxury won’t exist this season.
The team can’t survive without Jose Alvarado
The junior point guard is the heart of the team. The Yellow Jackets must have Alvarado on the court to successfully run the operation. But Alvarado sometimes will launch an unwise shot or needlessly attempt to thread a risky pass through traffic. And a starting point guard can’t afford to make six turnovers in a game, as Alvarado did in the loss to Louisville.
The inside game has plenty of upside
When James Banks and Moses Wright are playing well, they’re hard to stop. But when they turn the ball over or try to get out of their lane, the results aren’t often very pretty. Banks has scored double figures in the last six games and Wright has been in double figures in nine of the last 10 games.