Georgia Tech basketball team has plenty of new faces

ATLANTA -- There will be a lot of new faces on the court when Georgia Tech's basketball team meets Cornell in the season opener Friday night. And that's probably a good thing.

The Yellow Jackets begin play with one established standout, Marcus Georges-Hunt, and several others who started games at some point last year -- Charles Mitchell, Travis Jorgenson, Quinton Stephens and Tadric Jackson. But the starting lineup and the rotation will include at least three newcomers -- senior transfer Nick Jacobs and graduate students Adam Smith and James White.

How the new faces mesh and the degree to which the new players improve will help determine whether Georgia Tech can improve on last year's 12-19 season.

"The team has made progress, and the new guys are just starting to scratch the surface," head coach Brian Gregory said.

Expect to see a more fast-paced style this year. The NCAA has trimmed five seconds off the 35-second clock, and Gregory has encouraged his players to push the ball and begin their offense faster. He has used a 24-second clock in some practices to emphasize the point.

"We're more focused and more prepared," Mitchell said.

It might be easier for Georgia Tech to run this year because it has assembled what appears to be a strong rebounding team. Mitchell averaged 7.0 rebounds last year and was one of the top offensive rebounders in the country. Georges-Hunt averaged 6.6 rebounds. Jacobs and White are expected to add to the rebounding strength.

"I think we can be one of the best rebounding teams in the country," Georges-Hunt said.

There are many questions that Georgia Tech must answer:

Can Jorgenson be the point guard he was before blowing out his knee as a freshman? He began to show signs toward the end of last season.

Can Smith give the Yellow Jackets the outside punch they've been missing? He was the top 3-point shooter in the ACC last year while at Virginia Tech.

Can Jackson improve his shooting? He shot 27.4 percent from the field last year as a freshman.

Can Mitchell stay focused? Perhaps the new slimmed-down Mitchell will be able to be a better finisher around the basket.

What role will White play? He's considered the most athletic player on the team, but how will that translate into his performance?

Georgia Tech opens with four straight home games before participating in the NIT Tipoff tournament at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Yellow Jackets will play 13 non-conference games, including one at Georgia on Dec. 19.