Men’s Basketball:
Tech’s roster is filled with experience, but the men’s basketball team’s fortunes will go the way of the talented freshmen sprinkled throughout the roster.
After six games, Tech finds itself at 4-2, including a third place finish in the DirecTV Classic in Anaheim, California. Led by freshman swingman Marcus Georges-Hunt’s 11 points per game and redshirt junior forward Kammeon Holsey’s 11.1 points, 5.5 rebounds a contest, Tech heads into the annual showdown with Georgia as a team on the rise.
The Bulldogs come into the game with a 2-4 record including four straight losses in the Progressive Legends Classic, during which they lost to top-ranked Indiana and previously ranked UCLA.
Georgia is led by sophomore guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who averages a team-high 17.3 points a game to go along with a team high 6.5 rebounds per game. Only senior guard Vincent Williams has more assists than Caldwell-Pope, so the Jackets will need to key in on the guard from Greenville if they expect to defend home court on Tuesday.
Freshman power forward Robert Carter Jr. has been a strong force on the boards and the Jackets will look to keep their transition game active with junior forward Jason Morris skill in the run game.
Tech will need to control the boards and force Georgia into quick shot opportunities if they want to come out on top, while Georgia will need to force Tech to rely on shooting from beyond the arc, an inconsistent facet of Tech’s game thus far.
Tech next hits the hardwood on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 7:00 p.m. against UNC-Wilmington at McCamish Pavilion. This will mark Tech’s last game of the fall semester.
Women’s Basketball:
The UGA women’s basketball team rolls into Atlanta on an eight-game win streak to start the season to go along with their No. 8 national ranking.
The Bulldogs have scored more than 55 points in each of their contests and have hit over 80 on three separate occasions. Their defensive effort is more notable, however, as they have only allowed over 50 points twice.
Senior forward Jasmine Hassell leads the team in scoring and rebounding at 12.4 and 6.1 a game, respectively. The team is very active at the defensive end, having four players with over 10 steals for the season so far, led by freshman guard Shacobia Barbee’s 16.
The Bulldogs take a lot of three-point shots, so Tech will need to make sure to limit their opportunities from behind the arc.
As for the home team, the Jackets find themselves with a 3-3 record and look to improve to 3-1 on the year in the new McCamish Pavilion.
Junior guard Dawnn Maye and junior guard Tyaunna Marshall are the leading scorers for the Jackets while Maye has added a staggering 27 steals on the year. Tech’s sharpshooter, sophomore guard Sydney Wallace, is only 3 of 21 from behind the arc, so Tech will look to get her on track in order to test Georgia’s perimeter defense.
Tech will come into the game as an underdog, but will look to use their experienced roster and strong defense as they attempt to defend the home court.
Tech has a tough turnaround after facing the Bulldogs as they head into the tough Cameron Indoor Stadium environment to face the Duke Blue Devils on Thursday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m.