Live Blog: Georgia Tech vs. Pitt at #ACCTourney

AFP editor Chris Graham leads our live blog as Georgia Tech takes on Pitt in the first round of the 2017 ACC Tournament.

Georgia Tech Notes

• Tech finished its ACC regular-season schedule with a 90-61 loss at Syracuse Saturday. The Yellow Jackets split their last eight games of the regular season, going 3-4 in ACC play following a non-conference win over Tusculum on Feb. 7. That includes a 61-52 victory over Pittsburgh in its final regular-season home game just a week ago (Feb. 28) in the teams’ only meeting this season.
• Tech’s senior class has a 2-3 record in ACC Tournament games, having won opening-round games over Boston College (2014) and Clemson (2016).
• Tech is one of two teams to finish the regular season with a winning record (3-2) over the top four seeds in the ACC Tournament (Virginia is the other). The Jackets went 1-4 against the one-bye teams and 4-3 against the teams playing on Tuesday.
• Tech’s 8-10 ACC record matched the mark of last year’s NIT team and finished the regular season with one fewer victory overall.
• Tech has the seventh most efficient defense in the country according to KenPom.com, giving up 90.8 points per 100 possessions. The Yellow Jackets rank No. 1 in the ACC in field goal percentage defense (40.7 pct.) vs. ACC teams, and ranks No. 3 in scoring defense (68.8 ppg). Nationally, Tech ranks 20th in field goal percentage defense and 56th in scoring defense against all opponents.

Pitt Notes

• Michael Young (19.9 ppg.) was named third team All-ACC, while Jamel Artis (18.4 ppg.) claimed honorable mention accolades. The duo has combined for 57 double-figure scoring games, including 26 games with 20 or more points scored.
• Pitt has dropped four straight contests with three of the losses coming on the road. A loss Tuesday would result in the Panthers first sub-.500 season since 1999-00, Ben Howland’s first year with the program.
• Pitt fell to 23rd-ranked Virginia, 67-42, in Charlottesville on the final day of conference play. The Panthers missed their first 11 shots from the field to fall behind early in the contest.
• Pitt enters the New York Life ACC Tournament ranked 69th in the most recent RPI with a 3-8 record overall against teams listed in the top 25. The Panthers’ strength of schedule is currently fifth in the NCAA.
• The Panthers’ 11 games against RPI Top 25 teams are the most in the NCAA. Pitt’s three wins came at home against Florida State and Virginia and at Maryland.