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.

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.

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