Virginia fans are still basking in the glory of a win over Duke, but you can’t forget, there’s a loss on the ledger to one ACC basement-dweller, and the ‘Hoos can’t endure another if they want to get a ticket to the Big Dance.
Georgia Tech (10-13, 3-9 ACC) comes to Charlottesville as a 10.5-point underdog, but sleep on this team at your peril.
The Yellow Jackets started Florida State on what is now a five-game losing skid with a 75-61 win over the ‘Noles back on Jan. 26, and they played Notre Dame to an OT loss and played Duke tight in Durham in what ended up being a 12-point loss.
Their most recent outing was a 79-70 loss at Miami on Wednesday in a game that Georgia Tech led by as many as 14, and still had the lead inside the final 10 minutes before a Miami rally.
Georgia Tech rotation
Coach Josh Pastner goes with an nine-man rotation, led by 6’5” senior Michael Devoe (18.7 ppg, 4.9 rebs/g, 3.2 assists/g, 46.6% FG, 39.1% 3FG), who was held in check in a pair of losses to the ‘Hoos last season, averaging 2.5 points per game on 2-of-18 shooting.
Devoe is most effective on dribble handoffs (68 usages, 54.5% FG, 67.3% AFG, 1.132 PPP) and pick-and-roll ball-handler (52 usages, 55% FG, 61.3% AFG, 1.058 PPP), and is just under a point per possession on spot-ups (78 usages, 37.7% FG, 50.0% AFG, .974 PPP).
The other guy to key on is 6’7” senior Jordan Usher (15.0 ppg, 6.7 rebs/g, 2.4 assists/g, 48.0% FG, 35.5% 3FG), who averaged 15.5 points per game in the two Tech losses to UVA last year on 11-of-20 shooting.
Usher, a stretch four, gets the bulk of his usages in spot-ups (103 usages, 39.1% FG, 51.7% AFG, .942 PPP) and transition (78 usages, 56.4% FG, 59.1% AFG, .936 PPP).
6’2” junior point guard Kyle Sturdivant (7.5 ppg, 2.2 assists/g, 43.4% FG, 34.7% 3FG) has been splitting time at the one spot of late with 6’1” sophomore Deivon Smith (6.1 ppg, 3.6 rebs/g, 2.1 assists/g, 40.0% FG, 27.8% 3FG).
Smith had 16 points and six assists in 26 minutes off the bench in Tech’s 69-64 win over Clemson last weekend.
Pastner has two good options to go with to run the show.
6’7” senior Khalid Moore (6.4 ppg, 44.0% FG, 23.8% 3FG) is the starter at the three spot, but he’ll also get minutes at small-ball four when Usher shifts over to the five in place of 6’10” junior Rodney Howard (4.6 ppg, 4.5 rebs/g, 49.3% FG), who’s gotten single-digit minutes in three of Tech’s last six games.
6’6” freshman Dallan Coleman (7.0 ppg, 43.3% FG, 45.6% 3FG) comes off the bench, but gets plenty of minutes (23.2 per game) at the three and four. Coleman is averaging 9.9 points per game and is 15-of-30 from three in his last six games.
The other two guys getting regular minutes: 6’5” freshman Miles Kelly (3.5 ppg, 37.0% FG, 28.3% 3FG) and 6’8” sophomore Jordan Meka (1.0 ppg, 4.1 rebs/g, 14.8 mins/g).
How Virginia matches up
The keys are matching up with Devoe and Usher. I’m expecting Pastner to start Howard at the five, but play the bulk of the game with Usher at five, to try to force Tony Bennett’s hand with his bigs tandem of 6’11” sophomore Kadin Shedrick (7.0 ppg, 5.2 rebs/g, 2.3 blocks/g, 63.4% FG) and 7’1” junior Francisco Caffaro (4.8 ppg, 4.3 rebs/g, 53.9% FG).
Shedrick seems more likely to be able to keep up with Usher running all over the place.
Devoe gets his minutes at the two and three spots. That lends itself to a combination of 6’3” sophomore Reece Beekman (7.9 ppg, 5.0 assists/g, 44.1% FG, 35.6% 3FG) and 6’4” junior Armaan Franklin (12.2 ppg, 41.1% FG, 26.6% 3FG).
If Pastner goes the small-ball route, 6’6” junior forward Jayden Gardner (14.5 ppg, 6.8 rebs/g, 51.7% FG) needs to take advantage of Moore and Coleman in the post and mid-range.
5’9” point guard Kihei Clark (9.8 ppg, 4.2 assists/g, 40.8% FG, 37.6% 3FG) needs to control tempo, because Georgia Tech will try to push pace – the Jackets are averaging 69.8 possessions per game in ACC play, ranking second in the league in conference games.
Story by Chris Graham
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