University of North Carolina Athletics
Know Your Opponent: Georgia Tech
March 2, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Georgia Tech (RamblinWreck.com)
Rankings: No. 81 KenPom, NR AP
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
2014-15 Record: 12-17, 3-14 ACC
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 65-24 (UNC 89, Georgia Tech 60, Feb. 21, 2015, Smith Center)
Ten days after the Tar Heels delivered their most complete performance of the year against the Yellow Jackets in an 89-60 thumping, Carolina and Georgia Tech will run it back in Atlanta Tuesday night. For Tech, it's been more of the same in the two games since the trip to Chapel Hill - two single-digit losses in two distinct, yet still gut-wrenching, forms.
Barely 48 hours after the loss to UNC, the Jackets seemed poised to score their best win of the year. Leading Louisville 41-28 with 9:07 to play thanks to a big night from senior Demarco Cox, Tech proceeded to allow a 24-7 run over the next nine minutes and fell by one. Then Saturday, the opposite. Clemson ran out to a 26-4 lead that was still 35-16 at the half. Incredibly, GT closed with a 26-10 run to force overtime, but the Tigers finished out the extra period to win by seven.
Such is the story of 2014-15 for Georgia Tech. Now comes senior night for Cox and Robert Sampson and the home finale for a team that has been on the wrong side of one of the unluckiest seasons in college basketball. Even at 12-17 overall, Tech is still ranked No. 81 by KenPom.com, just five spots behind Pitt. Only Florida at No. 45 is rated higher among teams with losing records.
Most of what was written prior to the first UNC-Tech meeting still applies. Marcus Georges-Hunt is still the Jackets' most effective player, having scored in double figures in 11 straight, including a 20-point, 9-rebound, 6-assist performance at Clemson. Charles Mitchell is still an outstanding rebounder, despite being kept off the offensive boards entirely in the first meeting with Carolina.
And the Jackets are still due one last positive moment in a forgettable season. Whether it comes Tuesday in Atlanta, next week in Greensboro or, as Tech's luck would have it, not at all remains to be seen.
