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Atlantic Coast foes will battle when the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (12-10) take on the No. 17 Miami (FL) Hurricanes (17-4) at McCamish Pavilion. The game begins at 1:00 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 7 and will air on ESU and ES3.
The Yellow Jackets lost to Duke 80-71 in their last matchup. Nick Jacobs was the team’s leading scorer with 17 points. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, are coming off a 79-70 win over Notre Dame in their last game. Anthony Lawrence Jr. led the game in scoring with 18 points on 5-for-6 shooting.
Over the last five games, Marcus Georges-Hunt has been playing at a high level for the Yellow Jackets. During that stretch, he has averaged 18.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.0 block, and 1.2 three-pointers.
The Hurricanes should minimize miscues in this matchup. They rank 34th in the nation at avoiding errors (TO% of 16.0%). Meanwhile, Georgia Tech forces the ninth-fewest mistakes in the nation, with just 15.0% of opponents’ possessions ending in a turnover.
The Yellow Jackets are attempting to build on their records of 12-10 Straight Up (SU) and 12-7-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Yellow Jackets have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the 30th-ranked rebounding team in Division I, averaging 40.7 per game, while the Hurricanes rank 146th in the nation with 37.0 per game. The Yellow Jackets, sporting the 26th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division I (1.43), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. The Georgia Tech defense has been on fire lately, allowing an average of 65.6 points per game, well under their season average of 71.8. Georgia Tech’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 5.0 three-pointers per game.
As for their opponent, Miami (FL) has a SU record of 17-4 and an ATS record of 12-7-1. The Hurricanes rank 26th in the country in road scoring, averaging 78.2 points per game. The Hurricanes are shooting lights out from the foul line so far, with a .763 free throw percentage that ranks eighth in Division I. Moving on to the Miami (FL) defense, the Hurricanes allow just 68.2 points per road game, ranking them 36th in the nation. The Miami (FL) defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only 5.0 field goals from three-point range per game. Don’t expect Miami (FL) to give away the ball much on offense, where its 10.8 turnovers per game ranks 24th in the country.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time these conference foes played, Georgia Tech won, but Miami (FL) still leads the head-to-head record over their most recent games, 6-4 SU. At 5-5, they are even ATS. Both Georgia Tech and Miami (FL) have led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) once over the last five matchups.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mia-Fl, ATS Winner – Mia-Fl
Notes
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets average 75.9 points per game, ranking 100th in the nation. The Miami (FL) Hurricanes rank 44th in points allowed with 66.1.
Georgia Tech scores just 79.1 points per home game (ranked 104th). Miami (FL) ranks 36th in points allowed on the road, giving up 68.2 points.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets rank 60th for their offensive rating of 112.2. The Miami (FL) Hurricanes have a defensive rating of 97.6 (ranked 63rd).
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets average 67.7 possessions per game and 1.122 points per possession, while the Miami (FL) Hurricanes earn fewer possessions (67.4) but more points per possession (1.169).
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets average an effective field goal percentage of 49.3% this season. The Miami (FL) Hurricanes have split their games this season (4-4) when opponents have an eFG% of 49.3% or greater.
On average, Georgia Tech attempts 17.0 three pointers and Miami (FL) attempts 19.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are 3-2 while the Miami (FL) Hurricanes have an exceptional 10-2 record.
Georgia Tech, the 81st-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.4 per game. Miami (FL) does worse, ranked 142nd with 3.7.
Georgia Tech is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking 19th. Miami (FL) ranks 81st in defensive rebounds.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets make an average of 4.8 steals per game. When the Miami (FL) Hurricanes allow 4 or more steals, they are an outstanding 13-2.
