The Clemson Tigers (16-11) travel to Georgia Tech to play the Yellow Jackets (15-12) in a game that has the potential to be low-scoring. The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 23 and will air on EFC and ES3.
The Yellow Jackets enter this game hoping for similar success after edging Notre Dame 63-62 on Saturday. Marcus Georges-Hunt led all scorers on the team with 19 points on 7-for-17 shooting. The Tigers, meanwhile, are coming off a close 77-74 loss at the hands of North Carolina State on Saturday. Jaron Blossomgame had a good shooting night, leading the game with 33 points.
Over the last five games, Georges-Hunt has taken his game to another level for the Yellow Jackets, averaging 21.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.6 three-pointers.
Half-court execution will be at a premium as Georgia Tech ranks 283rd in the nation in possessions per game (67.0 possessions per game), while Clemson is 346th (63.5). The Tigers should also expect to protect the ball well. They rank 32nd at avoiding errors (TO% of 15.9%). Conversely, the Yellow Jackets force the ninth-fewest turnovers in the nation (opponents’ TO% of 14.9%).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Tigers winning the first matchup 66-52. Charles Mitchell put up 11 points and 19 rebounds.
The Yellow Jackets enter the game with records of 15-12 Straight Up (SU) and 14-10-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The rebounding edge goes to the Yellow Jackets in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 39.7 boards per game. The Yellow Jackets, sporting the 41st-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division I (1.34), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. Crossing over to the defensive end of the court, the Yellow Jackets have limited opponents’ efforts from beyond the arc, allowing 5.0 three-pointers made per game.
Over on the other bench, the Tigers have 16-11 SU and 13-10 ATS records. The Tigers are one of the top defensive teams in the nation, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 63.8 points allowed per game. Clemson has not committed many turnovers, averaging only 10.1 per game.
Clemson beat Georgia Tech in their most recent meeting this season, moving its SU record against Georgia Tech to 9-1 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. At 5-5, they are even ATS. Neither team held the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers in a single game during this span.
Predictions: SU Winner – GaTech, ATS Winner – GaTech
Notes
Georgia Tech averages 74.4 points per game, placing the team just 122nd in the nation. Clemson ranks 15th in points allowed, giving up 63.8 points per game.
In its last game, Clemson lost by a margin of three points. Georgia Tech is 2-3 in games decided by a margin of three points or less. Clemson has a 1-3 record in close games.
Ranked 94th, the Clemson Tigers have an offensive rating of 109.6. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets rank 236th with a defensive rating of just 105.9.
Clemson has an average field goal percentage of 43.3%. Georgia Tech is an even 9-9 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets rank higher based on their field goal percentage (161st) than their effective field goal percentage (219th). The Clemson Tigers rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (194th) than their field goal percentage (216th).
Georgia Tech ranks 41st in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.34, while Clemson ranks 54th with an A/TO of 1.29.
Georgia Tech, the 41st-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 39.7 rebounds per game. Clemson does worse, ranked 225th with 35.4.
The Clemson Tigers average 5.7 steals per game. When giving up 5 or more steals, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are an even 6-6 this season.
