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Virginia Cavaliers – Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Preview – 03.10.2016

The No.2-seeded Virginia Cavaliers (24-6) get together with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (19-13) in the third round of the ACC tournament at the Verizon Center. The game gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 10 and will air on ESP and ES3.

The Cavaliers easily got past Louisville 68-46 in their last game. Mike Tobey fueled the Cavaliers, recording 15 points and 20 rebounds to notch his first double-double this season. The Yellow Jackets, meanwhile, are coming off an 88-85 win over Clemson in the 2. Marcus Georges-Hunt led the game in scoring with 28 points on 6-for-16 shooting.

Over the last five games, Malcolm Brogdon has really been playing well for the Cavaliers. During that stretch, he has averaged 22.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 3.0 three-pointers. Georges-Hunt has also been on a tear in the same span, averaging 19.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.0 steal, and 0.8 three-pointers while leading the Yellow Jackets.

Half-court execution will be at a premium as Virginia ranks 351st in the nation in possessions per game (60.9 possessions per game), while Georgia Tech is 290th (66.7). Also, the Yellow Jackets commit the 11th-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 16.5%), while the ball-hawking defense of the Cavaliers causes the 18th-most (opponents’ TO% of 19.6%).

This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Yellow Jackets won the first game 88-85. Georges-Hunt was the game’s leading scorer with 28 points.

Notes

Virginia won its last game by a 22-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Georgia Tech is 2-0. Virginia is 7-0 in blowouts this season.

The Virginia Cavaliers rank 15th for their offensive rating of 116.1. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have a defensive rating of 105.5 (ranked 37th).

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets average 66.7 possessions per game and 1.108 points per possession. The Virginia Cavaliers earn fewer possessions with 60.9, but they score more points with 1.161.

Virginia has an average effective field goal percentage of 54.6%, ranked 25th in the nation. Georgia Tech is a winning 4-2 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.

The Virginia Cavaliers average 14.0 three point attempts per game and have a losing 1-2 record when attempting at least 20 in a game. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets average 16.0 attempts and have a solid 5-3 record when attempting 20 or more.

The eighth-ranked team in the category, Virginia has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.54 this season. Georgia Tech ranks 76th with an A/TO of 1.23.

Georgia Tech, the 43rd-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 39.3 rebounds per game. Virginia does worse, ranked 325th with 32.2.

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets make an average of 4.6 steals per game. When the Virginia Cavaliers give up 4 or more steals, they are an exceptional 18-4.

Written by GMS Previews

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