UNC faces Georgia Tech after Long Break

Written by Sharon Thorsland

North Carolina is back in action Saturday following a week-long break, traveling to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech. The 16th ranked Tar Heels (16-4, 4-3 ACC) are riding high after a huge win over then #14 Virginia, and they’re looking for their third straight league win. The Yellow Jackets have dropped two straight to fall to 11-10 overall and 2-6 in the ACC. Tip-off is set for 2:00 on WBT.

Georgia Tech started off the season 5-1 but hasn’t been able to sustain that success. The Yellow Jackets are dangerous though – they nearly knocked off Duke in their ACC opener have plenty of talent, starting with senior guard Kowacie Reeves. He’s averaging over 16 points a game to go with 4.3 rebounds, and makes nearly 39% of his 3-point attempts. He teams with point guard Lamar Washington and Charlotte native Jaeden Mustaf, who combine for over 20 points a game. One thing that stands out about this Tech team is the lack of 3-point shooting. The Yellow Jackets only attempt 18 three-pointers a game, that ranks near the bottom of the country. Instead, they rely on their inside game, and they’ve got a trio of excellent big men in Babe Ndongo and Mouhamed Sylla. They combine for over 21 points and 15 rebounds a game, with freshman forward Akai Fleming adding depth off the bench. They’ll challenge UNC’s frontcourt of Henri Veesaar and star freshman Caleb Wilson, although they’ve been nearly unstoppable recently, combining for 38 points and 20 rebounds per game. And now transfer Jarin Stevenson has stepped up – he had 17 points off the bench at Virginia, giving the Tar Heels another offensive threat.

Defensively, the Yellow Jackets have been solid, holding opponents to just over 40% from the floor. But teams have had success getting to the free throw line against them, and UNC will need to take advantage. That’s something the Heels have not done well this season, converting less than 68% of their attempts.

Carolina is 73-28 all-time against Georgia Tech, but winning at McCamish Pavillion (formerly Alexander Coliseum) has not been easy. The Tar Heels lost there last season and are 2-3 in their last five trips. But they have won four of the last five games overall against the Yellow Jackets and are playing good basketball right now. I look for UNC to continue that solid play and come away with a victory. Go Tar Heels!