Author : Luke Winstel
The Georgia Tech men's basketball team knocked off NCAA Division II Clayton State University (CSU) 93-63 in their opening game of the regular season. Six players finished the game with double-figure point totals.
The first impression:
Just two years ago, the Yellow Jackets won the ACC and earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament. However, the team struggled with a 12-20 record (5-15 ACC) during the 2021-22 campaign. Coming into the 2022-23 season, expectations are low for the Georgia Tech program. The Yellow Jackets were picked to finish last out of 15 schools in the ACC preseason poll and did not have a player selected for the preseason all-conference team.
At the beginning of the game against Clayton State, GT struggled to get established defensively,
allowing CSU to earn early momentum from beyond the arc. The teams ended the first half tied at 34. The matchup was a "tale of two halves" for Georgia Tech. After a sluggish first 20 minutes, the Yellow Jackets showcased offensive dominance, exploding for 59 second-half points and shooting 61.8% from the field.
Georgia Tech forced turnovers early in the second half, used the momentum to seize a double-digit lead, and never looked back. Following the game, GT center Rodney Howard stated that the halftime message from Georgia Tech Head Coach Josh Pastner was clear. Pastner told the team that their poor performance in the first half is an example of why Georgia Tech was picked to finish last in the conference poll. Howard mentioned that the team took the message personally
and played harder and unselfishly in the second half.
Georgia Tech did an excellent job controlling the boards, outrebounding Clayton State 52-32 and pulling down 21 offensive rebounds. The Yellow Jacket bigs used their superior size to create mismatches throughout the evening – and Rodney Howard especially stood out. He cleaned up several misses and was reliable in the paint offensively. He had 11 points and 11 rebounds in his first 13 minutes on the floor. He finished with 15 points and 13 boards. He made it look easy in the paint once he found a rhythm after a few early misses.
Hometown stars:
Georgia Tech has enjoyed recent success recruiting athletes that played high school basketball in
the metro Atlanta Area. Miles Kelly (Parkview High School) committed to the Yellow Jackets immediately out of high school, but Josh Pastner also brought Kyle Sturdivant (Norcross High School/USC), Deivon Smith (Grayson High School/Mississippi State), and Lance Terry (The Heritage School/Gardner-Webb) back to the Peach State through the transfer portal. All four players finished their opening game with double-digit point totals.
Towards the end of the first half, Sturdivant and Smith heated up and found a rhythm on the floor together. Smith had ten points and seven defensive rebounds while leading the charge in transition. He displayed strong effort, heart, and pace. Smith also created shots for his teammates throughout the night and helped Sturdivant get going in the second half. Sturdivant finished with
10 points and five assists.
Terry had a fantastic Yellow Jacket debut with 16 points, and Miles Kelly added 10 points and three rebounds. These Georgia natives will be a significant part of GT's core group throughout the 2022-23 season.
What we learned:
Lance Terry is a spectacular addition to the Yellow Jacket's squad. He made a solid first impression and looked like a player that could supply energy and offensive firepower to the Georgia Tech program. Following the game, Pastner told the media that he trusts Terry and even calls the newcomer " Mr. Dependable."
The game against CSU was Terry's first as a Yellow Jacket. He's a new addition to the team and transferred into Georgia Tech from Gardner Webb, where he played for three seasons. He transferred with two seasons of eligibility remaining. Terry’s shooting stands out. He went 4-8 on three-point attempts and finished with 16 points. The senior was a 35% three-point shooter at Gardner Webb last season and immediately showcased his ability to stretch the floor for GT in his first game at McCamish Pavilion.
Terry came alive early in the second half, knocking down four three-pointers in the first eight minutes of the second half. The barrage of long-range makes helped Georgia Tech separate and turned the game's momentum in their direction. In the postgame press conference, Terry noted that " defense created all those shots." He credited his unselfish teammates for finding him and getting him open looks from deep.
Postgame with Pastner:
Following the CSU game, Georgia Tech head coach Josh Pastner stated several times that this year's team identity revolves around ball movement. He said that in the first half, "We didn't move the ball. The ball stuck too much. The open man is the go-to man." Pastner noted that his team is at its best when the ball is " ;free-flowing and moving," – and increasing ball movement
will be a point of emphasis for the team going forward.
Pastner was proud of the team's rebounding effort and said that Georgia Tech's path to success in the ACC would be through rebounding. He credited junior guard Deivon Smith for picking up seven defensive rebounds.
The Yellow Jackets head coach also mentioned that the program has not struggled with offensive production this season, scoring +80 points against Vanderbilt and Tulane in preseason games before hanging 93 on CSU in the regular season opener.
Takeaways:
Georgia Tech handled their business against an inferior opponent. Clayton State started multiple freshmen and still challenged the Yellow Jackets in the first half.
However, after the break, GT found their footing and quickly pulled away with a barrage of made three-point shots. The home squad dominated on the boards, executed well offensively on high post looks in the second half, and was much more physical on defense in the final twenty minutes. The Yellow Jackets have a strong rotation and are willing to go nine-deep throughout the season.
Georgia Tech has impressive homegrown talent and enough good pieces to surprise people in the 2022-23 season. Their next test will come against Georgia State University on Saturday, November 12 at 7:00 p.m. in the new Convocation Center.