Looking to start conference play 3-0 for the first time since 2015, Syracuse (11-4, 2-0 Atlantic Coast) will host Georgia Tech (9-6, 1-1) inside the Carrier Dome on Saturday. The Orange enter the matchup after they beat Clemson, 61-53, while the Yellow Jackets came up just short, 52-49, in a near-upset against No. 9 Virginia Tech.

Here’s what to know about the Yellow Jackets ahead of another ACC matchup:

All-time series: Tied, 5-5

Last time they played: On the road in late January, Syracuse shot 30 percent from the field and turned the ball over 15 times in a 55-51 loss to the Yellow Jackets.

Tyus Battle led the Orange with 19 points and shot a perfect 9 for 9 on free throws. However, both he and point guard Frank Howard shot 4-of-17 from the field. Howard also turned the ball over five times.

Georgia Tech’s Josh Okogie overpowered the SU defense, scoring 20 points and adding six rebounds in the win, while Tadric Jackson scored 15 points on 7-for-12 shooting. Okogie added four steals, too.

The Georgia Tech report: Both Okogie and Jackson graduated, and Georgia Tech is off to a bumpy start. The Yellow Jackets are just three games above .500 including a 10-point loss to Gardner-Webb.

Since ACC play, Georgia Tech has bounced back, beating Wake Forest in its conference opener. The Yellow Jackets also lost by just three in a down-to-the-wire game against No. 9 Virginia Tech.

The team is led by sophomore Jose Alvarado. The 6-foot guard played all 40 minutes against SU last year and is just one of two starters to return this year. Alvarado averages a team-high 13.6 points per game.

The offense struggles from 3, shooting at a 30.9-percent clip, ranked 291st in the country. However, the Yellow Jackets are strong inside the arc, finishing 53.9 percent of their looks. Georgia Tech also turns the ball over on 20.7 percent of its possessions, 273rd in the country.

Defensively, the Yellow Jackets are more finely tuned, ranking 10th in the country defending the 3 ball and 15th inside the arc, per KenPom.

How Syracuse beats the Yellow Jackets: This will be a battle of two solid defenses, both with notorious struggles from 3. Syracuse proved it has the capability of finishing open looks from beyond the arc, like against Notre Dame, but it comes at a rarity.

The Orange need to start hot like it did on Wednesday against Clemson. Georgia Tech’s defense will be tough to beat, but transition points off turnovers — which is a Yellow Jackets’ weakness — will be crucial.

SU will also need to utilize its height, as it is the tallest team in the county. Even though the Georgia Tech defense is known for stymieing offenses often, its tallest player is 6-foot-9. SU’s center rotation consists of all three players being taller: 6-foot-10 Bourama Sidibe, 6-foot-10 Marek Dolezaj and 7-foot-2 Paschal Chukwu.

The Orange will need to battle their way inside inside and make the Yellow Jackets’ defense uncomfortable.

Stat to Know: 27.5 — Opponents shoot just 27.5 percent from 3 against Georgia Tech’s defense, which ranks No. 10 in the country, per KenPom.  

KenPom Odds: Syracuse has an 80 percent chance to beat Georgia Tech, by a score of 67-58.

Player to Watch: Sophomore point guard Jose Alvarado, No. 10

Georgia Tech lost a lot of its key scorers from a year ago, but Alvarado has picked up where he left off in his freshman season. The floor general for the Yellow Jackets averages 13.6 points per game and is coming off a 20-point showing against Virginia Tech. Alvarado struggled the first time he played SU, shooting 1-of-8 from the field, but added five assists and four steals in the win. He’ll be the key toward a Georgia Tech win on Saturday.

Published on January 11, 2019 at 4:35 pm

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