Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Duke Blue Devils: Start Time, TV Channel, Live Stream and More
By Brad Rowland
Jan 7, 2014; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Andre Dawkins (34) shoots the ball over Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Chris Bolden (11) at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports
Update: Georgia Tech guard Trae Golden is expected to play, per the AJC.
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Date: February 18, 2014
Tip-off Time: 9:00 p.m.
TV Channel: ACC Network (Click here for local affiliates), ESPN3
Radio: 106.7 FM (Atlanta Flagship), Full list of Local Affiliates
Live Stream: Watch ESPN (Click here)
Back on January 7th, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets took a 22-point beating in Durham against the Duke Blue Devils, but on Tuesday night, they’ll have an opportunity for revenge against one of the top teams in the ACC.
The 5th-ranked Blue Devils enter on a 3-game winning streak since losing a crazy, overtime thriller to undefeated Syracuse, and Duke boasts the best offense in the entire country. They are “only” 15th nationally in points per game (81.7), but Coach K’s squad is 1st in offensive efficiency (126.4 points per 100 possessions), and they’re led by the devastating duo of Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood.
Parker is the do-it-all forward who is pegged as a surefire top-3 NBA Draft pick this season, and he’s lived up to the billing. It will be interesting to see how Brian Gregory elects to defend Parker, who is really a small forward playing a “big man” role for Duke, but I would expect to see a rotation of guys in order to contain him. In the case of Hood, he flies under the radar quite a bit more than Parker, but he’s actually been more efficient this season (49/44/84 shooting) in a supporting role. Marcus Georges-Hunt seems to be the most likely foe for Hood on the wing, but with Tech’s well-documented perimeter issues, it could be a challenge.
Offensively, the Jackets have struggled mightily, and while Duke isn’t quite as dominant on that end, it’s still a tall task. Trae Golden’s status (he is listed as questionable for the game) will go a long way in determining some of the offensive principles for Tech in this spot, but if he can’t go, there is a huge amount of pressure on the frontcourt to generate points because of the offensive limitations of the point guard rotation sans Golden.
Our pals in Vegas have the Yellow Jackets as 11.5-point underdogs in this game, and that is a nice change. KenPom has projected an 11-point win for the Blue Devils, despite the friendly venue for Tech. In all actuality, that type of spread wouldn’t be (at all) a surprise in this one given Duke’s lofty status among the nation’s elite, but if Tech’s perimeter play can hold up, they have a defined advantage on the interior (Duke plays small on a regular basis) that could keep things manageable.
Be sure to stay tuned for updates (follow us on twitter @ATLBeatBlog) and check back later tonight for a full game recap.