Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Preview: Aiming for the Upset
By Brad Rowland
It doesn’t get much tougher than this in the ACC. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets travel to Charlottesville on Thursday evening, and their present for making the trip is a date on the hardwood against the second-ranked team in America in the form of the Virginia Cavaliers.
Tony Bennett and his team have been scorching on the way to a 17-0 record this season, and only the juggernaut that is the Kentucky Wildcats stand in their path on the way to number one in America. To this point, Virginia is the only team nationally to rank in the top five in both offensive efficiency (120.6 points per 100 possessions) and defensive efficiency (85.4 points per 100), and while their pace may trick casual fans into being unimpressed with their attack, their precision is terrifying to opposing coaches.
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Georgia Tech has amassed a 9-8 record to this point, and no one is giving the Yellow Jackets much of a chance to pull this upset. KenPom places the Ramblin’ Wreck as a 19-point underdog in the unfriendly venue, and the bookmakers both in Las Vegas and off-shore aren’t giving Tech much additional respect.
If Georgia Tech intends to compete in this game, they must use their size and rebounding ability (i.e. Charles Mitchell and DeMarco Cox) to their full advantage. Simply put, Virginia’s perimeter play is far superior to that of Brian Gregory’s team, and the recipe for keeping this one close may be to dominate on the interior and pray for the Cavaliers to miss shots. Regardless, this is a spot to watch the Jackets matched up with the best of the best, and this should be a measuring stick for where the team is in late January.
Be sure to stay tuned to ATL All Day for updates throughout the day (follow us on twitter @ATLBeatBlog), and check back following the final buzzer for a full recap of the game.
Date: January 22, 2015
Tip-off Time: 8:00 pm ET
TV Channel: ACC Network (Full List of Affiliates)
Radio: 680 AM, 93.7 FM (Atlanta Flagship), Full list of Local Affiliates
Live Stream: Watch ESPN (Click here)