Georgia Tech vs. Duke preview: Tough test in Durham

By Brad Rowland | Feb 4, 2015

After perhaps their most brutal defeat of the season, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets don’t exactly receive a break in the schedule. Brian Gregory and his team are forced to travel on Wednesday evening, and their prize is a trip to Durham, North Carolina to meet Jahlil Okafor, Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils.

Duke is ranked as the number four team in the country on the heels of a wildly impressive comeback win over Virginia. The aforementioned Okafor is the leading candidate for National Player of the Year honors, and while the frontcourt has been a strength for Georgia Tech on both ends this season, the Jackets have not encountered anything like Okafor from a skill and size perspective.

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Elsewhere, the Blue Devils also have several strong players on the perimeter, including Tyus Jones and Quinn Cook, and that will be the worry spot for the Ramblin’ Wreck. Georgia Tech’s perimeter issues are well-documented, especially on offense, and Duke isn’t a game to “get right” in that area, especially in Durham.

Our friends at KenPom list Duke as a 15-point favorite in the game, and that is telling of the difference between the two teams. This is a spot where no one expects Georgia Tech to go on the road and emerge victorious, but Brian Gregory could certainly use the boost that comes with dethroning Coach K and the Blue Devils. Still, it would be unrealistic to predict that sort of victory, and simply keeping things manageable may be a win for Georgia Tech at this stage.

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: February 4, 2015

Tip-off Time: 7:00 pm ET

TV Channel: ESPN2

Radio: 680 AM, 93.7 FM (Atlanta Flagship), Full list of Local Affiliates

Live Stream: Watch ESPN (Click here)

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