Analyst Shares Early Thoughts on Georgia Tech Basketball and Gives High Praise to Two True Freshmen

Baye Ndongo and Naithan George have been two of the best true freshmen in the country this season

Georgia Tech Basketball wrapped up its non-conference slate on Christmas Eve, losing to Nevada in a close game. Damon Stoudamire was able to navigate some tough losses, but also got some good wins, beating Mississippi State and Hawaii. 

Stoudamire made a lineup change at the beginning of the season and it has paid huge dividends. He got four-star freshman Baye Ndongo back from injury and made the decision to start freshman point guard Naithan George and since then, they have provided a huge spark to the lineup. 

247Sports analyst Isaac Trotter shared his early, quick thoughts on the lineup for the Yellow Jackets and what the two freshmen are bringing to the team: 

"I think Georgia Tech has two freshman gems in Baye Ndongo and Nait George. No one can keep Ndongo off the glass, and George's decision-making and playmaking has been a breath of fresh air for the 8-4 Yellow Jackets."

Georgia Tech freshman Baye Ndongo / Georgia Tech Athletics

Georgia Tech has some momentum heading into the rest of its ACC schedule, which will restart on January 3rd against Florida State. 

Just this week, Ndongo was named ACC rookie of the week for the third time this season. 

It is the first time that a Yellow Jacket has won the honor as many as three times since the 2016-17 season when current NBA player Josh Okogie did so.

Ndongo averaged 18.0 points and 9.3 rebounds in the tournament, helping Tech reach the championship game with wins over Massachusetts and host Hawai’i. He was No. 5 in the tournament in scoring average, No. 2 in rebound average, and No. 1 in field goal percentage. The 6-9 forward missed only four shot attempts in the entire event, connecting on 23-of-26 from the floor and 8-of-9 from the foul line. He added three blocked shots and two steals.

He started out with a solid 12-point, 8-rebound performance in Tech’s 73-70 comeback win over UMass in which he made all six of his field goal attempts. In the Jackets’ 73-68 semifinal win over the Rainbow Warriors, Ndongo posted his second double-double this season with 22 points and 12 rebounds, hitting 10-of-12 from the floor. He scored 20 points (7-8 FG) with eight rebounds in Tech’s 72-64 championship game loss to Nevada.

Ndongo is Tech’s leading rebounder this season, ranks in the top 10 of the ACC at 9.1 per game, and is the Yellow Jackets’ second-leading scorer at 11.9 points per game. Ndongo first won ACC Rookie of the Week honors on Dec. 4 after leading Tech to a 72-68 victory over Duke with 21 points with five rebounds and four blocked shots, then won the honor again on Dec. 18 after scoring 12 points with 19 boards in the Jackets’ 82-81 overtime win over Penn State.

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