ESPN BPI Says Louisville With A Significant Edge Over Georgia Tech Today

Can Georgia Tech find a way to pull the upset today vs the Cardinals?
Jan 28, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Damon Stoudamire talks to guard Javian McCollum (2) in the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images
Jan 28, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Damon Stoudamire talks to guard Javian McCollum (2) in the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

After a tough loss on the road to Notre Dame, Georgia Tech is back at home tomorrow to face one of the best teams in the ACC, Louisville. Pat Kelsey has the Cardinals near the top of the conference in just his first season on the job and they should be one of the ACC teams that makes the NCAA Tournament.

Louisville (16-5, 9-1 ACC) comes to Atlanta riding a 10-game winning streak, the last eight of which were conference games, and is one game behind Duke in second place in the ACC standings. The Cardinals, 5-0 on the road in ACC games this season, won seven of those eight by double digits.

Georgia Tech is an underdog not only in the betting markets, but ESPN's BPI (Basketball Power Index) as well, which is not surprise considering that BPI has had Georgia Tech an underdog in most games this season.

But what is BPI? Here is how ESPN describes it:

"The Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward. BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Strength of Record (SOR) is a measure of team accomplishment based on how difficult a team's W-L record is to achieve. Game predictions account for opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day's rest and altitude, and are used to simulate the season 10,000 times to produce season projections. Numbers update daily."

Louisville is the fifth top-25 team Tech has faced this season and the first since Duke back on Dec. 21. The Yellow Jackets are 0-4 against top-25 teams this season after going 3-1 against them in 2023-24.

A win Saturday would also be Tech’s first against a Quad 1 opponent in the NCAA’s NET rankings this season (Louisville is No. 25). The Yellow Jackets are 0-5 against Quad 1 opponents this season after going 4-7 against such teams last year. Two more Quad 1 opportunities exist on Tech’s schedule, Clemson (30) and Wake Forest (69), both on the road.

Tech is 2-5 against Louisville at home since the Cardinals joined the ACC, including an 83-67 win two seasons ago (Feb. 25, 2023).

Tech is 7-11 against Louisville all-time when the Cardinals have been ranked. Most recently, Tech defeated No. 5 U of L, 64-58, on Feb. 12, 2020.

Unlike last season, when 14 of Georgia Tech’s 20 ACC games were decided by less than 10 points, only four of the Yellow Jackets’ first 10 conference games this season have been decided by single digits, and two of those have occurred in Tech’s last two games (71-64 win over Virginia Tech, 71-68 loss at Notre Dame).

Five Yellow Jackets have averages in double-digits for ACC games – Lance Terry (15.1), Javian McCollum (14.1), Duncan Powell (13.3), Naithan George (11.5) and Baye Ndongo (11.0).

Of the four teams added in the 2013 expansion of the ACC, Tech had the longest history with Louisville, meeting 28 times prior to the Cardinals joining the conference.

Louisville has won 14 of the last 16 games in the series and is 12-2 against Tech since becoming a member of the ACC. Tech’s only wins were a 64-58 triumph over a Cardinals’ team ranked No. 5 in the nation at home on Feb. 12, 2020, and an 83-67 home win on Feb. 25, 2023.

After a 12-year hiatus, Tech was 2-2 vs. Louisville when both teams were members of the Metro Conference in the late 1970s. Dwane Morrison was the Yellow Jackets’ head coach for all those games, and Denny Crum was on the Cardinals’ bench.

After another long break, the teams met 13 times between 1988 and 1999, with Bobby Cremins and Crum on the opposing benches in all those games. The Yellow Jackets went 8-5 against the Cardinals during this time. Three of the meetings took place at Alexander Memorial Coliseum, and six at Freedom Hall.

Related Links

How to Watch the 2025 Reeses Senior Bowl: Kickoff Time, TV Channel, Roster

Georgia Tech Played in Five of the Best College Football Games of 2024, per ESPN

2026 Athlete Dana Greenhow Talks Recent Offer From Georgia Tech and Gives An Update On His Recruitment


Published
Jackson Caudell
JACKSON CAUDELL

Jackson Caudell has been covering Georgia Tech Athletics For On SI since March 2022 and the Atlanta Hawks for On SI since October 2023. Jackson is also the co-host of the Bleav in Georgia Tech podcast and he loves to bring thoughtful analysis and comprehensive coverage to everything that he does. Find him on X @jacksoncaudell