Georgia Tech Basketball: ESPN Analyst Gives Interesting Projection for the Yellow Jackets Season

Could Georgia Tech be a surprise team this season and make a push for the NCAA Tournament?

Jan 13, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Damon Stoudamire (left) talks to forward Baye Ndongo (11) during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images / Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech Basketball is less than a week away from tipping off another season. Head Coach Damon Stoudamire is entering his second season with the Yellow Jackets and hoping to build upon the good things his program did in his first year, while avoiding the negatives.

While the Yellow Jackets were picked 12th in the ACC Preseason Poll, they have a pathway to finishing higher than that. They bring back two very good players in Baye Ndongo and Nait George, they brought in a highly respected recruiting class, and had some instant impact transfer brought in. What will the results be? That is still to be determined.

ESPN analysts Myron Medcalf and Jeff Borzello had an interesting projection for Georgia Tech this season. Medcalf released an article putting each team into tiers and had the Yellow Jackets in the "Chech back in January Tier", along with Georgia, Butler, Penn State, Arizona State, LSU, SMU, Minnesota, UCF, and UNLV. Here is what Borzello had to say about the entire tier:

"There's not a surefire NCAA tournament team in this tier, and only Butler came particularly close to a bid last season.

But for each of these teams, there's a story to tell that potentially ends with them in the NCAA tournament.

If Asa Newell plays to his five-star rating and Mike White can get consistent play from Silas Demary Jr. and Blue Cain, why can't Georgia go dancing? UCF beat Kansas, Texas, Texas Tech and TCU last season, and brings back Jaylin Sellers and Darius Johnson while adding a slew of talented transfers -- why can't the Knights put it together?

Georgia Tech has two of the best young players in the ACC in Baye Ndongo and Naithan George, and added Oklahoma transfer Javian McCollum. Butler brings back all-conference performers Pierre Brooks II and Jahmyl Telfort from a team that was in the at-large discussion until mid-February. Arizona State has two top-25 recruits in Jayden Quaintance and Joson Sanon. UNLV point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. is good enough to carry the Rebels.

You get the picture.

Maybe the most interesting team in the group for me is SMU. The Mustangs should have one of the better backcourts in the league in returner Chuck Harris, Wake Forest transfer Boopie Miller and Oregon transfer Kario Oquendo -- plus, they're huge up front. Transfers Matt Cross (UMass), Yohan Traore (UC Santa Barbara), Tibet Gorener (San José State) and international newcomer Samet Yigitoglu -- once he's cleared -- give Andy Enfield a frontcourt that should be able to compete with anyone. The ACC has a very large middle-of-the-pack situation going; SMU isn't far away from being right in the mix."

Georgia Tech has a lot of home games to start the season and in the first couple of months, they have tests against Georgia, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Duke, and North Carolina. How they do in those games could give a good early indicator of whether or not this team could be a potential NCAA Tournament team or not.

Additional Links:

Georgia Tech Football: Zeek Biggers Earns Invite To 2025 Shrine Bowl

Bleav Georgia Tech: Previewing Georgia Tech's 2024-2025 Men's Basketball Season

ACC Football: Predictions For Every Week Ten Game