Georgia Tech Basketball vs Clemson: Preview and Prediction

Can Georgia Tech snap its five-game losing streak when it faces Clemson tomorrow night?

Another opportunity to break their losing streak awaits Georgia Tech tomorrow night on the road against Clemson. 

Both of these teams had good starts, but have not been playing well recently. After an 8-3 start, Damon Stoudamire's team has lost five in a row but had opportunities to win each game. Their most recent loss was to Duke on the road, a game in which they held a 10-point lead in at one point. 

Clemson had an 11-1 start but is now 12-4 and 2-3 in ACC play. After looking like a potential contender in the ACC, the Tigers have looked very average over the past couple of weeks. 

The Tigers ended a three-game losing streak to conference foes (at Miami, North Carolina, at Virginia Tech) by defeating Boston College, 89-78, at home Saturday. Still, they fell out of both top-25 polls after being ranked for six straight weeks.

Georgia Tech has averaged 75.4 points per game in ACC play, its highest figure since the 2007-08 season, and has connected on 47.3 percent of its field goal tries, an average exceeded by only one Tech team (2021 ACC champs) since 2006-07. Tech has the fifth-most efficient offense in the ACC (107.4 points per 100 possessions in ACC games), according to KenPom.com, and ranks No. 2 in effective field goal percentage in conference games.

Miles Kelly vs Duke / Georgia Tech Athletics

Three Tech players are averaging 13.4 points or better on ACC play - Miles Kelly (17.8), Baye Ndongo (16.2) and Kowacie Reeves, Jr. (13.4). Those three players have combined to hit 51.4 percent of their shots from the floor (89-177) and 44.4 percent from three-point range (32-of-72). They have accounted for 62.8 percent of the Yellow Jackets’ points in ACC games.

Tech’s point guard duo of Naithan George and Kyle Sturdivant has averaged 6.9 assists per game combined, 10.4 in ACC games. Their assist/turnover ratio is 2.26-to-1 combined overall, 3.47-to-1 in conference games. Both players rank among the nation’s top 50 players in assist rate (assists divided by the field goals made by the player’s teammates while he is on the court) according to KenPom.com.

The oldest and longest-running series the Yellow Jackets have with an ACC member, the 144 all-time meetings are more than 30 greater than Tech has played with any other ACC opponent. The series dates back to the 1912-13 season, when John Heisman coached the Tech basketball team.

The teams have split the last eight meetings, but Clemson won the last three, including a sweep of the 2022-23 regular-season series. The Tigers won 79-66 in Atlanta and 72-51 in Clemson.

Breaking: 2025 Edge Rusher Cole Funderburk Announces He Will Visit Georgia Tech on January 27th

Prediction

It is possible that Georgia Tech can snap its losing streak tomorrow, but Clemson is going to be desperate for a win at home. I think the Tigers present some matchup problems for Stoudamire's team and I think Clemson will secure the victory tomorrow. 

Final Score: Clemson 81, Georgia Tech 74

Follow us on social media for the latest news on Georgia Tech Athletics!

Facebook: All Yellow Jacket

Twitter: @AllYellowJacket