Three Takeaways From Georgia Tech's Big Win vs North Carolina

Georgia Tech pulled a stunning upset against North Carolina last night

For all of the struggles that Georgia Tech has endured this season, Damon Stoudamire has led them to some impressive wins and showed that he could be the right man to lead the Yellow Jackets back to prominence. 

Georgia Tech, who beat Duke at home earlier this season, stunned No. 3 North Carolina yesterday in one of the biggest upsets of the season. Coming into the game, North Carolina was playing as well as anyone in the country. They had won ten games in a row and nine of those wins were by double digits. UNC had a reasonable case to be considered the best team in the country and they were big favorites against Georgia Tech for a reason.

So what are the biggest takeaways from last night's win for the Yellow Jackets?

1. Nait George comes up clutch again

Earlier this season, freshman point guard Nait George hit clutch shot after clutch shot to defeat Clemson on the road and last night vs the Tar Heels, George was the star for the Yellow Jackets. 

George was second on the team with 16 points and he also had four rebounds and four assists. He was 8-10 from the free throw line, which was a huge reason Georgia Tech was able to pull off the upset. The young point guard has been one of the best freshmen in the country this season and will be critical for Georgia Tech's future. 

NAIT THE GREAT

📺 @espn pic.twitter.com/5jXJj6aJHy

— Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball (@GTMBB) January 31, 2024

2. Free throw shooting kept Georgia Tech in this game

There have been games this season where Georgia Tech has struggled to shoot free throws and it has cost them. Last night, you can make the argument that the Yellow Jackets' efficiency at the free throw line might have been the reason that they won the game. 

Both North Carolina and Georgia Tech shot 17 free throw attempts, but the difference was that Georgia Tech made 15 of their 17 attempts while North Carolina made only nine of theirs. In close games against elite teams, everything matters and Georgia Tech outperformed North Carolina in this area. 

3. Georgia Tech needs to find some consistency

Georgia Tech guard Miles Kelly vs North Carolina / Georgia Tech Athletics

Georgia Tech has an impressive resume of wins that most teams in the NCAA Tournament Bubble would love to have. Georgia Tech has beaten North Carolina, Duke, Mississippi State, and Clemson and nearly had some other big wins. The challenge for Georgia Tech under Damon Stoudamire is to now find consistency and show up for every game. 

I am not trying to make the argument that Georgia Tech is some great team, but you can make the argument that they are better than their record suggests. They blew a 16-point lead to Boston College, lost in overtime to Notre Dame, and blew an early lead against Virginia. Yes, you need to show you can finish those kinds of games, but Georgia Tech has shown they can compete against just about anyone on their schedule. 

Stoudamire has impressive wins on his resume already in his first year as the head coach and recruiting is trending in the right direction as well. Now, the Yellow Jackets just have to find a way to be consistent. 

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