FSU men’s hoops vs. Georgia Tech: Preview, game thread

Florida State men’s basketball (12-5, 3-3) takes on Georgia Tech (8-10, 2-5) this afternoon, looking to close their homestand 2-0, before heading west for road matchups in California. The Seminoles defeated Pitt on Wednesday in a physical, emotional affair and want to carry that same intensity into today’s game.

How to watch:

The Seminoles tip-off is at noon ET from the Tucker Center and can be found on ESPNU.

Notes to know:
– After defeating the Panthers, FSU picked up its first Quad 1 win of the season, pushing its NET rating to 64 as it sits on the very far outside of the bubble, but not a popped one. Unfortunately, with the ACC being the worst power conference in CBB this season, the next chance for a Quad 1 win is at the end of February on the road against Louisville. The media picked Georgia Tech to finish 12th in the ACC, and so far, they were correct. GT sits at 155th in the NET, making Saturday a Quad 3 chance.

– The Yellow Jackets finished 14-18 in the 23-24 season, but head coach Damon Stoudamire ended the year with impressive wins and seemed to be pushing the program in the right direction. However, Stoudamire could not capitalize on the momentum, and GT started the year on the wrong foot with a brutal home loss to UNF and could not get the train back on track. They are under .500 and are on a three-game losing streak at the hands of Syracuse, SMU, and Clemson. A big reason for their lack of success comes from their unlucky run of injuries. GT played without three starters against the Tigers during the week: Lance Terry, Kowacie Reeves Jr., and Luke O’Brien, while only two players have appeared in all 18 games.

– Georgia Tech does not do a lot well offensively, and they are certainly not good from long-range, which is a welcome sight for the Seminoles. GT shoots 34% from three, good for 139th in the country, and makes 7.7, ranking 165th. If the Yellow Jackets do one thing well, they play as a unit. They are 53rd in the NCAA in assists per game with 15.7.

Players to know:

– G Lance Terry: Terry did not suit up against Clemson for the first time this year with what Georgia Tech reported as a hand injury. His status is up in the air for Saturday, leading to a massive swing on the game, depending on which direction it goes. He scored double figures in five straight games until his injury, including a 20-point performance against Notre Dame, and he leads GT in scoring with 15.4 points per game.

– G Naithan George: George, one of two players to participate in all 18 games for Georgia Tech, leads his team in assists with 6.3 while chipping in 10.4 points per game. The 6’3’’ sophomore ranks first in minutes, played with 32.3, and plays a physical brand of basketball with 3.7 rebounds and 0.7 steals per game.

– F Baye Ndongo: Ndongo, the other player to suit up for all 18 games, averages 12 points a night while leading his team in rebounds with 7.2 per game. The sophomore Sengalian dropped a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double against Clemson Tuesday while playing 38 minutes.