Georgia Tech scored a low season 43 points against Wake Forest at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Saturday. The Yellow Jacket struggled from the field, unable to gain momentum on the offense, and experienced several scoring droughts throughout the game, allowing Wake Forest to pull away and stamp the game. Georgia Tech is currently finishing regular season 16-15 and will be active in the ACC Tournament in Charlotte next week, facing Virginia in the second round. Here is an instant takeaway from Saturday's unfortunate loss against Wake Forest.
1. Georgia Tech finished with 16 turnovers and lost a rebound fight – Wake Forest took advantage of converting the Yellow Jacket turnover to 23 points. It was a sloppy day for Georgia Tech, but it continued to turn basketball upside down and became an easy transition bucket for Demon Butlers. It was visible throughout many games that Georgia Tech was trying to create opportunities rather than pushing the press to lead the game to them. Ultimately, this hurt them and allowed Wake Forest to have full control of the game thanks to a 12-1 run to finish the half. Georgia Tech rarely loses its battle in the glass and is one of the better rebound teams in the ACC. Wake Forest won the battle 42-40. Now that's not a major advantage, but the Demon Butler was good with offensive glass finished with 13 offensive rebounds. These rebounds led to 12 second chance points. When the yellow jacket was able to stop, Wake Forest kept the ball alive, making it difficult for Georgia Tech to box them out, leading to more opportunities after the mistake.
Final: Wake Forest 69, GT 43
– Georgia Tech Men's Basketball (@GTMBB) March 8, 2025
2. Wake Forest Senior Day was a success – Perhaps it's not something that a loyal yellow jacket wanted to hear, but the senior core of Demon Butler is an issue and you can say that it means more to them. Hunter Saris, Cameron Hildres and Fton Reed III all scored in double digits in Saturday's victory. Saris finished with 13 points, five rebounds and four assists. After previously earning zero points in the game, Hildres finished with a team high 14 points. The Reid III ended with a double double recording of 12 points and 13 rebounds, burning from the 3 point range. The trio combines 39 points, and Georgia Tech has no answer to slowing them down.
3. The Struggle from Georgia Institute of Technology – It was a terrible shooting effort from Georgia Tech on Saturday afternoon as they shot 29.6% off the field. The area they really struggled with was beyond the arc. That was a surprise as the yellow jacket is filming three balls just like it has been recently. Georgia Tech shot 3-23 from the three-point line but was unable to put the ball into the basket. In the first half they were only 2-17 over the arc. In games like this, the yellow jacket had no rhythm. This contributed to the struggle from the 3-point range. This yellow jacket iteration is very striped when it comes to shooting and can help you get a simple basket around the paint and rim, making it a 3-point shoot. There's no doubt they can shoot it, but when they struggle hard like they've done on many roads this season, a simple basket could be the solution to the tough shooting struggle.
4. Beye Ndongo records another double double – Perhaps one of the few bright spots on Saturday was Ndongo's performance, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds. He continues to show why he deserves more touch and ball, especially when the team is struggling. He also finished on two blocks on defense and did a good job of spinning the shots and making an impact. However, he struggled with four departures that day. Wake Forest did a good job of crowding him and loosening the ball when he got it at the post. As he moves forward, he needs to clean up sales, but he proves he deserves more touches, especially in the first half when the team is struggling.
5. Young players at Georgia Tech are becoming more and more comfortable-Ibrahim Souare is beginning to emerge as a player, and it's a massive thing that coach Damon Stoudamire can trust. He finished with a double that was close to a double with eight points and 11 rebounds. He led the team in rebounds on Saturday, getting better in each game. He and Ndongo continue to form a form of a scary frontcoat for a yellow jacket and a unit they can trust to play with and lead to a simple bucket. The true freshman Jadenmastaf was another bright spot at Georgia Tech. He was the second leading scorer for the Yellow Jacket, finishing 12 points on Saturday. Mustaf has a rhythm at this point in recent times and it appears that the game is coming to him. He knows how to pick his spots on the floor and how to get a bucket on the rim when driving to the cup. Mustav has a bright future ahead and will be a good backcourt piece for Georgia Tech to move forward.
6. Chance at Georgia Tech's No. 7 seed After a terrifying performance and a low 43 points in the season, the Yellow Jacket finishes as the seed of No. 8 in the ACC tournament. The Yellow Jackets may have finished as high as seventh in their victory in Louisville and Stanford's defeat, but they couldn't support the end of the bargain. They will take on Duke in the quarterfinals if they handle the business in a second round matchup. Duke is a national candidate, making it a difficult team to overcome, especially when they play the game. Georgia Tech is the number seven seed and may have avoided Duke until the ACC Championship match. If they want the opportunity to make noise at the tournament in Charlotte next week, they will go down a more difficult path.
The 2025 ACC Men's Tournament Bracket has been confirmed. Next week's match, date, game time
Third Spring Practice After Yellow Jackets from Georgia Tech DL Jordan Vandenburg
Third Spring Practice After All Yellow Jackets from Georgia Tech DB Clayton Powellley
