Can Georgia Tech Upset Duke On New Years Eve?

The Yellow Jackets will face their toughest test of the season and is playing against one of the best in college basketball when they travel to Cameron Indoor Stadium to face the Duke Blue Devils. Duke is a top-three team in basketball and looks like they are on a collision course to get back to the final four in 2025. It will not be an easy game; however, it is a great opportunity for Georgia Tech to see where its program is.

Big Men Have To Make Their Presence Felt

latest — Dec 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets forward Baye Ndongo (11) drives on Florida A&M Rattlers forward Tyler Shirley (22) in the second half at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

This conversation begins with Georgia Tech star big man Baye Ndongo, who will likely draw the task of defending Cam Boozer, who is in strong consideration for the Wooden Award given to the best player in the sport. Boozer is averaging 23.3 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. Ndongo just played his first game back from injury against Florida A&M, where he posted a double-double, finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Yellow Jackets will need another stellar performance against Duke, and for him to dominate the paint and keep possessions alive while not letting the Duke front court take over. The other big man will be Mouhamed Sylla, who is a heavily touted freshman. He’s dealt with some nagging injuries, but when he has been healthy, Sylla has been dominant. Sylla is averaging 11.2 points and 8.4 rebounds this season. He will be another player who will have to make his presence felt in the interior for Georgia Tech to have a chance. Ndongo talked about preparing for the ACC and the star-studded conference.

“We're super ready. I mean, we've been working on it, and we know how the agency has been, and we've been talking about it with the new guys every time. So feel like we are ready to compete and do the things we have to do.” “Yeah, of course. I mean, it's not just Mo, but it's just all the new guys. I feel like a lot of these guys never play in the ACC, and it's a tough league, and honestly, we've all been talking about whether the guys are ready to play. They're excited to play. So, we've been talking about it a lot, and I've been trying to help them as much as I can to just be ready for these coming games," said Ndongo.

Have to clean up turnovers

Turnovers have been a thorn in the Yellow Jackets side this season. The Yellow Jackets are averaging 13.6 turnovers this year, which is about a turnover more than they averaged in 2024. In the win over Florida A&M, Georgia Tech had 20 in the win over FAMU.

“The most important thing is. We just have to continue to keep getting better. Yes, 20 turnovers is not what we need, but I can just see our team growing in a lot of different ways. I think we're trending in the right direction," said head coach Damon Stoudamire.

You are not going to beat Duke by turning over the ball 20 times. It is something Georgia Tech has continued to struggle with, and Duke is a team that will make you pay for turnovers, as they quickly get out in transition and turn those turnovers into fast break points. If the Yellow Jackets want to win, they have to limit the turnovers to under 10.

The one positive thing for Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets have a very deep roster, which gives them a chance to pull off this upset. Georgia Tech had six scorers hit double figures in the win over FAMU. For the season, the Yellow Jackets have five players averaging double figures in Kowacie Reeves, Baye Ndongo, Mouhamed Sylla, Lamar Washington, and Akai Fleming. Three of the five players mentioned can create their own shot and run the offense, which bodes well in finding quality shots on the road. It will be important that Georgia Tech doesn’t settle for jumpers and make plays when the opportunities are there. Coach Stoudmaire talked about where the offense is.

“Offensively, we've been getting better. You can see that, and we have to just continue to move in that direction. I think that we have a team that, when I envision this team when we put it together, would have a lot of people in double figures. We might not have a 20-point guy right now, but we've got a bunch of guys that, every game, it could be somebody different, and I think that's what you're seeing down the line. I've been happy with our offense over the course of the last three, four games. You know, again, aside from the 20 turnovers that we had tonight on that end of the floor, I think we've been playing well,” said Stoudamire.

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