Despite Disappointing Ending, There Are Reasons To Be Optimistic About Georgia Tech Basketball
In this story:
Georgia Tech just finished one of the strangest seasons in college basketball that I can ever remember.
The Yellow Jackets finished with a 14-18 record in Damon Stoudamire's first season, but you could point to several things about this season and the way it has gone as reasons that the future could be bright if the necessary steps are taken.
Georgia Tech finished the season 4-6 in Quad 1 games according to the NCAA NET Rankings, with victories over North Carolina, Duke, Clemson, Mississippi State, and Wake Forest, all of whom might be in the NCAA Tournament this year. The Yellow Jackets have more Quad 1 wins than Auburn, Alabama, Gonzaga, San Diego State, and Michigan State. That is an impressive resume and if I had told you at the beginning of the season that they would have all of these wins, you might have said that Georgia Tech might be headed back to the NCAA Tournament.
The other side to this is that Georgia Tech had some puzzling losses that showed you their youth and inconsistency. As good as those five wins are, there were equally bad losses to UMass Lowell, Louisville, a near 40-point loss to Cincinnati, a 16-point blown lead to Boston College, and three losses to Notre Dame. If some of those results are different, Georgia Tech might still be playing today.
There are two other reasons for optimism. The young players that are on the roster and the ones that are on their way.
In the loss to Notre Dame yesterday, freshman point guard Nait George and freshman forward Baye Ndongo combined for 46 points and they are going to be two building blocks for next season.
Ndongo missed Tech’s first three games with a hand injury, but has started every game since either in the post or at the power forward spot. The 6-9 forward from Mboro, Senegal is one of only two freshmen in Division I to average 12.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while hitting at least 56 percent of his shots from the floor. Only Chris Bosh (2003) and Derrick Favors (2010) have exceeded all those numbers as freshmen.
Ndongo has led the Jackets in scoring nine times and in rebounding 17 times, while posting six double-doubles. He was named the ACC’s Rookie of the Week three times early in the season, once after scoring 21 points to lead Tech past No. 7 Duke in December, again after scoring 12 points with 19 rebounds in a Dec. 16 win over Penn State at Madison Square Garden, and the third time after making the all-tournament team at the Diamond Head Classic.
Ndongo is the first Tech freshman since Josh Okogie to be voted to the All-Rookie team.
Mar 12, 2024; Washington, D.C., USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets forward Baye Ndongo (11) shoots the ball as Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Braeden Shrewsberry (11) defends in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
George said he believes in this team's talent and development for the future:
“I think the future is really bright just because we showed glimpses of what we could actually do,” said George. “I felt like we were able to do it this year, but we fell short. But I feel like the young guys and everyone that’s stepped up like Tafara (Gapare), Baye and just seeing everyone come today, even Kowacie (Reeves) as well. Just seeing us build, I feel like the future is really bright.”
Georgia Tech's 2024 recruiting class also ranks No. 21 in the 247Sports Composite, it's highest since 2012.
Jaeden Mustaf is ranked No. 48 overall in the 247Sports composite ranking, and No. 6 at his position. He earned all-state honors last season at Carmel Christian School, leading the Cougars to a 28-4 record and a berth in the state championship game. He averaged 15.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists. He began his prep career at legendary DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md., where his father attended. There, he averaged 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists as a sophomore. He also enjoyed a standout summer on the Nike EYBL Circuit in 2023 and was named MVP of the 2022 Adidas 3SSB 17U Championship.
Ranked No. 31 among centers and No. 182 overall in the 247Sports composite ranking, Cole Kirouac attended North Forsyth High School in Cumming, where he was named honorable mention all-state and also to the 6A Region 8 all-region team for his play throughout the 2022-23 season. Kirouac made the 6A Region 8 all-tournament team for his performance in the postseason and was selected to play in the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association all-star game after the season. For the 2022-23 season, he averaged 14 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocked shots per game. He played AAU ball for the Atlanta Xpress and finished fifth in rebounding on the UA Next Circuit in 2023 (8.2 RPG).
Four-star forward Darrion Sutton has committed to Georgia Tech but has not signed. He could end up being the best player from the 2024 class.
Georgia Tech also has a four-star committed for 2025, four-star forward Brandon Stores.
The inconsistency was frustrating and Stoudamire is going to have to prove he can win, but there were positives to come out of this season and if Stoudamire can manage the transfer portal well and find impact players to go along with his young core, it might not be long before Georgia Tech is competing at a higher level in the ACC.
