Georgia Tech Basketball: Instant Takeaways From Yellow Jackets Loss To Florida State

Georgia Tech showed some grit in the second half but the continuous slow starts have become a problem for the Yellow Jackets
The Florida State mens basketball team takes on Georgia Tech at the Donald Tucker Civic Center Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025.
The Florida State mens basketball team takes on Georgia Tech at the Donald Tucker Civic Center Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. / Mishalynn Brown/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the loss to Florida State today, Georgia Tech falls to 2-6 in the ACC and is still struggling to find answers and overcome the current four-game losing streak. Here are some takeaways from the loss against Florida State. 

Slow Starts Remain the same for the Yellow Jackets- At halftime Georgia Tech shot just 7-27 from the field and 2-14 from three in the first half of the game. Florida State took advantage and had 15 points off turnovers from the Yellow Jackets in the first half. Georgia Tech trailed 37-24 and struggled on both ends of the floor. Nait George is one of the better passers in the ACC but his play and shot selection has been head-scratching lately. Far too often the Yellow Jackets take quick shots without getting their offense set. In the loss to Florida State, George was 4-12 from the field. You aren’t going to be able to shoot it well every game but oftentimes when the Yellow Jackets are making a run they have a bad shot that stops the momentum. This leads to the Yellow Jackets continuing to be behind the eight-ball in games early. Against Florida State, George had several low-percentage shots that affected runs. 

Georgia Tech second half offense and 10-0 run- It was a great sign to see the Yellow Jackets continue to fight and they started off the second half with a run and trailed 37-34 early in the half. At one point in the second half, Georgia Tech was 6-8 from the field. The Yellow Jackets finished 19-33 from the field and 7-15 from three after a porous start to the game. What was the key? The offense was getting better shots and open looks. Georgia Tech continually attacked the Florida State defense with dribble drives and when the defense collapsed they were getting open three-point shots. Even in the loss, I think it is something the Yellow Jackets can hang their hat on moving forward, especially at the beginning of games. Less dribbling down the shot clock and having to heave up low percentage looks, but rather put pressure on the defense with your ball handlers and finding open shots or easy looks at the rim. Another telling stat is that the Yellow Jackets had just four assists at the end of the first half. Georgia Tech finished with 13 assists for the game and did a better job of sharing the basketball and finding open looks which led to a more efficient second half. 

Georgia Tech guard Javian McCollu
The Florida State mens basketball team takes on Georgia Tech at the Donald Tucker Civic Center Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. / Mishalynn Brown/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lance Terry needs to be more aggressive- Terry always seems to be in control and has a great feel for the game. When he is the main ball handler for the Yellow Jackets during the game the offense moves better and faster. I think at the beginning of games he is not aggressive enough with his touches. The last few games the Yellow Jackets have had ugly starts to the games. In the second half, he was 7-9 scoring 17 of his 23 points. Terry has been the most consistent scorer for the Yellow Jackets and needs to demand the basketball more in games. He leads the Yellow Jackets averaging 15.4 points per game. 

Georgia Tech is not getting enough from their big men/Powell Needs More Minutes- It may be time to insert Duncan Powell into the starting lineup. I know he had some turnovers late in the game that ignited a 14-3 run but you could see the change in offense when he was on the floor. At the very least, you know he is going to play hard and go to the rim and draw contact. Powell was 6-7 from the free-throw line in the first half. He was the only scorer in double figures in the first half. Ndongo and Ibrahim combined for two points in the first half. No way am I saying Ndongo shouldn’t be on the court or in the starting lineup but he needs another big alongside him that can put pressure on the defense to prevent the defense from sending double-teams. Another thing is that when Powell is on the floor he is not just looking to score but he also makes the right basketball play each time whether finding the open man or keeping the possession alive. The young freshman Dorian Onwuchekwa is another who has missed time for the Yellow Jackets who was a promising big man early on in the season. Powell has been one of the most consistent big men for the Yellow Jackets in the past few games. He finished with 20 points against Florida State. 

Georgia Tech had three scorers reach 20 points- I mentioned Duncan Powell and Lance Terry earlier who had good performances in the loss. Powell was 11-12 from the free throw line against Florida State and constantly attacked the Seminole big men. Javian McCollum is another who scored the ball well for the Yellow Jackets. McCollum finished with 20 points and four assists on 7-17 shooting. He is a high-volume scorer for the Yellow Jackets and his scoring is something they can count on. I think the key with McCollum is getting him going early in games. Allow him to get rhythm shots and easy looks in the paint that will open up his outside shot in games. If Georgia Tech can have multiple scorers reach more than 15 points per game and have a faster start to games, they have a chance to compete in the ACC. The 8-11 and 2-6 ACC record doesn’t show that, but remember this team hasn’t been healthy and whole all season. Nonetheless, it was a good sign to see multiple players make an impact.

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Najeh Wilkins
NAJEH WILKINS

Najeh Wilkins covers football and basketball for Georgia Tech Athletics at FanNation. He has experience in recruiting, hosting, play-by-play, and color commentary.