Stock Report For Georgia Tech Basketball: Akai Fleming and Jaeden Mustaf Are Trending up

Who stock rose the most in the Yellow Jackets win over NC State

Jan 17, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Damon Stoudamire looks on during the second half of the game against the NC State Wolfpack at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech added its first Quad 1 victory over the season against one of the best in the conference. The Yellow Jackets got major contributions on Saturday that led to the victory. Let’s take a look at who stock rose and is trending up after the 78-74 victory. 

Akai Fleming 

Jan 17, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Akai Fleming (0) dribbles with the ball guarded by NC State Wolfpack forward Jerry Deng (15) during the second half of the game at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

It was a big game for Akai Fleming, who carried the scoring load in the first half for the Yellow Jacket,s scoring 11 of his 16 points on 4-9 shooting and going 2-3 from beyond the arc. He also did a stellar job on the defensive end, staying in front of the person he was guarding. Fleming has also continued to add to his game and crash the glass, which has been valuable. He added seven rebounds on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets need another scorer outside of their big three, and if Fleming can continue to provide that, they are dangerous. He has a knack for creating space for open jumpers but also getting to the free-throw line and knocking down shots. He went 4-4 from the free-throw line and was the best of the day at the charity stripe. He keeps the pressure off guys like Kowacie Reeves, Baye Ndongo, and Lamar Washington to always have to score. He will be an X factor moving forward for the Ramblin Wreck. 

Jaeden Mustaf 

Jan 17, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Jaeden Mustaf (3) shoots a free throw during the second half of the game against the NC State Wolfpack at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Mustaf finished with a double-double, scoring 11 points and adding 10 rebounds. We went 5-9 from the field and also knocked down a three-pointer. He played his best on the defensive side of the ball,l finishing with a steal and a block. He took out NC State's best player out of the game in Darrion Williams, who finished with seven points on 2-11 shooting. He also forced two turnovers. Mustaf has continued to give the Yellow Jackets a spark off the bench and has been a key player that Coach Stoudamire can use down the stretch. He talked about his performance. 

“I thought Jaden Mustaf did about as good a job as I seen on Darrion Williams. Not only this year, but when I watched him before, he was physical. He was tough. He didn't back down. He didn't go for pump fakes. The biggest thing, you didn't put him at the line. And so, that to me was big for us. 

Cole Kirouac 

Jan 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets center Cole Kirouac (8) grabs a rebound against the Boston College Eagles in the first half at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The numbers aren’t gaudy for Cole Kirouac this season but he is providing key minutes for the Yellow Jackets and a rotation player they have needed with the injury to Mouhamed Sylla. He has even taken Peyton Marshall minutes and has come in and been able to play at a high level. Kirouac controls the glass, defends, and has been really good on the offensive glass. Baye Ndongo was dealing with foul trouble issues and the Coach Stoudamire needed someone to lean on late in the game and Kirouac proved through with key minutes. He’s been leaned on more and more and providing a valuable player for the Yellow Jackets. 

“Cole to me, you know, again, you already know, I told you when I picked Cole, when I signed Cole, it was more so he reminds me of Luke Kornet. He has a great feel for the game. He just needs to get stronger. You know, he's a freshman. He's young. Um, you know, he's going to continue to get better each and every practice, each and every game. Sometimes it take it takes bigs a little longer, but he just has a feel for the game, his movements, um, and different things. Now it's just learning his way, you know, defensive positioning, knowing when and when not to on the offensive, being setting screens, being able to hold screen roll, hold people off, get rebounds with two hands. But he did a great job tonight. Trust me, his minutes impacted that game. They definitely did,” said Stoudamire. 

More Georgia Tech News:

•How to Watch Georgia Tech vs NC State: Tipoff Time and TV Channel

•Good, Bad & The Ugly From Georgia Tech's Home Loss To Pittsburgh

•Everything From Georgia Tech Guard Kam Craft After The Loss To Pittsburgh