Three Things To Watch For On Tuesday Night As Georgia Tech Hosts Syracuse

Georgia Tech resumes play tonight against Syracuse and is looking to add another win to its resume. The Yellow Jackets have been carried by their stout defense and rebounding in 2025-2026, which makes them a tough matchup for anybody. They have a chance to add their 11th win of the season. Let's take a look at a few things to wathch for on Tuesday night.

1. Will Cole Kirouac continue to get big minutes?

latest — 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

Cole Kirouac has developed at a high level for Georgia Tech and is beginning to see the fruits of his labor. This past Saturday, he was a key player off the bench, helping provide a spark on the offense and defensive end of the floor. His dunk ignited the Yellow Jackets, who went on a 10-2 run to pull away from Boston College. Head Coach Damon Stoudamire talked about the dunk that helped give the team the energy it needed.

“Well, it ignited us now. When Cole comes in the game, now Cole is now a crowd favorite. You can kind of tell, but he does a lot of great things out there. He gave the little fake DHO, and he went down there and ducked, and it definitely got us going. I think Wasey came back, excuse me, got a layup, and then he came back, but yeah, it ignited us. It was great to see. And it's always great to see, especially a young fellow like him, have a defining moment. I think that's something that can carry him for the rest of the season,” said Stoudamire.

“Can't say enough about Cole. Cole gets, you know, happy for him because one, I think everybody got a chance to see him play extended minutes. And now you see what he does when nobody's looking. He does a good job, and he works. He's gonna be a really good player. The reality of it is, the only thing that holds him back right now is strength. It's just that there are moments where he might get a little overpowered or not, but that was a heck of a dunk he had, and that ignited us, ignited the crowd. I'm proud of him and happy for him.”

With some of the Georgia Tech big men banged up, it could provide more opportunities for Kirouac to make a difference and show Coach Stoudamire he can be a reliable player.

2. Can the Georgia Tech defense continue to play at a high level?

Georgia Tech ranks No.21 in field goal percentage defense this season allowing opponents to only shoot 38.7% when they play them. The Yellow Jackets had one of their best defensive performances against Boston College last time out, holding them to just 27% from the field and four made three pointers. Their defense was stifling and made it tough to score on. With the type of defense Georgia Tech has, they are always in any game and can make runs to separate themselves, similar to what they did against the Eagles. Coach Stoudamire talked about the defensive effort in the last game.

“Sometimes you can't tell sitting from the sideline, but I knew we were playing great defense. But the game felt like a lot of games this year. Like, man, we just gotta get going offensively. If we get going offensively, then we'll be fine. BC is a different type team, and I watched BC, and I told that guy I was actually disappointed in the last three minutes of the first half. BC played a lot of games where I call it just they rock you to sleep. You know what I mean? You'll feel like you're in control of the game, and then all of a sudden you lose a rhythm offensively, and then they start scoring some buckets, and hit a bank shot three, and you just have all kinds of things start happening. That's when the game turned,” said Stoudamire.

“The momentum of the game shifted, and we couldn't get it back offensively. Defensively, we were still doing a good job. To me, it felt the same, and I'm with you. When I looked at the numbers, I was like, I don't think I've ever had a team hold an opponent to 27 from the field, 13 from the three. It was amazing defense, it was a collective effort. It was physical, like I said, we played small down the stretch of the game. So, no, it was a good team effort. From a physicality standpoint, it was great to see.”

3. Will Peyton Marshall play?

Marshall was inserted into the starting lineup last time he played on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury in the second half, which would declare him out for the rest of the game. Coach Stoudamire gave an update on Marshall postgame.

“We'll know more about him probably this evening. But it was just a guy came down on his knee, hyperextension, it's kind of the norm of it. I think he'll be fine. We'll wait and just make sure everything is cool with the bill of health, and then just kind of go from there,” said Stoudamire.

There hasn’t been an update on his status and the latest around him since Coach Stoudamire talked about it after the game on Saturday. Marshall has been a key rotational player this year and provided valuable minutes on the floor on both ends. It will be intriguing to see if he is able to suit up and recover from the injury on Tuesday. If not, you may see Cole Kirouac inserted into the starting lineup.

Three Things To Watch For On Tuesday Night As Georgia Tech Hosts Syracuse

1. Will Cole Kirouac continue to get big minutes?

2. Can the Georgia Tech defense continue to play at a high level?

3. Will Peyton Marshall play?

More Georgia Tech Basketball News:

Everything From Head Coach Damon Stoudamire After ACC Win Over Boston College In Home Opener

Everything From Lamar Washington and Cole Kirouac After Win Over Boston College

Key Takeaways From Georgia Tech 65-53 Win Over Boston College In Home Opener