Virginia vs. Georgia Tech Game Preview, Score Prediction
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Virginia will play its regular season finale and celebrate Senior Night when its hosts Georgia Tech on Saturday night at John Paul Jones Arena, but it's also a vitally important game for the Cavaliers, who can clinch the No. 3 seed in the ACC Tournament and keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive with a win over the Yellow Jackets.
Read on for a full preview of Virginia vs. Georgia Tech, including game details and notes, an opponent scouting report, what to watch for, and a prediction for Saturday night's matchup.
Game Details
Who: Virginia Cavaliers (21-9, 12-7 ACC) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (14-16, 7-12 ACC)
When: Saturday, March 9th at 8pm ET
Where: John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia
How to watch: ACC Network
How to stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
How to listen: SiriusXM 371 | Virginia Sports Radio Network - click here for affiliates
All-time series: Virginia leads 48-40
Last meeting: Virginia defeated Georgia Tech 75-66 on January 20th, 2024 in Atlanta.
Game Notes
- Virginia leads Georgia Tech 48-40 in the all-time series that dates back to 1947.
- UVA has won the last 11 games against Georgia Tech and the last nine home games against the Yellow Jackets.
- Georgia Tech hasn't defeated Virginia since January 9th, 2016.
- Virginia is 18-2 against Georgia Tech under Tony Bennett.
- Virginia is third in the ACC standings at 12-7 and Georgia Tech is tied for 11th at 7-12.
- Virginia will honor Reece Beekman, Tristan How, Jordan Minor, and Jake Groves for Senior Day prior to the game.
Opponent Scouting Report: Georgia Tech
2023-2024: 14-16, 7-12 ACC (tied for 11th)
In mid-February, Georgia Tech was riding a four-game losing streak, had lost 12 of its last 14 games, and was 10-15 overall and 3-11 in ACC play, an inauspicious start to Damon Stoudamire's tenure as head coach to say the least. Since then, however, the Yellow Jackets have flipped a switch, winning four of their last five games, and come into this game playing by far their best basketball of the season. Georgia Tech arrives on a three-game winning streak, beating Miami, Florida State, and then Wake Forest on the road on Tuesday night.
So, while Virginia was able to win the first matchup between these two squads in Atlanta, a 75-66 victory in which the Cavaliers used a 20-point, six three-pointer game from Isaac McKneely and a 19-point, 11-assist double-double from Reece Beekman to outlast the Yellow Jackets, this is simply not the same team that UVA beat back on January 20th.
Georgia Tech has been lighting it up from beyond the arc recently, hitting 10 threes on 47.6% in the win at Wake Forest on Tuesday, knocking down eight threes in the game before that, and splashing a season-high 15 triples against Miami in the game before that.
6'6" junior guard Miles Kelly attempts the most threes on the team, putting up almost seven of them per game, though he converts at a modest 33.2%. Kelly is Georgia Tech's leading scorer at 14.6 points per game, but can be a little hot and cold, as he scored 25 points at Miami, then five points against Florida State, and then 19 points against Wake Forest in his last three games. He had eight points on 3/11 shooting in the first meeting with Virginia.
6'7" junior guard Kowacie Reeves knocks down 39.1% of his three-pointers and takes more than four per game. Reeves averages 10.1 points per game, but had just six points in the first meeting with UVA. The Yellow Jacket offense runs through freshman Naithan George, who is averaging 9.4 points and 4.6 assists per game. The 6'3" guard also frequently shoots from deep, but shoots under 30% from three on the season. George had 15 points against Virginia in the first meeting, knocking down several heavily-contested mid-range jumpers.
Headlining the Georgia Tech front court is another freshman Baye Ndongo. The 6'9" forward is averaging 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. He joined George with 15 points in the first meeting on 6/7 shooting. Ndongo is statistically a proficient three-point shooter at 36.4%, but attempts less than half a three-pointer per game. 6'9" sophomore forward Tafara Gapare rounds out the starting five, getting the start in the last seven games and scoring in double figures in three of the last five.
Georgia Tech brings a highly-experienced and capable pair of guards off the bench in 6'3" senior guard Kyle Sturdivant and 6'6" junior guard Deebo Coleman. Sturdivant has led the Yellow Jackets in scoring in three of their last five games, including a 20-point effort in the win over Florida State. He's averaging 8.8 points and 2.8 assists off the bench and is the team's best three-point shooter at 39.4%. Coleman is averaging 6.0 points per game and is a 34.5% three-point shooter. Also coming off the bench for the Yellow Jackets are 6'7" senior forward Tyzhaun Claude (4.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and 6'4" sophomore guard Amaree Abram (3.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg).
What to Watch For
Three-point shooting
As the regular season winds to a close, Virginia sits at fifth in the ACC in three-point shooting at 36.2%, while Georgia Tech is 12th at 32.5%. But recent trends have those numbers flipped as Georgia Tech has knocked down 46 triples on 36.2% shooting over the last five games, while UVA has hit just 21 threes on 31.8% over its last five games. Will a week off and a return to the friendly rims at John Paul Jones Arena shake the Cavaliers out of their shooting slump? Virginia hit 11 threes in the first meeting against Georgia Tech. A performance like that would obviously help the Cavaliers win the game, but would also be immensely important as they try to reinvigorate their perimeter offense entering the ACC Tournament.
Momentum
Georgia Tech has an argument as one of the hottest teams in the ACC at the end of the regular season, winning four of its last five games, the most recent of which was a road victory at Wake Forest that might end up knocking the Demon Deacons out of the NCAA Tournament. Virginia, on the other hand, is looking for a hard reset after having the week off following its 73-48 bludgeoning at the hands of Duke last Saturday. That was UVA's third loss in the last four games and has placed the Cavaliers right on the cut line of the NCAA Tournament. Can they swing momentum back in their favor right before postseason play begins?
What's at stake?
Speaking of the Bubble, Virginia must win this game to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive. The victory won't impress anybody, but the Cavaliers can't lose this one if they want to have a chance at an at-large bid. A win would also clinch UVA the No. 3 seed in the ACC Tournament. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech isn't close to consideration for the NCAA Tournament obviously, but can get up to the No. 11 seed in the ACC Tournament with a win over Virginia plus losses by Boston College and Notre Dame on Saturday.
Prediction
Georgia Tech is riding a wave of momentum coming into this game and the Yellow Jackets have a dangerous combination of budding confidence and nothing to lose. With that said, Virginia has a whole week to prepare and the Cavaliers know how important this game is. UVA must defend home court to end the regular season and stabilize its position for the NCAA Tournament.
Score prediction: Virginia 73, Georgia Tech 63
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