Georgia Tech will aim to build on its newfound success Saturday when reeling California visits Atlanta for Atlantic Coast Conference play.
After starting 3-7 in league play, Georgia Tech (12-13, 6-8 ACC) has won three of four games to climb out from near the bottom of the conference standings. The Yellow Jackets earned a wire-to-wire 60-52 victory over Stanford on Wednesday and appear to be peaking with three weeks left in the regular season.
“I’m seeing a different type of energy from our group,” Georgia Tech head coach Damon Stoudamire said. “Our guys have been fighting hard and we’re starting to get a little bit of payback.”
Naithan George extended his streak of efficient offensive outputs on Wednesday, leading the Yellow Jackets with 22 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists. George is averaging 21 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game over Georgia Tech’s last five contests.
With injuries to several Yellow Jackets, including leading scorer Lance Terry, George tallied 40 minutes in Wednesday’s win and is averaging just under 38 minutes per game in conference action.
“(George) had another 40 minute game, but he played really well and controlled things for us,” Stoudamire said. “He did a good job scoring the ball, he rebounded, got us organized, but it was really a collective effort.”
Following Terry’s 14.9 points per game, George adds 12.5. Injured guard Javian McCollum averages 12.2 ppg, while Baye Ndongo chips in 12.1 points and a team-leading 8.1 rebounds per game.
Cal (12-13, 5-9) has dropped two in a row and four of five since Jan. 25. The Golden Bears ran into Cooper Flagg and No. 3 Duke on Wednesday, falling 78-57.
Andrej Stojakovic paces Cal with 17.5 points per game but has averaged just 8.4 over his last five contests. Freshman Jeremiah Wilkinson has stepped up with 21 points in each of the last two games.
“It’s impressive to have that level of poise and composure as a freshman,” coach Mark Madsen said of Wilkinson. “To be able to run the offense against one of the top defenses in the country in Duke, Jeremiah is a tremendous leader and a phenomenal basketball player.”
Wilkinson scores 14 points per game, while Jovan Blacksher Jr. adds 11.
The two teams are squaring off for the first time since November 2012, a 68-57 Golden Bears victory.
–Field Level Media
