Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
2021-22 record: 12-20, 5-15 in the ACC
Head Coach: Josh Pastner
Tenure at Georgia Tech: Seventh season
Career coaching record: 261-169
Home court: McCamish Pavilion
Starters: G Kyle Sturdivant, G Lance Terry, G Dallan “Deebo” Coleman, F Ja’von Franklin, C Rodney Howard
Bench: G Deivon Smith, G Tristan Maxwell, G Miles Kelly, F Jordan Meka, F Jalon Moore, F Cyril Martynov
Overview: One year removed from an ACC championship and NCAA tournament appearance, the Yellow Jackets disappointed last season. Finishing only above N.C. State in the conference standings, Georgia Tech was unable to replicate their previous success. The Yellow Jackets fell to Louisville in the first round of the ACC tournament, ending their season. Unfortunately for head coach Josh Pastner and Georgia Tech, things are not necessarily looking up in Atlanta anytime soon. The Yellow Jackets lost their two highest scorers from last season, including their sole All-ACC representative in Michael Devoe, and also saw 30-game starter Khalid Moore transfer to Fordham.
Two starters return for Georgia Tech—Kyle Sturdivant and Rodney Howard—and two solid transfers enter the program. Forward Ja’von Franklin averaged 12.2 points in 31 starts at South Alabama where he was named All-Sun Belt, and Lance Terry posted 14.3 points per game as a starting guard at Gardner-Webb. Both newcomers could be impact players and are likely starters this season. The Yellow Jackets as a whole, however, will likely not have the firepower to contend in many conference games this season. The mass exodus of stars from the ACC championship roster from two seasons ago combined with a lack of incoming talent to replace them leaves Pastner and Georgia Tech staring down another season near the bottom of the conference standings.
Team ceiling: Terry and Franklin adapt to the Power Five level tremendously, Sturdivant and Howard excel in their second year as starters and the depth pieces are able to be efficient while on the floor to keep games close. Georgia Tech is able to start rebuilding its program and the team that was picked to finish last in the ACC preseason poll posts a middle-of-the-pack season.
Team floor: The talent disadvantage for the Yellow Jackets is extremely noticeable in nearly every ACC game and the depth is almost non-existent. The Georgia Tech program continues to plummet and Pastner is fired following a last place finish in the conference.
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