What you need to know as Irish visit midtown Atlanta to face Yellow Jackets
Tom Noie
MEN’S BASKETBALL
► WHO: Notre Dame (8-5 overall; 2-1 ACC) at Georgia Tech (6-7; 0-3).
► WHERE: McCamish Pavilion (8,600), Atlanta
► WHEN: Saturday at 6 p.m.
► TV: ACC Network
► RADIO: WSBT (960 AM).
► ONLINE: Follow every Notre Dame game with live updates from Tribune beat writer Tom Noie at twitter.com/tnoieNDI.
► NOTING: Senior guard Michael Devoe scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half in Tuesday’s 69-57 loss at No. 2 Duke. The Blue Devils shot 40 free throws; the Yellow Jackets 12. Georgia Tech shot 32.8 percent from the field, 30 percent from 3. They led for all of 1:20 and trailed by as many as 15. It was their first game after a 10-day pause for health/safety concerns. … Georgia Tech has held three of its last five opponents under 40 percent from the field and has committed fewer than 10 turnovers in three of its last four. … The Yellow Jackets also have had trouble scoring, getting to at least 70 points only once in the last eight games. … Georgia Tech has lost two in a row and six of seven. The win was in overtime against Georgia State. … Devoe leads the conference in scoring (21.2). … Three starters return off last year’s team that finished 17-9 overall, 11-6 and fourth place in the ACC. The Yellow Jackets then won the ACC tournament. … They had to replace first team all-league guard Jose Alvarado and league player of the year Moses Wright. … Georgia Tech was picked this preseason to finish 10th; Notre Dame was picked eighth. … Eight Jackets average at least 12.5 minutes . ... Georgia Tech ranks 12th in the ACC in scoring (67.8 ppg.) and ninth in defense (67.6). It ranks 12th in assists (12.5) and 14th in scoring margin (+0.15), free throw percentage (.687) and assist/turnover ratio (0.93). ... The all-time series is tied at 12. Notre Dame was won nine of 15 meetings as ACC colleagues, but is 2-9 at McCamish Pavilion. ... Georgia Tech is one of six repeat opponents for Notre Dame and one of two (Boston College) permanent repeat opponents. … The Yellow Jackets won last year’s lone meeting (thanks to COVID-19) 82-80. The Irish had won four in a row and six of the previous eight. … Notre Dame has won four straight and five of six dating back to the mid-December home win over Kentucky. The Irish look for a fifth straight win, which would be their longest win streak since six in a row early in 2019-20. Notre Dame never won more than two straight last season. … This starts a stretch of four of five on the road for Notre Dame, which is a combined 2-5 away from home this year with wins in Las Vegas (Chaminade) and Pittsburgh. … Notre Dame returns home Wednesday to play Clemson.
► QUOTING: "We know we're going to be in a battle Saturday. We have to bring our (A) game."
— Notre Dame senior guard/captain Dane Goodwin
— Tom Noie
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on Twitter: @tnoieNDI