Georgia Tech Basketball 2015-16 Season Preview

By Taylor Sturm
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets finished second to last in the ACC in 2014-15, but head into the 2015-16 with a talented roster and rightfully raised expectations.

Leading scorer Marcus Georges-Hunt returns for his senior season, as does second leading scorer Charles Mitchell. Arguably the most experienced guard-forward duo in the country, these two players will be a nightmare for opponents to defense. Watch out for former highly-touted recruit Tadric Jackson, as well. He had a solid freshman year but is much more talented than his numbers suggest.

Not only do the Yellow Jackets return these players, but Georgia Tech struck it big on the transfer market, as three big name transfers will be eligible this season. Adam Smith led the Virginia Tech Hokies in scoring last season with 13.4 points per game, Nick Jacobs averaged 8.4 points per game with the Alabama Crimson Tide and James White averaged 11.9 points per game with Arkansas-Little Rock. All three of these players should make immediate impacts on this squad and take it from an average ACC team to a potential bubble team.

In non-conference play, Georgia Tech faces two extremely tough challenges: the Georgia Bulldogs on the road and the VCU Rams at home. If the Yellow Jackets can avoid losing to any of the “bad” teams on their non-conference schedule, they could potentially head into conference play with just two or three losses.

When ACC play begins, things get far more difficult. Obviously teams like the Duke Blue Devils, North Carolina Tar Heels and Virginia Cavaliers will be too much for the Yellow Jackets, but Georgia Tech does not have a home and home with any of those teams. Brian Gregory’s squad will need to focus on beating the bubble tournament teams and avoiding bad losses if they want to make the Big Dance.

It seems unlikely that Georgia Tech can put together a run for the 2016 NCAA Tournament with so many elite and bubble teams in the ACC. However, due to the talent of transfers and experience on this roster, the Yellow Jackets could be one of the biggest surprises in college basketball.

They may not be the best team in the ACC, but Georgia Tech is definitely not the ACC bottom-feeder they were last season.

Taylor Sturm is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

Share On FacebookShare StumbleUpon

You May Also Like