What to know about Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech in ACC Tournament
Notre Dame men’s basketball begins Atlantic Coast Conference tournament play Tuesday afternoon. First-year head coach Micah Shrewsberry‘s team will either beat Georgia Tech and extend their season at least one more day, or lose and go home.
The Yellow Jackets, much like the Irish, have improved down the stretch under new leadership. First-year head coach Damon Stoudamire has Georgia Tech winning four of its last six, including victories over two teams hanging onto NCAA Tournament hopes in Syracuse and Wake Forest.
Notre Dame swept Georgia Tech in two matchups this season, though. The Irish beat the Yellow Jackets 75-68 in overtime Jan. 9 in Atlanta and 58-55 Feb. 14 in South Bend.
Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup.
Notre Dame at Georgia Tech game information
- Teams: No. 12 Notre Dame (12-19, 7-13 ACC) and No. 13 Georgia Tech (14-17, 7-13 ACC)
- Date: Tuesday, March 12
- Location: Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
- Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
- Television: ACC Network
- Radio: 960 WSBT-AM in South Bend
- Radio announcer: Tony Simeone
Matchup notables
• While Notre Dame guard Markus Burton won the ACC’s Rookie of the Year award, Georgia Tech forward Baye Ndongo finished fourth in the voting and he’s given the Irish some problems. Ndongo averaged 13.5 points per game in two games against the Irish, hitting a 3-pointer with five seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime in the first bout.
• Throughout the season, the 6-foot-9 freshman from Mbour, Senegal averaging 8.3 rebounds per game as well.
• Ndongo is the second-leading scorer on Georgia Tech, with No. 1 being junior guard Miles Kelly at 14.1 points per game. Kelly is a tall guard at 6-foot-6, and he’s a threat on the glass at 5.6 rebounds each night. The third big name to know is freshman guard Naithan George, who took the Yellow Jackets’ starting point guard role a few games into the season and hasn’t looked back. His 4.6 assists per game lead all ACC freshmen, including Burton.
• On the Notre Dame side, Burton is on a hot streak with more than 20 points in four of his last five games. But fellow freshman Carey Booth, a 6-foot-10 forward, has made some interesting strides since the Irish started winning more that he could show in the ACC Tournament. He’s become more aggressive offensively and on the glass, averaging 9.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game as a starter since Feb. 21.
