Georgia Tech (11-12, 5-7 ACC) at Virginia (11-12, 4-8 ACC)

5:30pm, theCW

After a surprising road win at Pittsburgh on Monday night, UVa had a few extra days off and are back at home on Saturday to host Georgia Tech (5:30pm, theCW). The Hoos are looking to get back to .500 on the season for the first time since they fell to 8-8 at Stanford on January 11th, as they also look to secure a place in the ACC Tournament.

While UVa has now won three of their last five, Georgia Tech has been on a roll of their own. The Jackets enter with an 11-12 record, identical to Virginia’s, but the Yellow Jackets are a game better in ACC play at 5-7. The first half of January was rough for Tech, who endured a four-game losing streak, but that tough run has given way to three wins in the last four outings. And the Jackets didn’t exactly get hot by beating up on the league’s worst teams, either. Georgia Tech knocked off Virginia Tech at home, lost to Notre Dame by three on the road, and then earned impressive wins against Louisville and Clemson in the last week. Georgia Tech’s win at Clemson on Tuesday was a marathon, going to three overtimes before the Jackets came out on top in a game that never had a lead bigger than six points.

Saturday’s game will also be a special one for the UVa program, as they’re set to honor Tony Bennett at halftime, the first public event with the former Cavalier coach since his retirement in October.

Georgia Tech ranks #99 in Kenpom, just a few spots ahead of #110 Virginia. The Jackets have been relatively average on offense, ranking 161st in offensive efficiency. Tech has done a solid job taking care of the basketball, with the 141st-best turnover rate and 124th-best steal rate. Georgia Tech has average shooting numbers, making 33.5 percent of their threes and 50.7 percent of their two-point attempts. Tech doesn’t do much on the offensive glass, ranking 204th in offensive rebound rate, and have really struggled at the free-throw line, making just 66 percent of their attempts there. Perhaps that’s good news for those in attendance at JPJ on Saturday, as they look to get free bacon for back-to-back free throw misses for the second game in a row.

Defensively, Georgia Tech has been very solid, ranking 75th nationally in efficiency. Georgia Tech’s interior defense has been quite good, allowing opponents to make just 46.6 percent of their two-point tries. The Jackets don’t send opponents to the line a ton, and don’t allow many offensive rebounds and thus, second-chance opportunities. Tech’s opponents are shooting 35.5 percent from three, however, and the Jackets rank 246th in turnover rate, which is below average nationally.

Lance Terry, Guard

Georgia Tech’s leading scorer, Terry missed all of last season, but has bounced back in a major way in 2024-25. Terry started his career at Gardner Webb, playing three seasons there, before playing for Josh Pastner in 2022-23. Terry is in the midst of his best college season, averaging 15.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per contest. The Atlanta area native is shooting 38 percent from three, and has had four 20+ point scoring efforts since December 28th. Terry went for 23 points last week in an upset win over Louisville.

Javian McCollum, Guard

A transfer from Oklahoma, Javian McCollum has been a quality addition to the Tech roster. McCollum, a 6-foot-2 senior from Florida, is one of the Jackets’ top scorers, averaging 12.2 points per game. McCollum has been a bit quieter of late, but has scored in double figures 12 times this season, and has gone for 20+ points in four ACC games.

Naithan George, Guard

Naithan George was a breakout freshman for Stoudamire and Georgia Tech last season, and has continued along in his development in his second year. The 6-foot-3 guard from Toronto has been a quality scorer at 11.8 points per game, but has also been one of the top distributors in the ACC and the country. George averages 6.3 assists per game, which ranks him 13th nationally in the category. George is coming off of a career-high 28-point game in Georgia Tech’s 3OT win over Clemson, and he also dished out seven assists in the win, playing 55 minutes.

It’s been pretty tough to pick UVa’s games of late. We picked them to beat Notre Dame, they lost by 15. We picked them to beat Miami, and they did. After that win, we picked them to beat Virginia Tech at home, but they lost by one. Then, we figured, like most, that they’d get blown out by Pitt, and UVa ended up blowing them out. So for this weekend’s clash, we don’t advise betting on our pick.

UVa certainly played their best basketball of the season on Monday, but can they sustain it? Georgia Tech is in a similar position too, coming off of two even better wins, most recently on the road. Can they stay fresh after a 3OT win on the road a few days ago? This figures to be another toss-up type game at JPJ, but we’re not going to go against the Hoos on Tony Bennett Day.