College Hoops – #16 Clemson Tigers at #18 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Clemson Tigers at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Tuesday, January 19th – 7:05 PM ET
Alexander Memorial Coliseum, Atlanta
College Basketball Betting Spread: Georgia Tech -2.5

The Week That Was: Clemson

The Tigers displayed a measure of staying power, barely overcoming a short attention span and the temptation to let down their guard after a momentous victory.

The big win that lifted the mood in coach Oliver Purnell’s locker room was an 83-64 thumping of North Carolina on Wednesday, Jan. 13. Clemson finally beat the hated Tar Heels after 10 consecutive losses, creating an on-court celebration in the friendly confines of Littlejohn Coliseum. Clemson’s defense told the tale against the defending national champions. The Tigers forced 26 Carolina turnovers, limited the Tar Heels’ starters to just 12 made field goals, and allowed only one UNC player – reserve Dexter Strickland – to score in double figures.

As important as it was to beat North Carolina, Clemson needed to show it could back up that result with another scalp in the ACC. The Tigers almost blew a 43-22 first-half lead, but they ultimately hung on and posted an encouraging 73-70 win at North Carolina State on Saturday, Jan. 16. Clemson big man Jerai Grant blocked a layup attempt by N.C. State’s Richard Howell with 35 seconds left in regulation to preserve the Tigers’ lead.

The Week That Was: Georgia Tech

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The Yellow Jackets showed signs of growing up in the always-challenging ACC. Coach Paul Hewitt’s team endured a tough loss, but then responded by pulling off a notable upset against a brand-name opponent.

The tough loss for Tech was an 82-75 defeat at the hands of Virginia on Jan. 13 in Charlottesville, Va. The Jackets might have hit 52 percent of their field goal attempts, but a miserable 3-of-11 shooting performance at the foul line came back to haunt the boys from Atlanta. Free throws also loomed large at the other end of the court. Virginia made 26 trips to the charity stripe and hit 23 shots. The minus-20 differential in free throw makes clearly exceeded any of the good things Georgia Tech did at the offensive end of the floor.

As horrible as that setback was, the Yellow Jackets wiped it away with a thrilling and immensely uplifting 73-71 win at North Carolina on Saturday, Jan. 16. The breakthrough on the road – a distinctly unexpected occurrence – was made possible because the Jackets warred in the paint with success. Forward Gani Lawal was the best rebounder on the floor, snagging 12 boards against UNC’s long front line.

Outlook & Pick

Both of these teams have been very inconsistent in recent seasons, so their recent road wins serve as cause for considerable optimism. The Tigers and Yellow Jackets are both very unpredictable, so the best course of action is to place confidence in the home team. Clemson is a little more experienced, but Georgia Tech has to be overflowing with confidence after the huge win at North Carolina. Go with the Jackets in Atlanta.

College Basketball Expert Pick: Georgia Tech -2.5