Georgia Tech 2011-2012 season: (11-20, 4-12 ACC)
Head coach: Brian Gregory, who will take the helm for his second season after replacing long-time coach Paul Hewitt, leads the Yellow Jackets into the 2012-2013 season.
Gregory inherited a team full of talent, but little experience and no true star leader. Freshman forwards Marcus Hunt and Robert Carter, Jr. will look to come in and make an impact, as the two were both ranked top-60 recruits in the class of 2012 by ESPN. Sophomore Stacey Poole will also join the roster after playing his freshman season at Kentucky.
Veteran contributors will include redshirt juniors Daniel Miller and Kammeon Holsey, as well as the Yellow Jackets’ lone senior, point guard Mfon Udofia. Udofia is the leading returning scorer after tallying 9.9 points per game last season, but he will need to improve on his ratio of 88 assists to 85 turnovers. Swingman Holsey added 9.4 points and 4.9 boards, while 7-foot center Miller will look to build on averages of 8.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
Georgia Tech was predicted by both the media and the ACC coaches to finish ninth in the ACC this season, and will have a hard time matching Duke’s size and 3-point shooting ability.
In order for the Yellow Jackets to have a productive season, they will need to take full advantage of their soft early schedule before entering ACC play. A strength for the Yellow Jackets comes in the fact that they are the only team in the ACC to return all five starters. Unfortunately, those five starters were unproductive on offense and will need to improve just to replace last season’s leading scorer Glen Rice, Jr.
The Yellow Jackets managed a paltry 60.4 points per game last season, placing them last in the ACC. At least their defense was relatively stout, ranking fourth in the ACC by allowing just 62.6 points per contest. But if Georgia Tech’s returning five is not aided on offense by their new additions, the Yellow Jackets may be in for another long season.
What needs to go right: New faces mesh with improving veterans to add offensive firepower.
What could go wrong: Starters gain a year of experience but not enough effectiveness to improve on last year’s 4-12 conference record.
The starting five: small forward Jason Morris, power forward Kammeon Hosley, center Daniel Miller, shooting guard Brandon Reed and point guard Mfon Udofia.
Projected finish in the ACC: 7th
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