College Basketball
College Hoops Preview: #2 Duke vs Georgia Tech
- Matchup: #2 Duke Blue Devils (16-2, 5-1) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (11-8, 3-3)
- Date: Jan. 19th, 2019
- Time: 6:00 pm
- Network: ESPN
- Location: Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Venue: Cameron Indoor Stadium
- Seating Capacity: 9,314
The Return of Tre Jones?
On Friday, Coach K provided an update on starting point guard Tre Jones, “Tre is probable for this game… He has really progressed well and hopefully, he will be ready to go on Saturday.” A potential return after missing most of the Syracuse game and then two more would be a big win for Duke. When it was first reported, people feared Jones would be lost for the season. Tre Jones posted this picture on Instagram, so I would expect him to play on Saturday against Georgia Tech.
About the Opponent
The Yellow Jackets are led by sophomore Jose Alvarado (13.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.2 APG) junior James Banks III (11.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG). Head Coach Josh Pastner plays ten of players over 13 minutes per game, making for an incredibly deep bench. As for their team offense, Georgia Tech averages a measly 69.2 points per game, which ranks 280th in the entire country. Considering their leading scorer averages 13.8 points per game, their lack of offense is not a shock. On defense, the Yellow Jackets are among the country’s elite, they have let opponents score just 63.5 points per game and rank 16th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency on kenpom.com. Alvarado (1.9 SPG) and Banks III (2.5 BPG) have led the way for the Yellow Jackets on defense as well as offense.
Starters
Georgia Tech
Guard – #10 Jose Alvarado
Guard – #1 James Banks III
Forward – #00 Michael Devoe
Forward – #13 Curtis Haywood II
Center – #5 Moses Wright
Duke
Point Guard – #3 Tre Jones
Guard – #2 Cam Reddish
Small Forward – #5 RJ Barrett
Power Forward – #1 Zion Williamson
Cente – #20 Marques Bolden
Prediction
Duke scored 72 points against UVA’s #1 ranked defense without Tre Jones, so why would the Blue Devils have a problem playing against Georgia Tech’s defense while having Tre Jones play? Tre Jones changes the offense completely, here’s why: With Jones out, RJ Barrett was forced to be a primary ball handler. This takes away from Barretts ability to slash through the paint and get open off of the ball. The same goes for Cam Reddish, who with Tre Jones in the lineup will be free to get open from beyond the arc. Barrett and Reddish will flourish with Jones back in the lineup and Zion Williamson will continue to dominate in the paint.
Georgia Tech won’t be able to keep up with Duke offensively or stop their four-headed freshman monster.
Duke: 85
Georgia Tech: 62
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Photo Credit: Tre Jones via Twitter
