The Key Matchup: Georgia Tech PG Jarrett Jack versus North Carolina PG Raymond Felton.
The game will depend largely on which point guard can control the tempo of the game. Georgia Tech likes to get out in transition on occasion, but the Tar Heels look to push the ball on every possession.
The Yellow Jackets have one of the stingiest defenses in the ACC, yielding just 58.1 points per game.
The Tar Heels have the most potent offense in the country, scoring 92.7 points per game.
When the teams met at the Smith Center last year, a 103-88 Tar Heel win, Felton scored 25 points and Jack poured in 22.
UNC likely won’t need that type of point output from Felton tonight.
But the Yellow Jackets might need that type of scoring from Jack, because Georgia Tech will be without B.J. Elder, the team’s second leading scorer, who is out with a strained hamstring.
Jack, the team’s leading scorer at 14.8 points per game, has drained an astounding 58 percent of his field goals. He’s also pulling down better than five rebounds a game.
Although Felton’s scoring average isn’t as high, he’s making 52.6 percent of his shots and an ACC-best 55 percent on 3-pointers and also leads the conference with 7.8 assists per game.
The Yellow Jackets might have a slight advantage in the backcourt with Jack and Will Bynum, who also can run the offense, but Ga. Tech could have a tough time keeping up with the North Carolina frontcourt.
Isma’il Muhammad loves to get out on the break, but Anthony McHenry and Luke Schenscher could have a difficult time keeping up with Jawad Williams and Sean May, particularly in transition.
The Bottom Line: North Carolina 84, Georgia Tech 80.
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— Compiled by Daniel Blank
