College Hoops Top 50

Last Year: 15-18; Thirteenth (6-14) in the Atlantic Coast Conference, No Postseason

Head Coach: Damon Stoudamire (First Year; previously went 71-77 across five years at Pacific with no NCAA Tournament appearances)

Projected Starting Lineup

PG Amaree Abram – 6’4″, 195 – Sophomore

SG Miles Kelly – 6’6″, 180 – Junior

SF Dallan ‘Deebo’ Coleman – 6’6″, 210 – Junior

PF Tyzhaun Claude – 6’7″, 226 – Senior (5th)

C Ebenezer Dowuona – 6’11”, 230 – Senior

Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats

Amaree Abram: 8.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 0.7 spg – 36.4% 3FG @ Ole Miss

Miles Kelly: 14.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.1 apg, 0.7 spg – 37.9% 3FG

Deebo Coleman: 9.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.3 apg, 0.8 spg – 32.6% 3FG

Tyzhaun Claude: 15.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 0.5 apg, 0.9 bpg – 52.3% FG @ Western Carolina

Ebenezer Dowuona: 1.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.9 bpg – 45.7% FG @ NC State

Experienced Reserves

W Kowacie Reeves – 6’7″, 202 – Junior

G Kyle Sturdivant – 6’3″, 195 – Senior (5th)

G Lance Terry – 6’3″, 198 – Senior (5th)

F Tafara Gapare – 6’9″, 206 – Sophomore

Experienced Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats

Kowacie Reeves: 8.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.5 apg, 0.5 spg – 37.7% FG @ Florida

Kyle Sturdivant: 8.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.3 apg, 0.7 spg – 39.3% FG

Lance Terry: 10.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, 0.6 spg – 38.8% 3FG

Tafara Gapare: 3.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.7 bpg, 0.5 spg – 31.2% FG @ UMass

Freshmen

F/C Baye Ndongo – 6’9″, 214 – Freshman – Consensus Top 150 recruit

F Ibrahima Sacko – 6’6″, 225 – Freshman

F/C Ibrahim Souare – 6’9″, 214 – Redshirt Freshman

Here he comes to The Flats, to save the day! 

This season will mark 20 years since Georgia Tech went on an incredible run which fell a single victory short of a national title. And yet, since Paul Hewitt’s 2003-04 team won 28 games – including five in the Big Dance – the Yellow Jackets have managed 20 wins in a season just five times. And in their four NCAA Tournament appearances over the past 19 seasons, they’ve won just two games combined. 

So Damon Stoudamire has been lured away from the staff of the Boston Celtics to change the Jackets’ fortunes. He’s started by re-working much of the roster that had been – and the man once dubbed ‘Mighty Mouse’ knows a thing or two about managing the talent on the floor. Stoudamire is a former All-American point guard and NBA Rookie of the Year who spent 13 successful years playing in the Association. He’s seen what it takes to win big at both levels; during his college days, Stoudamire starred on a Final Four team under Arizona legend Lute Olsen. 

After joining the coaching ranks, Stoudamire led Pacific to 71 wins – including a 23-win campaign the year Covid wiped out the NCAA Tournament – and then spent the last two years as an assistant in the NBA. As a young, rising coach with those credentials, Stoudamire has the fans in Atlanta hyped for a Tech resurgence – and players have taken note, too. Where once the ATL had two dope boys in a Cadillac, Stoudamire is welcoming a whole truckload of new recruits this fall. Six of them are tested veterans, while the two freshmen turned down about 20 high major programs between them; and Stoudamire has convinced one and all that there’s no time like the present to start rewriting Tech’s fortunes. 

It shouldn’t come as any surprise, but Stoudamire has assembled a group of four veteran guards who bring a strong blend of skills and talents, and he will count on them as this team’s core. The purest scorer of the bunch led Tech last season, and after checking out the NBA Draft process, Miles Kelly has come back to see if he can take the Jackets on a postseason run before turning pro. “I stay loyal to my roots and I stay loyal to whoever is loyal to me. Georgia Tech has been really loyal to me – the fans, the community,” Kelly told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution this summer. “I’m from Atlanta so I wanted to stay here and I feel like I can get it done here.” Kelly was cooler than a polar bear’s toenails from behind the arc as a sophomore, and returns for a third year having established himself as one of the ACC’s top deep threats. 267 of Kelly’s 476 points last season came from distance, as he ranked fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 37.9% rate and finished fourth in the league with 89 triples made.

A long, thin marksman, Kelly was the breakout star Tech needed last year, jumping up from a 4.5 scoring average as a freshman to 14.4 points per game a year ago. The main objective for Kelly this summer has been adding strength and improving his shot off the bounce. Kelly moves smartly without the ball and shot a solid 57% on his attempts around the rim last year, per Bart Torvik, but he made just 33% of his mid-range attempts. If he can prove to be as dangerous this season off the bounce as he’s been catching and letting fly from the wing, Tech’s star scorer can take his game to the next level. Stoudamire also wants to see if Kelly can finish more of his forays all the way to the cup; not only to give defenses three levels to guard, but because Kelly shot nearly 90% at the free throw line as a sophomore. “I feel like with what coach Damon Stoudamire has planned for me and what he’s building here, I feel like I need to be a part of that,” Kelly says. “I think we can get Georgia Tech back to March Madness, win a few games and win an ACC championship.”

A consensus 4-star recruit when he arrived at Ole Miss last fall, Amaree Abram showed a lot of skills as a freshman. The fit wasn’t quite right, though, so Abram hit the Transfer Portal and found a comfortable new spot at Georgia Tech. The rising playmaker has also shown outstanding scoring potential, and Stoudamire can’t wait to see him get cooking. “I think that Amaree Abram will do well, I really like him. He is a shifty guard and able to make open shots,” Stoudamire told College Hoops Today of Abram. “He could shoot, catch and shoot and that is one of the things that I love about him, he can play with it or he can play without it. I think that he is going to have a big, big impact.” When he’s been at his best, Abram is smooth; a dynamic and shifty lefty with great size and the ability to change gears on his way to the rim. He was also an effective outside shooter as a freshman, knocking down 36.4% from deep and 40% from mid-range, per Bart Torvik. More than 80% of his total shots as a freshman came from away from the rim, actually. At times, though – and especially towards the end of his prep career – Abram has shown that he can get explosively to the bucket. Abram averaged just 21 minutes per game as a rookie, but with his great wealth of untapped potential, he looks to be in line for a big bump in role having arrived in Atlanta. 

Abram is smooth; a dynamic and shifty lefty with great size wnd tve ability to change gears on his way to the rim

Four of last season’s top five scorers have returned, and two more of those players are the experienced guards Lance Terry and Kyle Sturdivant. A former Gardner-Webb transfer, Terry proved last season that he can hang in the ACC. He started 21 games and averaged 29.6 minutes per game, providing steady, confident ballhandling and efficient shooting. He’s also Tech’s second-leading returning scorer. Though he’s not the biggest or most explosive guard, Terry knows what he does best and won’t force things that aren’t there. Terry committed just 27 turnovers in his 29 games while knocking down 47 triples at a 38.8% rate last season, and he’s an 82% career foul shooter. He is capable of scoring from all three levels, and like Kelly, Terry could take another step if he’s able to score on more straight line drives to the bucket. Terry can finish around the rim, and during his final season in Boiling Springs, he knocked down 59% of his shots inside, with 20 dunks. The Jackets finished 344th out of all 363 Division I programs last season in both free throws attempted and made, and 262nd in FT%. Stoudamire has stated that it’s vital to him that the scorers on this year’s team get into the lane and force defenses to guard or give up free points.

Whether Sturdivant comes off the bench or plays beside Abram in a slick, guard-heavy sets, his new coach is already very familiar with the fifth-year point guard. “Me and Kyle… before Kyle was born, me and his father were really good friends,” Stoudamire recalled to Jon Rothstein on his College Hoops Today podcast. “I held him as a baby and known him for years and I have always been proud of him.” Kyle Sturdivant had begun his college career at Southern California, but transferred back closer to home after the unexpected passing of his father, Gary, three years ago. The past two seasons, Sturdivant has fought his way into the lineup to make 49 starts, averaging 8.1 points and 2.8 assists over that span. He’s handed out 183 assists compared to 91 miscues over the last two seasons, regardless of role, and is one of the team’s best defenders. Stoudamire knows how to show tough love, but he’s also glad to have, in Sturdivant, a stout veteran whose game and demeanor he knows well. 

The Yellow Jackets were not a strong defensive unit last season. They ranked in the 200’s in the country in both FG% defense and opponent scoring average, and allowed 10.6 offensive boards per game to their foes – that last figure ranking among the hundred worst among all Division I teams. They did manage to hold opponents to frustrating performances from the outside, but then three of Tech’s best individual defenders left during the offseason. Stoudamire has always demanded that his teams guard; when the former West Coast Conference Coach of the Year led his Tigers to their 23-win season, they gave up just 64.5 points per game. Whichever of his talented guards can prove themselves defensively will get the choicest minutes. 

The same will be true for the all-new frontcourt. Former Jackets coach Josh Pastner didn’t employ many bigs last season; in fact 6’7″ forward Ja’Von Franklin finished off the season as Tech’s main post player. To address that shortcoming – and the fact that Franklin is gone – Stoudamire has brought in three new bigs with proven experience, and his first freshman recruits will also figure into his plans for the post. Graduate student Tyzhaun Claude is a former Western Carolina star who broke out in a big way last season after being forced to redshirt the year before at Morehead State. Claude posted 11 double-doubles in 31 games a year ago, and led the Southern Conference in offensive and total rebounds for the season. He also ranked fifth in the league in scoring average, fourth in blocks per game, and Claude took 175 trips to the foul stripe – where he put away 72% of his tries. With Tech’s struggle to score free points a year ago, those are truly vital numbers.

Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks)

-2.8 – Average Score Margin – (235th)

1.303 – Team Assist to Turnover Ratio (46th)

48.4% – Team Effective FG Percentage (274th)

31.0% – Opponent 3FG Percentage (29th)

52.0% – Opponent 2FG Percentage (270th)

Stoudamire is excited to see just how much of that excellent production will translate up to the ACC, because he sees Claude as an excellent fit in Atlanta. “Ty is the ultimate lunch-pail guy,” the new coach said when Claude pledged to be a Yellow Jacket. “His bread and butter is on the box, and he plays so hard. He brings an energy and a spirit that we’re going to need. He competes every play. He can rebound the ball, and he makes the 50-50 plays. He’s everything I want in a basketball player.” Claude is all but certain to start this year, whether at the 4 spot if Stoudamire wants to go big or operating as a burly and energetic – if undersized – pivot. An excellent and high-effort offensive rebounder, Claude racked up 42 putback tries last season, per Hoop-Math. He also made 57.7% of his shots around the rim last winter, with 41 dunks, per Bart Torvik. Franklin shot 67% with 45 flushes operating as the screen-and-roll guy and main interior scorer last season. If Claude can fill the same board-gobbling, lob-slamming role while providing a bit of range and a more developed offensive approach, Stoudamire’s offense will have the anchor it needs. 

Ebenezer Dowuona is going to be the tallest player on this team, and the NC State transfer knows how to use his height and length inside. A solid defender and rebounder, Dowuona started 27 games two years ago in Raleigh, and at that time he ranked fourth in the ACC in blocks per game. “What I love about Ebe is his athleticism and shot-blocking,” said Stoudamire when Dowuona signed. “I’ve seen the way he is able to impact games with his rim-running and shot-blocking ability.” He’s not a highly developed offensive player; of Dowuona’s 52 made baskets as a sophomore, more than 20 came as a result of putbacks, per Hoop-Math, and 18 were dunks. Last year, the Wolfpack found a different post player, and now Dowuona will get to go up against DJ Burns, the player who more or less took his job, when the Jackets and Wolfpack play this year. While Dowuona may never create many of his own looks and has had issues with turnovers, he can be highly effective when left to utilize his best skills. He’s unlikely to play much more than a 20-minute role, but Dowuona always gives a terrific effort and will find himself a valuable matchup piece in the paint this winter.

Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on

vs Mississippi State – November 28

@ Cincinnati – November 22

@ Georgia – December 5

N – TBD Diamond Head Classic – November 24

N – Portland – November 23

Tafara Gapare is a big, multi-skilled forward from New Zealand by way of UMass. After reclassifying last summer and arriving in the USA following some visa issues, Gapare managed to play in 30 games for the Minutemen as a rookie. Stoudamire considered it a coup when he was able to land the developing big from the Transfer Portal. “He’s one of the most talented players that I’ve seen. Now it’s a matter of turning talent into production. He has the ability, and it’s a matter of us being able to get everything out of him,” Gapare’s new coach says of the sophomore. “His ability to shoot the ball, the ability to get rebounds and start the break, pass the ball…you don’t really see guys like him that often. He has a world of potential.” Rated a Top 100 prospect by multiple services a year ago, Gapare possesses perimeter skills and the confident shooting stroke of a smaller player. He’s still growing into and filling out his frame, but as Gapare becomes harder to shove out of the paint, his inside-out scoring potential should begin to shine. Gapare is exceedingly mobile, and understands what’s going on in the halfcourt, allowing him to make savvy passes and patiently work into his spots. Gapare may start out as a reserve, but Tech’s coaches are expecting some big things out of the young Kiwi in the next couple of years. 

Stoudamire had a clear initiative in signing players like Gapare. “I brought in length, I wanted long guys, I wanted athletic guys, I wanted three and D type of guys,” Tech’s new coach told College Hoops Today. Speaking of ‘3-and-D’ types, the wing in Atlanta will now be home to both returning star Deebo Coleman and Florida transfer Kowacie Reeves. Coleman ranked second on the team in made triples a year ago, but the 57 deep balls he sank came at a 32.6% clip. That was down from 41.3% in his freshman season, but Coleman was counted on to play nearly 32 minutes per game last year. Now, with more help around him, a more energized and efficient Coleman may be bad news for the ACC. Rated a Top 50 recruit by some outlets, Coleman is a clever, physically strong wing player who can absolutely light it up when his jumper is falling. This year, Stoudamire wants to see him not only bring his outside percentage back up, but do more work around the lane. Coleman isn’t huge, but he’s bigger and stronger than many of the wings who guard him, and could present some excellent mismatch options. 

Reeves was rated as highly as a 5-star prospect by ESPN coming out of Macon, GA three years ago, but chose Florida to start his college career. After two seasons of inconsistent minutes for the inconsistent Gators, Reeves decided to head back up to his home state. Now, he’s looking to remind the home fans of all the potential he flashed at Westside High School. “I think that Kowacie Reeves will make an impact,” Stoudamire has said. “I really like his athleticism, I love his energy and I think his ability to keep improving on his three-point shot.” Fitting Stoudamire’s stated archetype of a big, long, athletic player who can shoot, Reeves can make plays that some other folks cannot. He plays even longer than his listed size on the perimeter, and can split defenders with a quick step or beat them off the bounce and go sailing towards the rim. And in transition, Reeves shines with his creativity and hammer dunks. He really loved to shoot the three while at Florida, but the three ball just didn’t love him the same way. He owns 66 career triples, but just a 29% rate from downtown, and Reeves made only 37.7% of his total attempts as a Gator. Reeves has an immense amount of talent, and if Stoudamire can get him to channel it properly, the third-year wing could make quite the impactful entrance to the ACC. 

Jalen Forrest has also come aboard as a transfer from Presbyterian, but will factor into the Jackets’ rotation next year, after some seasoning in junior college this winter. Carter Murphy has transferred in after four years spent at the Air Force Academy. He’s yet to be a high-impact player, but has good size and experience, and will solidify Stoudamire’s guard depth as someone who’s done it all before. 

Stoudamire has further help arriving in the post, as Baye Ndongo decided on Tech at the end of his recruitment after nearly staying up northeast at Rutgers. A product of first Denver (CO) Prep and then Connecticut prep hoops powerhouse Putnam Science Academy, Ndongo had pledged to the Scarlet Knights back when things looked a bit different on their recruiting board, but Stoudamire was all too happy to provide the talented youngster a soft landing spot. It certainly didn’t hurt that Karl Hobbs – who at Rutgers was instrumental in securing Ndongo’s commitment – was hired by Stoudamire to be one of his top assistants, and already has a great rapport with Ndongo. A long, athletic big who plays even bigger and longer than he is at times, Ndongo is an ACC-level athlete who should be a good fit with Stoudamire’s attacking style of play. Ndongo can get end-to-end in a hurry, and his shot-blocking threat can be a real deterrent around the cup. It may take a bit for him to fully develop his repertoire and physical strength, but Ndongo projects as an impact player at both ends of the floor in the near future. 

Though he’s not been on recruiting radars to the same prominent degree as Ndongo, Stoudamire is nearly as excited about the potential of his other freshman forward, Ibrahima Sacko. Though he grew up in Guinea, a country which loves soccer, and shares his name with a famous pro on the pitch, Tech’s Sacko is an intimidating presence as a defender on the court in Canada for the past couple of years. Sacko prepped in Markham, Ontario, and garnered offers from such brand-name universities as Oregon, BYU and Xavier before picking the Yellow Jackets. “The biggest thing Ibrahima brings is elite defense. He has a chance to be one of the best defenders in the country with his size and strength,” Stoudamire glowed about Sacko in a statement after the Guinean forward signed on in Atlanta. “The way he can defend on or off the ball is something I haven’t seen in someone his age, and he will make an impact on that end from day one.” At a strongly-built 6’6″ and possessed of a nearly seven-foot wingspan, Sacko is going to make life difficult for anyone he guards from the word ‘go’. The Yellow Jackets will also have the services of Ibrahim Souare, who enrolled last fall and redshirted, and possesses a reported 7’2″ wingspan. Another native of Guinea, Souare will have a bit of experience on his young counterparts in the race for minutes due to his experiences last year and also in FIBA international competition. 

Stoudamire’s teams at Pacific didn’t play particularly fast, but in talking about his plans for this new group he’s putting together at Tech, the new coach has spoken extensively of his desire to space the floor, play at speed, and involve his athletes in a more exciting brand of basketball. Having seen the benefits of finely-crafted player movement and the wide lanes utilized by NBA squads in the types of 5-out offenses which have gained popularity, Stoudamire will no doubt tinker a bit as he gets a feel for his new roster. He’s got talented guards, and if it takes playing five perimeter players together at times to win, Stoudamire will do so. 

“I think this, this group of guys and even the guys that transferred in…we only had two guys that had ever been to the NCAA Tournament,” Stoudamire told reporters as fall practices began this September, speaking of his focus on details and establishing winning habits as he builds this team. “We got to change that.”

The Jackets’ new coach has intentionally put together a young staff, with Hobbs filling a vital, experienced role at its core. Stoudamire wants to connect with his players and for his staff to grow with them. Tech fans are going to be particularly excited to see how well a lineup of Kelly, Abram, Coleman and Reeves – with whichever big Stoudamire wants or doesn’t want to use – on the floor together. This Yellow Jacket team should be able to get out and go; and if they can defend and do the little things like their new coach demands, Tech could be on the rise fairly quickly.