Georgia Tech’s 3-0 start has already shown a few things, and the biggest one might be this: the Yellow Jackets have more than one way to win.
That matters, because the first three games of the season have not all looked the same. One night it’s scoring.
Another night it’s rebounding. Against Eastern Kentucky on Tuesday, it was the paint.
Georgia Tech finished plus-10 inside against the Colonels, and that kind of flexibility is exactly why the Jackets have opened 3-0 for the first time since 2012-2013.
The most eye-catching development so far has been Tylis Jordan. He has been a force on both ends, and his impact goes well beyond the box score.
Jordan brings a relentless motor, but what separates him is how much he can do. He can guard 1-5, move laterally, protect the rim, rebound, and push the ball in transition.
One sequence summed it up: he forced a steal, moved the ball to a teammate, got it back, shook a defender, and finished through contact at the rim. His 27-point outing fit the same pattern - active, versatile, and hard to contain.
Head coach Scott Cross made it clear Jordan’s growth has been tied to his defense and rebounding.
“We have our defensive grading chart that we do. And the first inter-squad scrimmages, he graded out very poorly, just being honest.
He saw that it was really important to me and our staff. And all of a sudden, the light switch came on.
Once he focuses on defending and rebounding, he is special, I think. You know, he could play at the very, very highest level.
You know, he's 6-9, seven plus wingspan. He can defend one through five.
He's great in transition. He's got a pretty shot.
I mean, there's not much that he can't do. When he focuses on those two things, I think that's when you get the best version of him,” said Corss.
That defensive edge has shown up even when Georgia Tech has been under pressure. When the Jackets trailed 19-9, they answered with a run that trimmed the deficit, and the energy on that end helped spark it. The perimeter defense was a big part of that stretch, too.
The Jackets also turned in one of their most impressive defensive efforts by holding one of the top offenses in college basketball, a team averaging 105 points per game, to 71 points on 41.3% shooting. Georgia Tech has shown it can protect the rim and force tougher looks, and that kind of resistance is going to matter once ACC play arrives in late December. The halftime adjustments in that game also changed the flow.
“We had a size advantage, but they were able to drive us and spread us out. And, you know, it hurt, especially when we were going with our bigger lineups.
You know, some of their smaller guys were able to drive it. So we just tried to shrink the floor, get in the gaps, make it a little bit tougher for them to drive it.
We forced them to take a little bit tougher shots. They did hit some of them.
I mean, they hit some really tough shots. And then they did make us pay the open shots that they got.
They buried them. And so, you know, credit to them for hitting those shots.
But I felt like our guys, like it mattered to them to get stops, which is what you want to see as a coach,” said Cross.
That kind of in-game adjustment has not always been a calling card for Georgia Tech in recent seasons, but it worked Tuesday night. The Jackets were behind, made the changes, and flipped the game.
Offensively, the early signs are just as encouraging because the scoring hasn’t come from one fixed source. Georgia Tech has had a different leading scorer in each of its three games, which says plenty about how spread out the production has been.
Against Georgia Southern, the Jackets were outrebounded but still won by shooting better than 50% from the field and going 9-18 from beyond the arc. That’s the other part of this team’s identity so far: if one area isn’t carrying the load, another one usually does.
And when the shots aren’t falling, Georgia Tech has still found ways to stay afloat. The free-throw line has been a steady source of production, with the Yellow Jackets shooting better than 70% from the stripe in all three wins. That kind of consistency gives them another path when the game gets messy.
Three games in, the picture is pretty clear. Georgia Tech can win with defense, with balance, with shooting, or with a dominant stretch in the paint. That kind of versatility is what has powered the 3-0 start.
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Needs More Than An Upset Against Clemson
Georgia Tech heads into its matchup with Clemson trying to steady itself after four straight losses, and the timing of the coaching staff changes only adds to the sense that this is more than just another ACC game. The Yellow Jackets have spent the week searching for answers in all three phases, with special teams, offense and defense each needing sharper execution if they are going to make the kind of statement that changes the feel around the program.
Clemson brings a defense that can make life difficult for any opponent, which is part of why ESPNs Football Power Index gives Georgia Tech only a 15.7% chance to win. An upset would obviously grab attention, but the larger question is whether the Yellow Jackets can show enough progress to suggest the recent changes are starting to matter, even if the final result still leaves plenty unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Aidan Birr Made A Painful Admission As Georgia Tech Tries To Recover
Georgia Techs recent skid has put plenty of pressure on the whole roster, and Aidan Birr stepped up this week to address not just the teams struggles, but his own role in them. The kicker spoke candidly with the media about the frustration around the season and the responsibility he feels as the Yellow Jackets try to steady themselves down the stretch, stressing that the standard inside the program still matters even when results are not matching it.
Birr also offered a glimpse into how he is trying to reset mentally as the season moves forward. He said he has been working on his focus and execution by reading a book about the unconscious mind, part of an effort to clear out the noise and handle the pressure that comes with kicking in a difficult stretch. For Georgia Tech, the hope is that his next steps on the field can match the accountability he showed off it. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Mbakwes Return Just Changed Georgia Techs Clemson Week Mood
Jaylen Mbakwe was back in front of the media this week, and the Georgia Tech cornerback had plenty to say after working his way back from the serious injury he suffered against Tennessee. The return alone changes the mood around the Yellow Jackets as they turn toward Clemson, with Mbakwe sounding grateful just to be back on the field and ready to talk football again. He also took a clear-eyed look at the Tigers, pointing out key players Georgia Tech will have to account for in a matchup that already carries plenty of weight.
Mbakwe also touched on the recent changes within the coaching staff, offering a glimpse of a program still adjusting even as it prepares for one of its biggest games of the season. On the field, he said his background as a former high school quarterback helps him read offenses from the defensive side, a trait that can matter a lot against a Clemson attack. For Georgia Tech, having a veteran voice like that back in the mix is a useful reminder that the week is about more than just the opponent. [Read more 🡒]