Georgia Tech Basketball: 2024-25 Season Overview, 10-Year Snapshot

2024-25 North Carolina Sports Network
Atlantic Coast Conference Basketball Spotlight:
Georgia Tech

By Ben McCormick
North Carolina Sports Network

School: Georgia Institute of Technology

Location: Atlanta, Ga.

Previous Conference Affiliations: Independent (1919-20, 1964-75 and 1978-79), Southern (1920-32), SEC (1932-64), Metro (1975-78)

ACC Member Since: 1979-80

ACC Ranking Among 32 Leagues (KenPom): 5th (2025), 5th (2024), 7th (2023), 5th (2022), 5th (2021), 4th (2020)

NCAA Tournament Bids: 17 (1960, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2021)

NCAA Championships: 0

Final Fours: 2 (1990, 2004)

Conference Titles: 5 (1938 in SEC; 1985, 1990, 1993, 2021 in ACC)

Conference 1st-Place Finishes: 3 (1938 in SEC; 1985, 1996 in ACC)

Head Coach: Damon Stoudamire (51, 2nd season at GT)

As A Player: Arizona (1991-95) + 13 seasons in NBA

Record As Head Coach (Through Dec. 6): 89-99 (.473) in 6+ seasons

Previous HC Experience: Pacific (2016-21)

AC Experience: Memphis Grizzlies/NBA (2009-11), Memphis (2011-13 and 2015-16), Arizona (2013-15), NBA’s Boston Celtics/NBA (2021-23)

Assistant Under: Lionel Hollins, Josh Pastner, Sean Miller, Ime Udoka, Joe Mazzulla

2023-24 Record: 14-18, 7-13 ACC (12th in 15-team ACC)

2024-25 Preseason Prediction (Media): 12th in 18-team ACC

2024-25 Record (Through Dec. 6): 4-4, 0-0 ACC

2024-25 Midseason Ranking (KenPom): #109 nationally (15th in ACC)

Upcoming Schedule: at #20 North Carolina (12/7), vs. Northwestern in Milwaukee (12/15), UMBC (12/18), #9 Duke (12/21), Alabama A&M (12/28), Notre Dame (12/31)

The first year of the Damon Stoudamire era at Georgia Tech had its highs and lows in 2023-24.

The Yellow Jackets had major wins over both Duke and North Carolina, the top two teams in the ACC. But they also had a loss to UMass Lowell. And despite its win over Duke, Tech lost 11 of its next 13 conference games.

The finish wasn’t what they likely envisioned, but Stoudamire and the Jackets learned a lot about themselves in 2023-24. After all, it’s hard not to learn some tough lessons when you play 13 games decided by five or fewer points.

“I learned that we’re capable,” Stoudamire told the ACC Network. “We can play with anybody, but we also show we can lose to anybody, and so the consistency of the program — consistency of the team — has to be there. From my standpoint, that’s the biggest thing: learning from the great coaches that I’ve been around and forming the habits that need to be displayed for us to be more consistent. That’s the only thing I’ve been concentrating on.”

But so far in the 2024-25 season, the Jackets have been far from consistent.

Tech already has suffered two defeats to top-25 opponents: a 23-point loss to #14 Cincinnati and a 15-point loss to #21 Oklahoma. There’s really no shame in losing those games, but the Yellow Jackets got thoroughly handled in both matchups.

Stoudamire’s team also dropped a game to North Florida, in what should have been an easy victory. The Jackets gave up 105 points in that one.

If Georgia Tech is going to find more consistency this season, it will have to lean on its consistent returning starters: Naithan George, Baye Ndongo and Kowacie Reeves. Tech also returns graduate guard Lance Terry, a former Gardner-Webb star who missed all of last season with a calf injury. Terry is currently leading the Jackets in scoring, at 15.1 points per game, while often coming off the bench.

Through the first month of the season, George is leading the ACC with 5.9 assists per game. Ndongo, who was an ACC All-Freshman selection last year, was pinned as a second-team All-ACC pick by the media in their preseason awards. These two sophomores will carry a lot of Tech’s expectations on their shoulders.

“We returned three starters, and that’s big in 2024, obviously, but with (George) and (Ndongo) especially, that jump is different,” Stoudamire said. “Freshman-sophomore year jump is different, and we all went through it. I went through it. And so I’m just trying to challenge them, you’ve got to work on who you are and who you’re going to be as a player, but you also have to get outside yourself because you’ve got way more responsibilities.”

After starting 38 consecutive games, Reeves has missed the last two games with an ankle injury. Javian McCollum, an Oklahoma transfer, is averaging 12.8 points to start the season. However, he also has missed the past three games due to injury. Because of their absences, Stoudamire has had to experiment with four different starting lineups.

Recently, the starting group has featured Terry and Colorado forward transfer Luke O’Brien. The consistent starting center for the Jackets has been true freshman Doryan Onwuchekwa, a three-star recruit.

Consistency is key for Tech — from staying healthy, to individual performance, to rotations. It’s clear that Stoudamire will need to garner a lot more consistency if he’s going to achieve a more successful Year Two.

2024-25 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
(4-4, 0-0 ACC; through Dec. 6)

STARTERS (stats = 2024-25 numbers)

PG Naithan George*, So., (6-3/185) — from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
31 mpg, 11 ppg, 2 rpg, 39% FG, 81% FT, 33% threes, 47/14 ATO, 1 block, 6 steals

G Javian McCollum, Sr., (6-2/175) — 2024 Oklahoma transfer (starter)
28 mpg, 13 ppg, 4 rpg, 48% FG, 87% FT, 41% threes, 17/14 ATO, 1 block, 6 steals

G Kowacie Reeves*, Sr., (6-7/205) — 2023 Florida transfer (part-time starter)
24 mpg, 9 ppg, 3 rpg, 39% FG, 60% FT, 28% threes, 6/3 ATO, 7 blocks, 4 steals

F Baye Ndongo*, So., (6-9/240) — 2024 ACC All-Freshman
26 mpg, 13 ppg, 7 rpg, 53% FG, 67% FT, few threes, 10/14 ATO, 4 blocks, 3 steals

C Doryan Onwuchekwa, Fr., (6-11/240) — Top 150 in Class of 2024
19 mpg, 4 ppg, 6 rpg, 36% FG, 20% FT, 13% threes, 7/4 ATO, 5 blocks, 4 steals

KEY RESERVES (stats = 2024-25 numbers)

G Lance Terry, Ss., (6-3/200) — 2022 Gardner-Webb transfer (starter)
30 mpg, 15 ppg, 3 rpg, 48% FG, 82% FT, 40% threes, 11/9 ATO, 1 block, 11 steals

F Luke O’Brien, Ss., (6-8/225) — 2024 Colorado transfer (starter)
23 mpg, 7 ppg, 5 rpg, 51% FG, 67% FT, 35% threes, 5/6 ATO, 2 blocks, 2 steals

G Jaeden Mustaf, Fr., (6-5/210) — Top 75 in Class of 2024
20 mpg, 10 ppg, 3 rpg, 39% FG, 79% FT, 40% threes, 12/6 ATO, 0 blocks, 4 steals

F Duncan Powell, Sr., (6-8/235) — 2024 Sacramento State transfer (starter)
20 mpg, 7 ppg, 6 rpg, 38% FG, 64% FT, 13% threes, 5/4 ATO, 2 blocks, 3 steals

Departures from 2023-24: WG Amaree Abram (So./transfer/Louisiana Tech), BF Tyzhaun Claude (Sr./transfer/UNC), WG Deebo Coleman (Jr./transfer/UCF), C Ebenezer Dowuona (Sr./transfer/James Madison), BF Tafara Gapare* (So./transfer/Maryland), WG Miles Kelly* (Jr./transfer/Auburn), WG Carter Murphy (Ss.), BF Ibrahima Sacko (Fr./transfer/New Mexico), PG Kyle Sturdivant (Ss.)

* — started at least 50% of Georgia Tech’s games last season

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
10-Year Snapshot

2023-24: 14-18, 7-13 ACC (12th), no postseason (Damon Stoudamire)
2022-23: 15-18, 6-14 ACC (13th), no postseason (Josh Pastner)
2021-22: 12-20, 5-15 ACC (14th), no postseason (Josh Pastner)
2020-21: 17-9, 11-6 ACC* (4th), NCAA Round of 64 (Josh Pastner)
2019-20: 17-14, 11-9 ACC (5th), COVID (Josh Pastner)
2018-19: 14-18, 6-12 ACC (10th), no postseason (Josh Pastner)
2017-18: 13-19, 6-12 ACC (13th), no postseason (Josh Pastner)
2016-17: 21-16, 8-10 ACC (11th), NIT Runner-Up (Josh Pastner)
2015-16: 21-15, 8-10 ACC (11th), NIT Elite Eight (Brian Gregory)
2014-15: 12-19, 3-15 ACC (14th), no postseason (Brian Gregory)

*—conference champion

NOTE: In the coming weeks and months, please visit the North Carolina Sports Network’s 2024-25 profiles and 10-year snapshots for all 19 Division One men’s basketball programs in North Carolina and all 18 Atlantic Coast Conference programs. The items below will become “live links” as new articles are posted.

Appalachian State Mountaineers, Sun Belt Conference

Boston College Eagles, Atlantic Coast Conference

California Bears, Atlantic Coast Conference

Campbell Camels, Coastal Athletic Association

Charlotte 49ers, American Athletic Conference

Clemson Tigers, Atlantic Coast Conference

Davidson Wildcats, Atlantic-10 Conference

Duke Blue Devils, Atlantic Coast Conference

East Carolina Pirates, American Athletic Conference

Elon Phoenix, Coastal Athletic Association

Florida State Seminoles, Atlantic Coast Conference

Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs, Big South Conference

High Point Panthers, Big South Conference