2009 Scouting Report / 2009 Game Plan / 2010 Scouting Report / 2010 Game Plan
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Last season's Georgia Tech offense was a disaster in every respect.  They were competitive defensively, finishing league play sixth in defensive efficiency, but their futility at the offensive end doomed them to a 2-14 record.  The 91.7 points they averaged per 100 possessions was impressively awful, the worst ACC offense I've seen since I started tracking these stats back in 2005.

So there was no where for this year's team to go but up, and up they've gone, though they remain deeply flawed.  They could stand to take better care of the ball and make a few more twos, but at this rate they're doing enough things right to get themselves back into the NCAA tournament conversation. 

The key so far, aside from the improved offensive rebounding, has been their added diversity.  They still don't like to take a lot of threes, but at least when they do they have more options at their disposal.  Guarding this Yellow Jackets team isn't quite the straightforward task it was a year ago.  Mfon Udofia, Brian Oliver, and even Iman Shumpert have been reliable from outside in conference play, and there are several other guys who've proven effective if infrequent contributors from beyond the arc.

If NC State hopes to reclaim some lost momentum on Saturday, it has got to start turning opponents over again.  They also need to avoid a flat effort on the glass, lest the Jackets pound away and use second opportunities to turn the game into a laugher.  That's effort, something Lowe's teams have lacked on the road far too often.

Starters:

Iman Shumpert (6-5, 209) -- It's amazing to me that this guy was a McDonald's All-American.  I see it, I guess--I'm sure his size did him all sorts of favors in high school--but come on, we aren't selling jeans here.  His lack of shooting touch and propensity for turnovers made him a symbol of Tech's offensive struggles last year.  He's still turning it over in bunches, he still can't make twos, and he's taking a bigger chunk of the shots this season.

Mfon Udofia (6-2, 187) -- His outside shooting seems to be coming around after a slow start, but he's made just six of 25 two-point attempts in conference play while turning the ball over at a 31.1 percent clip.

D'Andre Bell (6-6, 222) -- Generally a light contributor at the offensive end, he makes a solid percentage of his twos and will step outside for the occasional three.

Gani Lawal (6-9, 234) -- Lawal is as steady as they come, and although he remains the focal point, this offense spreads the ball around such that they don't often need him to carry them.  His eFG% the last three seasons: 56.9, 55.5, 55.6.  Offensive rebounding percentages over the last three years: 11.1, 13.0, 13.1.

Derrick Favors (6-10, 246) -- It isn't necessarily the case that Favors couldn't have the impact that a DeMarcus Cousins has had, but rather that Favors simply hasn't been afforded the same opportunities.  Favors, to his credit, is not a selfish black hole and remains deferential to his more experienced front court mates.  He's made 59% of his twos but takes a modest 20.5% of the shots.  He is an outstanding shot blocker and offensive rebounder, though his effectiveness is hurt by turnovers and a low free throw percentage.

Bench:

Zach Peacock (6-8, 235), Brian Oliver (6-6, 220), Glen Rice (6-5, 195), Maurice Miller (6-2, 189).  Oliver is a three-point specialist, and with an average of 11.8 3FGA/40, he is not shy.  Nor should he be considering he's made 40% of his threes.  At 6-6, he's a tough guy to try to limit.  Peacock is bouncing back nicely from a tough 2009, though his interior scoring has cooled in conference play.  He'll hit a three if left alone and should be a major factor off the bench.

Miller is a decent but spotty contributor, while Miller has for whatever reason never been the same since a good freshman debut two seasons ago.

Tech's FT% defense is holding up in ACC play but they've been unable to keep conference foes off the glass or turn them over.  If the Wolfpack are committed to playing hard, which may be a dubious proposition after their recent slide, they can create opportunities for themselves.  I worry about their state of mind, though.

Pomeroy Predictor likes GT by 10.