NC State in must-win mode vs. resurgent Georgia Tech

Field Level Media|published: Fri 28th February, 16:52 2025

Feb 19, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Marcus Hill (10) with the ball in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Just a year removed from an unexpected run to the Final Four, visiting NC State is in desperate need of a win over Georgia Tech at Atlanta on Saturday just to qualify for this year's ACC tournament.

NC State (11-17, 4-13 ACC) enters the weekend tied with Boston College for 16th in the league standings with three regular-season games remaining. Only the top 15 teams are invited to the conference tourney.

The Wolfpack have dropped 11 of their past 13 games, most recently falling 74-60 at Syracuse on Wednesday in a game they never led. Desperate for a victory, NC State shot just 34.4 percent from the field and lost its ninth road game in nine tries.

"It was just one of those nights where we could not make a shot," NC State head coach Kevin Keatts said. "We got off to a really terrible start because our shots weren't falling. But at the end of the day, it comes down to toughness. I thought Syracuse was completely tougher than us."

The Wolfpack's average of 69.8 points per game is the program's lowest since their 66.6 points in 2009-10. Marcus Hill leads the team with 11.9 points per game, followed by Jayden Taylor (11.4) and Dontrez Styles (10.8).

Firmly in the mix for a first-round bye in the upcoming ACC tournament, Georgia Tech (14-14, 8-9) has turned its season around after posting a 5-2 record in February. The Yellow Jackets all but burst Pittsburgh's bubble on Tuesday, earning a 73-67 road win over the Panthers.

"That was about as good of a win as I've had since I've been at Georgia Tech," head coach Damon Stoudamire said. "This team has allowed me to coach them really hard. We've come a long way this season and we're not done yet."

In an injury-riddled year, Lance Terry paces the Yellow Jackets with 14.8 points, while Naithan George adds 13.0 and Baye Ndongo chips in 12.8 with 8.8 rebounds. Javian McCollum (12.2 points) hasn't played since Feb. 4 after a head injury at Clemson.

Georgia Tech will look to snap a four-game losing streak against NC State and post its first victory in the series since January 2020.

--Field Level Media

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