The San Diego State Aztecs (27-9) take on the No.4-seeded Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (21-14) in the third round of the NIT tournament at Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl. The game gets underway at 9:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Mar. 23.
The Aztecs were victorious over Washington 93-78 in the 2. Winston Shepard played a key role, recording 20 points and 10 rebounds to notch his sixth double-double this season. The Yellow Jackets, meanwhile, are coming off an 83-66 win over South Carolina in the 2. Marcus Georges-Hunt stood out, posting 14 points, eight assists, and two rebounds.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the nation’s best defenses. San Diego State ranks second in the nation in defensive efficiency (91.5), while Georgia Tech is 28th (105.5). Furthermore, the defense of the Yellow Jackets should have an advantage in terms of eFG%. They’re 24th in the nation in forcing misses (opponents’ eFG% of 49.0%), while the offense of the Aztecs ranks 272nd in eFG% (47.8%).
Notes
The San Diego State Aztecs have the best defense in the country, giving up just 91.5 points per 100 possessions. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets rank 63rd in offense, scoring 111.2 points in the same number of possessions.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets average a field goal percentage of 44.9% this season. The San Diego State Aztecs have a winning 2-1 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 44.9% or greater.
The San Diego State Aztecs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. San Diego State is 272nd and 254th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Georgia Tech ranks 190th and 130th in these categories.
Georgia Tech ranks 78th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.23. San Diego State is ranked lower at 296th with an A/TO of .86.
San Diego State ranks 51st in rebounds per game with 39.0 and Georgia Tech ranks 50th with 39.0 rebounds per game.
When it comes to offensive rebounds, Georgia Tech ranks 24th. San Diego State ranks 49th in defensive rebounds.
San Diego State is one of the best in the country in forcing turnovers, with opponents averaging a TO% of 18.6% (ranked 17th). Georgia Tech is an even 7-7 SU when it has a TO% of 18.6% or greater.
