In the midst of its longest nonconference losing streak in eight years, Georgia Tech looks to bounce back against Monmouth on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.
Georgia Tech (5-4) has dropped three in a row to DePaul, Drake and Mississippi State, marking the first time the Yellow Jackets have fallen to three straight non-ACC opponents since losing to Grambling, Tennessee and Wofford in December 2017.
The Yellow Jackets’ 71.7 points per game are tied for second-fewest in the ACC, while they also rank in the league’s bottom three in field goal percentage (41.9%), 3-point percentage (29.7%) and free throw percentage (61.7%).
For third-year head coach Damon Stoudamire, the bigger priority is finding his team’s leader.
“I need to see five guys fight,” Stoudamire said. “Probably the biggest thing for me at this moment is stability within the team. We don’t have a stabilizer on the floor. Sometimes we need organization and I’m fine with doing all that from the sideline, but it just makes it a little easier when you have somebody that can take command on the floor.”
Georgia Tech’s struggling offense is led by a pair of players in their third year in the program, as Kowacie Reeves Jr. averages 13.8 points per game, while Baye Ndongo adds 11.8. Freshman big man Mouhamed Sylla has impressed to begin his collegiate career, posting 11.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per contest.
Monmouth (5-4) prepares for its final power conference opponent of the regular season after November losses at Seton Hall and Syracuse. The Hawks have won four of their last five games. Most recently, coach King Rice’s group forced 19 turnovers in a 63-58 win over Princeton on Wednesday.
For the defensive-minded team, senior guard Jack Collins leads the Coastal Athletic Association with 2.1 steals per game. Collins, who could have jumped ship for a major conference team, will go down as a rare four-year player at one school.
“I love everything about Jersey. I love everything about Monmouth,” Collins said. “I didn’t feel like I needed to leave or even really had the inkling to leave. (Rice) really trusts me and he’s trusted me for four years, so I don’t think it would have been fair to him.”
Collins averages 7.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. Monmouth is paced by Jason Rivera-Torres’ 15.0 points and 8.1 boards per outing.
