Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball

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See also: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
2020–21 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets logo.svg
UniversityGeorgia Institute of Technology
All-time record1,399–1,251 (.528)
Head coachJosh Pastner (5th season)
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
LocationAtlanta, Georgia
ArenaMcCamish Pavilion
(Capacity: 8,600)
NicknameYellow Jackets
ColorsTech gold and white[1]
   
Uniforms
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Home jersey
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Team colours
Home
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Away jersey
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Team colours
Away
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Alternate jersey
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Team colours
Alternate
NCAA Tournament Runner-up
2004
NCAA Tournament Final Four
1990, 2004
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
1960, 1985, 1990, 2004
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen
1960, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1996, 2004
NCAA Tournament Appearances
1960, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2021
Conference tournament champions
1938, 1985, 1990, 1993, 2021
Conference regular season champions
1938, 1985, 1996

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team represents the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in NCAA Division I basketball. The team plays its home games in McCamish Pavilion on the school's Atlanta campus and is currently coached by Josh Pastner. Cremins led his team to the first ACC tournament victory in school history in 1985 and in 1990 he took Georgia Tech to the school's first Final Four appearance ever.[2] Cremins retired from Georgia Tech in 2000 with the school's best winning percentage as a head coach.[2] The Yellow Jackets returned to the Final Four in 2004 under Paul Hewitt and lost in the national title game, losing to UConn. Overall, the team has won 1,352 games and lost 1,226 games, a .524 win percentage.[3]

History[]

See also: List of Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball seasons

Georgia Tech's first recorded official participation in basketball was in 1906,[4] when a small club organized under Coach Chapman.[5] They won two of the three games they played that season.[5] The next time Tech had a basketball team, it was under the famous coach John Heisman, also Tech's baseball and football coach. Heisman had a winning percentage of .142 that season and improved the team's percentage to .500 in 1912 and 1913.[5]

Since that time, Georgia Tech has forged a solid basketball program on the strength of coaches like John Hyder and Bobby Cremins, and such players as Roger Kaiser, Rich Yunkus, Mark Price, Craig "Noodles" Neal, John Salley, Tom Hammonds, and Matt Harpring. Georgia Tech became a charter member of the Southeastern Conference in 1932 (the first season was in 1933) and won the conference title in 1938. Coach Hyder, whose teams won 292 games in 22 seasons, put the program on the national map when his 1955 team defeated Adolph Rupp's Kentucky team, ending the Wildcats' 129-game winning streak at home.

John Hyder[]

John Hyder

The Yellow Jackets played their first NCAA tournament game in 1960. Coached by Hyder and led by all-American Kaiser, the team defeated Ohio University before losing in the second round to the eventual champion, Ohio State. Hyder continued to have strong teams in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1964, Georgia Tech's final season in the Southeastern Conference, the team went undefeated at home and was the conference runner-up. In 1971 the Yellow Jackets, led by Yunkus, reached the finals of the National Invitation Tournament but lost to the University of North Carolina.

Georgia Tech became a charter member of the Metro Conference in 1975 (the first season started in 1976), and then became the eighth member of the ACC in 1978 (starting play in 1979). As of the 2020-2021 season, the Yellow Jackets have won four ACC Tournament championships and been the ACC's top seed twice. Through 2021, Georgia Tech has received 17 berths in the NCAA tournament, and seven of its teams have made it to the Sweet Sixteen.

Bobby Cremins[]

The 1985 team, led by head coach Bobby Cremins and players Mark Price, Duane Ferrell, Yvon Joseph, Craig Neal, Bruce Dalrymple, and John Salley, won the school's first ACC championship and advanced to the final eight in the NCAA tournament. In the 1990 tournament, the trio of Kenny Anderson, Dennis Scott, & Brian Oliver (nicknamed "Lethal Weapon 3") carried the Yellow Jackets all the way to the Final Four, where they lost to eventual champion UNLV in the national semi-finals. In 1992, Cremins led an inexperienced Tech team to the Sweet 16, thanks in no small part to James Forrest's buzzer-beating game-winning 3-pointer in the second round against USC. The following year, the Yellow Jackets won the ACC Tournament.

Georgia Tech's nine consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament from the mid-1980s and the early 1990s accounted for the nation's fourth-longest active streak before it ended in 1994. In 1996, the team finished first in the ACC's regular season and returned to the tournament behind future NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury. Cremins's 19-year tenure (1981–2000) stands as the team's most successful era. Cremins is Georgia Tech's all-time winningest coach and is third among all ACC coaches. Upon his retirement after the 1999–2000 season, his teams had won 354 games and lost 237 for a .599 winning percentage (Cremins would later come out of retirement to coach at the College of Charleston). The floor at Alexander Memorial Coliseum is named "Cremins Court" in his honor.

Paul Hewitt[]

In 2000, head coach Paul Hewitt was hired away from Siena College and immediately helped to revitalize the Yellow Jacket program. In his first season, Georgia Tech beat UCLA, Kentucky and five ACC rivals that were ranked en route to an NCAA tournament appearance. Georgia Tech experienced a Cinderella season in 2003–2004: winning the Preseason NIT, ending Duke's 41-game winning streak at Cameron Indoor Stadium, making it to the school's second Final Four and first national championship game, in which they lost by nine points to UConn. Notable players sent to the NBA under Hewitt include Chris Bosh, Jarrett Jack, Mario West, Luke Schenscher, Thaddeus Young, Will Bynum[6] and Anthony Morrow. In back-to-back years (2008 & 2009), Hewitt also successfully recruited national top-10 high school prospects in Iman Shumpert and Derrick Favors.

During the 2009–2010 season, the Yellow Jackets played for the ACC tournament championship game as well as earning Hewitt's fifth NCAA tournament appearance at Tech. They advanced to the round of 32, losing to The Ohio State University. Georgia Tech then finished the 2010–11 season 13–18. On March 12, 2011, Paul Hewitt was dismissed as the head coach of the Georgia Tech after 11 seasons.[7] Brian Gregory was appointed as his successor, Georgia Tech's 13th men's basketball coach, on March 28, 2011.[8]

Brian Gregory[]

Brian Gregory, who led Dayton to 97 victories over his last four seasons there and worked under Tom Izzo at Michigan State when the Spartans won the 2000 NCAA Championship, was named Georgia Tech's head men's basketball coach on March 28, 2011. In their first season with Gregory at the helm, Georgia Tech finished 11–20 and 11th in the ACC while playing without a true home court while McCamish Pavilion was under construction. Gregory only had two seasons with overall winning records and no seasons of winning records in ACC play. On March 25, 2016, after five disappointing seasons and no trips to the NCAA Tournament, Georgia Tech fired Brian Gregory.[9] He was 76–86 overall and 27–61 in ACC play.[9]

Josh Pastner[]

Josh Pastner was hired by the school on April 8, 2016.[10][11] Pastner's deal is worth $11 million over six years.[10] Pastner was 167–73 with four NCAA tournament bids in seven years as the head coach of Memphis.

Pastner would ultimately lead the team to their first ACC title since 1993, as well as their first NCAA tournament berth since 2010, as the Yellow Jackets defeated Florida State to win the 2021 ACC Championship.[12]

Postseason[]

NCAA tournament results[]

The Yellow Jackets have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 17 times. Their combined record is 23–17.

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1960 Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 Ohio
Ohio State		 W 57–54
L 69–86
1985 #2 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 #15 Mercer
#7 Syracuse
#3 Illinois
#1 Georgetown		 W 65–58
W 70–53
W 61–53
L 54–60
1986 #2 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #15 Marist
#10 Villanova
#11 LSU		 W 68–53
W 66–61
L 64–70
1987 #7 First Round #10 LSU L 79–85
1988 #5 First Round
Second Round		 #12 Iowa State
#13 Richmond		 W 90–78
L 55–59
1989 #6 First Round #11 Texas L 70–76
1990 #4 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four		 #13 East Tennessee State
#5 LSU
#1 Michigan State
#6 Minnesota
#1 UNLV		 W 99–83
W 94–91
W 81–80OT
W 93–91
L 81–90
1991 #8 First Round
Second Round		 #9 DePaul
#1 Ohio State		 W 87–70
L 61–65
1992 #7 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #10 Houston
#2 USC
#6 Memphis		 W 65–60
W 79–78
L 79–83
1993 #4 First Round #13 Southern L 78–93
1996 #3 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #14 Austin Peay
#11 Boston College
#2 Cincinnati		 W 90–79
W 103–89
L 70–87
2001 #8 First Round #9 Saint Joseph's L 62–66
2004 #3 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship		 #14 Northern Iowa
#6 Boston College
#10 Nevada
#4 Kansas
#2 Oklahoma State
#2 Connecticut		 W 65–60
W 57–54
W 72–67
W 79–71
W 67–65
L 73–82
2005 #5 First Round
Second Round		 #12 George Washington
#4 Louisville		 W 80–68
L 54–76
2007 #10 First Round #7 UNLV L 63–67
2010 #10 First Round
Second Round		 #7 Oklahoma State
#2 Ohio State		 W 64–59
L 66–75
2021 #9 First Round #8 Loyola–Chicago L 60–71

NIT results[]

The Yellow Jackets have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) nine times. Their combined record is 13–9.

Year Round Opponent Result
1970 First Round
Quarterfinals		 Duquesne
St. John's		 W 78–68
L 55–56
1971 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals		 La Salle
Michigan
St. Bonaventure
North Carolina		 W 70–67
W 78–70
W 76–71
L 66–84
1984 First Round Virginia Tech L 74–77
1994 First Round Siena L 68–76
1998 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		 Seton Hall
Georgetown
Penn State		 W 88–70
W 80–79
L 70–77
1999 First Round Oregon L 64–67
2003 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		 Ohio State
Iowa
Texas Tech		 W 72–58
W 79–78
L 72–80
2016 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		 Houston
South Carolina
San Diego State		 W 81–62
W 83–66
L 56–72
2017 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship		 Indiana
Belmont
Ole Miss
Cal State Bakersfield
TCU		 W 75–63
W 71–57
W 74–66
W 76–61
L 56–88

Coaches[]

Since the beginning of the Georgia Tech basketball program, it has had 14 head coaches. John Heisman and William Alexander were also head coaches for Georgia Tech's football and baseball teams.

Coach Years Active No. of Seasons Wins Losses Win Percentage NCAAT App. NCAAT Wins NCAAT Losses
Chapman 1905-06 1 2 1 .667
John Heisman 1908-09, 1912–14 3 9 14 .391
William Alexander 1919-20, 1921–24 4 36 38 .486
Joe Bean 1920-21 1 4 10 .286
1924-26 2 10 23 .303
Roy Mundorff 1926-43 17 162 134 .547 0 0 0
Dwight Keith 1943-46 3 35 21 .625 0 0 0
Roy McArthur 1946-51 6 57 72 .442 0 0 0
Whack Hyder 1951-73 22 292 271 .519 1 0 1
Dwane Morrison 1973-81 8 91 122 .427 0 0 0
Bobby Cremins 1981-00 19 354 237 .599 10 15 10
Paul Hewitt 2000-11 11 190 162 .540 5 7 5
Brian Gregory 2011-16 5 76 86 .469 0 0 0
Josh Pastner 2016–present 5 82 75 .522 1 0 1

Players[]

See also: List of Georgia Institute of Technology athletes § Basketball

Many famous and talented players have played with the Yellow Jackets. Dennis Scott was the 1990 National Player of the Year and the 1990 ACC Player of the Year,[13] Jarrett Jack was the 2005 Basketball Times All-South player.[13]

A notable fictitious player for the Yellow Jackets is eternal Tech student George P. Burdell, who is officially listed in team media guides as having earned three letters (1956–58).[14]

Retired numbers[]

Roger Kaiser, one of the players to have his number retired by the University
No. Player Pos. Tenure
15
 Matt Harpring SF 1994–98
20
 Tom Hammonds PF 1985–89
21
 Roger Kaiser G 1958–61
22
 John Salley PF 1982–86
25
 Mark Price PG 1982–86
40
 Rich Yunkus PF 1968–71

All-time leaders[]

See also: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball statistical leaders

Points[]

Rank Player[15] Years Points
1. Rich Yunkus 1968–71 2,232
2. Matt Harpring 1994–98 2,225
3. Mark Price 1982–86 2,193
4. Dennis Scott 1987–90 2,115
5. Tom Hammonds 1985–89 2,081
6. Travis Best 1991–95 2,057
7. James Forrest 1991–95 1,978
8. Brian Oliver 1986–90 1,848
9. Duane Ferrell 1984–88 1,818
10. Malcolm Mackey 1989–93 1,736
11. Marcus Georges-Hunt 2012–16 1,728
12. 1998–02 1,658
13. Roger Kaiser 1958–61 1,628
14. B. J. Elder 2001–05 1,616
15. Bruce Dalrymple 1983–87 1,588
16. John Salley 1982–86 1,587
17. Kenny Anderson 1989–91 1,497
18. 1973-77 1,459
19. Jose Alvarado 2017-21 1,429
20. 1976-80 1,411

Rebounds[]

Rank Player[16] Years Rebounds
1. Malcolm Mackey 1989–93 1,205
2. Alvin Jones 1997–01 1,075
3. Matt Harpring 1994–98 997
4. Jim Caldwell 1962–65 993
5. Rich Yunkus 1968–71 955
6. Tom Hammonds 1985–89 885
7. James Forrest 1991–95 846
8. Daniel Miller 2010–14 821
9. John Salley 1982–86 798
10. Ben Lammers 2014–18 774
11. Ed Elisma 1993–97 762
12. Bruce Dalrymple 1983–87 744
13. 1973–77 740
14. Gani Lawal 2007–10 712
15. 2004–08 708
16. 1976–80 704
17. 1994–98 687
18. Duane Ferrell 1984–88 680
19. Ivano Newbill 1990–94 654
20. Luke Schenscher 2001–05 640

Assists[]

Rank Player[16] Years Assists
1. Drew Barry 1992–96 724
2. Travis Best 1991–95 692
3. Craig Neal 1983–88 659
4. 1998–02 560
5. Jarrett Jack 2002–05 543
6. Brian Oliver 1986–90 538
7. Mark Price 1982–86 510
8. Kenny Anderson 1989–91 454
9. Bruce Dalrymple 1983–87 446
10. 1968–71 410

Steals[]

Rank Player[16] Years Steals
1. Mark Price 1982–86 240
2. Bruce Dalrymple 1983–87 227
3. Jose Alvarado 2017-21 226
4. Travis Best 1991-95 217
5. Iman Shumpert 2008-11 207
6. Drew Berry 1992-96 193
7. Jarrett Jack 2002-05 183
8. 1995-98 176
9. 1998-01 173
10. Kenny Anderson 1989-91 168

Blocks[]

Rank Player[16] Years Blocks
1. Alvin Jones 1997–01 425
2. Daniel Miller 2010–14 286
3. Ben Lammers 2014–18 254
4. John Salley 1982–86 243
5. Malcolm Mackey 1989–93 199
6. Ed Elisma 1993–97 174
7. Luke Schenscher 2001–05 157
8. Gani Lawal 2007–10 127
9. Moses Wright 2017-21 108
10. Alade Aminu 2005-09 105

Arena[]

Main article: Hank McCamish Pavilion
Hank McCamish Pavilion (formerly known as Alexander Memorial Coliseum) has been home to the Yellow Jackets since 1956.

The Hank McCamish Pavilion, rebuilt and renamed from Alexander Memorial Coliseum (also nicknamed "The Thrillerdome") in 2012, is an indoor arena located on Tech's Midtown Atlanta campus. It is the home of the Georgia Tech basketball teams and hosted the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association from 1968–1972 and again from 1997–1999. Tech's women's volleyball team occasionally uses the facility as well, primarily for NCAA tournament games and other matches that draw crowds that would overflow the O'Keefe Gymnasium. During the 2011–12 season, the Yellow Jackets split their home schedule between Philips Arena and the Arena at Gwinnett Center in suburban Duluth while McCamish Pavilion was under reconstruction.

References[]

  1. ^ "Georgia Tech Athletics – Athletics Brand Guidelines". Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Bobby Cremins Retires as Tech Basketball Coach" (Press release). Georgia Institute of Technology. February 18, 2000. Archived from the original on June 12, 2007. Retrieved May 19, 2007.
  3. ^ "Georgia Tech". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  4. ^ "Georgia Tech Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). Georgia Tech Athletic Association. Retrieved May 19, 2007.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c Edwards, Pat (February 6, 1998). "Ramblins – Tech has tradition of basketball excellence". The Technique. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved May 20, 2007.
  6. ^ "NBA Players - NBA.com". nba.com.
  7. ^ "Georgia Tech fires coach Hewitt in 11th season". ESPN.com. March 12, 2011.
  8. ^ Doug Roberson at the Atlanta Journal Constitution "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b "Georgia Tech parts with Gregory as head coach". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b "Pastner: Ga. Tech rebound won't happen overnight". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  11. ^ "Georgia Tech hiring Josh Pastner really might make sense, if he grows up". Sporting News. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  12. ^ Sugiura, Ken (March 13, 2021). "Georgia Tech upsets Florida State for ACC championship". AJC.com. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b "Georgia Tech Basketball History" (PDF). Georgia Tech Athletic Association. Retrieved May 19, 2007.
  14. ^ "Tech Letterwinners" (PDF). 2017–18 Georgia Tech Men's Basketball Information Guide. Georgia Tech Sports Information. p. 92. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  15. ^ "Georgia Tech Basketball 2019–20 Information Guide" (PDF). Georgia Institute of Technology. 2019. p. 58. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Georgia Tech Basketball 2019–20 Information Guide. Georgia Institute of Technology. 2019. p. 59.

External links[]

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