Georgia Tech’s upset bid against North Carolina Tuesday night at McCamish Pavilion will depend on many things. Asked to rank where protecting against the Tar Heels ransacking the offensive glass ranked, coach Josh Pastner looked up, literally.
“If you can look up to the stars,” Pastner said. “Mars. They’re one of the best at it.”
There is no shortage of ways that Tech doesn’t match up well with the No. 9 Tar Heels, starting with team members who were four- and five-star recruits coming out of high school. North Carolina edges Tech 6-1. (Tech guard Michael Devoe is the sole Yellow Jackets who merited such evaluation, by 247 Sports composite.)
North Carolina also isn’t in the bottom 10 percentile of Division I in 3-point shooting percentage, as the Jackets are at 30.9 percent. (The Tar Heels are 56th at 37.3 percent.)
But the Tar Heels’ ability to extend possessions by grabbing offensive rebounds and also the Jackets’ struggles in preventing teams from doing so is problematic. North Carolina ranks 21st nationally in offensive-rebounding percentage, claiming 35.5 percent of all available rebounds. Tech ranks 259th in defensive-rebounding percentage at 30.3 percent.
“They’re one of the best ever to do it, in offensive rebounding,” Pastner said. “It’s every game, it’s who they are. So we’re going to have to be incredible.”
The Jackets were something less than incredible against Notre Dame last Tuesday. The Irish won 20 offensive rebounds, which tied for the most they had recorded in a regulation game going back at least to the 2010-11 season and the most that Tech had allowed to an opponent in the same span (sports-reference.com). Notre Dame turned them into 18 points, 30 percent of its production, but Tech managed to win 63-61.
Part of the challenge would seem built in to how the Jackets defend, often using a 1-3-1 zone defense. First, as in any zone defense, defenders don’t have an opponent they are guarding that they can quickly identify and box out, as they would in a man-to-man defense. Second, the alignment of the zone sometimes leaves only one player under the basket.
In Saturday’s 66-53 loss at Duke, the Jackets gave up an offensive rebound when center James Banks was the sole Jacket by the basket as a 3-pointer was lofted over the 1-3-1 zone. Flanked by forwards Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett, Banks boxed out Williamson, leaving Barrett free to rush the rim, leading to Banks fouling him on the putback try.
Also, Banks will often go to the corner to challenge a 3-point shot, opening up opportunities for Tech’s opponent to rebound a miss.
“It’s hard, because a lot of teams are trying to get me in the corner, so that’s a way they’ll try to attack the defense,” Banks said.
For all of the success that Tech has had in preventing opponents from scoring – the Jackets rank 13th nationally in defensive efficiency – rebounding may just be a weakness of the Jackets’ defensive tactics. Tech’s defensive-rebounding percentages were similar in Pastner’s first two seasons – 30.8 percent in 2016-17 and 30.6 percent in 2017-18.
That said, Tech can stand to rebound better. Twice, Blue Devils guard (and Milton High grad) Alex O’Connell snuck in from the perimeter to snag offensive rebounds in 15 minutes of play in the second half.
It was a bit of an uptick in production for O’Connell, who had six offensive rebounds in 238 minutes of play this season going into the game. Part of it was due to the zone, but perhaps part was Tech players getting caught watching the ball and not getting a body on O’Connell.
Pastner acknowledged that part of the problem is awareness. Tuesday, North Carolina will send players to the offensive glass far more capable than O’Connell of plucking rebounds. The Tar Heels’ excellence in that area is a product both of strategy and talent.
“It’s just a mindset for them,” Pastner said. “They’ll send three to four (players) to the rim.”
Tech might gain relief from the fact that its poorest defensive-rebounding games this season haven’t been costly. Tech’s four worst games by defensive-rebounding percentage were all wins for the Jackets. Arguably the biggest win of Pastner’s tenure, his win over the same Tar Heels on New Year’s Eve in 2016, North Carolina plundered the glass for 19 offensive rebounds.
Note: Despite the forecasts for inclement weather, Tuesday's game will be played as scheduled. Tech will monitor conditions and, if changes are made, they will be announced through the athletics website and its social-media outlets.
About the Author
