Florida A&M @ Georgia Tech preview

Florida A&M at Georgia Tech

Last Meeting ( Dec 9, 2018 ) Florida A&M 40, Georgia Tech 73

After losing to Florida State in its Atlantic Coast Conference opener, Georgia Tech returns to its nonconference schedule on Friday by hosting Florida A&M, which is coming off its first win.

It's the second of four games in a nine-day stretch for the Yellow Jackets (2-3), who were beaten on the road by the Seminoles 74-61 on Tuesday. Florida A&M (1-4), which has yet to play a home game, finally earned its first victory, 76-70 win at Austin Peay on Tuesday.

"We were able to course-correct after (losing) the first two games," Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner said. "We've gotten better since we started contact practice and I think we'll continue to get better."

Georgia Tech was unable to slow Florida State freshman standout Scottie Barnes, who scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half and had a dunk that halted a 15-0 run by the Yellow Jackets.

"Scottie Barnes, he'll be the next lottery pick coming out of Florida State," Pastner said. "He made some big plays for them."

The bright spot in the loss for Georgia Tech was Michael Devoe, who scored 21 points for his second 20-point effort of the season. Devoe has made 11 of 24 shots from the floor in two games since being held scoreless against Kentucky on Dec. 6.

The Yellow Jackets are led by Moses Wright, who averages a team-high 19.4 points and 8.2 rebounds. Jose Alvarado averages 15.6 points and has made a 3-pointer in 23 straight games, the longest since Adam Smith connected in 24 straight in 2015-16.

This is the final game before the holiday break for Florida A&M, which has played from coast to coast. The Rattlers have lost at Georgia, Oregon and Oklahoma. They had games canceled at South Florida and Nebraska.

"Every day we test negative, can practice and play, it's a blessing," said Florida A&M coach Robert McCullum. "I think our guys are showing a greater sense of appreciation for the opportunity."

Florida A&M's offense finally showed up against Austin Peay. The Rattlers had been averaging just 62.8 points but scored a season-high against the Governors and shot 55.6 percent from the field and 50 percent on 3-pointers, both high marks.

M.J. Randolph was 11-for-15 from the field and scored a career-high 27 points against the Governors. He upped his average to 16 points and 4.8 rebounds. Johnny Brown is averaging 10.2 points and 5.2 rebounds; he scored 11 on Tuesday in his first start.

Georgia Tech is 8-0 against Florida A&M and won the last meeting 73-40 on Dec. 9, 2018.

--Field Level Media