North Texas @ Georgia Tech preview

Georgia Tech will try to win its third game in a row Friday despite suspensions and off-the-court headlines. Suspended senior guard Tadric Jackson will be eligible when the Yellow Jackets host North Texas, but two other players are still sidelined.

Sophomore guard Justin Moore missed Wednesday's win against Texas-Rio Grand Valley in the first of a two-game suspension while returning leading scorer Josh Okogie (16.1 points per game) is halfway through his six-game suspension. All the suspensions were for violation of NCAA rules, and a different violation led to the suspension of assistant coach Darryl LaBarrie on Wednesday. "(I told our team) rarely do you navigate those waters (of a season) without storms or rocky waves, and we're just in a little bit of a storm right now," coach Josh Pastner told the media Wednesday. "But as I told our guys, there is no excuse. We've got to find a way to get it done and stay focused on the task at hand." The Mean Green have four players averaging double figures after Wednesday's win against Division II Rogers State.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, ACC Network

ABOUT NORTH TEXAS (3-2): Sophomore guard Roosevelt Smart leads the Mean Green with 17.0 points after a career-high 26 points on Wednesday. Sophomore guard A.J. Lawson adds 10.8 points and a team-best 6.8 rebounds and sophomore point guard Ryan Woolridge averages 16.4 points and 3.6 assists. Senior forward Shane Temara is shooting 64.9 percent from the floor for 11.4 points and 6.4 rebounds.

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (2-1): Senior center Ben Lammers has done a little bit of everything for the Yellow Jackets, leading the team with 19.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 12 blocks and six steals. Junior guard Brandon Alston, who transferred after graduating from Lehigh, recorded a career-high 20 points Wednesday to boost his average to 14.7 points while freshman Jose Alvarado is averaging 12.7 points and a team-high 4.7 assists. Freshmen Curtis Haywood III (5.3 points, 2.7 assists), Evan Cole (5.0 points) and Moses Wright (3.0 points) are getting extra playing time to fill in for the suspended Yellow Jackets.

TIP-INS

1. Georgia Tech's missing guards might help the Yellow Jackets' 3-point shooting, which is at 26.3 percent through three games.

2. Smart has three 20-point games this year -- all at home.

3. Jackson averaged 12.1 points last year while Moore added 4.4 points for Georgia Tech.

PREDICTION: Georgia Tech 75, North Texas 68