Texas Rio Grande Valley @ Georgia Tech preview

The impact of losing guards Josh Okogie and Tadric Jackson to suspension for receiving benefits violating NCAA rules has been apparent for Georgia Tech, but the Yellow Jackets nonetheless enter Wednesday’s home game against Texas Rio Grande Valley at 1-1 on the season. Georgia Tech survived against Bethune-Cookman on Sunday in a 65-62 victory, but the Yellow Jackets are just 5-of-26 from 3-point range through two games.

Jackson’s suspension ends after Wednesday’s game, while Okogie will miss the next four contests - and the duo combined to average 28.2 points and shoot 34.7 percent from 3-point range a season ago. “Until we get Tadric or Josh back … it’s just going to be a grind for us,” Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner told reporters after Sunday’s game. The Yellow Jackets still have center Ben Lammers on the court as the senior recorded 19 points with 13 rebounds and eight blocked shots in Sunday's victory. The Vaqueros beat Bethune-Cookman by 18 points earlier in the season and have won three of their past four, downing North Texas 75-63 on Monday.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network Extra

ABOUT TEXAS RIO GRANDE VALLEY (3-2): Nick Dixon registered 27 points in Monday’s victory and leads the Vaqueros in scoring at 23.4 points per game. Texas Rio Grande Valley rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit and held North Texas to 31.7 percent shooting from the field, getting 13 points from Lesley Varner Jr. The Vaqueros play seven of their first 10 games away from home, but return four starters from last year.

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (1-1): Freshman guard Jose Alvarado gave the Yellow Jackets a boost in the backcourt Sunday, scoring 18 points with six rebounds and five assists, and finishing 8-of-10 from the free-throw line. Lammers has been outstanding through two games, averaging 21.5 points on 63.3 percent shooting from the field and 11.5 rebounds. Guard Brandon Alston, a Lehigh transfer, has scored in double figures in both games and is 13-of-15 from the free-throw line.

TIP-INS

1. Alvarado played 39 minutes Sunday and Alston played 36 minutes, combining for seven assists and four turnovers.

2. Lammers has nine blocks on the season, and is 14 away from passing Malcolm Mackey for fourth place on the school's all-time list.

3. The Vaqueros are averaging 82.6 points per game through five games, but have not reached that mark in their past three contests.

PREDICTION: Georgia Tech 68, Texas Rio Grande Valley 66