Georgia Tech @ Notre Dame preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 22, 2019 ) Notre Dame 61, Georgia Tech 63

Two teams struggling near the bottom of the ACC standings meet Sunday when Georgia Tech travels to Notre Dame, and both teams hope it marks a jumping-off point for a late-season surge. Wins have been difficult to come by for both squads, as the Fighting Irish have dropped six of their past seven games while the Yellow Jackets have lost four straight games since knocking off Notre Dame in Atlanta on Jan. 22, 63-61.

That victory is the last time the Yellow Jackets truly were at full strength, as sophomore guard Jose Alvarado continues to battle nagging injuries while going 1-for-20 from the field in the past two games, losses to Florida State and Clemson. “I (stink) right now,” Alvarado, Georgia Tech’s leading scorer, told reporters after scoring three points in Wednesday’s 65-42 home defeat to Clemson. “I don’t know what’s in my head, but I’ve got to start playing like the Jose that came to Georgia Tech.” Things aren’t much better for the Fighting Irish, who shot a season-worst 32 percent from the field while going 4-for-28 from 3-point range in a 62-47 loss Wednesday at Miami. “Miami’s defense really bothered us,” Notre Dame coach Mike Brey told the media after the Fighting Irish finished with a season-low point output. “We just couldn’t score.”

TV: 6 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (11-12, 3-7 ACC): Alvarado averages 12 points per game but is shooting just 38.5 percent from the field. Junior forward James Banks III led the Yellow Jackets with 13 points, eight rebounds and seven blocked shots (one off the school record) against Clemson, and in conference play averages team highs in points (12.3 per game) and rebounds (5.8 per contest). The Yellow Jackets are third in the conference and 13th in the country in field-goal percentage defense (39.2 percent).

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (12-11, 2-8): The Fighting Irish’s offensive struggles have been a season-long challenge, as they rank 14th in the ACC and 327th nationally in field-goal percentage (40.5 percent). Junior forward John Mooney leads the conference in rebounds and is the only ACC player to average a double-double (14.3 points, 10.7 rebounds per game), a big jump from his 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game averages from a season ago. Freshman Prentiss Hubb is 11th in the league in assists at 3.6 per contest.

TIP-INS

1. The Yellow Jackets play three of their next six games after Sunday against ranked teams: at No. 10 Virginia Tech on Tuesday, vs. No. 24 Florida State on Feb. 16 and at No. 3 Virginia on Feb. 27.

2. Notre Dame’s schedule is even tougher, with four of their next five foes ranked in the top 25: at Virginia on Feb. 16, vs. Virginia Tech on Feb. 23, at Florida State on Feb. 25 and at No. 17 Louisville on March 3.

3. The last 11 matchups in the series have been decided by an average of 4.6 points, and all 11 games have been decided by nine points or fewer.

PREDICTION: Notre Dame 59, Georgia Tech 56