March 4, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Damon Stoudamire during the first half of their game against the California Golden Bears at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images Visiting Clemson and Georgia Tech are limping into their Atlantic Coast Conference meetings on Saturday.
As for the Yellow Jackets, that’s putting it kindly: they’re limping their way into Saturday’s regular-season finale.
After four straight seasons of playing at least 21 games under Brad Brownell, the Tigers (21-9, 11-6) have hit an unusual speed bump, losing five of their last six games.
The wreckage at Georgia Tech is much worse. The Yellow Jackets (11-19, 2-15) have lost their 11th straight game, their longest losing streak since the 1980-81 season.
This will be Georgia Tech’s final game, as they are guaranteed a bottom-three finish in the conference and only 15 of the league’s 18 teams qualify for the ACC Tournament.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this before,” coach Damon Stoudamire said after Wednesday’s 76-65 loss at home to Cal. “Now I understand. This is what it really looks like. This is the floor.”
The Yellow Jackets looked primed for a win on Senior Night, taking a 20-8 lead behind Kowacie Reeves Jr. (19 points). But that was before familiar problems surfaced again as they finished with 17 turnovers.
Georgia Tech last won on Jan. 17 at North Carolina State. The Yellow Jackets commit more turnovers than any team in the ACC (13.4 per game).
Clemson’s recent woes are puzzling. After winning 14 straight ACC road games (the second-longest streak in conference history), the Tigers have lost their last three away games at home.
Clemson topped No. 17 North Carolina before falling 67-63 on Tuesday night. RJ Godfrey scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough.
The Tigers are 14-0 when opponents are shooting better than 40%. For the first time this year, that formula didn’t work as the Tar Heels won with 37.9% marksmanship.
“I thought our defense played great for the last 35 minutes of the game and gave us a chance,” Brownell said. “We don’t do enough offensively sometimes. This was a real missed opportunity.”
Saturday will be the final home game for five Tigers seniors, including Nick Davidson and Dillon Hunter. They scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, in Clemson’s 77-63 win at Georgia Tech on Jan. 24, which sparked the Yellow Jackets’ current winning streak.
“We need to take a day off, regroup and come back and win Senior Day and build momentum for the tournament,” Brownell said.
– Field level media
