With a complement of a fully healthy roster, Georgia Tech looks to win its third game in as many tries Monday when it hosts Southeastern Louisiana in Atlanta.
Georgia Tech (2-0) blew past Bryant 74-45 on Friday after struggling with Maryland-Eastern Shore in its season opener. The Yellow Jackets enjoyed the season debut of preseason All-ACC junior Baye Ndongo, who had 10 points and seven rebounds in his return following an undisclosed injury.
“I thought Baye was good for his first game,” said Georgia Tech head coach Damon Stoudamire. “He’s been doing a lot of different things, but to get out there on the floor and move the way he did, I thought he played really well. The body looks good. He made really strong moves to the rim. He hit a three. I just thought that he gave us a common influence all game long.”
Ndongo will be paired with freshman Mouhamed Sylla, who has posted double-doubles in each of his first two career games.
“I’m excited to see them playing together,” Stoudamire said. “To have Baye out there talking to Mo and being able to get him to do some different things, I call it buddy ball. … We expect nothing less than 10 rebounds a game (from Sylla) and the points are going to come.”
Kowacie Reeves Jr. leads the Yellow Jackets with 15 points per game through two contests, while Sylla is averaging 12 points and 13 boards.
Southeastern Louisiana (0-2) followed a season-opening 30-point loss at Ole Miss with a 58-52 defeat at Louisiana on Friday. The Lions have shot just 33.7% from the field in their two losses, hitting just 23.4% (11-for-47) of their 3-point attempts.
Head coach David Kiefer has played 11 players in each of their first two games, an area the Lions believe give them an edge.
“I think the best thing about our team right now is our depth,” Kiefer said. “We can really get up and down the court, pick up our pressure a little bit. But the best part of our team is our depth and athleticism.”
Jaiden Lawrence’s 11.5 points per game pace the group, followed by Jalen Forrest’s 8.5.