Georgia Tech beat North Carolina on Thursday night, 84-77. And they beat 'em. It wasn't just that UNC let one slip or anything; Tech owned this game from start to finish. This is the biggest win on the Yellow Jackets' suddenly relevant tournament resume. Tech is now 19-10 overall, 7-8 in ACC play and winners of 6 of their last 8 games.
So...are they in? Well.....
Maybe. They certainly don't have one locked in right now. Their record is respectable and, with a win over Boston College this weekend, will own an 8-8 conference mark. They do have wins over Memphis, North Carolina and Duke....their only wins against teams that are most likely tournament bound. They also have wins over fellow bubble teams Purdue, Georgia, Florida State [twice] and a split with Clemson. Of their 10 losses this season, several are a bit understanding: UCLA, at UNC, at Vanderbilt, at Maryland, at Virginia, at Duke and a home loss to Virginia Tech.
However, their RPI is #41 right now. They also have a couple of really bad losses, to Wake Forest and Miami....the only two ACC teams with losing overall records. They are also 1-8 in true road games this season...something the selection committee frowns on. That isn't to say they cannot get in....just that the work isn't finished.
Beating tournament bound Boston College on Sunday is a must. Then, another must win over Miami/Wake Forest in the ACC tournament. From there, all they most likely need is a good showing against whomever they play in the quarterfinals [may be UNC or BC again].
