On the morning of December 31, 2016, Josh Pastner was not thinking of completing his first season in the ACC with a conference record of 8-10. He did not hold notions of leading Georgia Tech to an upset of North Carolina in the ACC opener later that day.

It bears mention that, only three days earlier, the Yellow Jackets had to be rescued by graduate transfer forward Kellen McCormick’s 3-point marksmanship to beat a far less heralded team from North Carolina – North Carolina A&T – that would finish the season with one win against Division I competition.

 Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner reacts to a score during the first half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg Va., Wednesday, Jan. 18 2017. (Matt Gentry/The Roanoke Times via AP)

Credit: Ken Sugiura

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Credit: Ken Sugiura

“I was just hoping we’d win one game,” Pastner told the AJC. “That we didn’t go winless.”