Georgia Tech's recent wins based on good defense

"We are having fewer breakdowns on the defensive end, especially when ball screens are involved," Hewitt said.

Defense, along with quick starts and ACC player-of-the-year-type performances from Iman Shumpert, have fueled the recent three-game home winning streak. The Yellow Jackets have defeated North Carolina, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech by an average of 23.3 points. Tech (10-9, 3-3 ACC) will host Maryland at 7:45 p.m. Sunday as it tries to continue to improve its chances of making the NCAA tournament as an at-large team.

To make it back for the second consecutive season, Tech will have to play defense in its remaining 11 regular-season games as aggressively as it has recently at home. The Tar Heels, Deacons and Hokies shot a combined 31 percent at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.

"I've been saying these guys are getting better," Hewitt said.

It hasn't been all sunshine and sand, though. Tech has had almost as many poor games on defense since the win against Richmond as it has had good games. Boston College shot 54.9 percent against the Jackets, and Clemson made 69.2 percent of its shots.

But after the loss to the Tigers, the team started to play more consistently.

The young trio of Daniel Miller, Kammeon Holsey and Nate Hicks have been the key. Guard Maurice Miller said they are boxing out and blocking shots, which is allowing the guards to slip in and get rebounds. Shumpert had 12 rebounds in a triple-double performance against the Hokies.

Miller said the older players are on the trio everyday, trying to make them understand that they can't defer on the court. They have to talk and express their growing confidence.

"They are taking care of their assignments," Miller said.

Now Tech must try to win without Hicks, who will miss the next 2-3 weeks after recently having his appendix removed. Though he averages only 1.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in 9.4 minutes, he is disruptive on defense, challenging shots and giving up fouls. Daniel Miller, a 6-foot-11 center, averages 4.7 points and 5.3 rebounds, and Holsey, a 6-8 center, averages 4.3 points and 2.7 rebounds.

The team saw what can happen when one of the big men is absent when Holsey couldn't make the trip to Virginia because of flu-like symptoms. Playing with a smaller lineup, the Jackets fell behind quickly. By the time they found a rhythm in the second half, it was too late. The Cavs shot 50 percent and won by eight points.

Even though he said the players aren't talking about the NCAAs, Maurice Miller said the team can't have too many more lapses such as it did in the first half of the loss to the Cavs.

"We still haven't played a complete game yet," he said. "That's something that we have to continue to improve on. I think we can only get better and better."