Georgia Tech guard Marcus Georges-Hunt was unable to contribute in his typical fashion, scoring seven points on 1-for-8 shooting in the Yellow Jackets’ 72-52 defeat to Virginia in the ACC tournament quarterfinals. The seven points was 10 below his season average and 21 fewer than he scored in the second-round win over Clemson on Wednesday.
Georges-Hunt was defended much of the night by Virginia guard Marcus Brogdon, who was named the ACC player of the year and defensive player of the year earlier this week, the first player to earn both honors in the same year. Brogdon challenged shots and had help when Georges-Hunt tried to drive. In the teams’ only regular-season meeting, Virginia held Georges-Hunt to a season-low five points.
Georges-Hunt, named to the All-ACC third team by media and second team by coaches, said Brogdon was “by far” the best player to defend him this season.
“That’s the only person I feel like that can match up with me for the most part, strength-wise,” Georges-Hunt said.
It didn’t help that Georges-Hunt suffered a lower-back contusion early in the second half when he fell hard to the floor trying to challenge a shot in transition by Virginia’s Anthony Gill. After going to the locker room to be treated, he returned, but it may have hampered his mobility.
Georges-Hunt is hardly the first to run into trouble against the Cavaliers. In the final weeks of the ACC regular season, they held the ACC’s leading scorer, N.C. State’s Anthony “Cat” Barber, to 14 points (23.5 points per game for the season), Duke’s Grayson Allen to 15 (21.4 points per game) and Louisville’s Damion Lee to nine points (15.9 points per game).
“I can just say it’s a collective effort,” Brogdon said of stopping Georges-Hunt. “Defense is what we pride ourselves on. Even with other great players on opposing teams, it doesn’t matter who it is, we’re going to try to lock them down, we’re going to try to make them uncomfortable and make it a tough night for them.”
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