Georgia Tech's New Coach Aims for NCAA Tournament

0:00On March 24, Georgia Tech has kicked off a new chapter in men's basketball by hiring Scott Cross from Troy as their head coach. His big goal is to guide the Yellow Jackets back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021, and just the fifth appearance since their national championship run in 2004. Cross steps into a landscape shaped by the transfer portal and name, image, and likeness deals were holding on to key talent matters as much as bringing in fresh faces. During his intro in Atlanta, he stressed building around players who fit the program's culture with the portal set to reopen after the national title. Game this April, fans are buzzing about the hire, seeing Cross's spark to revive a squad full of young promise. Stand out rising sophomore center Muhammad Silla, flashed elite shoplocking and scoring in limited action last season, posting double doubles early on. Despite injury setbacks, echoing early Chris Bosch vibes. Meanwhile, rising sophomore guard Akai Fleming emerged as the top freshman, starting 22 games and leading scores in ACC play at 10 point, 5 points per game.

1:11Rising junior Jaden Moustaf rounded out the core, ranking high and scoring and assists while boosting his 3 points shooting to 39 percent. Cross plans to prioritize locking in these high ceiling guys this off season, then layer in veteran transfers to push Georgia Tech toward contention next year.