Georgia Tech, Notre Dame Meet in ACC Basement Battle

Struggling teams look to end losing streaks and stay out of conference tournament cellar

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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Georgia Tech and Notre Dame, both 11-14 overall and 2-10 in the ACC, meet on Saturday in a battle between two teams tied for last place in the conference. The Yellow Jackets have lost six straight, while the Fighting Irish have dropped five in a row. With the ACC tournament just a month away, both squads are desperate for a win to keep their postseason hopes alive.

Why it matters

This matchup between the ACC's bottom-feeders could have major implications for the conference tournament, as the loser will likely be left out of the field. Both teams have dealt with key injuries this season, forcing them to rely more on guard play, and they are searching for answers to turn their seasons around.

The details

Georgia Tech is led by Kowacie Reeves Jr. (15.2 ppg) and Baye Ndongo (12.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg), while Notre Dame leans on freshmen Jalen Haralson (15.5 ppg) and Braeden Shrewsberry (12.0 ppg) with their top two big men out for the season. The Yellow Jackets are coming off double-digit losses to Stanford and Wake Forest, while the Fighting Irish’s lone win since the new year was a four-point home victory over Boston College.

  • The game will be played on Saturday afternoon in South Bend, Indiana.

The players

Damon Stoudamire

Third-year head coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Kowacie Reeves Jr.

Leading scorer for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, averaging 15.2 points per game.

Baye Ndongo

Averages a double-double of 12.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Micah Shrewsberry

Head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Jalen Haralson

Freshman leading scorer for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, averaging 15.5 points per game.

Braeden Shrewsberry

Freshman scoring 12.0 points per game for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

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What they’re saying

“First and foremost, we need to win. I think that we all understand that. We've got to be better at dealing with adversity. I just don't think that collectively we're great at dealing with adversity. When times get tough, we don't stick together all the time. To me, that is hurting us more than anything at the end of the day.”

— Damon Stoudamire, Head Coach, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (statenews.net)

“We really only have one true post player. We play smaller and see if we can spread it out a little bit more. I feel like that's one of the ways we can try and get more threes is to have more ball handlers, have more shooting out there, have more guys that can attack.”

— Micah Shrewsberry, Head Coach, Notre Dame Fighting Irish (statenews.net)

What’s next

The winner of this game will take a big step towards avoiding being left out of the ACC tournament, while the loser will be in serious jeopardy of missing the postseason event.

The takeaway

This matchup between two struggling ACC teams highlights the challenges both Georgia Tech and Notre Dame have faced this season, with key injuries forcing them to adapt their playing styles. The outcome could have major implications for their conference tournament aspirations as the season winds down.