Georgia Tech @ Duke preview

Georgia Tech at Duke

Last Meeting ( Jan 8, 2020 ) Duke 73, Georgia Tech 64

Duke has tumbled out of the top tier of the Atlantic Coast Conference since its last home game.

The Blue Devils will try to reverse their slide when they host Georgia Tech on Tuesday night in Durham, N.C.

"We'll figure it out like we always try to do," coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

Duke (5-5, 3-3 ACC) is stuck in a three-game skid after losses on the road at Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Louisville. The Blue Devils haven't had a four-game skid since the end of the 2006-07 season.

"I am disappointed for these kids because they are a good group. It has been a really tough year for a whole bunch of reasons," Krzyzewski said. "And their attitudes are so good and they have worked so hard in preparations and during the game, you'd like to see them get rewarded."

Georgia Tech (7-4, 3-2) had a five-game winning streak halted with Saturday night's 64-62 loss at first-place Virginia.

"We're playing well," Yellow Jackets coach Josh Pastner said. "We've gotten better. We've got to keep moving in that direction."

The Yellow Jackets might have gained confidence by the way they competed in the Virginia game.

"We had a chance to win the basketball game," Pastner said. "We're a good basketball team as well."

Georgia Tech has had five games with fewer than 10 turnovers, including just six giveaways against the Cavaliers.

Part of Duke's hoped-for turnaround involves freshman Jalen Johnson, who has had fluctuating performances in three games since returning from a foot injury: two points at Virginia Tech, 24 points (and 15 rebounds) at Pitt and nine points at Louisville.

"He's a human being so you're not going to play well all of the time. But if you can correct whatever you are doing not so well while the game is going on, that is a key thing," Krzyzewski said of Johnson. "We were not able to do that. We need him."

Usually by this time on the calendar, Krzyzewski said the Blue Devils have developed more continuity with lineup combinations and precision.

"We have not been able to develop that yet," he said. "We're going to get there. But it's a process to get there."

Duke forward Matthew Hurt has eight career games with 20 or more points, including five such outings for the sophomore this season.

Hurt entered Monday ranked second in the ACC in scoring with 19.4 points per game. Georgia Tech guard Jose Alvarado is tied for fourth at 17.4 and teammate Moses Wright ranks sixth at 17.0.

This will be the Blue Devils' first home game since a Jan. 9 victory against Wake Forest.

--Field Level Media