Alvarado and Devoe talk GT preparations for 2020 hoops season

While most of the college sports world is focusing on the college football season and what is going to happen there, college basketball is gearing up to start later this year. Georgia Tech players returned last month and have been working out in groups of two this summer aiming to knock off any accumulated rust from four months off. The workouts have changed but for senior point guard Jose Alvarado and junior guard Mike Devoe the goal remains the same for the Jackets.

Tech went 9-3 in the final 12 ACC games last year and Devoe says that is a good starting point for the 2020-21 season.

"I definitely think that we're trying to build from that, I think we kind of made a little statement on that run that we did last year so we're just trying to build from that and continue it. We definitely want to take this thing to the tournament, that's our main goal. So I think that's the (case) for everybody here."

That goal was made more difficult when everything shut down between March and April locking players out of the Tech facilities and even local gyms. Alvarado says he had to get creative because with a new baby at home he didn't want to be around a lot of people to get his shots up.

"I started going back to my old roots, I literally got a basketball (goal) from Walmart, in my backyard, and literally shot in my backyard. It might have not been the best you know but it was something," he said. "I just got shots up, because you know, when it hit this pandemic first started it was bad. I honestly couldn't get to a gym, and I got a family at home... I just want to be extra careful because my little daughter, you know, so I literally got a basketball from Walmart. I literally just shot in my backyard and that was the shots I got it all worked out from there."

Devoe worked out with a local trainer to keep sharp in contrast to Alvarado.

"I've worked out with a trainer locally around here in Atlanta, and we've been getting better and working out with a speed/agility guy too as well," Devoe said. "Things are looking good as far as everybody getting back and we're just continuing to do our type of stuff and continuing going on."

For Alvarado, the arrival of his daughter also bought home a new reality as he tries to position himself for a career playing professional basketball.

"You're going to see a different Jose. It might not be in a way of, you know, going out there and scoring a lot of points but it's definitely gonna be a way of just leading my team and picking our guys up in a different way," he said. It is not just our goal to get top five in the ACC, but instead to get in the NCAA Tournament."

The Jackets will continue working out in groups of two until the NCAA allows full team workouts.