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After a 67-53 loss to Kentucky in a game that was closer than the final score depicts, Georgia Tech (4-4, 1-1 ACC) will be looking to get back on track Wednesday as the Ball State Cardinals (5-4) come to town. It will be the first ever meeting between the two teams.

“Ball State is really good,” said Georgia Tech head coach Josh Pastner. “Coach Whitford does a great job. They can really shoot the basketball, all their guys can shoot the basketball including their five man. They play hard, are a good defensive team, and we will have to play really well.”

Due to injuries, cold streaks and a sprinkle of bad luck, Georgia Tech has been on the bad side of some close results at this point in the young 2019-2020 season.

According to Pastner, the team should have a better record at this point and have yet to play their best basketball.

“The Syracuse game I look at as an anomaly,” explained Pastner. “We came back against Georgia, Arkansas the kid threw in a prayer, and Kentucky, I really feel we should have won the game.”

It isn’t hard to see why Pastner thinks that way, seeing that Georgia Tech’s most experienced player in Jose Alvarado has been injured and transfer Jordan Usher has been ineligible. One of those two things will come to an end on Wednesday, however, as Usher is poised to make his first appearance for the Yellow Jackets.

“I’m excited,” said Usher. “I have been waiting all summer and am excited to get to play with my teammates finally.”

Usher has a high motor and brings lots of energy to the table with him, which is something the Jackets could have used up to this point.

“I just play hard,” Usher said. “I think it will give us a spark, but at the end of the day I am just going to play hard with my teammates and try to win every night.”

Georgia Tech is 2-2 all-time against teams from the Mid-American Conference and 1-1 under coach Pastner.

The game will tip-off in McCamish Pavilion at 7:00 p.m. and will be televised on the ACC’s Regional Sports Network (Fox Sports South).