The Georgia Tech men's basketball program had a potential season-defining 74-73 win over No. 3 North Carolina at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta on Tuesday night. The Tar Heels had won 10 games in a row and are widely considered to be one of the best teams in college basketball this season while the Jackets had lost three straight and eight of its last nine.
Damon Stoudamire is looking to build the Yellow Jacket program back to its former glory, and after getting the program's first win against a top-3 team at home since 1994, he could be on the right track.
The head coach joined The Steakhouse on Wednesday morning to discuss the growth of his team as he's looking to leave his mark on the program and the ACC.
"It's always fun building from the ground up. This is like my startup company," Stoudamire told The Steakhouse. "You invest your all in it. When you start your company you're there every day and you want to see it through."
Stoudamire came to Atlanta after spending two years as an assistant with the Boston Celtics and five years as the head coach of Pacific. His first season has been a bit of a mixed bag, but the win is the third home win over a Top-25 team after notching victories over No. 21 Mississippi State (67-59), No. 7 Duke (72-68).
He understands the significance of playing in the ACC, as he looks to get Georgia Tech to being a consistent contender.
"Being in this league is a fantastic opportunity and I wear it like a badge of honor," he continued. "It's a prestigious league with some prestigious universities and institutions. Although I didn't come into the same league as it was a couple of years ago with [Coach] K retiring, Coach Williams, and Jimmy Boeheim, but there are a lot of great up-and-coming coaches.
"And I think, in our own way, we can put our own stamp on this league."