BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Providence @ Georgetown

January 5, 2005

Georgetown enters Big East play this year at 8-2 and an RPI rank of 100, while 7-4 Providence finished their OOC schedule with an RPI of 78. The Pomeroy Computer predicts an 8-pt home win for the Hoyas.

I think this is going to be a very good test for both teams and they have similar players at the same positions, but very different styles of play and levels of experience.

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Georgetown and coach John Thompson III use a variation of the Princeton offense which utilizes all five plyers in movement and ball-handling. They have 5 players that average 8.7 PPG and 10.4 PPG and are led by 7'2 sophomore Roy Hibbert. Also along their front line is senior Brandon Bowman and sophmore Jeff Green. This trio will be a tough match-up for the young Friar front court. The Hoyas start senior Ashanti Cook and sophomore Jon Wallace in the backcourt and they use instant offense senior wing Darrel Owens off the bench. Freshmen Jesse Sapp is also an integral member of the backcourt rotation. Georgetown is still not very deep, but they have a decided depth and experience edge over the Friars.

Providence is a team that tries to outscore you to win. With their lack of depth all-around, they are not a very good rebounding or defensive team. Much of that also has to do with experience as six of the eight scholarship players left on their roster are either freshmen or sophomores. Sophomore Randall Hanke will be matched up against Roy Hibbert. Hanke shoots 72.6% from the field and averages 5.8 rebounds a contest. This is a match-up of sophomore big men I am very interested in seeing. Rugged Geoff McDermott will likely be matched up against sophomore Jeff Green. Providence could also slide Herbert Hill or Jonathan Kale into a power slot and move McDermott out on Bowman. Those four will be the frontcourt for the Friars tonight and this is a very good measuring stick for this group. Charles Burch, another sophomore, also will play on the wing. In the backcourt, Donnie McGrath, who averages 15 PPG, is the friar leader with freshmen Sharaud Curry, who plays the PG and fellow freshmen Weyinmi Efejuku is also in the mix at guard.

The Friars have faced a tough schedule (#28 rated RPI slate) to this point and have played on the road against Wichita St, Fairfield and Rhode Island and have also hosted Memphis and Florida. They have overcome some adversity with the defections of Dwight Brewington and Desean White and I really like some of the potential this team has. I see them hanging tough with Georgetown but experience on the defensive end with the Georgetown offense could lead to some breakdowns. I do not think they will be able to control the tempo of the game tonight.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 72 Providence 62 (Early Vegas Line is Georgetown -12)

Please leave your game prediction in the comments section.


Here are the pregame stories from around the net:


Friars Ready to Put the Gloves On (Providence Journal)
With caution, Hoyas Start Big East (Washington Post)