BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Syracuse @ Georgetown

February 25, 2006


The two winningest teams in Big East Conference play history (although, Connecticut is closing fast on Georgetown) renew their rivalry on Saturday afternoon at the MCI Center in Washington, DC. The Syracuse Orange, with a 7-6 conference record, still fighting to stay on the good side of the NCAA bubble, take on the Georgetown Hoyas, who are 9-5 in the Big East, and look to remain in the hunt for a 1st round bye in the Big East tournament.

To read our preview and see our game prediction, click read more below and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section!

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Georgetown snapped a three-game losing streak on Wednesday evening by turning back Rutgers, 66-50, at the MCI Center. They figure to be in for more of a test when the Syracuse Orange come to down Saturday. Last season, when the Hoyas were 8-3 in the conference, they could not get that final win to put them over the hump in the NCAA Tournament picture. This year, a season wiser, the Hoyas were able to turn things back in their favor against Rutgers and did it with defense and the improved Roy Hibbert in the middle.

The Syracuse/Georgetown rivarly was built in the original heyday of the Big East. For the Hoyas, a man named Thompson stalked the sidelines and a dominant center like Pat Ewing, Alonzo Mourning or Dikembe Mutombo roamed the middle. This year, there is another Thompson on the sidelin, John Thompson III, and a big man in the middle, 7'2 Roy Hibbert. However, much of the simalarities of you father's Georgetown and this version of the Hoyas end there. Georgetown uses a version of the Princeton offense and can unleash a deadly match-up zone defense. I personally love their froncourt trio of Hibbert, Jeff Green and Brandon Bowman. Green and Bowman might be the most versatile forward duo in the conference and can cause some difficult match-up issues for their opponents.

Syracuse was a team struggling mightily in the Big East. After a 3-0 start in the conference, the Orange then lost four in a row and six of eight to leave Syracuse reeling and in danger of being an NOT team. However, a mini-revival with home wins over Louisville and West Virginia have the Orange back in position, with another win, at locking up their usual spot in the NCAA Tournament. Taking on Georgetown on the road will be a good measure on how good Syracuse is. Prior to thier win over West Virginia, it could be argued that they had not earned a "meaningful" win. So, grabbing a win on the road against Georgetown would go a long way in easing some of the doubts on the Orange.

As long and athletic as the Hoyas frontcourt is, Syracuse might be right there as well with Darryl Watkins, Terrence Roberts and Demetris Nichols. Still waiting for the Orange to have a game when their inside talent of Watkins and Roberts comes to play on the same day as their talented outside players like Nichols, Eric Devendorf and Gerry McNamara. for much of the seaon, it has been McNamara carrying the load and getting some inconsistent help from Nichols and a little more steady help from Devendorf, but their post offense, save for a few dunks here and there, has been mostly a let down. They will need Watkins and Roberts to build on the success they had against West Virginia if they are going to be in this game. Georgetown will pose a much stiffer test on the boards and with their defense.

I might be crazy, but I think the Orange match-up well here. Neither team will go very deep off their benches. Syracuse might have a little more at their disposal, but neither team has much depth upfront. If either frontline has trouble with fouls, it could spell disaster. I think Syracuse is more susceptible to this. Gerry McNamara is also due for a strong game and could be able to find some room against the Hoyas. Getting post offense will be key to unlocking the Hoya defense to free G-Mac from the perimeter. Winning on the road is going to be very tough, I think the Orange hang in this game from beginning to end, but Georgetown is the better team and gets the win at home, but it should be close.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 67 Syracuse 63

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Rutgers @ Georgetown

February 22, 2006

At this time in the Big East season, it really is exciting because every game seems to mean something for each team. Tonight, Rutgers/Georgetown is no different as the Hoyas try to remain in the mix for a first round bye in the conference tournament and Rutgers tries to stay just ahead of the rest in the fight for the last spot or two to be in the conference tournament.

Here are the links to pregame stories and articles on the game:

Injured Joynes has Tough Assignment (Courier News)
Thompson Devoted to Ill Wife and Rejuvinated Hoyas (Star-Ledger)
Hibbert Becoming Elite Georgetown Center (Star-Ledger)
Hoyas Look Ahead, Not to the Past (Washington Post)
Hoyas Senior Trio Look to Finish Strong (Washington Times)
Rutgers/Georgetown Scouting Report (Courier News)



Click below for our brief preview and prediction on this game and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section.

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Last year Georgetown raced to an 8-3 conference record before the bottom fell out and the Hoyas finished 8-8 and a bid to the NIT, not the NCAA. Even though their current 3-game losing streak might bring back some memories for Georgetown fans, it is not the same team as last year. Also, the schedule is set up in their favor with home games with Rutgers and Syracuse before wrapping up the conference schedule with a trip to South Florida. Winning out and finishing 11-5 in the conference should re-energize the Hoyas and sharpen their focus heading into the post-season, which will include a bid to the NCAA's.

Rutgers is fighting for the post-season lives, just to be invited to the Big East tournament is their first order of business. Although the task tonight is a tough one to pass, the Scarlet Knights are probably assured of a trip to NYC with one win in their last three games, which include a home date with USF and a trip to meet St. John's, in addition to the game at Georgetown tonight. Being invited to the NIT is also within reach and the Scarlet Knights could use another win or two to make them more attractive to the new NIT selection process, so, much to play for on the Rutgers side as well.

Tonight is probably not a good match-up for Rutgers, however. Georgetown is big with Roy Hibbert, Jeff Green and Brandon Bowman starting along the frontline. They are also atheltic and can play a tough match-up zone that could suffocate the Knight's offense that is almost solely dependent on Quincy Douby, and if you watched the last minute of their game against St. John's, you would know how true that is. Look for the Georgetown guards to spy exclusively on Douby, daring ANYONE else to try and beat them and for the Hoyas to have their way inside. Georgetown is a 10-pt favorite, and they should be in for an easy one tonight as they snap their 3-game slide.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 72 Rutgers 59

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Georgetown @ Marquette

February 16, 2006

Georgetown, with an 8-3 conference record, looks to keep pace with Pittsburgh in the race for one of the four byes in the Big East Conference Tournament when they travel to Milwaukee tonight to face the Golden Eagles of Marquette. Marquette has dropped two in a row on the road and now return home to meet the Hoyas tonight and Pittsburgh on Saturday as they look to claw their way back into the mix for the 4th seed and a bye in the tournament. They will have to take advantage of the home court and make their move.

Here are the pregame stories and previews from around the internet:

Hoyas face Challenging Road (Washington Times)
For Hoyas, Tough Road Test (Washington Post)
Eagles Facing Key Tests (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)


To read our preview and see our game prediction, click read more below and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section!

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Marquette enters tonight's contest against Georgetown as 1-pt favorites. The Golden Eagles will be without Jamil Lott and, most likely, Mike Kinsella, which depletes their frontcourt depth a little bit. However, they still have Ousmane Barro, Chris Grimm and Ryan Amoroso to rotate in the post with Steve Novak playing another forward spot. They still have the very quick and athletic freshmen trio of Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Mathews in their 3-guard line-up and depth with senior Joe Chapman and sophomore Dan Fitzgerald backing them up. With nine player available, they still are likely to be deeper than Georgetown, who seems to be most comfortable with a six-man rotation, featuring Roy Hibbert in the post and Brandon Bowman and Jeff Green at the forwards with Ashanti Cook and Jonathan Wallace at the guards and Darell Owens providing the offensive spark off the bench. Jesse Sapp is a freshmen guard that sees some time as well.

This is definitely a tale of two different styles. Marquette likes to play fast and in the open court. The like to spread the floor and will have at least four players on the court with the ability to play on the perimeter at all times, creating space for Dominic James, the likely freshmen of the year in the conference, to penetrate into th elane to create offense. Jerel McNeal also uses the spacing to slash to the basket and if anyone helps inside, Steve Novak is there to bury a 3-pter.

Georgetown is a much more patient team. They will run a version of the Princeton offense that has a lot of movement and motion, looking for mis-matches, back-door cuts and open jumpers. The Hoyas can also go with a smaller look and have four or five guys on the floor capable of hitting the perimeter shot and isolating a bigger man on Jeff Green and run the offense through him. On defense, they have unleashed a match-up zone that has been hard to crack with their front-line that features players that size up at 6'8, 6'9 and 7'2. Georgetown is a very tough team to play.

Marquette has found themselves in the toughest stretch of the season, losing three of four and now having to face Georgetown and Pittsburgh in the course of 24 hours. Both teams play a style and have the size that will make it very difficult for Marquette. The Golden Eagles are going to have to push tempo and get this game played in an open atmopshere. Their youth could be prone to turnovers and poor shots if frustrated by the Georgetown style.

The Hoyas will have to deal with the Marquette pressure on the guards. Georgetown could be susceptible to some of the quickness of the Eagles' guards as they will look to get them out of their offense and comfort zone.

This is certainly a tough game to call. Both teams desperately need this game, Georgetown to maintain their hold on a top four conference spot and Marquette to keep their spot on the right side of the bubble for the NCAA Tournament and, make their push for a bye themselves. They need to rebound from the Rutgers loss and do it quickly.

Marquette has to shore up their defense and do it quickly. The Georgetown offense can expose any defensive weakness as they are extremely effecient and on the defensive side, they are the tops in the conference. To me, this is a nightmare match-up for Marquette and defense will win this game. I do think Steve Novak will have a big game and keep Marquette right in it, but the changing defenses of Georgetown could turn Marquette over in key spots.

It is going to be a tough, tough game. Defense and experience will win this one down the stretch.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 73 Marquette 71

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: West Virginia @ Georgetown

February 12, 2006



West Virginia will look to rebound from their first conference loss of the year when they travel to face Georgetown on Sunday evening. West Virginia heads into the weekend in a three-way tie with Villanova and Connecticut at 8-1 in the conference, but are in the midst of a very difficult portion of their schedule.

Nipping at the heels of the three leaders are the Georgetown Hoyas. At 7-2 in the conference, the Hoyas, winners of seven straight games, are playing as well as anyone in the conference, or country, for that matter.

To read our preview and see our game prediction, click read more below and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section!

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On Thursday night, the Mountaineers lost at Pittsburgh, 57-53, ending their unbeaten run in the conference at 8 games. West Virginia looked tired, especially new father Kevin Pittsnogle, who went scoreless, shooting 0-12 from the field before fouling out. As a team, they shot 6-27 from beyond the arc. Their defense was forcing a lot of turnovers early on, but in the 2nd half, they seemed to be a step slower than the Panthers to the ball and on the defensive side. It was surprising the game was a close as it was.

Georgetown has been playing tremendous defense over the last four games, giving up just 50 PPG in that span. They have unleashed a devastating match-up zone that nobody has been able to solve of late. Georgetown likes to play a deliberate style and, even with superior size, they can match up very well with Georgetown with Jeff Green and Brandon Bowman able to play the post positions on offense and cover the perimeter shooters of West Virginia. Roy Hibbert will pose another stiff test to Pittsnogle with his ability to move and shoot over his 7'2 frame.

With consecutive road games with Pittsburgh, Georgetown and Seton Hall, before returning home to face Connecticut and then travelling to Syracuse (all in the span of 11 days), the lack of depth and dependency on perimeter shooting will test West Virginia to their limits. They have already looked to be tirning from a tough non-conference schedule that had them playing Texas and Kentucky in the Guardian's classic out in Kansas City, taking a flight out to UCLA in the middle of conference play, playing rival Marshall in the same week, along with another out of conference trip back in December to face Oklahoma in Oklahoma City really looks to have taken a toll on a team that really has played only 7 guys all year long. Add in Kevin Pittsnogle being a new Daddy, it will not be surprising to see this team run out of gas.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 71 West Virginia 61

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: St. John's @ Georgetown

February 9, 2006

Another of the long-standing rivalries in the Big East reunites this evening when the Redstorm of St. John's travels to the Nation's Capitol to meet the Georgetown Hoyas.

The Hoyas are one of the hottest teams in the country and currently sit right in the thick of the conference race with a 7-2 league record. The Hoyas are back in the meat of their schedule, after their win over Pittsburgh on Sunday, they host SJU tonight before welcoming West Virginia and then hitting the road for Marquette and Villanova. St. John's is a team they better not overlook.

After catching the imagination of their fans with back-to-back home wins over Louisville and Pittsburgh earlier in January, the Redstorm have faced a tough stretch of games that has seen them drop four straight. After tonight, things are a little more reasonable down the stretch as St. John's works to make their way into the mix for an invite to the conference tournament played on their home floor at Madison Square Garden and a possible NIT bid.

Here are the pregame stories and previews from around the internet:

At #15, Hoyas are Older, Wiser (Washington Post)
Hoyas Depth Becoming a Concern (Washington Times)
Battered Storm on Brink (NY Post)
Georgetown Primed for NCAA Return (AP Wire Story)

To read our preview and see our game prediction, click read more below and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section!

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Georgetown looks to continue their run of good play as they host St John's tonight in a Big East game. With a tricky three game stretch ahead, Georgetown can ill-afford a mis-step against the Redstorm, a team they beat handily in their first meeting at Madison Square Garden.

With Brandon Bowman, Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas have potentially one of the best front lines in the nation. They have not seemed to put everything together at the same time, leaving me to believe this team still has some untapped upside to uncover. They will be matched up against Anthony Mason, Aaron Spears and Lamont Hamilton. Although the SJU front line is much improved over last season, it is still a tall order to compete on the road with Georgetown's group up front.

In their first meeting, St John's was without the services of Daryll Hill, out with an injury. Hill is back and teams with Eugene Lawrence in the backcourt and their strength and quickness as a tandem should be a challenging test for the backcourt of Ashanti Cook and Jonathan Wallace for the Hoyas. Playing the Princeton-style offense does alleviate some of the ballhandling chores from the Hoya guards, who could be a little susceptible to the pressure SJU will likely attempt to apply.

St John's can bring Cedric Jackson, Ryan Williams, Phil Missere and Tomas Jasiulionis off the bench while the Hoyas really only look to Darrel Owens off their bench, and he is one of the best 6th men in the conference, and some depth from freshmen Jesse Sapp and Marc Edgerson.

All six of Georgetown's key players average between 8.9 PPG and 11.8 PPG. That balance and spread the floor options will make it very tough for the Redstorm to defend and key on any player. They also have 4 players on the floor at all times that can shoot the ball and handle it, which is where I think they utilize their advantages to hold off St John's tonight, but, a tighter game than expected, as the Hoyas are 11-pt favorites.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 68 St John's 60

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