BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: GEORGETOWN @ MARQUETTE

January 31, 2009


Georgetown will limp into the Bradley Center on Saturday afternoon for a meeting with Marquette. The Hoyas have lost four in a row overall and have fallen to 3-5 in the Big East. Their latest setback was a 65-57 loss at Cincinnati on Wednesday night in a game where their leading scorer DaJuan Summers suffered an injured ankle in the first half and did not return.

Marquette, led by senior guards Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Mathews, are 7-0 and tied with Louisville for the conference lead. The ‘three amigos’ get adequate support scoring and rebounding from junior forward Lazar Hayward and in their last game, a 71-64 victory at Marquette, they were the only four players to score for the Golden Eagles.

Here are some pregame stories and previews:

Sharper Shot Helping McNeal Slice Through Defenses (Journal Sentinel)
Marquette Faces Off Against Georgetown (Cracked Sidewalks)
Georgetown Needs to Answer the Bell (Washington Times)

The Hoyas wrap up a stretch of three consecutive road games and things do not look to be getting any easier. After losing to Seton Hall and Cincinnati on the road, they now must face undefeated, in Big East play, Marquette and possibly without leading scorer DaJuan Summers.

“We’re struggling right now,” Hoya coach John Thompson III told the media during this week’s Big East coach’s conference call. “And our backs are against the wall. We just have to figure out how to claw our way out of the situation that we’re in.”

That might be easier said than done today. Marquette looks to be a team that can apply defensive pressure with aggressive backcourt play, something Georgetown has not been able to handle this season. Neither team is very deep nor are they extremely productive inside, so the Hoyas are not able to take advantage of Marquette’s weaknesses.

Georgetown will likely play a lot of zone defense and force the Golden Eagles to score on the perimeter. In the halfcourt game, that could pose some problems, however, look for the Marquette defense to force the tempo in their favor and create their scoring opportunities.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Marquette 70
Georgetown 62

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HOYAS SLIDE DEEPENDS, SUMMERS HURT IN LOSS TO UC

January 29, 2009


As Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin said after the game, "Sometimes when it rains, it pours." Georgetown and coach John Thompson III can certainly identify with that statement. Last night, the Hoyas Add an Injury to their Latest Insult (Washington Times), a 65-57 loss at Cincinnati.

The Bearcats Prove They Belong (Cincinnati Enquirer), evening their conference record at 4-4, by finishing the game on an 11-2 run over the final 4:38 for the comeback victory.

Junior Deonta Vaughn scored 20 points with Mike Williams adding 12 and Dion Dixon 10 to lead UC in the win.

Late in the first half, DaJuan Summers, the Hoyas' leading scorer, went down with a sprained ankle. Summers would not return and the thin and inexperienced Hoya line-up was stretched even more. With Jesse Sapp's shooting woes continuing (0-3 from the field), Georgetown had little answers offensively when they needed them and lost for the fourth straight game and are now 3-5 in the Big East.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: HOYAS LOOK TO END SLIDE IN CINCY

January 28, 2009


The slumping Georgetown Hoyas look to rebound from a very difficult week when they travel to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats in a Big East conference match-up. The Hoyas dropped two games last week, at home to WVU, 75-58, and on the road to Seton Hall, 65-60, who had been winless in the conference prior to that game.

The Bearcats have won three of four, but Rutgers, St. John’s and DePaul are not Georgetown, even a slumping Georgetown team. The lone loss in that span was on the road to Providence.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the internet this morning:

Its Been Quite Cold Outside for Slumping Georgetown (Washington Post)
Bearcats Tough Road Begins (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Skid Puts Hoyas in Some Jeopardy (Washington Times)

There are some concerning signs with the Georgetown team of late. Their struggling offense is getting much of the attention, and rightfully so. Senior Jesse Sapp is mired in a horrendous shooting slump and against a weak interior team like SHU, the Hoyas launch 22 three’s while Greg Monroe only manages seven field goal attempts. Their offense, which is dependent on fluidity and efficiency has not been finding the shots that put the Hoyas in position to succeed. Their inexperience is showing through and was exploited last week in two losses.

Cincinnati is another team still trying to find themselves. Deonta Vaughn is a known commodity and former McDonald’s All-American Mike Williams is finding his footing in the Big East and becoming a consistent offensive force and the secondary scoring option greatly helps the chances of winning for the Bearcats.

The Hoyas are a 5 ½-point favorite and definitely have more talent in their starting five, but UC is bringing along a few players that give them some depth and they have the size needed to battle in the Big East. Freshman Yancy Gates, JUCO transfer Stephen Toyloy and sophomore Anthony McClain join Williams in a frontcourt that could give the Hoyas some trouble. With Austin Freeman and Sapp struggling offensively for Georgetown, the Bearcats need to bring their defense, if they do, watch out for the Georgetown slide to continue.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Cincinnati 64
Georgetown 61

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PUNCHLESS HOYAS KNOCKED OUT BY SHU

January 26, 2009

Even with Jeremy Hazell shooting 5-21 and 0-10 from three-point range. In fact, Seton Hall shoots 0-13 as a team from three, Mike Davis fouls out in two minutes of game action and combines with fellow big men John Garcia and Brandon Walters to commit 13 fouls in 37 minutes. The Hoyas also out-rebounded SHU 40-30, yet…Seton Hall is able to stun Georgetown, 65-60, in Big East action on Sunday afternoon at the Prudential Center. So, on the day that the Pirate community honored their 1989 national championship runner-up squad, there proved to be Still Some Magic Left as SHU Beats No. 12 (Star-Ledger).

Hazell did connect on 13 of 17 from the foul line and the Big East’s second leading scorer finished with 23 points as the usually defense-deficient Pirates stifle the Hoya offense, limiting them to 32.7% (17-52) from the field and 3-22 from the three-point arc as it appeared there was a Jersey Barrier (Washington Post) on the basket.

After being roughed up by WVU on their home floor on Thursday, once again, the Failure to Follow Plan (Washington Times) costs the Hoyas dearly as they fell to 3-4 in Big East play.

Besides Hazell's 23 points, Robert Mitchell added an effecient 20 points and 7 rebounds for the Pirates. Freshman Greg Monroe was the lone bright spot for the Hoyas, scoring 17 points, but he only attempted 7 shots (making 6 from the field. Outside of Monroe, the rest of the Hoyas were a combined 11-45 from the field...oh my.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: HOYAS LOOK TO REBOUNDS AT SHU

January 25, 2009

At 2 PM in Newark (NJ), two Big East teams will tangle and both are looking to gain some footing in the conference. Seton Hall will host Georgetown and the Pirates look to avoid their 7th straight conference loss to start Big East play. On the other-hand, the Hoyas look to keep their head above water and avoid falling below .500 in Big East play.

After Pulling Off UConn Upset, Hoyas Fading Quickly (FoxSports.com)
’Blip’ Exposes Hoyas Lack of Leadership. Experience (Washington Times)

We have seen a pattern with Georgetown. Hit the boards hard and play physical defense with an athletic line-up, you will have success against them. Add in depth, and you could rough them up, even on their home court. See examples of Pittsburgh, West Virginia.

Luckily for the Hoyas, none of that is the strength of the thin and defense-challenged Seton Hall Pirates. The Pirates will score, but even with their lack of depth, they look to play fast-paced and frantic from tip to horn.

When an opposing team re-focuses and gets away from the pick-up game style to play some defense and set-up a halfcourt game, they get just about what they want. Look for Georgetown to do that often against SHU today. They Hoyas are 8 ½-point road favorites.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 78
Seton Hall 68

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HOYAS ROUGHED UP AT HOME, AGAIN

January 23, 2009

West Virginia is not going to go quietly from the Big East picture.

Georgetown found that out loud and clear last night on their home floor.

In a game that looked eerily similar to their early home loss to Pitt, Georgetown was out-toughed and out-hustled all night long as their usually efficient offense struggled agains an athleic and physical defense.

Da'Sean Butler poured in a game-high 27 points as WVU Knocks Off the Hoyas, 75-58 (Times West Virginian) in front of 12,875 fans and a national TV audience watching on ESPN.

The final rebounding margin showed a 39-31 edge for the undersized Mountaineers, but the dominance on the boards certainly seemed to be much more one-sided. After a slow start, trailing 9-2 early as they began the game 1-9 from the field, it was all WVU from that point on as Frustration, Errant Shots Doom Hoyas (Washington Times) against intense effort from Bob Huggins' squad.

With the Hoyas still hanging around and observers waiting for a Georgetown run to make things interesting, an Alex Ruoff Dunk Keys Mountaineer Upset (Daily Mail) run to close the game. With 5:32 left, Ruoff drove the lane as the Hoya defense parted like the Red Sea and he flushed home a one-hand jam that started a game-ending 17-7 run for the Mountaineers.

WVU, which also got 13 points from Darryl Bryant and 10 each from Ruoff and Wellington Smith, moved to 3-2 in the Big East. WVU next hosts rival Pittsburgh on Sunday.

The Hoyas, Humbled at Home (Washington Post), for the second time already in conference play, fell to 3-3 in league action.

Chris Wright led G'town with 13 points, but the sophomore point guard did not register an assist in his 31 minutes on the floor.

Notes:

-Georgetown turned the ball over 19 times, shot 39% and registered just 8 team assists, a stark contrast to the previous team quarterbacked by Jonathan Wallace

-Hoyas got 10 points from their bench, but they also committed 9 turnovers, 5 by Jason Clark

-Georgetown now hits the road for three games in seven days, beginning with Georgetown on Sunday, followed by Cincinnati on Wednesday and concluding with Marquette on Saturday the 31st.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ GEORGETOWN

January 22, 2009

A key Big East match-up takes place tonight in the Nation’s capital when West Virginia travels to take on the Georgetown Hoyas. Game time is 7 PM at the Verizon center.

The Mountaineers evened their conference mark at 2-2 with a 62-59 win over South Florida in Morgantown last Saturday. WVU has an overall record of 13-4 and tonight begins a run of nine games with seven against ranked conference opponents in what could define their season.

Georgetown is 3-2 in the Big East and 12-4 overall on the season. All four losses have come against ranked foes (Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and Duke), but the Hoyas have also shown the ability to beat ranked teams with a win at Connecticut as well as a home victory over Syracuse and a non-league win over Memphis.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the internet today:

Huggins, Thompson cut from Same Cloth (Times West Virginian)
Monroe a Big Plus for Georgetown (Washington Times)
Backcourt Depth Helps Keep Hoyas Afloat (Washington Post)
No Looking Ahead for WVU (Charleston Gazette)
Tall Task Awaits Mountaineers (Register Herald)
WVU’s Flowers Beginning to Bloom (Daily Mail)
Hoya Freshman Making Big Mark in the Middle (Charleston Gazette)
Georgetown Looms Again for WVU’s Butler (Daily Mail)

West Virginia has struggled scoring point of late, averaging just 56.7 points in their last three Big East contests, losing two. There will be a lot of pressure on Da’Sean Butler and Alex Ruoff to finding scoring opportunities and be efficient with those opportunities against a stingy Hoya attack. Neither Butler nor Ruoff have a favorable match-up to indicate they will be able to exploit Georgetown for points.

The Hoyas got a big bench boost from Jason Clark and others recently, which was an area of much concern as Big East play began. Just keeping their starting five, which is among the best on the conference, fresh will go a long way in helping the Hoyas improve.

That starting five of Georgetown is full of all-league potential, but they are still working their way into the roles of the Princeton-style attack. While they definitely have more potential to run than the previous editions, their youthful decision-making can sometimes lead to inconsistency.

West Virginia will defend and hit the boards, albeit with an undersized group, which is needed on the road. However, their offensive struggles are something that they will really have a tough time overcoming against a Georgetown team that will force the opponent to be very efficient. With oddsmakers listing the Hoyas as 5 ½-point favoroites, it seems that early success of WVU is still having some believe they might be a little better than they really are.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 68
West Virginia 61

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SYRACUSE @ GEORGETOWN

January 14, 2009


A classic rivalry in the Big East is renewed tonight at the Verizon Center for a national audience as Syracuse puts their top-ten ranking on the line against rival Georgetown.

Syracuse is 4-0 in Big East play and 16-1 on the season. Their lone loss came at the hands of Cleveland State when Cedric Jackson banked in a 60-footer at the buzzer to break a tie score.

Georgetown is 2-2 in Big East play, 11-3 overall, and are trying to find their footing in the Big East. The Hoyas finally got some bench support in their win over Providence this weekend, something they will need dearly to be consistent in the Big East.


Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's game from the web this morning:

Hoyas Seek a Solution for Syracuse (Washington Times)
Kris Joseph Does Not Expect a Hoya Welcome Mat (Syracuse Post-Standard)
Orange Ready to crank it Up (Post-Standard
Cold Shooting Hoyas Prepare for Red Hot Orange (Washington Post)
Scouting Report: SU vs. Georgetown (Post-Standard)
Syracuse Players Aware of History in Nation’s Capitol (Post-Standard)

The talent on these two teams, at least in their starting line-ups, are pretty evenly matched. Syracuse has some more experience and strength, while Georgetown has some more potential and athleticism. Syracuse has a bench that has been more productive, and having Eric Devendorf available to come off their bench is a big boost for the Orange and is nothing the Hoyas can counter with.

The Hoyas return just three players (Austin Freeman, Jesse Sapp and DaJuan Summers) who saw significant time in the Big East regular season last year. New starting point guard Chris Wright missed most of the season with a foot injury and Greg Monroe, a freshman, round out the starting line-up for John Thompson III. The Hoyas are definitely top-loaded in talent and their group has as much potential as any starting line-up in the conference. However, growing pains have been evident as the Princeton-style offense is definitely not flowing as naturally as it has in the past in Big East play.

Georgetown flashed their high potential in their conference-opening win at UConn, but were quickly dragged back to earth with a thud when Pittsburgh smacked them around on this very floor.

Syracuse has some size and strength that is similar to Pitt with Arinze Onuaku and Paul Harris in their line-up. Jonny Flynn is the engine of the Orange attack and Andy Rautins adds the missing perimeter ingredient that they did not have last year. The progression of Rick Jackson has also made the backline of the SU zone much more formidable and allows a bigger line-up to be on the court for most of the game. When SU struggled at USF in the second half, it was largely due to the absence of Paul Harris, forcing Rauitins or Eric Devendorf to have to play on the backline of the zone, which USF exploited on the boards or attacking the baseline offensively.

This game also represents a pretty big step-up in Big East competition for the Orange. While Georgetown has survived a schedule of at UConn, vs Pitt, at Notre Dame and vs PC (12-4 in conference play), SU has mowed down Seton Hall, USF, DePaul and Rutgers (combined 1-14 in league play).

While this SU team definitely looks like a group that will make some noise in March and remain amongst the top of the Big East, it will be interesting to see how ready they are for this game. The college basketball betting odds show Georgetown as a 6 1/2-point favorite, which seems high, they should be able to hold on for a win in this one as it might take SU a little while to find their footing in this type of Big East match-up.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 67
Syracuse 63

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: PROVIDENCE @ GEORGETOWN

January 10, 2009

Georgetown returns home on Saturday afternoon as they welcome the Providence Friars to the Verizon Center for a 1 PM tip-off. The Friars have started out of the Big East gate very strong at 3-0, highlighted by their win at Cincinnati this week. The schedule gets tougher today in DC, but overall, PC has a ‘favorable’ conference schedule to make things interesting.

The Hoyas look to get back on track after consecutive losses to Pittsburgh and at Notre Dame. Georgetown made everyone take notice when they opened Big East play with a win at Connecticut, but that memory has quickly faded after consecutive losses pushing them to 1-2 in the unforgiving conference.

Here are some pregame stories and previews from the internet this morning:

Capsule Summary: PC at Georgetown (Providence Journal)
Sharaud Curry Has Been a Big Contributor in Big East for PC (Providence Journal)

The Friars have been adjusting to the new three-point distance and used a 12-24 shooting effort from the arc against the Bearcats for an important road win. The Friars have established themselves as the clear sleeper from the bottom half of the conference that will be in contention to steal an NCAA bid with a strong showing this winter and a favorable schedule.

The Friars are also a veteran-heavy club under new coach Keno Davis. Seniors Weyinmi Efejuku, Jeff Xavier, Geoff McDermott, Randall Hanke and Jonathan Kale team with redshirt junior Sharaud Curry to form a very good nucleus.

Georgetown is not deep nor experienced and that has shown in losses to Pitt and Notre Dame in their last two games. The decision making from the lead guard position and the attention to detail in their defense and on the boards have been lacking, which is typical for a young team. The lack of depth, especially in the frontcourt, has greatly hampered the Hoyas as well.

There is talent at Georgetown, high-end talent, with Chris Wright, DaJuan Summers, Austin Freeman, Jesse Sapp and super Frosh Greg Monroe. The public really believes in that talent as the latest college basketball odds have the Hoyas as 11 ½ point favorites, which seems a bit high against a confident and experienced PC club.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 69
Providence 61

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GEORGETOWN LOOKS TO STOP SLIDE

January 8, 2009


By Zach Smart


John Thompson III addressed the problem with the confidence and calm demeanor that typifies the mild-mannered Georgetown coach.

“We haven’t been the best rebounding team in the world,” said Thompson III.

“That will change.”

JTIII then did a 180, turning around and locating point guard Chris Wright.

“Right?” He asked, eliciting pours of laughter from the jam-packed press room.

For the Hoyas, however, JTIII’s words have yet to prove prophetic.

After passing an early litmus test by rolling past a lackadaisical UConn team at Hartford right before New Year’s, the Hoyas were embarrassed by Pittsburgh.

That 16-point loss saw them get outhustled, significantly, and out-rebounded to the tune of a 48-23 Pittsburgh bulge.



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Simply put, the Hoyas had no answer for super sophomore DeJuan Blair, who pulled down a whopping 17 boards to supplement his team-high 20 points. The titanic 6-foot-7 homegrown product helped Pittsburgh roll to a convincing 70-54 win at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

The Panthers, which have molded their own version of earth, wind and fire in Blair, Sam Young and veteran New York point guard Levance Fields, have since received an upgrade to the crazy confines of the top.

Since North Carolina was defeated by Boston College, Pittsburgh is the no.1-ranked team in America.

While the problem with the new area code Panthers was their ability to pound the glass relentlessly, the most recent loss at Notre Dame exposed Georgetown on the perimeter and in the post with the tantalizing tandem of Kyle McLarney and Luke Harangody.

McLarney scorched the nets with five threes, one that he launched from the parking lot, and Harangody patrolled the paint with a season-high 31 points and 11 boards.

If Thompson third can hope for anything, it’s for the Hoyas to halt this two-game losing skid.

The opportunity is right there in front of them Saturday, as a Providence team on the heels of a four-game winning streak.

While the Hoyas contained Hasheem Thabeet, keeping the 7-foot-3 blocksmith at bay all game, they got roasted by DeJuan Blair.

So, how will they fare against boardsmith Geoff McDermott, he off the Ron Artest, football-basketball mentality and penchant for crashing the boards at will?

On the surface, the 6-foot-6 McDermott should be a stroll in the park after having to deal with the modern-day Beast of the Big East in Blair.

While McDermott is averaging 8.4 boards per, teammate Randall Hanke can be had (to paraphrase Ronde Barber).

Hanke, a spindly 6-foot-11 senior center, is averaging 4.8 bounds but snared just one during the Friars’ recent 87-79 topping of Cincinatti. The Bearcats have their own Mr. Soft in 7-foot, 245-pound sophomore Anthony McClain (2.8 RPG). Hanke has show some flashes of game. He played as if someone finally sparked a fire under his behind against St. John’s scoring 17 points in 18 minutes. Hanke scored during crucial transitions that game, help capitalize runs and played hungrier than a junk yard dog. He actually looked like he wanted the rock that game.


-All of a sudden, Providence is one of the four unbeatens in the Big East. This is actually quite meaningless since they’ve only played three games and are yet to taste the prime meat of their Big East slate. Georgetown will be a huge barometer game for the Friars, who have been fiending an NCAA tournament berth for the past three years. After starting off slow with an upset loss to Northeastern in the home opener, Providence looks to be back in the conversation this year.

-How nuts is the Big East this year? Check it out: Georgetown beat previously no.2-ranked UConn but lost to Notre Dame who lost to St. John’s who got cooked by Providence. Does that make the Friars a sleeper team, or does it essentially indicate what a topsy-turvy conference the Big East is?

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: GEORGETOWN @ NOTRE DAME

January 5, 2009


Notre Dame puts their 43-game hom ewin streak on the line tonight when they welcome in the Georgetown Hoyas to the Joyce Athletic Center for a key Big East early season showdown. Both teams are looking for a little pick-me-up following disappointing weekend efforts and avoid a two-game conference losing streak.

Here are the pre-game stories and previews found on the internet for tonight's game:


Pressure Building for Irish (Journal Gazette)
Irish Hope to Rebound Against Hoyas South Bend Tribune)
After a Tough Loss, Hoyas Must Regroup Quickly (Washington Post)
Hoyas, Irish Both Trying to Rebound (Washington Examiner)
Hoyas Look to Rebound (Washington Times)
Notre Dame Needs Kyle McAlarney to Regain his Shot (Chicago Tribune)
Failure to Rebound Causes Irish Loss (Journal Gazette)
Splinters, But Little Else coming off Hoyas Bench (Free Lance-Star)

The pressure to win your home games int he Big East is tremendous. That pressure will be doubled tonight for Notre Dame as the Irish look to extend their school-record 43-game home winning streak and avoid losing back-to-back games after a surprising defeat to St. John's at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

The area of concern for the Irish are defense and rebounding. Notre Dame seems to be trying to push the tempo in games to a free-flowing affair. Even in their win at Depaul to open conference play, the Blue Demons were scoring at will with Dar Tucker and Mac Koshwal, who literally are the only two consistent scoring threats the Blue Demons place on the floor. Tonight, their defense will be tested by a Hoya club that usually has up to five excellent scoring threats on the floor at a time!

Georgetown will look to rebound after they were bullied on their home court by Pittsburgh, 70-54 on Saturday. Pitt beat Georgetown on the glass mercifully, actually grabbing more of their own missed shots (20) than the Hoyas could (16) as they outrebounded Georgetown 48-23, wow!

Just five days after being the toast of the conference with their impressive road win over Connecticut to start Big East play, every perceived short-coming og the Hoyas was exposed by Pitt, from their lack of depth, phsyical size in the paint and overall inexperience.

The challenge John Thompson III will issue to his club is to be tougher. That is probably a challenge more easily to be answered by a team that can play defense and be effecient offensively like the Hoyas.

As for Notre Dame, the pressure is mounting and the loss to the Redstorm, along with the defensive questions make this a tough match-up. The Hoyas will look to slow the game down, neither team has a lot of depth, so the edge to the better defensive team looks to be apparent. Luke Harangody is likely to have a big game inside, but the Hoyas will work to close down opportunities for the other Irish players, especially Kyle McAlarney.

The latest college basketball odds have ND as a slight 2 1/2 point favorite. Could this be the night the home win streak is put to rest?

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 71
Notre Dame 66

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: PITTSBURGH @ GEORGETOWN

January 3, 2009


The marquee Big East game of the day gets off to an early start as Pittsburgh travels to meet Georgetown for a noon tip-off. Pittsburgh is the lone undefeated Big East team left and the third-ranked Panthers will be putting that mark on the line against the 8th-rated Hoyas on Saturday.

Here are some of the game stories and previews found on the web this morning:

Monroe Making it Look Easy (Wash. Times)
Early Big East Edge at Stake (Washington Times)
Whole at the Center (Washington Post)
Jury (well, Me) Still Out on Pitt (FoxSports.com)
The Court Gets Heats when Pitt Plays Rival Georgetown (Post-Gazette)
Pitt’s Young Hopes to Finally Win at ‘Home’ (Tribune-Review)


Pittsburgh will be playing their third consecutive road game on Saturday, following wins at Florida State (56-48) and at Rutgers (78-72), which opened Big East play for the Panthers.

The win over the Scarlet Knights was a true team effort as Pitt got a career high from Brad Wanamaker (15 points) as the Panther bench picked up the slack with DeJuan Blair having an off game. Blair averages 13.7 points a game and 12.1 rebounds, even after the game with Rutgers in which he played just 8 minutes.

Seniors Sam Young and Levance Fields have been through the Big East battles over the years and were key performers in Pitt’s Big East Tournament championship run last season that included a win over Georgetown in the finals. Young had 18 in the win over RU and leads the Panthers in scoring at near 20 a game in his senior season. Fields is still rounding into top shape following a foot injury that kept him out of the entire preseason. He is also on the verge of a personal milestone, entering the game with 996 career points.

The Hoyas are in the midst of a brutal stretch of games that began with Monday’s impressive defeat of Connecticut in Hartford. The Hoyas led from start to finish with freshman Greg Monroe completely neutralizing 7’3 Hasheem Thabeet.

After their game with Pittsburgh, Georgetown will meet Notre Dame on Monday night, completing a run of three top-10 match-ups in a week’s time.

In the win over UConn, DaJuan Summers had a team-high 18 points and Monroe and Chris Wright each added an efficient 16 a piece. The Hoyas have lost just once this season, on a neutral floor against Tennessee and have some revenge on their mind for the two losses they suffered to Pitt last year, including the Big East finale.

It is a heavyweight match-up to kickstart your Saturday of hoops with two teams certain to be in your March Madness betting pools. The Hoyas are a 3 1/2-point favorite in this contest.



Prediction:

Georgetown 68
Pittsburgh 65

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