The Hoyas will try to ace their second December exam Saturday at 2 pm EST when they face-off against #16 Washington at the Wooden Classic in Anaheim, Calif. You can catch the game on Fox Sports, or listen to Rich Chvotkin on 980 AM.
The Huskies are an unfamiliar opponent for the Hoyas–this is the teams’ first meeting–but have had a familiar-sounding trajectory over the past several years. UW coach in Lorenzo Romar turned around a struggling program on arrival, making a surprising tournament appearance in 2004, followed by back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in 2005 and 2006. A two-year dry spell due to early defections to the NBA was broken by last year’s advancement to to the second round of the Dance. This year, the Huskies are a year older, with accordingly higher expectations, despite the loss of John Brockman, UW’s all-time leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, to the NBA.
Washington comes into the game with a 6-1 record, only a tough overtime loss to Texas Tech before a floor-rushing crowd to blemish its otherwise perfect record. The Husky attack is, like Cerberus, a multi-headed beast, led by rugged senior forward Quincy Pondexter (22.0 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.9 stl pg) and mighty mouse 5’8″ sophomore Isaiah Thomas (20.3 ppg). Pondexter has matured markedly this year, and can get his points from seemingly anywhere; Thomas, despite his erratic start this year, is a threat to score every time he touches the ball.
Washington’s free-wheeling offense (fans of the Hoyas’ deliberate sets will blanch like the local townsfolk recoiled at Kevin Bacon’s arrival in that amazing documentary Footloose) gives plenty of other Huskies their chance to shine, so keep an eye on Matthew Bryan-Amaning (8.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.7 blk pg) down low and guards Venoy Overton, Abdul Gaddy (combined 12 ppg, 6 apg), and Elston Turner on the wing. Overton is a lock-down defender, while Gaddy is a highly touted recruit that’s still working his way into the deep Husky rotation. The Huskies are quick (8.1 stl pg), and like to run (86.3 ppg), often forcing their opponents to foul (31 FTA pg); look for them make up for their lack of size (no one above 6’9″, Overton and Thomas both under 6′) by pushing the tempo to force the Hoyas out of their half-court game. They may even use their lack of size to their advantage, throwing out three- and even four-guard line-ups to undermine Georgetown’s size.
The Hoyas come into this game at a high point in the young season, having toppled Butler Tuesday night in MSG, but will need to maintain focus against a talented and pesky Husky squad. Georgetown has proven capable defensively, holding opponents to just 34.6% from the field and limiting second chances with a +10 rebound margin. JTIII may show the occasional two-three zone to slow down Washington’s dribble-happy offense, much like against Butler. In any case, Georgetown primarily needs to control the paint like it did Tuesday night while avoiding the foul trouble that allowed the Bulldogs back into the game.
On offense, Jason Clark and Chris Wright will need to dictate a slower tempo, protect the ball, and milk the Hoyas’ size advantage inside, feeding Greg Monroe and Julian Vaughn. Monroe will have a size advantage, whether against Amaning or one of his shorter teammates, and should get similarly good looks to Tuesday night. Whether that size advantage means anything depends on whether Clark and Wright can slow the game down. Whether Monroe gets good looks will depend in part on whether Austin Freman, Clark, Wright, and Hollis Thompson can hit the long ball well enough to keep the Husky defense honest.
Prediction–Georgetown 75, Washington 72, in a nail-biter.
