Sneak Peek: Notre Dame at Georgetown

Georgetown faces another key test Saturday when it hosts Notre Dame at noon.  You can watch the game on CBS or listen on ESPN980.

Notre Dame comes into the game at 7-8 in conference, 18-10 in conference.  In other words, as ESPN projects, while the Irish have a couple of nice victories, “there’s still plenty of work to do between now and Selection Sunday.”  Still, the fact that they’re mentioned as a bubble team means they’re a very good team, and they’ve beaten Pitt and West Virginia,  albeit both in South Bend.   That said, they’ve also lost at Rutgers (who does that?) and Seton Hall, and against Northwestern in Chicago post-Thanksgiving in which Luke Harangody looked like he had gone back for fourths on stuffing. Saturday, they’ll be hungry for another quality win.

Some quick thoughts:

• Star–Harangody.  Harangody has been his typical bull-in-a-china-shop self this year, combining the most annoying aspects of Tyler Hansbrough and Bill Laimbeer on his way to 24.1 points and 10 rebounds per game.  However, he’s sat the last three games with a bone bruise, and one report forecasts his likelihood for Saturday as doubtful.  If he does play, he’s  a force.  Even if not, the Harangody-less Irish destroyed Pitt earlier this week.  Which leads us to…
• Supporting cast–Tim Abromaitis.  The 6’8″ forward is a star in the making–he can bomb.  He hits nearly 50% of his three balls and is generally a sniper all over the floor, averaging 17+ ppg.
• X factor–Tyrone Nash and Tory Jackson.  Jackson, the senior PG who seemingly hasn’t gotten better since a mildly terrifying run as a freshman, and Nash, Harangody’s replacement as a post scorer, must both chip in more if Harangody is absent.  If Jason Clark shuts down Jackson and Nash gets lost among the Hoya bigs, the Irish won’t stand much of a chance.
• Guy you’ll love to hate–Harangody, easily.
  
• Guy you’ll love to hate, non-Harangody edition–Ben Hansbrough.  By familial connection alone, Tyler’s brother wins going away.  Honorable mention to coach Mike Brey, who looks like an evil Kevin Nealon with a turtle neck.  Double honorable mention to Jamie O’Hare, Vince Vaughn’s character in Rudy, who, while not a real person, seemed really despicable.
  
• Strength–Offensive efficiency.  According to Ken Pomeroy, the Irish have the second most efficient offense in the country; basically they make a really high percentage of their shots (54.7%, 41.5% 3FG) and rarely turn the ball over (15.7% of possessions). Since Harangody’s departure, they’ve been milking the clock in a particular quest for the best shot.  In other words, exactly what you’d expect from a team from Indiana.
  
• Weakness–Defense.  The Irish are near the bottom in the country in generating turnovers, and their opponents make a very high percentage of shots.
• Comparison–Perhaps it’s just Brey’s assistant coaching history, but without Harangody, they look like a somewhat less talented version of Duke–lots of offense, well-selected shots, but it’s unclear whether they can get stops or protect the boards.  Of course, with Harangody, they’re a different team, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

Georgetown has a fair amount left to prove this season.  Like Notre Dame, they have quality home wins against top-flight opponents.  Like the Irish, they lost at Rutgers.  (Just typing that hurts.)  The Irish’s defensive woes suggest that Austin Freeman and perhaps the other Hoya perimeter players could have a field day from downtown, but only if they approach the game with the sort of intensity with which they came out of the half against Louisville.  The Hoyas have gotten up for other nationally televised Saturday homegames (Duke, Villanova), so let’s hope Saturday goes the same way.

Prediction–Georgetown 80, Notre Dame 73.