Georgetown kicks off its Big East Tournament play Wednesday in a revenge game against South Florida. Tip-off is 12 pm EST. You can watch on ESPN or listen on ESPN 980.
The First Time Around
Way back on February 3, the Hoyas lost at home to South Florida, 72-64, a classic let-down game between big wins over Duke and Villanova. In that game, the Hoyas led early but gave up a galling 46 second-half points while scoring just 29 over their own. In particular, All Big-East selection Dominique Jones torched Georgetown, scoring 29, 22 of which came in the pivotal second half.
So what worked, and what didn’t?
What worked:
- Austin Freeman. 7 of 11 from the field, 21 points.
- Greg Monroe. 9 of 14 from the field, 21 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks.
- …that’s pretty much it.
What didn’t:
- The rest of the Hoya line-up. No one else shot 50% or better from the field. Chris Wright was a particular offender (3 of 10 from the field, 0 of 6 from 3, 2 of 4 from the line). Each of the starter contributed in his own way (Wright had 5 assists, Jason Clark and Julian Vaughn had 6 rebounds apiece), but none of those ways included much scoring.
- Free-throw shooting. The Hoyas went 11 for 22 from the line; had they shot just 70%, the four-point deficit that the Hoyas faced before some late fouling would have been a tie.
- Containing Jones. The Hoyas have struggled throughout the year to lock down wing scorers, most recently Lance Stephenson from Cincinnati. The South Florida game was no exception, as described above.
- Foul Trouble. Clark and Vaughn both finished with 4 fouls, and Monroe fouled out with the Hoyas down just 2 in the waning minutes. Aside from hampering the Hoyas’ belated comeback, all those fouls put the Bulls on the line 31 times.
Wednesday’s Game
South Florida enters the game 20-11, and 10-9 (counting the recent DePaul win) in conference. While the Hoyas are playing for seeding in the NCAA tournament, the Bulls are playing just to get in. To help their cause, they’ll have second-leading scorer Augustus Gilchrist, who missed the earlier match-up between the two teams because of injury.
The Hoyas are still in search of some momentum. The romp over Cincinnati was nice, but one win hardly erases the sour taste of four losses in their prior five. Wednesday, they’ll have a tough test against a talented and motivated opponent. They’ll also have an opportunity for revenge. As talented as the Bulls are, the Hoyas are the better team, but it’s up to them to prove it. And, an even bigger revenge game, against Syracuse on Thursday, looms as a distraction.
Keep an eye on the following three things as bellwethers for the Hoyas’ success:
- Points in the Paint. The Bulls don’t take or make many 3s (Tuesday against DePaul, they made zero), and so make their living (1) on drives to the hoop and (2) on free throws (see more on (2) below). Limiting points in the paint is usually a team effort; while Monroe and Vaughn must play stout defense inside, Freeman, Wright, and Clark must keep the South Florida guards from penetrating into the lane. South Florida, and Jones in particular, relies on dribble drives to create easy points. Speaking of easy points…
- Free Throws. The Bulls get to the line with startling frequency (33rd nationally), and earned the difference in the last game at the charity stripe (19 made free throws to Georgetown’s 11). Georgetown has had a tendency to brick one free throw after another in losses (e.g. USF, 2nd Syracuse game).
- Rebounding. In the first game, the Hoyas and Bulls rebounded at a similar rate, drawing even on offensive boards and with the Bulls edging the Hoyas by 3 overall. Since then, Gilchrist, who averages over six rebounds a game, has come back. Extra possessions lead to extra points, and the Hoyas can ill afford to give those up tomorrow.
- Supporting Scoring. Freeman when healthy and Monroe have been consistent performers throughout, but especially in the latter half of the season. Monroe has scored 12 or better in 8 straight, while Freeman has netted 11 or better every game since Butler in December (save for the ND game, in which he was so obviously ill). But the Hoyas have struggled to get a third consistent scorer–Chris Wright has been famously up-and-down, and Jason Clark has been seemingly absent from several games in conference play.
- Jones. The elephant in the room. Whether by showing more zone or more Hollis Thompson, the Hoyas must find a way to contain Jones, who accounts for nearly a third of the Bulls’ offense.
Prediction–Georgetown 70, South Florida 66.
