Georgetown: Pre-Game Report

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Game Notes
--South Carolina is 15-3 in home games at the Colonial Center this season.
-- With a win Thursday, Georgetown would post the 22nd 20-win season in its history.
-- South Carolina is 35-2 at home vs. non-conference opponents over the past four seasons.
-- Georgetown is 2-0 against teams from South Carolina this season (The Citadel, Clemson) and 13-0 all time against teams from the Palmetto State.
Preview:Georgetown perspective

A quick look at the NIT brackets to date leads to one conclusion: home teams have the edge. That's good for a South Carolina team which has won seven of its last nine at home since January 15. That's not so good for a Georgetown team which has won only two games away from home since January 15.

Georgetown enters a hostile road environment Thursday needing to take a page from their most recent two games against South Carolina in 2002 and 2003--keep the game close and win the game on defense.

Two years ago Carlos Powell led the Gamecocks with 17 points in a loss at Georgetown, and remains South Carolina's best scoring option. Powell has been the leading scorer in each of Carolina's last six games and with 6.4 rebounds a game, remains a force inside. The Gamecocks have won its first two NIT games by getting the ball inside, and Powell will be a key element of this strategy. Also a key--Powell has not fouled out all season.

The Carolina starting five have been inconsistent but all are talented. Washington DC native Tre Kelley leads the effort at guard and leads the team in assists. 6-2 shooting guard Rocky Trice is an underrated playmaker who hasn't put together the big game this season. Up front, Powell has been helped by some late season heroics from 6-7 Tarence Kinsey and 6-9 Brendan Wallace, who helped shut down UNLV early on Tuesday. Carolina's bench, particularly guard Josh Gonner, will see plenty of action Thursday.

Carolina's late game troubles have been an issue much of the season, but not against UNLV. The Gamecocks dominated all game long against the Rebels, and its ability to force the tempo on the more deliberate Hoyas will be worth watching. South Carolina has suffered with outside and foul shooting, so the Gamecocks cannot afford to fall behind.

Georgetown's two NIT wins have not made much impact on the team's lack of consistent rebounding. Jeff Green needs to stay out of foul trouble and get the boards while Roy Hibbert, though struggling offensively, needs to help on the inside as well. The Hoyas have gotten away with a smaller lineup in recent games but may have to go taller against a more physical South Carolina team.

Three keys to the game:

1. Tre Kelly needs a double figure scoring effort for the Gamecocks to prevail.
2. Georgetown must stay within four offensive rebounds of the Gamecocks.
3. Georgetown must make at least seven three point attempts.

This will be the Hoyas' toughest challenge since the UConn game: a physical opponent who can match Georgetown's strengths inside, a better perimeter defense than its past two opponents and a home court advantage.. In the end, Georgetown's defense should be the difference if it can keep Carolina from establishing an inside presence.


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Hoyas-USC game preview

COLUMBIA ? With about 14 seconds to go in South Carolina's 77-66 victory over UNLV, fans erupted in cheers when it was announced the Gamecocks would host Georgetown on Thursday in the NIT quarterfinals.

Those fans have reason to celebrate. South Carolina is 15-3 at the Colonial Center this season, and the home team has won the majority of games in this year's NIT.

"I'm thankful that we have another home game," Odom said. "It's certainly a big advantage to us."

Indeed it is.

The Gamecocks (17-13) are 34-2 in non-conference home games under Odom, and their only losses at the Colonial Center this season have come to Auburn, Clemson and Florida.

But South Carolina doesn't have history on its side. Georgetown (19-12) is 4-0 against the Gamecocks and won the last meeting 67-59 on Dec. 5, 2003 in Washington.

However, the Hoyas realized Tuesday night how important home-court advantage can be.

Georgetown moved from its home arena, the MCI Center, and hosted Cal State Fullerton on campus at its small, intimate McDonough Gymnasium. A standing-room only crowd of 2,604 packed the gym and the Hoyas won 74-57.

The home crowd also kept South Carolina full of energy in the first half against UNLV. Tarence Kinsey went up into the second row to save a loose ball early on, and slapped high-five with a fan on his way back to the court. Brandon Wallace, who tied a career-best with 13 points, dunked off Rocky Trice's miss and the crowd went crazy, and later, Antoine Tisby followed a miss with a dunk that put the Gamecocks ahead 33-17 with just a few minutes remaining in the first half.

That's one thing that definitely keeps our energy up," South Carolina's Stephen McDowell said of raucous crowds.

South Carolina forced eight steals and 11 turnovers in the first half against the Rebels, but things might not come as easy against Georgetown.

The Hoyas, too, went ahead early against a short-handed Cal State Fullerton team. Jeff Green scored eight of Georgetown's first 13 points and finished with 18. Brandon Bowman added 19 and the two combined to hit four of seven shots from behind the arc, a concern for Odom.

"Both those guys can shoot 3s, so we're going to have to push out on them," Odom said.

The Hoyas are 4-5 on the road this year and while that might not sound too impressive, the Gamecocks were just 1-7 in away games against Southeastern Conference opponents this year.

If the Gamecocks win, it would be their second trip in four years to Madison Square Garden, where the NIT semifinals and finals are held. But to avoid putting undue pressure on his team, Odom hasn't mentioned anything about New York. In fact, even though NIT officials told him before the game against UNLV that the Gamecocks would host the quarterfinals if they won, Odom was tightlipped with his team.

Administration officials also had wanted to let fans know before the game, but Odom was against the announcement prior to the game, saying it would be "disrespectful" to UNLV.

Odom did, however, ask Rebels coach Lon Kruger if he could make an announcement near the end of the game if South Carolina was ahead.

"He was great about it," Odom said of Kruger. "My wife even, she didn't understand what I was doing. When I got home she said, 'I can't believe you did that.'"

 

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Briefly: Kinsey bruised his tailbone during practice Monday when falling during a dunk and a few hours before USC's victory over Nevada Las-Vegas on Tuesday had only a 50-50 chance of playing, Odom said. "It shook the arena," Odom said. "He lay there for a while. We were very worried." Kinsey was given a pass on his classes Tuesday by his professors so he could rehab all day. "Without that," Odom said, "I don't think he could have played." Kinsey is expected to start again tonight. ... USC has outscored its first two NIT opponents 72-34 in the lane. ... USC is 35-2 at home against nonconference opponents under Odom. The Gamecocks are 15-3 at home this season. ... The Hoyas run what is called the Princeton offense, a motion attack similar to that used by Vanderbilt and employs a variety of backdoor cuts. USC is 6-2 against Vanderbilt under Odom.