Preview
A time for panic? Of course not. A time for concern? Yes.
Georgetown has never advanced to the NCAA tournament in four previous 0-2 starts in the Big East, but an 18 game schedule offers opportunity for redemption beginning with Saturday's basketball brunch at St. John's. With a pair of winnable games ahead of it with St. John's and Providence, a 2-2 mark puts the Hoyas back into the conversation. An 0-3 start, on the other hand, would require GU win 10 of its remaining 15 games to be in consideration for an NCAA at-large berth--a tall order for any Big East team given the competition, but most certainly for one that has shown as little offensively as Georgetown has over this season.
Saturday's opponent continues to be a team of youth and late-game inexperience. St. John's has seen its share of close finishes, with two Big East games settled by three points and a third which went into overtime. With no one on the team with more than a season and half of college experience, the Redmen are still adjusting to Steve Lavin's offense, while its defense has shown signs of one (and sometimes, two) halves of strong play.
This game could well be decided on the perimeter, where both teams have struggled from the outside but may be due for a big game.
The strength of the St. John's attack remains in the backcourt. 6-3 sophomore D'Angelo Harrison has assumed the bulk of the scoring held last year by Moe Harkless, a one-and-doner who is averaging 4.5 points per game this season for the Orlando Magic. Harrison turned in a career high 36 against Villanova and has scored 24 or more in four of the last five games. If Harrison is left alone outside, he can punish opponents, but his inside game has been more effective this season.
The Redmen have enjoyed less success with point guard Phil Greene, who went for 15 against Villanova but shot a combined 3 for 16 versus Cincinnati and Rutgers. Greene is another player that can really take off if given the chance, but it will be up to the Georgetown defense to limit penetrations by both Greene and Harrison and force turnovers.
Outside of Harkless, St. John's suffered inside last year and have made some lineup changes to improve its stock. Sir'Dominic Pointer was moved out of the starting lineup and replaced by freshman JaKarr Sampson, who has fared well in his early games and has been named Big East Rookie of the Week three times this season. Sampson averaged 14 points per game versus Cincinnati and Rutgers, and averages 7.0 rebounds a game overall. Amir Garrett (7.1 ppg) has been inconsistent but is always capable of a big game, such as his 15 point, nine rebound game against Villanova.
The surprise to date has been freshman center Chris Obekpa. Thrust into the starting lineup when JC senior God's Gift Achiuwa took a redshirt year, Obekpa has been a defensive force, with 77 blocks to date and an increasingly stronger presence on the boards. His shooting is not there (40% from the field, 29% from the line), but forcing blocked shots pays dividends in the St. John's offense.
St. John's bench is admittedly thin. Three players are sidelined this season for transfer, redshirt or NCAA eligibility issues, leaving five active reserves. Pointer (5.0 ppg) has been somewhat of a disappointment, while guards Jamal Branch (7.0 ppg) and Marc-Antoine Borgeault (2.2 ppg, 35% from three) could see time as a result. Of some concern if Obekpa or Sampson gets into foul trouble: only one of the reserves is taller than 6-6 and none is a inside presence.
Georgetown's problems in the past two games revolve around tempo (slow), shot selection (poor), and rebounding (poor), as other teams have taken advantage of its first half lulls to stay close (or in the case of Pitt, to pull away). Its bench remains unproven, and the degree to whether coach Thompson will move beyond Jabril Trawick and D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera bears watching.
Some keys to the game:
D'Angelo Harrison: Held to 1 for 12 shooting in last season's game at MSG, Harrison should be much more effective this time around, but holding him under 15 would be optimal for the Hoyas.
Mikael Hopkins:
The sophomore center is exhibiting the frustration and confidence issues Nate Lubick battled through last year. Hopkins must be more aggressive and set the plays that he has been unable to do in many games this season.
The Hard Cut: Has Georgetown run a play out of the motion offense in the past two weeks? Now is the time to get back to what works best in this offense.
Markel Starks:
Georgetown's lack of guard depth makes Starks' role on the team ever more vital. Starks needs a strong defensive showing and a good game outside for Georgetown to take control.
Free Throw Shooting: Neither team shoots better than 65%, but St. John's averages nearly 20 attempts per game.
Every game is important, but this one will tell us a lot about where the 2012-13 Hoyas are going in Big East play.
A time for panic? Of course not. A time for concern? Yes.
Georgetown has never advanced to the NCAA tournament in four previous 0-2 starts in the Big East, but an 18 game schedule offers opportunity for redemption beginning with Saturday's basketball brunch at St. John's. With a pair of winnable games ahead of it with St. John's and Providence, a 2-2 mark puts the Hoyas back into the conversation. An 0-3 start, on the other hand, would require GU win 10 of its remaining 15 games to be in consideration for an NCAA at-large berth--a tall order for any Big East team given the competition, but most certainly for one that has shown as little offensively as Georgetown has over this season.
Saturday's opponent continues to be a team of youth and late-game inexperience. St. John's has seen its share of close finishes, with two Big East games settled by three points and a third which went into overtime. With no one on the team with more than a season and half of college experience, the Redmen are still adjusting to Steve Lavin's offense, while its defense has shown signs of one (and sometimes, two) halves of strong play.
This game could well be decided on the perimeter, where both teams have struggled from the outside but may be due for a big game.
The strength of the St. John's attack remains in the backcourt. 6-3 sophomore D'Angelo Harrison has assumed the bulk of the scoring held last year by Moe Harkless, a one-and-doner who is averaging 4.5 points per game this season for the Orlando Magic. Harrison turned in a career high 36 against Villanova and has scored 24 or more in four of the last five games. If Harrison is left alone outside, he can punish opponents, but his inside game has been more effective this season.
The Redmen have enjoyed less success with point guard Phil Greene, who went for 15 against Villanova but shot a combined 3 for 16 versus Cincinnati and Rutgers. Greene is another player that can really take off if given the chance, but it will be up to the Georgetown defense to limit penetrations by both Greene and Harrison and force turnovers.
Outside of Harkless, St. John's suffered inside last year and have made some lineup changes to improve its stock. Sir'Dominic Pointer was moved out of the starting lineup and replaced by freshman JaKarr Sampson, who has fared well in his early games and has been named Big East Rookie of the Week three times this season. Sampson averaged 14 points per game versus Cincinnati and Rutgers, and averages 7.0 rebounds a game overall. Amir Garrett (7.1 ppg) has been inconsistent but is always capable of a big game, such as his 15 point, nine rebound game against Villanova.
The surprise to date has been freshman center Chris Obekpa. Thrust into the starting lineup when JC senior God's Gift Achiuwa took a redshirt year, Obekpa has been a defensive force, with 77 blocks to date and an increasingly stronger presence on the boards. His shooting is not there (40% from the field, 29% from the line), but forcing blocked shots pays dividends in the St. John's offense.
St. John's bench is admittedly thin. Three players are sidelined this season for transfer, redshirt or NCAA eligibility issues, leaving five active reserves. Pointer (5.0 ppg) has been somewhat of a disappointment, while guards Jamal Branch (7.0 ppg) and Marc-Antoine Borgeault (2.2 ppg, 35% from three) could see time as a result. Of some concern if Obekpa or Sampson gets into foul trouble: only one of the reserves is taller than 6-6 and none is a inside presence.
Georgetown's problems in the past two games revolve around tempo (slow), shot selection (poor), and rebounding (poor), as other teams have taken advantage of its first half lulls to stay close (or in the case of Pitt, to pull away). Its bench remains unproven, and the degree to whether coach Thompson will move beyond Jabril Trawick and D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera bears watching.
Some keys to the game:
D'Angelo Harrison: Held to 1 for 12 shooting in last season's game at MSG, Harrison should be much more effective this time around, but holding him under 15 would be optimal for the Hoyas.
Mikael Hopkins:
The sophomore center is exhibiting the frustration and confidence issues Nate Lubick battled through last year. Hopkins must be more aggressive and set the plays that he has been unable to do in many games this season.
The Hard Cut: Has Georgetown run a play out of the motion offense in the past two weeks? Now is the time to get back to what works best in this offense.
Markel Starks:
Georgetown's lack of guard depth makes Starks' role on the team ever more vital. Starks needs a strong defensive showing and a good game outside for Georgetown to take control.
Free Throw Shooting: Neither team shoots better than 65%, but St. John's averages nearly 20 attempts per game.
Every game is important, but this one will tell us a lot about where the 2012-13 Hoyas are going in Big East play.
