Monday, January 21, 2008

Georgetown Guest Preview

As shocking as this may seem, we've decided to team up with a Georgetown blog called Hoya Hoops. They've provided us with an in depth look at the 2008 Hoyas.

Here's what they've got to say:

The Inside Scoop on Georgetown

So Far This Year:
Georgetown is 14-2 on the season and 4-1 in league play. They lost at #2 Memphis and at #15 Pittsburgh, meaning they are still perfect on their home court at Verizon Center. They are the only remaining Big East team with just one conference loss. In their last game this past Saturday, they blew out Notre Dame 84-65.

Who To Look Out For:
Roy Hibbert was the preseason Big East Player of the Year, and at 7’2’’, he is a tough matchup throughout the Big East. He was dominant against DePaul and Notre Dame, two teams that tried various defenses against him. He also had success against Connecticut when being defended by the 7’3’’ Hasheem Thabeet. Because of Georgetown’s variation of the Princeton Offense, Hibbert’s numbers are not overwhelming, but he’s a good passer, and he makes it a lot easier on the perimeter players.

Who Else To Look Out For:
Austin Freeman is one of the most talented freshmen in the conference. He’s averaging 12.6 points per game in Big East play and 43.8% from three-point range on the season. He also has a good mid-range game and was effective finding the gaps in Notre Dame’s 2-3 zone. Look for him to try and do the same against the Orange.

How They Win:
Many different ways, actually. The Hoyas can win with Hibbert’s scoring, as he had 21 against Notre Dame. They can win with hot shooting; they made their first seven field goals against DePaul and never looked back. They can win with good defense, as they held Rutgers to 31.1% shooting. And they can win down the stretch, like when Hibbert made the game-winning three-pointer with 4.2 seconds left to beat UCONN.

Why They Lose:
In Georgetown’s two defeats this year, their three-point shooting was abysmal, going 3 for 14 (21.4%) against Memphis and 3 for 20 (15.0%) against Pitt. On the season, they average 39.8% from behind the arc.

Besides the occasional off-shooting night, the Hoyas have the tendency to give up a lot of offensive rebounds. In their conference opener against Rutgers, Georgetown prevailed in spite of allowing 22 offensive rebounds. Syracuse’s team athleticism could create a lot of second chance points.


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