To say this season has been a rollercoaster thus far, especially in recent games, would be putting it lightly. After squeaking out a win at St.John’s and going from potential blowout to absolutely battling Seton Hall at home, the Hoyas have had their fair share of drama. Would it be too much to ask for an easy victory at home against DePaul on Saturday? We shall see.
The Blue Demons are arguably the most beatable team in the Big East this year, only intensifying the need for a Hoyas victory. Coming in on a five-game losing streak, the Blue Demons are 10th in the Big East, with their only victory coming over Butler at home. With additional wins over Iowa and Texas Tech, the Blue Demons have shown they can play with anyone despite their mediocre record. Regardless, even if Mac McClung still doesn’t play, the Hoyas are in good position to defeat the Blue Demons and keep their postseason hopes alive.
The Blue Demons returned much of their roster from last year’s 19-win season to go along with their impressive recruiting class. Charlie Moore, a transfer from Kansas and California, leads DePaul in scoring at 16 points per game. As the catalyst of their offense, Moore can score and dish, as he leads the team with 6.7 assists per game as well. Under the rim, the Blue Demons rely on Paul Reed, who is averaging a double-double so far this season. After being named the Big East’s Most Improved Player last season, Reed has continued to elevate his game this year. Many have dubbed him one of the most underrated NBA prospects with his ability to light up every column of the stat sheet. Georgetown’s frontcourt will have a tall task ahead of them, as a strong performance from Reed could easily be the key to a DePaul win.
Two of DePaul’s other starters, Jalen Coleman-Lands and Jaylen Butz, are also scoring in double-figures routinely this season. With the Blue Demons averaging 72.9 points per game, the Hoyas are more likely to be successful if they keep DePaul off the boards and contain their scorers. DePaul’s biggest struggle this season has been their inconsistency, which has been the case with just about every Big East team. Nonetheless, DePaul has significantly less talent than other teams, and the Hoyas need to capitalize on this to earn a much-needed win.
Considering Georgetown used a 6-man rotation against Seton Hall and the relatively quick turnaround between games, the Hoyas cannot afford to make many mistakes or get into foul trouble. Even if Mac McClung is back, going 7-men deep is less than ideal. The usual suspects will have to contribute, but that may not be enough. It’s about time for Omer Yurtseven to have another dominant performance, and after a weak shooting night on Wednesday, hopefully Jahvon Blair will be able to light it up from deep. Assuming the Hoyas show the same fight that they did against Seton Hall, Georgetown should come away with a much needed victory before a six-day break.
Jacob’s Prediction (17-6 on the year): Georgetown 78, DePaul 76
With a week off looming, I find it unlikely that Georgetown rushes McClung back from injury. Without McClung, Hoya fans would surely feel a lot less confident heading into the game. As Kathryn mentioned, Paul Reed is one of the best players in the entire conference. Not to hit on a sore subject or anything, but he is basically what we all thought Josh LeBlanc could become. I’ve critiqued Georgetown’s coaching this year, but the staff seems to have partially figured it out over the last few games. In any case, Georgetown is a far better coached team than DePaul. Whenever I watch the Blue Demons, it seems like they run zero offense and resort to taking bad shots. This will play in the Hoyas’ favor, and Georgetown’s superior ability to execute down the stretch will be enough to get the job done.
Will’s Prediction (14-9 on the year): Georgetown 73, DePaul 69
Watching DePaul basketball is brutal. As Jacob said, they seem to run out there without a plan and hope for the best. The Hoyas have the edge in talent and coaching, and should hopefully be able to weather (if needed) the loss of Mac McClung for another game. I expect this game to be closer than us Hoyas fans are comfortable with though.
