Georgetown followed its shocking season opening loss with a strong second half effort against the Eagles of American University. On Friday night, the Hoyas have a chance to prove that Tuesday was no fluke. 

Game info

TV Network: FS2

Location: Capital One Arena

Time: 6:30 pm EST

All-time record vs. Siena: 0-3, The Hoyas last matched up against Siena way back in 1955, losing 63-50 in Loudonville, New York. The game capped off a trio of Georgetown losses to the Saints, all taking place in the 1950s.

Who we’re playing

After leading the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in wins last season, Siena appears to be heading in the wrong direction. The Saints have struggled early on to replace the output of their top three scorers from last year, all of whom are no longer with the team. Coach Carmen Maciariello’s squad enters Friday’s contest fresh off three straight losses to begin their season, each coming by a margin of 20 or more points. Siena began the season playing well in the first half against 22nd ranked Saint Bonaventure, but the Saints have been dominated in each of the five halves of basketball since. After failing to the Bonnies, Siena’s two subsequent losses have come to Yale and Delaware, both schools that rank in the mid-100s according to KenPom.

Opposing Player to Look Out For

Colby Rogers

The Saints are led by Junior guard Colby Rogers, who has taken control of the team’s offense to begin the year after transferring in from Cal Poly. Rogers is currently averaging 15.7 points, 1.3 assists, and just under one rebound per game so far. Limiting his sharpshooting ability will be a massive point of emphasis in this one, as Rogers is hitting 57.1% of his seven attempted threes per game. 

If Georgetown can keep the ball out of Rogers’ hands, the Saints will be forced to turn to some of their more inexperienced guards, who have been prone to turnovers to begin the year. Guarding Rogers would give Aminu Mohammed some valuable reps as he prepares for the long-range scoring juggernauts of the Big East such as Villanova’s Collin Gillespie and Julian Champagnie out of St. John’s. 

How Georgetown Matches Up

The key to this matchup will be Georgetown’s play on the perimeter on both sides of the ball. After a terrible defensive start against Dartmouth, the Hoyas looked better in their matchup with American but still left room for improvement. Look for Patrick Ewing to try to run Siena off the three-point line, as the Saints have somehow made a lower percentage of their two-point field goals to begin the year. Siena’s opponents have also shot the three-ball well, averaging 39% from behind the arc. Kaiden Rice has a prime opportunity Friday to overcome his early shooting struggles and cement a starting role for the foreseeable future against Siena’s porous wing defense. 

One matchup that will carry a lot of weight will be between Siena big man Jackson Stormo and Tim Ighoefe. Stormo has been a strong presence inside to begin his senior campaign, and Ighoefe will need to stay out of foul trouble and use his size advantage to contain the 6’9” forward. These two will be battling for boards all night, and second chance points could very well decide this matchup. 

Predictions

Brendan’s Prediction (0-0 on the season): Georgetown 75, Siena 60

Siena will enter Capital One Arena on Friday night desperate for a win. I believe they will come out of the gate with a fierce intensity to challenge the Hoyas early, much like they did against the Bonnies. However, Georgetown simply has too much talent to fall behind Siena, and I think Ewing’s squad will pull away late to secure another double-digit victory for the Hoya faithful. 

Will’s Prediction (1-1 on the season): Georgetown 80, Siena 57

I feel comfortable predicting a blow-out. This year’s Georgetown team seems capable of having a really low floor or a really high ceiling, depending on how they come out onto the court on any given night. While the Hoyas might be unpredictable this season, what isn’t unpredictable headed into Friday night is the fact that the Saints stink. Colby Rogers is talented, but after watching Aminu Mohammed take on American’s best scorer in Stacy Beckton Jr. on defense, I expect he’ll be up for the task. Beyond Rogers, the Saints simply don’t have the talent or length that Georgetown does.

Jacob’s Prediction (1-1 on the season): Georgetown 80, Siena 59

Based on their early season results, Siena simply isn’t a good basketball team. In my eyes, their only hope of pulling off the upset is if Colby Rogers can get hot from three and carry the Saints’ offense on his back. That could happen, but I also expect Rogers to draw a matchup with Aminu Mohammed, who has arguably already asserted himself as the Hoyas’ best perimeter defender. I think Mohammed will be up for the task, and Georgetown should cruise to another home win over an inferior opponent.