Wednesday’s win over #25 Creighton gave new hope to a fanbase starved for success. There’s no time to relax, however, as Georgetown looks to finish off the two-game homestand with another victory over the Marquette Golden Eagles at 2 P.M. Saturday.
Another Big East game means another tough test for the Hoyas. Both teams enter the game tied for fifth place in the conference at 2-3. After losing three of their first four Big East games, the Golden Eagles rebounded with a resounding 85-65 victory over Xavier on Wednesday. Both Marquette and Georgetown are looking to carry momentum into Saturday’s game in hopes of staying relevant in a competitive Big East conference.
Marquette’s chances of stealing a road victory rest largely on the shoulders of Markus Howard, their senior point guard. At 5’11”, Howard is far from physically intimidating, but his ability to single handedly take over a game can give even the most skilled defenders nightmares. Howard leads the conference in scoring, averaging 27.3 points per game. Perhaps more impressive is his effectiveness from beyond the three-point arc, as he is shooting 43.1% from deep this season.
You simply cannot give Markus Howard any space.
In terms of stopping Howard, it will take an entire team effort. Jagan Mosely, Ewing’s swiss army knife on defense, will likely get first crack at guarding the Marquette standout. That being said, it’s unlikely Mosely will be able to keep up with Howard for a full 40 minutes, and thus Terrell Allen should see some time on him as well. Regardless of who is matched up with Howard, the entire Georgetown defense will have to offer help to prevent Saturday’s game from turning into the Markus Howard show.
Still, Georgetown will need to avoid over-helping on defense and giving up open three-pointers. Marquette ranks eighth in the nation in three-point percentage at 39.9%. Even if you take out Markus Howard, fellow Golden Eagle starters Sacar Anim and Brendan Bailey are capable shooters from deep, shooting 40.7% and 39.4% respectively from beyond the arc. Sixth man Greg Elliott is even more deadly at 45.2%. Against Seton Hall and Villanova, the Hoyas shut down the opposition’s top scorer, but in doing so allowed role players (see Myles Cale and Saddiq Bey) to catch fire from three-point range. That cannot happen on Saturday if Georgetown is to beat Marquette.
Another storyline to follow will be how Omer Yurtseven deals with Theo John in the post. What John lacks in finesse and skill, he makes up for in brute force. When the two teams met in D.C. last winter, this physical style gave Jessie Govan and Georgetown fits, allowing Marquette to dominate the paint and John to match a then career-high 14 points.
Marquette’s Theo John has some good memories in Capital One Arena. Easy buckets like this cannot happen on Saturday.
Yurtseven has struggled at times with the physicality of Big East play, and Saturday will be another test of his mental and physical toughness down low.
One concern for Georgetown is whether tired legs will have an impact. Both Mac McClung and Terrell Allen played through illness, believed to be the flu, on Wednesday.
As a result, the rest of the limited Hoyas roster was forced to play extended minutes, with Jagan Mosely seeing a full 40 minutes and Jamorko Pickett seeing 38 minutes of action. Let’s hope the Hoyas are fully rested, and free of illness, for Saturday’s matchup.
In terms of playing with energy, feeding off the home crowd may be the extra boost the Hoyas need. Saturday’s game is Georgetown’s annual Gray Out game; combine that with the advantageous mid-afternoon tip and Capital One Arena should be about as loud as it gets for a Georgetown home game.
In a conference as competitive as the Big East, protecting home court is of the essence. So far, the Hoyas have done exactly that, dispatching of both St. John’s and Creighton. With Markus Howard and the rest of Marquette’s high powered offense coming to town, Saturday represents another opportunity to send a message.
Jacob’s Prediction (14-4 on the year): Georgetown 85, Marquette 80
Saturday’s match-up pits two high-powered offenses against two so-so defenses. I expect a lot of scoring, but the difference maker may be which team can make a big stop late in the game. At home, I have a sense that Georgetown has the advantage in that department. The gray-clad crowd will be sweating it out, but the Hoyas will escape with their third conference victory and remain unbeaten at home in Big East play.
Will’s Prediction (13-5 on the year): Georgetown 79, Marquette 76
