After a week off, the Hoyas are back in action Saturday night in Washington DC looking to build momentum and to make a statement against a hungry Seton Hall team. Last time these two teams met, Georgetown played arguably its worst game of the season, falling to the Pirates 78-67 in a game that felt like they should have lost by double that margin. But since then, both teams have made significant improvements and both are looking for wins as they come down the final stretch of the season.
Of course, this game will be a tough one for the Hoyas as they match up rather poorly against Seton Hall. The Pirates are one of the only teams in the Big East that is bigger than the Hoyas, and they like to use their size to their advantage. With that being said, if the Hoyas can find a way to dominate a few key aspects of this game, there is no reason why they cannot come away with a win.
Keys to the Game:
- Come out strong. This probably isn’t a shocker, but in almost every game where the Hoyas have stayed competitive with better teams, their offense has been hot from the start. In the first Creighton game for example, they started the game strong and shot the ball well, especially from deep, and that gave them an edge for the rest of the game. Since Seton Hall outmatches Georgetown in nearly every way, the only way that the Hoyas can stay competitive is if they start the game with energy and hit their shots early, otherwise we may be in for another long night in Newark.
- Keep Mamu quiet. Okay, okay, this one is pretty obvious, too, but we all know the damage that Sandro Mamukelashvili can do to any team on any given day. The Georgian big man and Big East Player of the Year frontrunner has been an absolute beast for the Pirates all season, scoring 18.0 points, pulling in 7.4 rebounds, and dishing 3.2 assists per game, so not letting him breakout may be the most important aspect of the game for the Hoyas. Surprisingly, they were able to keep Mamu quiet in December, only letting him score two points, but chances are that won’t happen again. To be blunt, this game could be another blowout if the Hoyas don’t keep Mamu in check.
- Dominate on the boards. We’ve heard Coach Ewing repeat this time and time again in his postgame press conferences (and yell it from the sidelines during games), but if the Hoyas want to keep this game close, they need to dominate on the boards. Since the COVID pause, the key to the Hoyas’ success has been their ability to rebound effectively and for the most part this season, they have been able to use their size and length to have a clear rebounding advantage against their opponents. But this Seton Hall team will be Georgetown’s biggest rebounding test of the season since the Pirates have the third-tallest roster in the nation. Of course, the Hoyas won the rebounding contest last game despite the loss despite the loss, but they will need to out rebound the Pirates again to stay in the game.
Armen’s Prediction: Georgetown 79, Seton Hall 77
Let’s be honest here, there’s no debating that Seton Hall is the better team. But at the same time, these Hoyas seem very confident and that gives me a weird feeling that they’re going to win this game. I don’t know what it is, but I’m expecting them to get out to an early lead and start to blow it in the second half, but hold on at the end. The Hoyas have shown that they’re starting to mature as a team, and holding onto a lead would just prove that to me. I know I’m asking for a lot here, but considering the fact that the chances of shutting down a hot Mamu twice in one season is slim, but I think they’re going to find a way to pull it off. It’s going to be a nail biter, but I have faith.
Jacob’s Prediction (13-3 on the season): Seton Hall 80, Georgetown 70
I’m not going to get too cute with this one. Seton Hall has won four in a row, including an impressive road win over UConn. Is it possible that the Pirates have an off game and trip up against the Hoyas? Sure. But I don’t think it’s all that likely. As we saw back in December, Seton Hall does not have to be at the top of their game to handle Georgetown. Heck, Mamu only scored two points in that contest, and it was still pretty much a blowout in the Pirates’ favor. Seton Hall simply has too much experience, and frankly too much talent, for me to pick against them.
Will’s Prediction (11-5 on the season): Georgetown 78, Seton Hall 70
I’ve watched Seton Hall’s last two games, and they haven’t looked that impressive, top be honest. They had a nice victory over UConn, but they played a mediocre Marquette team close until the end, and their game against DePaul was mostly the two teams trying to let the other win versus any solid fundamental basketball. Of course, DePaul lost, but that’s not saying much now, is it? I’m strangely confident that the Hoyas will be able to shut down Mamukelashvili again- his performance this season in conference play has come in fits and sputters. If the Hoyas shut down Mamu, I’m going to be feeling pretty good. This is a different Georgetown team than the one that shut down Mamu and still lost to Seton Hall.
