Somehow, they’re still dancing. After Georgetown pulled off the miraculous upset against Villanova yesterday, the Hoyas will be playing in their first Big East Tournament semifinal since 2015 when they face Seton Hall at 6pm.
It’s been a few weeks since the Pirates and Hoyas last matched up, and the two programs have had very different results since the Hoyas got the win in McDonough. Seton Hall lost three more games after that, before clutching up against St. John’s in overtime yesterday. Georgetown, as we all know, have been playing some of their best basketball as of late, winning four of their six games since the last matchup.
Regardless of their recent form, Seton Hall is still a talented squad with a solid coach at the helm in Kevin Willard. Willard has been relatively successful in March with Seton Hall, notably winning the Big East Tournament in 2016. The Pirates will surely be looking to do so again this year, especially considering they are right on the bubble for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. If Seton Hall wants any chance of making the tournament, a win against the Hoyas is a must.
In their quarterfinal win against the Johnnies, Seton Hall was led by stellar double-double performances from both Jared Rhoden and Big East co-Player of the Year Sandro Mamukelashvili. Defensively for Seton Hall, Ike Obiagu also came up huge, tallying seven blocks in 28 minutes before fouling out. The Pirates also went seven players deep, as transfer guard Bryce Aiken was listed as unavailable for the game. Aiken came off the bench in Seton Hall’s closing regular season game against St. John’s, posting a solid ten points in only 18 minutes of play. His status remains unknown for Friday’s game, but one can assume he will be used sparingly, if at all.
Georgetown split the regular season meetings with Seton Hall, but the more recent matchup in February is likely a better indication of how Friday’s game will go. The first matchup, which was played all the way back in December, was one the Hoyas would prefer to forget. Seton Hall won by 11, with a 30-point performance from Myles Cale and a 26-point performance from Rhoden. Georgetown struggled inside, particularly against the 7’2” Obiagu, who put up a ridiculous nine blocks.
In the more recent matchup in February, the post-COVID Hoyas played some of their best basketball. Georgetown came out with a solid team win with five different players scoring in double digits (none of which were the Hoyas’ leading scorer, Jahvon Blair). The Hoyas were able to limit the productivity of both Cale and Rhoden, but at the expense of Mamu putting up 22 points.
The keys for Georgetown in this crucial third matchup will be, as always, rebounds and turnovers. Post-COVID break, the Hoyas are 8-2 when they out-rebound their opponent, so dominating the boards is important. Georgetown also averages the most turnovers per game in the Big East, so while it is expected that they give the ball up a lot (especially after playing two games back to back), it would certainly be helpful if they were more efficient offensively. The Hoyas must also limit the offensive prowess of Mamu, Rhoden, and Cale, as a lights-out shooting performance from one (or more) of them is inevitable. With both teams playing with their seasons on the line, expect a lot of physicality and an overall close game.
Charlie’s Prediction: Seton Hall 67 Georgetown 59
Unfortunately, underdog runs can’t last forever. With Georgetown coming off two games in a row where starters played nearly 40 minutes, I expect a lot of sloppiness offensively. Seton Hall is also essentially playing to get in the NCAA Tournament, so even though they went to overtime on Thursday, I think they will come out with extra energy and cause trouble for the Hoyas. I really hope I’m wrong, but I just don’t see it happening for us again. But, anything can happen, and as the great philosopher Jon Rosthein says, “This. Is. March.”
Jacob’s Prediction (16-7 on the season): Seton Hall 75, Georgetown 72
Sadly, I’m with Charlie here. This season, the Hoyas are yet to win three consecutive games. Yes, you read that right. Georgetown has strung together multiple two-game win streaks, but they have repeatedly failed to push it to three games. I guess the Hoyas’ energy has to run out eventually. This team has to be at least a tad worn out after playing two games in two days, and with Thursday’s win over ‘Nova coming down to the final seconds. With so much on the line, I doubt the Hoyas roll over and make this one easy for Seton Hall. That being said, I think an experienced Pirates team will prove too much to handle in the final minutes. This is objectively Georgetown’s biggest game in quite some time, but regardless of the outcome, I’ll view this Big East Tournament, and this season, as an overwhelming success. Let’s enjoy the fact that we’re about to watch our Georgetown Hoyas play in the Big East Tournament Semifinals!
Will’s Prediction (17-6 on the season): Georgetown 72, Seton Hall 69
Seton Hall is trending downwards. Over their past five games, they’ve scored an average of 63.2 points. Before winning yesterday, they were on a four game losing streak. Georgetown’s defense has been stellar as of late, and although there should be concerns about whether they can keep it up after playing two games in two games, I think the smart money’s with the Hoyas. They’re peaking now and they’ve got momentum on their side.
