After a tough loss to Syracuse on the road, the Hoyas return home to face arguably the worst team in the Big East: the DePaul Blue Demons. The start of DePaul’s season was delayed until December 23rd thanks to COVID-19 issues; the Blue Demons are a whopping 1-4 overall, putting them at 11th in the Big East. They are yet to win a game in conference play but they played both Seton Hall and Providence tight, losing to the Friars in double overtime. This is a prime opportunity for the Hoyas to get a much-needed win at home at 8:30 on Wednesday.
After being the only team to finish behind the Hoyas last season, the Blue Demons are not expected to do much better this season. It seems that DePaul and Georgetown will yet again be battling it out for last place in the conference. That being said, DePaul lost two playmakers from last year’s team, Paul Reed and Jalen Coleman-Lands, who were both double-figure scorers.
Now, much of the scoring lies in the hands of point guard Charlie Moore. In his 5th year of college basketball, the Kansas transfer is averaging 14.0 points and 5.3 assists per game. Moore is also a solid rebounding guard, averaging 3.3 rebounds per game. He is certainly the catalyst of DePaul’s offense and their floor leader. Moore’s biggest help comes from fellow guard Javon Freeman-Liberty. The 6’4” junior has averaged 15.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game thus far. The transfer from Valparaiso is explosive on offense and is also able to guard multiple positions on the defensive end of the floor.
Power forward Romeo Weems is the other impact player for the Blue Demons. The sophomore was named to the 2020 BIG EAST All-Freshman Team last year. So far this season, Weems is averaging 11.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. His athleticism has attracted attention from NBA scouts, as he has the ability to both drive and knock down threes. Other starters include sophomore center Nick Ongenda and senior guard Ray Salnave.
In the loss against Syracuse, the Hoyas had solid production from seniors Jahvon Blair and Jamorko Pickett. No matter how well they play, Georgetown just cannot seem to hang on to the ball. Turnovers plagued the Hoyas once again, especially in crunch time. However, the Blue Demons are the only team averaging more turnovers than the Hoyas in conference play. Georgetown was also out-rebounded by Syracuse, which is one of the few strengths the Hoyas rely on. DePaul has also been struggling heavily on the glass, leaving plenty of room for the Hoyas to make the most of this. Romeo Weems usually poses a defensive problem for teams, but Pickett should match up well against him. If the Hoyas are able to get double-digit scoring from three starters, keep the Blue Demons off the glass, and take care of the ball, they should be able to get this much needed win.
Kathryn’s Prediction: Georgetown 76, DePaul 70
If the Hoyas can’t win this game, I’m not sure they’ll win a game for the rest of the season. DePaul was predicted to be one of the bottom two teams in the conference and then were sidelined until December, making them rusty. Outside of their top three players, there’s not much to offer. Georgetown gets way more support off the bench and is a better rebounding team. If they can take care of the ball, which is a big “if,” they should come away with a victory.
Jacob’s Prediction (10-1 on the season): Georgetown 81, DePaul 70
As we’ve seen during this five-game skid, Georgetown isn’t a very good team. Luckily, DePaul just may be worse. The reason I’m most confident in a Hoyas’ victory is because of their ability to dominate the glass. Over four conference games, the Blue Demons have been outrebounded by an average margin of 6.7 boards. That’s a lot! Georgetown didn’t take care of business on the glass against Syracuse, but I expect the Hoyas to bounce back in that department on Wednesday. Qudus Wahab had his worst game of the season as well, and I’m sure he’ll be determined to prove that poor performance was an anomaly. I’m predicting a 20 point, 15 rebound, 5 block game for Wahab and a Hoyas win!
Will’s Prediction (8-3 on the season): Georgetown 72, DePaul 67
DePaul’s best player is Charlie Moore, they’re coached by Dave Leitao, and their program hasn’t been considered anywhere close to decent since I was five years old. For all of these reasons, I feel confident in calling a Hoyas victory. Georgetown dominates the glass (and in fact, the Hoyas as a team lead the Big East in rebounds), and DePaul is slightly more turnover prone than the Hoyas. No matter how bad Georgetown gets, we’re still not as bad as DePaul.
