It’s that time of year Hoya fans. The Big East Tournament has finally arrived, and your Georgetown Hoyas have escaped the dreaded Wednesday night slate of games. Instead, Patrick Ewing had guided this young Georgetown squad to the 6th seed and will take on the Seton Hall Pirates at Madison Square Garden in the quarter-finals. What can you expect from that match-up? Well, Thompson’s Towel’s top analysts Dan and Jacob are here to help break down every detail of this pivotal game. Let’s get to it!
Q1: Had you been told that Georgetown would finish Big East play at 9-9 and in the top-6, would you have taken that before the start of the season?
Dan: “Where do I sign?” What a leap for the Hoyas this year under Big Pat. This Georgetown team is very young. For most of the year, the Hoyas rolled out three freshmen that ESPN did not consider to be in their recruiting top-100 (247Sports had James Akinjo at 90). And for them to flash the talent, toughness, and leadership throughout this season to help lead Georgetown back into the NCAA Tournament discussion. Wow. Despite the frustrating moments of growth (that 32-point loss to DePaul still haunts me at night), Ewing has reinvigorated excitement about the Georgetown basketball program through his stellar player development.
Jacob: 100% agree. Coming off three consecutive losing seasons in conference, a .500 record in the Big East has to be viewed as a success. To make the jump from 5 conference wins (in Ewing’s first year) to 9 conference wins this year is certainly an accomplishment. At that rate (using my limited math skills), Georgetown is on pace for 13 conference wins next year (knock on wood)! Regaining some respect back for the program was definitely a primary goal upon Coach Ewing’s arrival, and the only way to do that is by beating the best teams in the conference. This season, the Hoyas have done exactly that, first taking down Villanova at home, and then beating Marquette on the road this past Saturday.
Q2: What was your first reaction to seeing that Seton Hall was Georgetown’s first match-up?
Dan:
This game is going to be a war. Seton Hall plays with attitude. Coach Kevin Willard (who I would have voted for to win Coach of the Year in the Big East) has instilled a consistently physical, defensive mindset into this team which makes them so difficult to play against. Throw in the fact they have one of the most dynamic guards in all of the country and we have ourselves a problem. Georgetown split the season series against the Pirates, first getting demolished 90-75 in NJ and then rebounding for an impressive 77-71 2OT victory in DC. However, Seton Hall concluded its regular season by knocking off both Marquette and Villanova to essentially lock up an at-large bid to the Big Dance. This presents a massive opportunity for these young Hoyas. Win the rubber match against Seton Hall and then Georgetown will most likely face a hungry Marquette team desperately searching to regain momentum. It’s time to truly see what these young Hoyas are made of.
Jacob: First and foremost, I’m one of many Hoya fans with the ABC (Anyone But Creighton) mindset. Seeing the Bluejays on the opposite side of the bracket brought upon a massive sigh of relief. As for Seton Hall, the Pirates are not an easy opponent by any stretch of the imagination, having won their last two games, against conference leaders Marquette and Villanova. Then again, few, if any, Big East opponents are easy matchups this year (Reminder that the Hoyas have lost to every team in the conference except Providence at least once this year). At the moment, Seton Hall is projected as a tournament team (though I’m not as convinced as Dan that they’re a lock at this point), and thus a win over them on a neutral court would strengthen Georgetown’s resume and make the selection committee pause before putting the Pirates in the field ahead of the Hoyas.
Q3: What do you expect out of this game? Blow-out like the first game or a nail-biter like the second?
Dan: I expect this to showcase aspects of both tilts. While I believe the rubber match will be a back-and-forth affair, I think there will be more offense from both sides than the second match at Capital One Arena displayed. Willard and Ewing are too smart to not adjust to each other’s defensive strategies from that game. One player to watch out for is Myles Cale. Cale ripped the Hoyas for 17 points at the Prudential Center in early February but was held to only 2 points at Capital One. After a brief three-game struggle, Cale erupted for 19 points against Villanova in Seton Hall’s season finale, hitting 75% of his threes. Cale’s production on the offensive end could be the difference between a win or a loss for both teams.
Jacob: Both teams have a lot to play for in this game with their Big East Tournament title and NCAA tournament hopes on the line. For that reason, I would be surprised if one team was able to pull away from the other like in the Pirates’ win over the Hoyas in February. Their second meeting in Washington had a postseason feel with both teams playing hard, scrappy basketball, and one can only expect Thursday’s game to see much of the same.
Q4: Seton Hall’s offense runs through All-Big East first team selection Myles Powell. How can Ewing’s crew slow down Powell, who has scored at least 30 points in both games against Georgetown this year?
Dan: Ewing’s philosophy to slowing these types of players down is “throwing bodies at them.” And I certainly agree with him. I thought Jagan Mosely did a fantastic job of wearing Powell down in their second match-up. Obviously, Powell scored 35 points, but did so on 27 shots and turned the ball over 5 times. Willard likes to run Powell through off-ball screens to try to get him a couple of quick step-in three-point shots. After his first two buckets (which happened that way in Georgetown’s win), Jagan did a great job of utilizing his strength, anticipation, and awareness to fight through these screens and prevent any clean looks for Powell from deep. People don’t realize this, but Jagan actually held Powell scoreless from the 9:30-2:30 mark in the second half, helping Georgetown claw its way back into the game. One thing I would look for Willard to emphasize to Powell, Jared Rhoden, and Quincy McKnight is to push the pace off of makes and misses to try to create mismatches in transition. In the clip below, Powell pushes off a Hoya miss to force Greg Malinowski to pick him up in transition. While Greg is a fine defender, he’s no match for Powell’s quickness and strength. The end result? An and-1 opportunity for Powell. The Hoyas must be laser-focused on the defensive end from the tip to eliminate mismatches such as this.
Jacob: “Throwing bodies at Powell” is a start, but the entire Hoyas team will have to be disciplined if they are to lock down the Pirates’ offensive motor. I have no doubt that Jagan Mosely will once again cause problems for Powell, but Ewing should be more concerned about the rest of his team. As we witnessed in the final possession of the first overtime in D.C., Myles Powell is a willing passer as well, finding an open teammate in the corner rather than taking on multiple defenders himself.
In hoping to contain Powell, the Hoyas cannot allow easy buckets for the rest of the Pirates. Additionally, off-ball screens are a staple of the Seton Hall offense, as Dan mentioned. Especially, in guard-to-guard screens, Mosely will need to fight through to avoid switching one of Georgetown’s smaller defenders onto Powell. A matchup such as having Mac McClung on Myles Powell is almost never going to go in the Hoyas’ favor, thus good communication and hustle will be necessary to avoid such situations at all costs.
Q5: What production can we expect to see out of Jessie Govan? Jessie’s had an up-and-down second half to conference play, at times struggling with foul trouble and poor shooting. Will Georgetown’s senior star show up Thursday night?
Dan: We got spoiled. Jessie was nothing short of remarkable until that fateful match-up at Villanova on Super Bowl Sunday. Up until that game, Jessie averaged 21.3 points per game on 49.5% shooting and 9.3 rebounds per game in Big East play. After that game, Jessie has averaged 15.3 points on 42.7% shooting while hauling in 6.9 rebounds per game. Talk about a dip in production. As well as the freshmen have played this season, this game is about Jessie Govan. Plain and simple. Ewing refused to answer questions about Jessie’s legacy, essentially posing a challenge to his star to show up and lead the young bucks to the semi-finals. So much of Jessie’s game relies on his finesse and touch. For Govan to be effective, his outside shot needs to be falling. If he sees the ball go in from outside early in this one, he’ll be much more successful than if he’s simply confined to a back-to-the-basket style of play (which is what Seton Hall wants). Make no mistake, Jessie will be incredibly motivated to show up in a big way. Regardless of his offensive efficiency, Ewing needs his big man locked in defensively the way he was in the 2OT win against the Pirates earlier.
Jacob: At this point in the year, it is near impossible to say which Govan will show up on Thursday: the first-team all-Big East selection who can beat you on all levels or the sleep-walking individual who settles for contested shots and cannot guard without fouling on defense. Earlier this week, Ewing minced no words in calling out his starting center, saying he is still “waiting for him (Govan) to start talking up” and that Jessie “still has a lot more to accomplish”. Though it may rub some the wrong way, I like Ewing’s willingness to challenge his players to be their best. One can only hope that he is able to get through to the almost-emotionless Govan. At the very least, Thursday night could be the last time Jessie dons the Blue and Gray, and thus there is no reason for him not to leave it all on the floor.
Q6: “Mackinjo” has been a significant reason for Georgetown’s success this season. But Seton Hall’s length at the guard position has caused problems for both James and Mac at times this season. How can these guards play at a high level against a top-tier Pirate defense?
Dan: I think this game comes down to the mentality that both of these players adapt. With James, it’s important that he remains grounded, focused, and motivated. James is coming off a dominant performance at Marquette that saved Georgetown’s season and wrapped up his Big East Freshman of the Year campaign. Most young players would let this get to their head and inflate their ego. This absolutely cannot happen to James. In Ewing’s presser, he, while acknowledging James’ accomplishments, kept reminding everyone that they were focused on beating Seton Hall. Akinjo will also have to maintain his cool throughout if Georgetown is to be successful. Quincy “Slap the Floor” McKnight will probably guard James most of the game. To quote Big East broadcaster John Fanta, “That match-up is made for theater at MSG.” With Mac, I think it’s about staying in attack-mode. Mac’s offensive game tends to live and die with his three-point shot. But at Marquette, McClung displayed his aggressive mentality, getting to the line to attempt 14 free throws (hitting 11 of them). This is how McClung can hurt the Pirates. Attack, attack, attack (especially if that three-point shot is not falling).
Jacob: For both McClung and Akinjo, their effectiveness in this game will come down to two factors. First, it all starts on the defensive end. Mac operates best in open space, which is best created out of transition. Forcing a handful of early live-ball turnovers will be key for getting him a few easy buckets in transition and finding his groove. On the other hand, with James it’s more a matter of mentality; in two of his best outings (vs. Seton Hall and at Marquette), Akinjo’s ferocity and alpha mentality on the defensive end translated into aggressive, attacking play on offense. The second key factor for both has to be picking their spots, using good decision making regarding when to drive and when to move the ball. They both have a score-first mentality, but being undersized complicates the issue and requires patience and good ball movement, especially when facing longer defenders and help from a rim-protector in the paint. Coach Ewing did a fantastic job getting his guards in space against Marquette; I’d like to see more of the same against Seton Hall.
Q7: Georgetown has had difficulty stringing together consistent effort and energy from game to game. How can Ewing & company avoid another let down after a big win at Marquette (see: Creighton and DePaul)?
Dan: One thing we’ve seen Ewing attempt to do at Georgetown’s media day this week is temper excitement. I’m not saying he’s trying to take anything away from the team’s accomplishments this year, but he’s trying to keep everyone focused on the task at hand. And that is bringing energy, intensity, and focus to the Garden on Thursday night. I say that this is the main task because without these three characteristics, this Hoya team will not have a prayer at winning this game. It’s a simple concept, but a very important one for these Hoyas. You would think Ewing should not have any issues at getting his crew amped up for this game (especially given how Georgetown has, for the most part, played up and down to its opponents’ level of competition all season). But we won’t know until Thursday.
Jacob: Ewing shouldn’t have to motivate his guys for this one. These are the type of games that you live for as a college basketball player, a win-or-go-home tilt in March. Beyond just the stakes of the game, the electric atmosphere inside Madison Square Garden should be enough to get the energy flowing. If the Hoyas are outplayed (say for example their shots aren’t falling), I could live with that as a fan. On the other hand, if (God forbid) Georgetown once again doesn’t show up and fails to put forth maximum effort, these problems may be deeper ingrained than initially thought.
Q8: Georgetown’s bounce-back win at then-ranked 16 Marquette pushed them back onto the NCAA Tournament bubble. What do the Hoyas need to do to feel confident on Selection Sunday?
Dan: Run the table. Gonzaga choking to St. Mary’s in the WCC title game shrank the bubble and dealt the Hoyas’ Tournament chances a slight blow. At this point in time, two wins is a must. Georgetown must beat Seton Hall and then either Marquette, St. John’s, or DePaul. Doable? Sure. Likely? Ehhhhhhhhh, not so much. Let’s say this does happen though. Obviously, winning the BET would automatically put the Hoyas in, but I can’t say I’d feel confident leaving everything up to the Committee. While Georgetown would have 6 Quad 1 wins if they make the title game, they’d also have an 8-6 record against Quads 2 and 3 teams (not great!). All I’m going to say is that if Georgetown makes the final and loses and Belmont gets in over us, I’m going to throw the biggest temper tantrum Twitter has ever seen.
Jacob: Obviously the Hoyas cannot be completely confident in seeing their name in the field of 68 on Sunday unless they lock up an automatic bid by winning the BET. That being said, there definitely exists a realistic scenario in which Georgetown earns an at large bid should they fail to win three in a row. For that to happen, beating Seton Hall on Thursday a 100% must. That would at least give the Hoyas a chance, but I think another win and a competitive showing in the Big East title game will be necessary to earn serious consideration from the Committee.
Q9: Prediction?
Dan: Predicting this team is a futile act. This is easily the most volatile team I’ve covered during my four years on campus. I agree with Jacob’s belief that this game is a toss-up, which means you can either take a glass half full or glass half empty kind of approach. And I prefer optimism. Jessie shows up in a big way, James and Mac each hit double digits, and the Hoyas control the glass while limiting second-chance opportunities. Georgetown keeps its Tournament hopes alive. Final score: Georgetown 72, Seton Hall 70
Jacob: In all honesty, I can see this game going either way. The more you look at it, the more it looks like a toss-up. Both teams have played a lot of close games so it’ll be interesting to see who can come up big in the clutch. At this point, it’s probably best to prepare for the worst while still hoping for the best. Final score: Seton Hall 77, Georgetown 76
