The Thanksgiving holiday weekend was not kind to the Hoyas, as they dropped both games in Anaheim at the Wooden Legacy. Georgetown looks to get their record back to .500 against Longwood.
Game info
TV Network: FS2
Location: Capital One Arena
Time: 7:00 pm
All time record vs. Longwood: Georgetown and Longwood have only matched up once before back in 2012 when Otto Porter Jr. had the Hoyas in the top 25. Georgetown trounced Longwood 89-53 in that game.
Longwood Lancers
For those that haven’t heard of Longwood University, the school is located in Farmville, Virginia and plays in the Big South Conference. Longwood was formerly an all female school until the conclusion of World War II, and founded their basketball program in 1976. The Lancers may not be a household name in college hoops, but they do come into this game with a 4-3 record. Notably, Longwood cruised to a 40-point victory over American, a team which the Hoyas also beat, albeit in slightly less convincing fashion. The Lancers did lose their only previous game against a high-major team, falling to Iowa 106-73 in their season opener. Similar to Georgetown, Longwood is also on a two-game skid, including most recently a tight one-point loss to Old Dominion.
Opposing Player to Look Out For
Leslie Nkereuwem
If, like most people, you’ve never heard of Longwood before, the guy you’re going to want to keep your eyes on is Leslie Nkereuwem. Nkereuwem is the Lancers’ leading scorer, averaging 13 points per game on an extremely efficient 73% shooting, primarily getting his buckets in the paint. A 6’7” forward, Nkereuwem also averages 5 rebounds per game and will look to take advantage of Georgetown’s poor rebounding of late. However, one current weakness in Nkereuwem’s game is his free throw shooting, as he is currently shooting 55% from the line. With some of Georgetown’s big men struggling with foul trouble, Nkereuwem offers a limited threat from the line.
How Georgetown Matches Up
Longwood may not play many major conference opponents, but with Georgetown’s recent skid, the Hoyas should tread carefully to make sure they don’t underestimate the Lancers. One particular area where Longwood succeeds is offensive rebounding, as the Lancers average 14 offensive boards a game. Georgetown has struggled their last two games with playing consistent basketball for a full 40 minutes, and they will look to find offensive contributions from other pieces outside of leading scorers Dante Harris and Aminu Mohammed.
Predictions
Vinnie’s Prediction: Georgetown 75, Longwood 62
Vegas has the line currently at Georgetown -9.5. I know that the Hoyas’ trip to Anaheim didn’t end well, but I’m buying the dip against Longwood. I think Georgetown knows that they didn’t play a complete game either night over the holiday break and will be looking to reassert themselves and right the ship. I’ve got Georgetown winning by double digits against the Lancers and showing what happens when a Big South team tries to match up with the Big East.
Jacob’s Prediction (2-3 on the season): Georgetown 69, Longwood 65
This game has my brain in a pickle. Longwood has shown flashes of high-caliber play at times, including in their 40-point win over American, but they still are a less intimidating opponent than the competition the Hoyas faced out in California. That being, it’s tough to trust Georgetown to beat anyone right now. Dante Harris has been playing some great basketball as of late, so I’m taking him and the rest of the Hoyas to sneak out a victory. It won’t be pretty, but I still think Georgetown gets it done.
Will’s Prediction (3-2 on the season): Georgetown 62, Longwood 59
I make this pick halfheartedly. I’m in the same boat as Jacob: I’m not entirely convinced that Georgetown can pull it out with the way they’ve played, but on paper Georgetown should be able to beat Longwood. Aminu Mohammed will be the key: if he has another down night like he had against Siena and St. Joe’s, Georgetown will lose. If he looks more like he did against SDSU, I feel slightly more confident in the Hoyas’ chances.
