Though Sunday’s loss at Villanova was surely disheartening, it changes little in terms of the Hoyas’ outlook for the rest of the season. A strong finish to conference play and a strong showing in the Big East tournament will certainly give the NCAA Selection Committee plenty to think about come Selection Sunday. Accomplishing this will be much more difficult should the Hoyas fail to take care of business against the Providence Friars on Wednesday. A matchup that on paper should favor Georgetown will be far from easy given the Hoyas’ seeming affinity for close games, as well as the fact that the game will be played at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence.
In the teams’ meeting in the nation’s capital earlier this year, the Hoyas were lucky to escape with a double-overtime victory after freshmen Mac McClung and James Akinjo each hit game-tying 3-pointers at the end of regulation and overtime respectively. Georgetown standout Jessie Govan had one of his best outings of the season in that game, putting up 33 points to go along with 14 rebounds. Hoya fans certainly hope Govan can regain some confidence against a familiar foe after an abysmal zero-point performance in Sunday’s loss. Govan will also need to do a better job containing Providence center Nate Watson, who posted 21 points on 9-11 shooting in the first meeting.
The strength of this Friars team most definitely rests in its versatility, especially on the defense side of the ball. The team’s regular starting lineup features 4 guards, each able to play many roles on the floor. This positionless basketball strategy plays into the Friars’ defensive strategy of free-flowing switches and communication. Better yet, each Providence player contributing significant minutes this season measures in at 6’3” or taller, and many of those listed as guards are still very capable rebounders. The archetype of this style-player is Coach Ed Cooley’s Swiss army-knife and leader on the floor, Alpha Diallo, an athletic 6’7” guard. Averaging 17.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, Diallo is a capable shooter, evident in his four made threes in the Friars’ visit to DC. Georgetown’s Jamarko Pickett matches up well physically with Diallo, having the combination of speed and length necessary to contain the dynamic playmaker, but will need to put forth a disciplined defensive effort to lock down one of the Big East’s best.
On the offensive end, this game will present in interesting measuring stick for point guard James Akinjo. The still-developing Akinjo, listed at 6 feet, has at times fallen victim to poor decision-making this year, most noticeably when matched up against taller, longer opponents. In round 1 against the Friars, Akinjo was not terribly efficient, chipping in 20 points, albeit on 19 shot attempts, while also turning the ball over 4 times. The Oakland native has battled through ups and downs regarding his decision-making abilities, but has seemingly found a groove in the last few contests while still staying in his role as the team’s primary ball-handler and distributor.
In the above clip from Georgetown’s 80-73 win over Xavier, Akinjo finds space off the ball-screen from Kaleb Johnson. Rather than taking on the bigger defender coming over to help, or attempting a difficult pass to Govan, Akinjo makes use of the floater to convert the bucket. After being named Big East Freshman of the week for his superb performance over the past 2 game stretch, it will be interesting to see whether Akinjo can continue to play at such a high-level, especially against the Big East’s second-best defense in terms of points allowed per game.
With the (re)emergence of James Akinjo as a credible threat at the point guard position, the Georgetown offense certainly adds a new dimension. What was lacking against Villanova was the usually steady contributions of offensive stalwarts Jessie Govan and Mac McClung. A determining factor in Wednesday’s game should be whether these two dynamic playmakers are able to bounce back from the loss and return to form. As Dan thoroughly detailed earlier this week, Govan has given no reason to believe that his struggles against the Wildcats were anything but an anomaly. He even took to Twitter on Sunday afternoon to assure fans that he would rebound in no time.
McClung presents more of a difficult scenario, given his relative inexperience and slight reliance on the three-point shot. However, McClung’s confidence and “you can’t guard me” attitude makes it doubtful that he should let one off day slow down a month’s worth of momentum. Expect the Mac Attack to be back in no time; be it this game or the next, Hoyas fans have little reason to be concerned.
In the long run, Georgetown’s star players’ poor outings against ‘Nova could be a blessing in disguise, giving role players such as Pickett and Trey Mourning more confidence heading into the final stretch of the season. At this point in the year, it is much more difficult to predict where Georgetown’s points will come from on a nightly basis than it was a month ago. This is obviously a good thing, for opposing defenses will have an even harder time preparing for once of the best offenses in the nation. All the pieces are starting to come together at the right time with Ewing’s defensive teachings apparently starting to take hold. Wednesday’s showdown with Providence should solidify this point and provide the Hoyas with a win they very much need to get back to winning ways. As always, it won’t be easy, but it’s not yet time to give up hope on this exciting Georgetown team.
Prediction: Georgetown 76 Providence 70
