An unmitigated disaster. That’s the only way I can describe Georgetown’s two-game road trip to start conference play. Two blowout losses, by 16 points apiece, have put the Hoyas behind the eight ball just over a week into Big East play.
Luckily, Ewing and company will be back inside the friendly confines of Capital One Arena as they host the St. John’s Red Storm at 6:30 P.M. on Wednesday. Both teams sit at the bottom of the Big East at 0-2, and are desperately in need of a win to jumpstart their respective seasons.
After losing Shamorie Ponds to the NBA, and bringing in a new coach in Mike Anderson, non-conference play went about as good as could have been expected for the Red Storm. The Johnnies impressed at times, including wins over ranked West Virginia and Arizona teams, but faced questions about the team’s consistency as they entered Big East play with a 11-2 record.
While St. John’s is still in search of its first conference win, the Johnnies’ have looked far more competitive than the Hoyas have. On New Year’s Eve, St. John’s put together a valiant second half comeback but ultimately fell to #6 Butler, likely the current conference favorite, by just two points. This past Sunday, the Johnnies played Xavier close on the road, but were once again unable to pull out a victory. These narrow defeats provided further validation that St. John’s could compete with just about anyone.
Perhaps the spark St. John’s needs is the return of a fully healthy Mustapha Heron. After missing almost a month with an ankle injury, Heron was back in action against Xavier. Still, Heron played just 23 minutes and was largely a non-factor against the Musketeers, scoring just 11 points and shooting 0 for 4 from beyond the arc. The absence of Heron as a three-point threat has played a key role in the Red Storm’s shooting struggles to start conference play. Through two games, the Johnnies rank dead last in the conference, shooting just 13.2% from deep. As a senior leader who has started over 100 games in his collegiate career, Heron will need to be a scoring threat if the Red Storm are to find success against Big East competition.
Heron paces the Red Storm at 14.8 points per game but is closely followed by fellow veteran wing L.J. Figueroa, who averages 14.6 points per contest. However, Figueroa’s scoring has been far from efficient so far this year, as he is shooting just 38.2% from the floor. With a large portion of the Johnnies’ offense running through Heron and Figueroa, slowing down the two athletic wings will be priority number one for the Georgetown defense.
One storyline to follow will be how Georgetown matches up with the length of St. John’s starters. Four Johnnies starters measure in at 6’5” or taller, compared to just two for the Hoyas. Jagan Mosely is no stranger to guarding taller opponents, but either Mac McClung or Terrell Allen will be forced to potentially match up with either Figueroa or Heron. With McClung already being asked to contribute a lot on the offensive end, Allen seems to be the more likely candidate.
One area where the Hoyas do have a size advantage is in the frontcourt. Omer Yurtseven has three inches on the Johnnies’ tallest player, sophomore forward Josh Roberts. After struggling against Seton Hall’s Romaro Gill, who stands a towering 7’2”, Yurtseven will have a chance to reassert himself against St. John’s. With Yurtseven’s level of talent, it seems unlikely that he will be a non-factor for a second straight game.
Another positive for the Hoyas is the amount of rest that the team has had. Georgetown last played Friday night, compared to Sunday afternoon for St. John’s. The extra time off gives McClung a couple of days to practice after making his return from an eye injury against Seton Hall. Add in Georgetown’s lack of depth, and a few days rest could make a world of difference for the Hoyas.
It’s hard to be optimistic about anything after the Hoyas’ performances in their first two Big East games. That being said, St. John’s figures to be one of the weaker teams in the conference and the Hoyas are sure to be amped up for Wednesday’s conference home opener. Whatever the end result, we should be in for a close contest.
Jacob’s Prediction (12-3 on the season): Georgetown 72, St. John’s 67
St. John’s is the worst three-point shooting team in the Big East. Georgetown is the worst in the conference at defending three-point shooters. Something’s gotta give. With the Johnnies’ roster largely void of sharpshooters, it seems more likely that the Hoyas get their act together and start defending like they did over the course of that six game win streak. Needing a win at home, I expect Georgetown to play with a new level of intensity. It won’t be easy, but the Hoyas will get the job done.
Will’s Prediction (11-4 on the season): Georgetown 76, St. John’s 69
If I keep picking Georgetown to win, will that mean they’ll eventually win a game? I’m hoping that finally having the team back together (as Mac wasn’t in practice until the day before the Seton Hall game) for a week of practices will give them enough time to figure out what’s going wrong. I’ve treated these first two games as an adjustment period for the Hoyas, but make no mistake, they need to win this game. I’m optimistic they will; St. John’s is a weaker opponent for all the reasons Jacob outlined above, and being back at home should help the Hoyas find a groove.
