Patrick Ewing had Chris Mullin’s squad on the ropes back in early January. The Hoyas sported an 85-83 lead over the Red Storm with just 15 seconds to play. Greg Malinowski in-bounded the ball to Jahvon Blair who was immediately doubled. Blair fought through the contact and attempted to split the double. The result was L.J. Figueroa stripping the ball and getting fouled in the process. Figueroa’s free throws sent the game to overtime and began the process of handing Georgetown its first Big East loss of 2019 by a score of 97-94.
The heartbreak Hoyas were at it again. Ewing’s crew squandered an 11-point lead in the first half and an 8-point lead in the second half. Devastating losses such as these have defined Georgetown’s Big East season thus far. If the Hoyas were to ever wake up and steal a big win, tomorrow would be a great day to do so, as Georgetown actually has some intangibles swaying its way.
Firstly, Mac McClung was sidelined for that infamous game with a high ankle sprain. Ever since returning from that injury, McClung has developed a convincing argument to be considered Georgetown’s top scoring threat on the perimeter. McClung has showed off a lethal scoring skillset during Big East play, averaging 16.7 points per game while shooting 51.4% from the field.
Even better for Hoya fans, McClung has seemingly found his range from deep. During conference play, McClung is shooting 42.1% from deep. A huge reason for this is McClung’s recognition and lack of hesitation on the perimeter. Rather than relying on his athleticism to force his way into the lane, McClung has done a much better job of capitalizing on what the defense is giving him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXx-rUA2jiw
In the clip above, instead of continuing the drive on his left, McClung astutely sees the help defense and gets the ball back to Josh. Then he quickly wraps around LeBlanc to create space to step into a three over a smaller defender. That is what we at Thompson’s Towel call a high basketball IQ play.
Regardless of McClung’s return, Ewing needs to devise a game-plan to somehow slow down Shamorie Ponds. The 6-foot-1 guard torched the Hoyas in their first meeting in January by pouring in 37 points on 52.4% shooting. Everything Ponds threw up at the rim seemingly went in that game. Ponds’s ability to hit contested three pointers devastated the Hoyas as he nailed 6 threes in the Red Storm’s previous win. In the play below, Jagan Mosely positions himself on the arc to prevent Ponds from squaring himself and getting a good outside look. It did not matter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yLgwBrIoQM
Ultimately, this game will come down to (1) how effectively Georgetown dominates the paint and (2) how well the Hoyas limit the Johnnies from deep. As their first game clearly showed, the Red Storm does not possess a single person who matches up with star center Jessie Govan in the paint. Govan imposed his will on Mullin’s squad by dropping 25 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and even dishing out 4 assists.
However, Govan’s size advantage may be a double-edged sword. Jessie will most likely match-up against Marvin Clark III on the defensive end. Clark certainly cannot match Govan’s physicality, but Clark is quicker and can utilize that to create opportunities on the perimeter. Clark is a solid three-point shooter and if he can get Govan on his heels, Clark has the potential to go off for a big game.
Building off that point, the Red Storm’s three-point shooting efficiency usually has a significant impact on the result of the game. In all three of St. John’s wins in the Big East, the Red Storm has collectively shot over 40% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, in all four of their losses, St. John’s has failed to reach that mark.
This game will come down to Govan and McClung’s effectiveness on offense and how well Georgetown limits St. John’s from three. Ponds will not go for 37 points again but look for players such as Justin Simon and L.J. Figueroa to get going early for the Johnnies against Georgetown’s reeling defense. Georgetown has enough offensive firepower to keep within striking distance throughout, but its defense will fail them as they will not get the stops consistently to pull out the upset.
Prediction: St. John’s 86, Georgetown 80
