Riding a three-game losing streak, Georgetown enters Sunday in need of a victory. Standing in their way will be the Xavier Musketeers, who are hoping to complete a season sweep of the Hoyas. Back on Jan. 22, Xavier defeated Georgetown 66-57 in Cincinnati, but Sunday’s game will be held in Capital One Arena. Will home court advantage be enough to make the difference for the Hoyas? Here are nine more questions we have in the leadup to Sunday’s 2 p.m. tip-off.
- Will Omer Yurtseven (ankle) or Mac McClung (foot) take the floor for Georgetown? Both Yurtseven and McClung missed Georgetown’s last game against Marquette. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t expect McClung to be back before the Big East Tournament. Yurtseven’s status presents greater uncertainty, as there seems to be a real chance that the seven-footer will suit up on Sunday.
- How will Jagan Mosely follow up Wednesday’s performance? Though he had little help, Mosely was a man on a mission against Marquette, leading the way with 19 points and six rebounds. Ewing will need Mosely to keep an aggressive mindset and continue to be a rock for Georgetown on both ends of the floor.
- Who will win the battle down low? When the two teams first met, the Musketeers won the rebound battle by a 48-38 margin. If Xavier is once again able to dominate the glass Sunday, the Hoyas could be in for a long day. With Yurtseven’s health still in question, it will likely be up to Qudus Wahab and Tim Ighoefe to take charge down low for Georgetown.
- Where will the scoring come from for Georgetown? Back in January, McClung was the only Hoya to reach double-digits scoring as Georgetown tallied a season low 57 points. With Jahvon Blair struggling over the last few games, Georgetown has very few players who have shown the ability to consistently create their own shot. One of those is Terrell Allen, who has elevated his play in McClung’s absence. Allen will need to continue to be aggressive offensively if the Hoyas are to score enough points to win the game.
- How will the Hoyas match-up with Xavier’s size? Xavier frequently starts four forwards (all of them measuring 6’7” or taller) in Naji Marshall, Tyrique Jones, Zach Freemantle and Jason Carter). Georgetown starts three guards, making it a challenge to guard the Musketeers down low. For the Hoyas, the plan will likely be to speed up the pace of the game and avoid settling into half-court defensive sets.
- Speaking of defense, can Georgetown slow down Naji Marshall? Marshall leads the Musketeers with 16.3 points per game and tallied 18 points against Georgetown in January. I’d expect Jagan Mosely to get first crack at guarding Xavier’s senior standout. If there is a weakness in Marshall’s game, it is his perimeter shooting. As such, Mosely and the rest of the Hoyas will likely try to keep Marshall out of the lane and pressure him into taking contested jumpers.
- Can the Hoyas get anything going from beyond the arc? All season, but especially of late, three-point shooting has not been Georgetown’s friend. In fact, the Hoyas rank ninth in the Big East in three-pointers made. To make matters worse, Xavier ranks first in the conference in three-point defense. If Georgetown is to get anywhere close to the 80-point mark, they’ll have to knock down at least a few shots from beyond the arc.
- Can Xavier build on their already strong NCAA Tournament resume? While the Hoyas sit on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble, the Musketeers are in good position for an at-large bid. A road victory on Sunday would give the Musketeers another Quadrant 1 win.
- Do the Hoyas have it in them to battle back from a three-game losing streak and swing momentum in their favor? With such a short rotation, the stretch run of Big East play seems to have finally gotten the best of Georgetown’s six rotation players. The Hoyas have certainly shown a lot of heart, but has their magic finally run out?
Jacob’s Prediction (18-10 on the year): Georgetown 72, Xavier 69
Playing in front of a home crowd should do some good for the Hoyas. Things just haven’t been clicking these last few games. Jahvon Blair has been in a slump and Georgetown has struggled offensively as a result. That being said, Terrell Allen and Jagan Mosely have been solid on both ends of the floor despite the lack of a supporting cast. I may be grasping at straws here, but I think Ewing and the Hoyas have a get-right game on Sunday.
Will’s Prediction (18-10 on the year): Xavier 74, Georgetown 66
When these two teams first met last month in Cincinnati, they were remarkably similar in terms of record, with Georgetown having a record of 12-7 (2-4) headed into the game and Xavier having a record of 12-6 (1-4) headed into the game. Since then, the seasons have diverged, with Xavier as a middle of the pack Big East team, and injuries and lack of personnel (but certainly not heart) decimating the Hoyas.
Last time, the Musketeers lit up the Hoyas thanks to the work of Naji Marshall and the freshman KyKy Tandy, who each had 18 points apiece. Mac McClung was the difference maker for the Hoyas who kept them in the game for as long as he did, but I don’t expect him to play today. With the team’s recent slump, injuries, and Xavier perhaps figuring it out, I’m just sadly not confident to win this one today. I’ve become another dejected fan.
However, if the Hoyas want to pull out a win today, they need Qudus Wahab to play well. He played well in last month’s meeting, notching nine points on four of five shooting, while also hauling in eight rebounds. If Yurtseven is out again, the Hoyas will need him to play well on both ends.
