When last we met the Connecticut Huskies, Georgetown escaped last year with experience, playing with a home court advantage, and a three pointer from Roy Hibbert. Monday, they have none of these.

Georgetown enters Monday's Big East opener with a tall task ahead of them--gather the timing and experience of a veteran club against a team that has been together for the better part of three seasons. Jim Calhoun's reclamation project of the Huskies began three years ago, amid claims he ran players off to rebuild the conference's flagship program of the 1990's. From missing the post-season in 2007, to a 13-5 record and a first round loss in the NCAA's in 2008, Calhoun has been building for 2009, while Georgetown is rebuilding. That's the challenge in the 2008-09 Big East opener.

A.J. Price returns for a third year as the starting point guard,with 60 straight games under his belt. His shooting has been down in 2008-09 (36%) but he has picked it up from outside, with a career high 43% from outside. His 4.75 assist per game average bears watching, as it drives the ability to set up players down low. Price hist for 24 points and 10 assists in the neutral site win over Gonzaga in Seattle. Last season, Price was 3-11 against the Hoyas--in the 28 games since, he's only had one game as poor, and won't be looking for a repeat before the home crowd.

With the early season injury to Stanley Robinson, senior Craig Austrie has found himself back in the starting lineup. Austrie has never taken over the scoring column as some predicted, but he can bring a steady presence to the Huskies across many lineup changes. Austrie averages nearly 10 points a game this season, but is 3-11 in his last two starts. With the offensive firepower the Huskies have built in 2008-09, a down day for Austrie is not a cause for concern.

Jerome Dyson's scoring has been inconsistent in December and will be tested Monday. Dyson has come up big against big opponents (27 versus Wisconsin, 21 vs. Gonzaga) but he was 3-14 versus Buffalo and 4-14 against Fairfield. Dyson played only 19 minutes in last year's game, shooting 4-8, but his matchup across from Austin Freeman may be one of the two pivotal matchups. of the entire game.

A candidate for Big East player of the Year consideration, Jeff Adrien has been a consistent scoring and rebounding addition across the board. A first team All-Big East selection last season, Adrien has improved his shooting (55%) and reduced turnovers which have hurt him for each of the prior two seasons. He could be the toughest test for dajuan Summers all season.

Two years of inconsistent play hurt 7-3 Hasheem Thabeet's ability to take over games in the past, but 2008-09 has shown he is now up to the task: 14.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks a game. No less impressive: only 25 fouls all season. Last year, we wrote that "Sometime soon, Thabeet will take over a game, but Roy Hibbert presents considerable obstacles to that." Well, a four year Roy Hibbert isn't there, and a rookie in Greg Monroe isn't there yet.

UConn enters Monday's game with size, experience, great stats on the boards (41.3 rebounds a game) and a punishing field goal defense. Georgetown's narrow win last season was built on keeping UConn off the boards, as the Huskies managed only 29 rebounds all game and were outrebounded by three. Georgetown's middling efforts on the boards this year comes up as a big red flag in this one, because without a dominating rebound effort, UConn could build an early lead that Georgetown may be ill-suited for a comeback, especially against a style of play like Connecticut's.

Here's a look at some potential matchups:

Chris Wright vs. A.J. Price. Both Price and Jonathan Wallace struggled from the field in last season's matchup, combining to shoot 5-19. Price could make things difficult for Weight early, and Wright will need to refocus his efforts across UConn's matchup zone.
Jessie Sapp vs. Craig Austrie. That not so subtle tap on Sapp's shoulders in his failure to start against FIU was no accident-Sapp's numbers have been slipping for much of the non-conference season. While he can give Austrie a tough go defensively, Sapp must pick up his offensive efforts.
Austin Freeman vs. Jerome Dyson. Dyson's quickness figures to give him an advantage against Freeman, playing in his first Big East home game, but Freeman needs to stay patient and not overextend himself.
DaJuan Summers vs.Jeff Adrien . A tough matchup for both teams. Summers must avoid foul trouble which leaves GU vulnerable from the bench.
Greg Monroe vs. Hasheem Thabeet. Monroe must be careful to avoid early foul trouble and letting Thabeet's size intimidate him into overreaching.
GU bench vs. UConn bench. UConn does not depend on its bench, although freshman guard Kemba Walker (9.9 ppg) and the returning Stanley Robinson could start on most teams in the nation. Georgetown's bench is a question mark and its modest strength could be a source for concern after this one.

Keys to the game follow last year's call:
1. 75 points. Georgetown wins at its pace, not Connecticut's. The first team to 75 will be in good shape heading into the final minutes.
2. Rebound Margin. At 41 rebounds a game, anything close to that means UConn wins this game on the boards.
3. Three Pointers Georgetown tacked on 10 three pointers to UConn's five last season, and the 10th was the difference maker.

For UConn to win, the Huskies hold Georgetown under 50% shooting, get Monroe and Summers in early foul trouble, and force turnovers that play to their speed in the backcourt. If Georgetown can control the play at the guard position as it did last season, it sets the tempo that allows its big men to thrive and rebounds to work in its favor. Experience and a hostile road environment will be challenges to both pursuits.

Welcome to Big East play.

Some keys to the game:

1. An Early Decision OK, so the FIU media guide lists Verizon Center as "5,000", either a typo on capacity or an attendance guess. In either case, an early start by the Hoyas is needed to settle the score early.
2. Jessie Sapp: This is the last opportunity for Sapp to build back his shooting numbers.
3. Who's Off The Bench? Omar Wattad has earned time off the bench, but few others have to date. Tuesday's game is their last, best chance to be viable candidates for time in Big East play.