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A statement of confidence, this was not.
"It might be just one of those inconsistent years," said Markel Starks to the Associated Press on Tuesday. "And you never know - it could come out for the better, it could come out for the worse. But hopefully sometime soon we figure out where we are as a team, and we just stay there."
The next three games provide an opportunity for the Hoyas to establish some residence in the upper tier of the Big East against three teams widely expected to take hold in the bottom third: Seton Hall, St. John's, Rutgers. With Syracuse, Villanova, Connecticut, and Cincinnati all looming into February for the Hoyas, now is the time to take the games it can win, bank them, and move on. Much as some fans wince over the Hoyas' loss to South Florida, one bad loss is not a deal-killer come March. A second bad loss is another story.
Seton Hall's arrival at Verizon Center would seem a good opportunity to build some momentum. The Pirates have dropped five of its last six in conference, three of which were ranked opponents. This is the third road game in the last four for the Hall, who will enjoy a much more favorable February, with only two games outside the Garden State all month. For now, a Seton Hall team which has fought through injuries and struggled offensively in January figures to give the Hoyas a stronger test than the numbers might indicate.
The Pirates were led by Jordan Theodore last season, and the transition to a new leader in the backcourt has been a rough one. Seton Hall is going with a freshman point guard in 6-0 Tom Mayaan, who is shooting 43 percent in conference play but with only 16 attempts in seven games. With Mayaan underwater on assists to turnovers and still adjusting to Big East play, the scoring mantle has fallen to sophomore Aaron Cosby (11.8 ppg). Shooting just 4 for 17 in his last two games (2-8 from three point range), Cosby is hoping to return to the form which saw him score 21 on Notre Dame in early January. Georgetown has limited guard play fairly well in conference play to date and keeping Cosby below his average is a step in that direction.
The Hall has been led this season by 6-6 Fuquan Edwin, whose shooting is also under average in the last week: just 8 for 26 from the field (2-11 from three). Edwin has still scored in double figures over seven consecutive games, and the play of fellow forward Brandon Mobley has stepped up as Edwin has struggled from the field. The 6-9 sophomore has returned from an early season injury with 14 versus South Florida and 18 versus Louisville, but must avoid early foul trouble which has limited his effectiveness in games. inside, 6-9 Eugene Teague is coming off a big game versus St. John's and is shooting 53 percent from the field. Unfortunately, he is shooting 52 percent from the free throw line, and that must improve for the Hall to close out games late.
Injuries have eaten into the Seton Hall bench and the Pirates are no more than eight deep on a given night. 6-6 junior Brian Oliver, a transfer from Georgia Tech, has 15 points in his first two games back from injury and can be expected to contribute in this game, along with 6-4 senior Kyle Smith (5.2 ppg) and 6-5 sophomore Harolds Karlis (3.0 ppg)
With a healthy three point arsenal, Seton Hall has been competitive in every game this season in the Big East, but it is one statistic that is really hurting them: turnovers. At nearly 16 turnovers a game, the Hall cannot afford to give up possessions in what it is expected to be a slower paced game. While SHU has performed well in slower games (including a 55-47 win over USF), they must do a better job on ball control and improve on second chance points.
Keys to the game:
- Eugene Teague: Assuming Georgetown can stop Cosby and otherwise keep Edwin in check, interior play may be vital to the Hall. Teague had 22 points against St. John's and is second in the league in rebounding.
- Guard Play: Georgetown has benefited when Markel Starks is on his game, but the Pirates' defense off the ball may offer an opportunity for Jabril Trawick and/or D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera to step up in a big way.
- Turnovers: Seton Hall is 15th in the category of 15 teams, Georgetown 13th. The team with fewer turnovers will prevail.
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