Georgetown Basketball: Pre-Game Report

Game Notes

• Seton Hall has scored 75 or more points in six consecutive Big East games, its longest such run since the 1994-95 season.
• Watch the halftime score: Georgetown is 12-1 when leading at the break. When trailing or tied, GU is 1-9. Seton Hall is 12-0 in games where it leads at the break, 3-6 when trailing.
• Georgetown is 18-7 all-time in games played on Feb. 6, 6-3 in the Big East era. The two teams have met twice on this date: an 81-67 Georgetown win at Walsh Gymnasium on Feb. 6, 1980, and a 113-73 Georgetown win at Capital Centre on Feb. 6, 1982.

Preview

"I don't know whatever it is, it's just not there. We just don't have it. There's some things that we're just not doing right now. If I knew what it was, I could tell you, but I don't."

Twelve years ago, the last time Georgetown and Seton Hall played on a Saturday night in New Jersey, that was the quote from Gerald Riley as the Hoyas put on one of its worst shooting efforts ever, starting the game 1 for 18 en route to a 75-48 loss. That Georgetown team was 13-11 heading into that game and desperately searching for a solution to their troubles, but fell off the map thereafter. For Seton Hall, it was a step on to the NCAA's, where they have appeared just once since.

In 2016, a 13-10 Georgetown team arrives Saturday with still more questions in a make-or-break game to stay relevant in the Big East race and have any aspirations for a post-season invitation. For Seton Hall, a win solidifies a third place ranking in a conference where the 3-4-5 slots could well be in line for NCAA consideration.

Much like Butler, Seton Hall relies on guards that can shoot and forwards that can rebound, two factors which have caused trouble for Georgetown this year. Without some consistent defense, the next Kelan Martin-like performance may await sophomore Isaiah Whitehead.

Whitehead arrived at South Orange to some controversy in 2015, as a run of locker room trouble erupted among Whitehead, Sterling Gibbs, and Jared Sina, the latter two having transferred after the Pirates slumped to a 16-15 mark. In his sophomore year, the Pirates have steadied the ship and Whitehead is one of the Big East's best guards, ranked in the top five in scoring and assists. Whitehead's 21 points and eight assists led the Hall to its third straight win Wednesday night over Marquette, and averages 18 points and 6 assists a game in conference action. His shooting percentages are good but not great, but if open shots are available, he'll take them. Whitehead has also been helped by solid guard play from 6-3 Khadeen Carrington, who has picked up his scoring since last season and can take over the offense if Whitehead is contained. Both figure to put pressure on Georgetown's perimeter defense, despite The Hall being one of the conference's poorer shooting teams from three point range.

Seton Hall's inside game figures to give Georgetown some trouble. Sophomore Angel Delgado is the Big East's best pure rebounder since Pitt's Dajuan Blair, and his 11 points, 10 rebounds a game average has paid dividends in games this season, Delgado had 19 points and 13 rebounds Wednesday against the Warriors, going 8 for 9 from the field and holding all-freshman candidate Henry Ellenson to just 3 for 9 shooting. Delgado had 15 rebounds against GU in last season's game in Newark, but was held to just two points after halftime, a critical factor in a game that helped solidify the Hoyas' NCAA momentum and started the Pirates on a painful downward slide. Seton Hall entered the game 15-8, and lost eight of its final nine.

Georgetown's inability to get consistent play from its underclassmen, particularly Isaac Copeland, Marcus Derrickson, Tre Campbell, and Jessie Govan, leaves them vulnerable in games like this. Late game comebacks in recent games have been promising but reflect a lack of performance in key stretches which puts Georgetown in a position of trailing by double digits late in games. Fouls, turnovers, and poor outside shooting threaten to run the 2015-16 off the rails, and GU must do better in this game to stay on track for March.

Keys To The Game:

Fouls: Butler got to the line 22 more times than Georgetown did in Tuesday's game. While The Hall is not a good shooting team from the line, GU can't give up so many opportunities every night.

Turnovers: Both teams are turnover prone. GU must take advantage of points off turnovers, which has eluded them in recent games.

Option Two: If L.J. Peak is capable of putting up big numbers in this game, and he is, he must avoid early foul trouble. With eight Big East games remaining, he has already fouled out seven times this season, the most by a Georgetown player since the aforementioned Gerald Riley.

Ismael Sanogo: Another rising sophomore in the SHU lineup, Sanogo is averaging almost eight rebounds a game. The Hoyas can't sleep on him inside.

© 2016. All rights reserved

Design: HTML5 UP

AMDG