Game 28: Villanova University (15-12)Feb. 27, 6:30 pm ESTVillanova PA Finneran Pavilion Tickets: Sellout expected Media: TV: Fox Sports 1 GU Radio: WTEM-980 VU Radio: WDAS-1480 About the Wildcats: Location: Villanova, PA Enrollment: 6,791 Conference: Big East 2022-23 Record: 17-17 Record vs. Georgetown: 50-45 Meet The Coach: Kyle Neptune (Lehigh '07) 2nd season, 32-29 Career: 48-45 |
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The Wildcats soared in the pre-season prognostications on the strength of a four man class in the transfer portal ranked in the top three nationally. At that top of that list was Washington State guard T.J. Bamba, the first inbound transfer to the program since 2019. Of the four, he is the most productive, but can be inconsistent. Bamba was held to six points as the Wildcats lost at Xavier, but responded with 14 in the win over Seton Hall. Overall, his numbers in 2023-24 trail that of his time at Washington State, but he is always capable of a big run, and off-guards have been particularly strong against the Hoyas of late.Georgetown's big mistakes in last week's game proved its undoing: poor interior defense, mismatches on the perimeter, and a lack of support for Jayden Epps.
Bamba has been well supported by a trio of guards which serves the Wildcats well in Big East play. Sophomore guard Mark Armstrong leads the team in assists and while his shooting took a nose dive in a recent slump (shooting 8 for 39 over a three game run before the Seton Hall game), he a strong ball handler that has allowed coach Kyle Neptune to sit senior Chris Arcidiacono, who started 20 games last season but has been seen sparingly since, with just two points this season. Sophomore Brendan Hausen (6.8 ppg) has been Nova's thee point marksman, with 46 of his 52 field goals this season from outside at a 41 percent mark. Hausen's work has softened the blow for a weaker offensive output from Jordan Longino (6.6 ppg), shooting 28 percent from three and 39 percent overall, but only 3.3 points per game in Big East play.
One of the major hurdles for the Wildcats this season has been the play of Justin Moore, returning from Achilles surgery that sidelined him midway in the 2022-23 season. Projected as an all-Big East first teams selection in the pre-season and a first round NBA draft pick by CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein, Moore's output has begun to pick back up as he returned from a mid-season injury. The defensive play of Dontrez Styles and Wayne Bristol bears watching to see if Georgetown can continue to keep Moore contained, or whether Moore can continue to return to the lofty accolades once afforded him.
The transfer portal was widely projected to send Villanova back into the NCAA conversation but results to date have been mixed. Tyler Burton, coming off a 16 point average at Richmond, is tracking at about half that total for Villanova, largely as his outside shooting has been limited by taller and more mobile Big East defenses. Hakim Hart, a defensive star at Maryland, has started just two games as a Wildcat and has only one double figure output in his last 10 games. Following a 4 for 4 effort from three versus DePaul in December, Hart was just 4 for 27 from three over his last 11 games before seven points against the Hoyas, but Hart combined for just two points in his last two games in the interim before tonight's matchup.
In a position that doesn't get the attention it once did, Eric Dixon is an old fashioned big man who comes to play every night. Dixon is seventh in scoring in Big East play across the conference, seventh in shooting and fourth in free throw percentage, with a season high of 34 versus North Carolina. Dixon has been less effective on rebounding, however, and does not list along the top 15 in the conference in that category, a point of concern as Villanova ranks 9th in the conference in rebounding, just ahead of Georgetown. Dixon has fouled out of only one game in a 119 game career, and will be a tough test for Supreme Cook to avoid foul trouble.
1. Disrupt The Perimeter: Villanova wins games on the three point line, but can wander when they are struggling. Georgetown's perimeter defense has been lacking in recent games and must improve.
2. A Slower Pace: The Hoyas are allowing 81.9 points per game in its last six games. However, 54 points won't win any games.
3. Massoud's Malaise: Ismael Massoud is shooting an incredibly bad 2 for 20 (.100) over the last six games. He's a better shooter than this but needs to do something before spending his final two weeks as a collegian planted on the bench.
Maybe the land mine doesn't go off tonight. Maybe it awaits Xavier, Providence, or St. John's. Georgetown's going to get that win, and it might as well be sooner than later.