After making a nearly 7,000-mile trip in the middle of the week, the Hoyas begin the 2013-14 season tonight playing in the Armed Forces Classic, a nationally televised, one-of-a-kind game against No. 19 Oregon on Camp Humphreys, an American military base in Seoul, South Korea.

With all the hype surrounding the game, Head Coach John Thompson III spent the days leading up to the trip emphasizing to his team that the 40 minutes of game time would be no different than any other contest this season. They obviously got the message.

“This is a real game. This is a business trip,” senior forward Nate Lubick said. “It’s strange to have that as your first game, whether it’s the 15-hour flight or staying in army dorms, but we have to approach it like it’s a normal game.”

It’s the second Asian trip in three years for the Hoyas, who travelled to China in a preseason exhibition trip before the 2011-12 season. And last year, Georgetown also opened the season on a military installation, although that Jacksonville, Fla. game against Florida was cancelled at halftime.

Given that experience, the Hoyas seem to be taking the trip in stride.

“We played in it last year,” senior guard Markel Starks said of the Armed Forces Classic, which honors members of the United States military. “With one or two new guys, it’s nothing. For the veterans, this is nothing.”

The Blue and Gray also face off tonight against an unusual opponent Pac-12 schools have been few and far between on Georgetown’s non-conference schedule in recent years.

“We don’t get to play Pac-12 teams very often,” Lubick said. “They have a different style of team than you see in the rugged Big East.”

The Hoyas do get a leg up over the Ducks — whom they last faced in 2006 — with the addition of UCLA transfer Josh Smith. The big man, who was ruled eligible for the beginning of the season, dumped 15 points on Oregon in 2011.

“I haven’t played a game since I can remember,” Smith said. “So getting to go to South Korea to play against Oregon — a team I used to play against — is going to be fun.”

Despite not experiencing game action on the Hilltop, Smith has been able to practice with the team since he arrived last spring, which has smoothed his learning curve on Georgetown’s trademark Princeton offense.

“When I first got here, I was really confused,” Smith said. “It was hard. Being here for almost a year now, being able to practice with the guys here now, I’ve picked it up.”

Weight issues plagued Smith at UCLA, but the junior told reporters Monday that he has improved his conditioning substantially since the beginning of the year.

“I’ve noticed a really big change,” Smith said. “That’s from being able to do a bit of practice to being able to do a full practice to feeling better running up and down the floor.”

NCAA issues were resolved in Smith’s favor, but Oregon was left disappointed this week when sophomore guard Dominic Artis and sophomore forward Ben Carter were suspended before the team left for Seoul for selling shoes they received from the team.

Artis started as the point guard on last year’s Ducks squad, which won the Pac-12 tournament and fell to eventual national champion Louisville in the Sweet 16. Oregon also has to contend with the graduation of both of last season’s starting forwards, Arsalan Kazdemi and E.J. Singler.

However, the addition of UNLV transfer Mike Moser — who, like Smith, also played at UCLA — will be dangerous for the Ducks in the post. Likewise, Oregon boasts a strong perimeter and could present problems for Georgetown from beyond the arc.

Without Otto Porter and Greg Whittington, the Hoyas are expected to run the ball through Smith as much as possible while also counting on Starks and sophomore guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera to create opportunities.

Defense, however, may be the team’s biggest focus going into its first game.

“We’re not going to be as long defensively, but we can be just as good defensively,” Lubick said. “You’ll see us pressure the ball a bit more and wreak havoc on the defensive end, which is how we’re going to win games.”

If that’s true, it’ll start in Seoul. Tip-off against the Ducks is set for 8 p.m. The game will be televised live on ESPN.

Hoya Staff Writer Laura Wagner contributed reporting.