HOOPS PREVIEW GU To Face Pitt, Syracuse By Tom Kenny Hoya Staff Writer

Through the first 18 games of the 2001-02 season, the Georgetown men’s basketball team has demonstrated that it is among the more talented Hoya squads in recent years. In decisive road wins at Boston College and Notre Dame, the Hoyas showed why they were ranked in the top 15 in most pre-season polls.

They lead the Big East in scoring, something only one Georgetown team has done in 22 previous seasons of Big East Conference play. When the 1985-86 team led the Big East in offense, there were only nine teams in the league and the NCAA had not yet adopted the three-point shot. Another pleasant surprise for long-suffering Hoya fans has been free- throw shooting. Georgetown is shooting better than 72 percent from the foul line, good for third in the conference.

Despite their talent, the Hoyas have also shown a tendency to disappear for long stretches of games. In losses to Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Miami, UCLA, Virginia and Georgia, Georgetown simply fell apart for a good portion of the game and was unable to fully recover.

Thus, the Hoyas arrive at this approximate mid-point of the season behind where they had probably hoped to be. They are 12-6 overall, 3-3 in conference and not ranked in either Top 25 poll. Their NCAA Tournament prospects are very much up in the air.

Due to their inconsistent play, the Hoyas’ 10 remaining regular season games, all conference games, will assume even greater significance than usual. No set of games may be more significant than their next two.

In the next three days, the Hoyas will play at Pittsburgh tomorrow and play host to rival Syracuse on Monday night. Both the Panthers and the Orangemen are ranked teams in the same division as the Hoyas. They also sit in second and first place respectively in that division, while Georgetown currently stands in third. If the Hoyas can come away with two wins, an NCAA Tournament berth is a distinct possibility, while two losses could send Georgetown barreling toward their fourth National Invitational Tournament in the last five seasons.

When the Hoyas journey to Fitzgerald Field House tomorrow afternoon, it will be a chance for quick redemption. Last Saturday’s 68-67 loss to the Panthers at MCI Center is one of several that Hoya fans will remember if this year’s squad narrowly misses the NCAA Tournament. The Hoyas’ furious second half comeback was wasted as Pitt sophomore Jaron Brown tipped home junior Brandin Knight’s missed jumper with less than 10 seconds remaining and Hoya freshman Drew Hall’s three-pointer rimmed out as time expired.

Despite the loss, Georgetown should enter this Saturday’s rematch with some degree of confidence. They have looked very strong in their most recent away games at BC and Notre Dame. However, the Panthers will also be confident coming off last Saturday’s win and their home win Tuesday, 72-57 over tenth ranked Syracuse. Pitt is now 17-4 overall, 5-2 in conference and ranked No. 25 in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.

The biggest factor this Saturday could be rebounding. Against Pitt last Saturday, the Hoyas recorded a season low 27 rebounds to the Panthers’ 35. At no time was this more evident than when no one boxed out Brown, who easily entered to lane to tip in the game-winning bucket. The Hoyas backcourt players actually outrebounded the frontcourt players. The Hoyas bounced back well onday night in South Bend as they pulled down 54 rebounds to Notre Dame’s 41.

Monday night at MCI Center, the Hoyas and Orangemen renew the Big East’s best rivalry. Syracuse holds a 35-32 edge in all games while the Hoyas lead 26-25 in 22 seasons of Big East games.

The Orangemen have dropped their last two games following a seven-game winning streak. Tuesday’s loss at Pitt was their first in the Big East following a 5-0 start. By Monday though, Syracuse’s will probably be back on a winning track. They play host to Virginia Tech Saturday and the Hokies do not figure to break their yearlong winless skid in conference games at the Carrier Dome. The Orangemen stand at 16-4 overall, 5-1 in conference and are ranked No. 10 in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.

For the second straight year, senior forward Preston Shumpert is the number one option for the Orangemen. His average of 21 points per game is second overall in the Big East. In their two recent losses, Shumpert was held below his season averages in both games, as was junior guard DeShaun Williams. Williams’s average of 18.1 points per game is ninth among all Big East players.