Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Men’s Basketball | No. 24 Hoyas Travel to Philadelphia; Will Attempt to Upset No. 7 ’Nova Again

FILE PHOTO: CLAIRE SOISSON/THE HOYA Junior guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera was one of the leading scorers for the Hoyas when they faced Villanova at home on Jan. 19. Smith-Rivera scored 17 points and notched three rebounds for GU.
FILE PHOTO: CLAIRE SOISSON/THE HOYA
Junior guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera was one of the leading scorers for the Hoyas when they faced Villanova at home on Jan. 19. Smith-Rivera scored 17 points and notched three rebounds for GU.

Battered after a shocking 74-71 loss to Providence on Wednesday, the No. 24 Georgetown men’s basketball team (15-7, 7-4 Big East) will travel to Philadelphia on Saturday to face a Villanova team that is seeking revenge for it 78-58 loss at Verizon Center back on Jan 19.

Since its loss to Georgetown, No. 7 Villanova (20-2, 7-2 Big East) has reeled off three straight victories by an average of 17 points. Georgetown, meanwhile, has gone .500 with road wins against conference bottom-dwellers Marquette and Creighton and losses to Xavier and Providence.

A common theme in the Hoyas’ most recent losses has been prolonged stretches of offensive lulls. For more than 11 minutes of the first half against Xavier, and again in the final 7:41 of Wednesday night’s loss to Providence, Georgetown was held without a field goal.

Offensive droughts are hard to fathom for a team that boasts the Big East Preseason Player of the Year in junior guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera and an incomparable low-post figure in senior center Joshua Smith.

Still, for whatever reason, these Hoyas have a tendency to go cold.

“Just movement, we just weren’t moving enough,” Smith-Rivera said following the loss to Providence. “The ball was sticking, and we were stagnant and just looking for one option instead of looking for the next thing and keeping them on the move.”
Georgetown also struggled with ball security against Providence, turning the ball over 15 times, some of them in key moments. The Hoyas are averaging 13.2 turnovers per game.

“We didn’t take care of the ball. We can’t go through stretches where we aren’t getting shots,” Georgetown Head Coach John Thompson III said.

In the first meeting between Georgetown and Villanova, the Hoyas held the Wildcats scoreless for a seven-minute stretch that allowed Georgetown to build a 30-11 lead. Villanova shot just 14-of-41 from the field in that game, largely because the Wildcats missed several open shots, something that is less likely to occur at home.

Villanova utilizes an extremely balanced offensive attack with six players who average over nine points per game. The Wildcats’ weakness is in the post, as 6-foot-11 Daniel Ochefu, a junior forward who fouled out of the game at Verizon Center, is their player who is taller than 6-foot-7-inches.

Still, the team boasts a slew of talented guards. Senior guard Darrun Hilliard leads the team with 13.2 points per game, while junior guard Ryan Arcidiacono averages 10 points per game, along with a team-leading 3.7 assists per game. Arcidiacono was Villanova’s only consistent offensive threat in its previous game against Georgetown, as he scored 16 points on 4-of-6 three-point shooting.

Georgetown will look to replicate its disruptive defense from the last game against Villanova. The Hoyas’ combination of size and athletic ability proved to be difficult for the Wildcats to manage. Freshman forward Isaac Copeland had one of his best games of the season, scoring 17 points on only six field-goal attempts.

In addition, senior guard Jabril Trawick contributed one of his best performances, recording 10 points, four steals and two blocks against Villanova. While Trawick’s numbers do not necessarily jump off the page, his aggressiveness and energy gave the Hoyas an invaluable boost.

Trawick’s play has proven to be critical to Georgetown’s success this season, as the senior has scored single-digit points in each of his team’s seven losses this season.

Smith-Rivera will be another key factor for the Hoyas on Saturday. The junior has scored at least 13 points in nine consecutive games, averaging 18.1 points per game over that stretch. He scored 17 points in the team’s previous game against the Wildcats at Verizon Center and will look to continue his red-hot outside shooting.

Despite the Hoyas’ success against the Wildcats earlier this year, Saturday’s game will represent an exceedingly difficult challenge. Villanova is 13-0 at home this season and will probably submit a better performance in the teams’ second matchup.
The game will tip off at 2 p.m. and will be broadcasted on Fox Sports 1.

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