BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SYRACUSE @ GEORGETOWN

January 21, 2008

One of the Big East's best rivalries is renewed tonight when Syracuse meets Georgetown at the Verizon Center for ESPN's Big Monday. The Hoyas sit atop the Big East standings with a 4-1 record after Saturday's 84-65 victory over Notre Dame. The Orange are 3-3, but in desperate need of a big win.

Here are the game previews from the local media:

Jardine Contributes to Orange (Utica Observer-Dispatch)
Orange Goes Against Rugged Georgetown (Rochester D&C)
On Offense and Defense, Hibbert Sets the Tone (Syracuse Post-Standard)
Orange are Quite Green (Washington Times)
One the Road to Syracuse, Hoyas Have No Time to Rest (Washington Post)

Syracuse is coming of a disappointing home loss to Villanova, 81-71, where foul trouble plagued the Orange. With an injury-depleted roster, SU has little room for error with six of their eight active scholarship players new to Division 1-A basketball. The two 'veterans' are sophomores Paul Harris and Arinze Onuaku, who missed all of last season with a knee injury.

So far Syracuse has won three conference games, all at home, against the three teams that are looking as though they have distanced themselves from the pack as ones NOT going to Madison Square Garden for the Big East Tournament: St. John's, South Florida and Rutgers. Their lone two road games in the conference have resulted in losses at Cincinnati and at West Virginia, where they lost 81-61.

There is no doubt that Jom Boeheim's squad has talent. Jonny Flynn and Dante Greene are McDonald's All-Americans, Arinze Onuaku is one of the league's most improved players and Paul Harris makes an impact on every game with his athletic ability and intense effort. However, the Orange are young and they show all the bad habits that young players have. Their defense can lack consistent effort and intensity, decision making and shot selection is spotty and their toughness inside can be exposed.

On the other-hand, Georgetown returns four starters from last year's Big East championship club that went to the Final Four. Led be preseason Big East Player of the Year Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas have won four of their first five in conference play and rebounded from their lone loss, last Monday at Pittsburgh, with an impressive mauling of Notre Dame Saturday. Hibber led Georgetown with 21 pts and 5 assists against the Irish and DaJuan Summer, Jesse Sapp and Austin Freeman all rebounded from poor outings against Pitt with very effecient games.

That is the Hoya motto, effeciency. Georgetown runs a methodical and patient Princeton-style offense that keeps pressure on the defense on every spot on the floor. Hibbert's ability to pass the ball draws the opposing big man away from the hoop. Syracuse will counter the Hoya movement by playing their trademark 2-3 zone defense and try to force the Hoyas to depend on the perimeter shot. Against Pitt the Hoyas were 3-20 from three-point range in their loss. Of course, back on their home floor against ND, the Hoyas were 8-20 (40%) from the arc and 53% overall from the floor.

Georgetown will mix defenses and run an effecient offense, two things that can really frustrate a young club. I think Georgetown will be aggressive attacking the Orange zone and any form of foul trouble with the Orange tilts this game HEAVILY in favor of Georgetown. Playing on the road on a short turnaround, this game looks to be VERY tough on Syracuse, a 12-pt underdog.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Georgetown 78 Syracuse 63