Hoyas, Golden Eagles ready for marquee Big East clash

Saturday, March 01, 2008
2 PM, Milwaukee, WI

No. 11 Georgetown enters the Bradley Center Saturday afternoon riding a three-game winning streak, but while the Hoyas have won six of eight, all four of their loses this season have come on the road. Georgetown is 5-3 on the road against Big East foes, but have dropped two of their last three away from home. Georgetown (24-3, 13-3) is tied for the Big East lead with No. 18 Louisville. Both teams are 13-3 in the Big East, and have two games remaining. The top two teams in the standings will end the Big East regular season facing off against each other next Saturday, March 8th in Washington, DC.

The Hoyas will attempt to win their fourth in row and are coming off a 64-52 win this past Wednesday night against St. John’s. The tandem of DaJuan Summers and Roy Hibbert were too much for the Red Storm. Summers finished with 21 points, connecting on five 3-pointers, while Hibbert added 17. The name of the game all season has been defense for the Hoyas. Georgetown enters Milwaukee ranked No.1 in scoring defense in the Big East (57.1 ppg), field goal percentage (.483), and field goal percentage defense (.363)

The Golden Eagles (21-6, 11-5) are still in the hunt for one of the four coveted byes given to the top four Big East teams in the conference tournament. Marquette is just a half game behind fourth place Notre Dame (11-4), and the Golden Eagles will try for their sixth straight win after kicking of Judgment Week on Monday night with an 85-75 road win over Villanova. Dominic James paced Marquette, tying a season high with 25 points, while coming up with six swipes. The Golden Eagles were 10-of-23 from 3-point range, while clamping down on the Wildcats, holding Villanova to just 2-of-15 shooting from downtown, and forcing the Wildcats into 23 turnovers.

During the five-game winning streak, Marquette has forced over 100 turnovers and only allowed 18 3-pointers the last five games. The Golden Eagles has stifled the opposition, holding opponents to 22.8 percent shooting (18-of-79) from 3-point range during the streak. The Hoyas will challenge the perimeter defense of Marquette. Georgetown ranks third in the Big East, shooting 37 percent from long range.

It will be a classic battle of speed vs. size. Marquette will bring a quartet of speedy playmakers, led by James, who lead the Golden Eagles in scoring, averaging 13.6 points per game. Lazar Hayward and Jerel McNeal are each averaging 13.4 ppg, and Wesley Matthews is averaging a shade under 11 ppg, at 10.9. The real difference maker for Marquette will be at the defensive end, in the form of the 6-foot-10 Senegal native, Ousmane Barro. At 6’10’’, Barro will have the unpleasant advantage of matching up against Hibbert. Though Barro is giving up almost five inches to Hibbert, he’ll be called on to limit Hibbert’s offensive activity, especially on the glass. The Hoyas, like Marquette, have something head coach John Thompson can’t teach: size. Hibbert is over seven feet and Summers will be another mismatch on the floor for Marquette. He stands 6-foot-8 and second in scoring (11.5) and rebounding (5.3), behind Hibbert, who leads Georgetown in scoring and rebounding (13.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg).

Georgetown has gotten the better of Marquette two of the last three times, most recently defeating the Golden Eagles last year, 76-58, behind Hibbert’s 23-point, 11-rebound effort. Marquette protects the Bradley Center hardwood very well, boasting a 15-1 home mark. The Golden Eagles are 7-1 at home against Big East teams. Georgetown is 5-3 away from the Verizon Center versus the Big East.

by Frank Minniti
BigEast-fans.com Director of Content

> More Big East basketball news & headlines

> Follow the Big East Basketball Tournament online with Big East Fans!