UConn men at Georgetown
The UConn men are in survive-and-advance mode right now, or at least they should be. Any loss now could squelch their hopes of getting to the NCAA Tournament.
Georgetown, the opponent Tuesday night, is an old Big East rival playing its best basketball of the season. The Hoyas have won two in a row, including a win over Seton Hall over the weekend that dampened the Pirates’ hopes. No easy games in this conference.
The Huskies come off a loss at Villanova but remain nearly where they were going into that game — on the NCAA bubble at No. 54 in the NetRankings. Georgetown, at No. 96, presents a
The basics
“Quadrant 2” opportunity. CBSSports.com analyst Jerry Palm projects UConn as a No .9 seed, but likely assumes a win at Georgetown. USA Today’s Scott Gleeson has UConn among its first four out of the field of 68. So this is a must-win game for UConn, which looks to get its offense more balanced and cohesive in James Bouknight’s third game back from his injury.
The Hoyas had five scorers in double figures in the win over Seton Hall, led by Jamorko Pickett with 20 points. They’ll present a number of weapons for UConn to guard.
Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:
Time: 9 p.m.
Venue: McDonough Arena, Washington, D.C.
Series: Georgetown leads, 36-30 Last meeting: Georgetown, 7269, Jan. 14, 2017, at Washington, D.C.
Streaks: UConn L1, Georgetown W2
TV: FS1 (Eric Collins, Nick Bahe) Radio: UConn IMG Radio Network (Mike Crispino, Wayne Norman); 97.9 ESPN Hartford, WINE 940 AM, WGCH 1490 AM, WICC 600 AM, WAVZ 1300 AM, WXLM 980 AM, WATR 1320 AM, WILI 1400 AM, 95.3 FM Livestream: Information can be found at the Fox Sports Website.
UConn (10-6, 7-6 Big East) probable starters, sixth man
Adama Sanogo, C, 6-9, Fr.; Isaiah Whaley, F, 6-9, Sr.; Andre Jackson, G, 6-6, Fr.; R.J. Cole, G, 6-0, Jr.; Tyrese Martin, G/F, 6-6, Jr.; James Bouknight, G, 6-4, So.
Georgetown (7-10, 5-7) probable starters, sixth man
Jamorko Pickett F, 6-9, Sr.; Chudier Bile, F, 6-7, GS; Dante Harris, G, 6-0, Fr.; Qudus Wahab, C, 6-11, So.; Jahvon Blair, G, 6-4, Sr.; Donald Carey, G, 6-7, GS.
The matchup
UConn’s offense: Bouknight scored 14 points in his first 11 minutes at Villanova, then missed 10 shots in a row. His supporting cast, very good in his first game back vs. Providence, was neutralized, and the ball movement, at least as indicated by assists-to-field goals, that marked some of the Huskies’ better offensive performances was lacking in both games. These will be things to look for.
UConn’s defense: Much better at Villanova, given the caliber of the opponent, in holding the Wildcats to 68 points. The Huskies, though they have had their lapses, are a still getting a lot of blocks and holding most teams and their top scorers below their average. Georgetown’s offense:
The Hoyas are shooting 42.9 percent, 36.8 percent on 3s and averaging 72.1 points. They have more turnovers than assists, unusual for a team with so much individual experience, but it’s not a group that has been together long and could be finding its rhythm late in the season. Blair (16.2 points) leads in scoring and assists. Pickett (12.7 points, 8.4 rebounds) will be a handful. Georgetown’s defense: Wahab, who was heavily recruited by UConn, has 34 blocks. The Hoyas have had success guarding the 3, with opponents shooting 34 percent, and big men Wahab and Pickett, coached by Patrick Ewing, are bound to make life tough in the paint.
UConn key: Martin and Cole need to produce around Bouknight in this game.
Players to watch: The matchup
between young big men Wahab and Sanogo could hold a key to this game.
About Georgetown’s coach: Hall-of-Famer Patrick Ewing, 58, remains one of the significant figures in Big East history, from his playing days with Georgetown’s championship teams of the early 1980s, to his long career with the Knicks. He became the Hoyas’ coach in 2017, and the building process has been slow; he’s 5656 overall, 24-42 in the Big East. About Georgetown’s mascot: “Hoyas” is derived from a Greek-Latin chant that means “What Rocks?” It took hold as the school’s athletic nickname in the 19th century, but since 1962 the mascot is a bulldog named Jack. Famous alumni: In basketball, there Ewing, Sleepy Floyd, Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning, Allen Iverson, Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert.