February means business in the Big East, and Georgetown enters the business portion of its schedule with a key matchup Sunday against Pittsburgh. Unlike recent games with some one-dimensional opponents, Pitt is a well balanced team that poses tests on both sides of the ball.

Carl Krauser may be the most recognizable name from a  team that has endured a number of lineup additions since the two teams met back in January 2005. Krauser remains the go-to guy in the Pitt attack, but coach Jamie Dixon has diversified Pitt's efforts with three other legitimate scoring and defensive standouts to give Pitt options if Krauser is not to form.

The major addition has been junior center Aaron Gray. A backup to Chris Taft in prior years, Gray has emerged as a legitimate all-Big East candidate with his 13 point, 11 rebound a game average. 6-9 Levon Kendall has provided help on both scoring and rebounding, while reserve Sam Young is third in scoring despite never having started. a game this season.

Pitt's strengths are three: good shooting, rebounding, and defense, and each are potential areas for Georgetown to attack. Pitt's two Big East losses were punctuated by poor three point shooting:  18% vs. St. John's, and 10%  vs. Connecticut where the Panthers missed its first 16 attempts. Still, the UConn game was a four point decision, owing to relentless rebounding and a 89% shooting effort at the line.

Georgetown will be tested in each of these areas. Defending the three will be a key, and while Darrel Owens has done well in shooting the three, look for him to also play a role in defending it, too. While there are no J.J. Redick's on the Pitt team, many of the defensive sets needed to limit Duke on the outside may be valuable in Sunday's effort--a bad three point effort forces Pitt into shooting sets which Georgetown can take advantage of. Rebounding will also be a considerable test for a Georgetown team which has been near the bottom of the league in rebounding--Pitt averages nearly 13 offensive rebounds a game. Defensively, each team is capable of shutting down the other, but if Georgetown can close the door on Krauser and Gray, these two represent the two best offensive options. Pitt, on the other hand, must shut down as many as six legitimate GU scoring threats.

Here's a look at some potential matchups:

Jonathan Wallace vs. Carl Krauser. Krauser shot only 2-10 in last season's game and fans shouldn't expect a repeat. Wallace needs to be especially vigilant to Krauser's inside moves and cut off his entry into the passing lanes.
Ashanti Cook vs. Ronald Ramon. Ramon is an effective three point shooter (40%) and a better free throw shooter. look for Ramon to push Cook to the basket; and for his part, look for Cook to be more active on cutting to the basket.
Brandon Bowman vs. John DeGroat. DeGroat's time has been limited in a starting role, and Bowman may see a number of other Panthers at the three, including freshman Sam Young.  Young is a tenacious defender and has scored in double figures in seven of his last 11 games.
Jeff Green vs. Levon Kendall. Kendall is a redshirt junior who is second on the team in rebounding and fourth in scoring. His size will challenge Green, but Green will still be counted upon to lead inside.
Roy Hibbert vs Aaron Gray. The matchup of the day--if Hibbert cannot control Gray inside, John Thompson III must move Green inside and rely more on the outside shot. For his part, Hibbert must be stronger defensively and keep Gray away from the free throw line, where he leads the team in free throws.
GU bench vs. Pitt bench. Pitt's bench is second only to UConn in depth, and the panthers could go ten deep in the game. Darrel Owens and Jesse Sapp should see time, but probably not many others for the Hoyas

Keys to the game:
1. Fouls. Pitt scores a lot of point via the line. The Panthers average 18 points a game via the free throw. Fewer fouls mean fewer points.
2. Aaron Gray. Gray's ability to create points inside reduces pressure on Krauser outside. Hibbert and Green must reduce his impact and force Pitt outside..
3. Tempo. Georgetown's success with Duke was predicated on maintaining a lead and weathering the storm. This is not a Pitt team that Georgetown can fall behind with, so keeping things close will be to Georgetown's benefit, and there's no 18-0 point against a team like Pitt.

Three home games in the next seven days are pivotal in the season's outcome. The first of these will be important to see if Georgetown can get a step on the league leaders and with Georgetown and Pitt tied for the crucial fourth seed (and the first round conference tournament  bye that comes with it), a win and tiebreaker on the other will be valuable in March. A second win over a top ten team in MCI, even more so.