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Georgetown Basketball: Pre-Game Report 
St. John's (14-15)
Coach: Norm Roberts
(Queens '87)
5th season, 62-82
Career: Same
AP: Not Ranked
RPI: 147
Expected Starters:
Name Ht. Pts.
Malik Boothe 5-9 7.2
Paris Horne 6-3 14.0
D.J. Kennedy 6-6 13.3
Sean Evans 6-8 10.0
Justin Burrell 6-8 9.4
Team Stats:
Points/Game: 67.2
Points Allowed: 67.6
FG Shooting: 43.6
FG Defense 44.7
3FG Shooting: 31.5
FT Shooting: 63.9
Rebounds/Game 36.8
Assists/Game 12.5
Turnovers/Game 14.7
Last 5 Games (2-3)
02/14: Marq 73, SJ 59
02/19: Duke 76, SJ 69
02/22: SJ 70, S. Hall 65
02/24: Syr 87, SJ 58
02/28: SJ 84, DePaul 63
Quick Facts

Game 28: vs. St. John's University
March 3, 7:30 pm (EST), Madison Square Garden
Tickets Available? Yes
TV: MASN/ESPN Regional
GU Radio: WTEM-980
About The Redmen:
Location: New York, NY
Enrollment: 20,086
Conference: Big East
Record vs. Georgetown: 50-40
Last Five Games to Date:
2005-06: at GU 79, SJ 65
2005-06: at GU 64, SJ 41
2006-07: GU 72, at SJ 48
2007-08: GU 74, at SJ 42
2007-08: at GU 64, SJ 52

Game Notes
--This is Georgetown's 142nd game all time at Madison Square Garden and its 30th against St. John's. The Hoyas are 13-16 overall against the Redmen.
--Tuesday's game marks the 90th meeting between the schools, third most among all opponents and second among active opponents (Seton Hall, 91).
--Georgetown is 11-3 in games played on March 3, 4-1 in the Big East era.
Conference Rankings
Out of 16 Teams: SJU GU
Scoring 14th 11th
Defense 8th 6th
FG % 14th 6th
3FG% 11th 10th
FT% 12th 7th
Rebounds 10th 15th
Rebound Margin 4th 12th
Assists 16th 9th
Turn. Margin 15th 13th
Preview

A week from today, Georgetown makes its debut at the Big East Tournament with a post-season bid in the balance. But without a win against St. John's Tuesday, it won't mean as much.

Georgetown knows that every game from here on out is do or die for its post-season, and if there are any contingencies out there which could steer the Hoyas back into the NCAA tournament conversation, two wins this week are essential. To do so, they'll need to come to play against a St. John's club that, while unlikely, could qualify for its first NIT bid in six years with wins over Georgetown and Notre Dame this week. To do so, they'll have to take a marked step up in shooting, which has struggled for much of the season.

The St. John's backcourt starts with Paris Horne, a converted sixth man who has leads the team in scoring (14.2 ppg) and is the team's best offensive option. Horne is shooting 47 percent from the field as a guard, and that alone has kept St. John's competitive in games this season. Point guard Malik Booth is less of an offensive threat, especially from three, but is the best assist threat for a St. John's team that ranks last in the league in assists.

St. John's may have a favorable matchup in 6-6 D.J. Kennedy against a taller but slower 6-8 Nikita Mescheriakov. Kennedy has slumped in recent games but can help out on rebounding, a statistic the Redmen have used to its favor in its last two wins. In a 70-65 upset of Seton hall, St. John's outrebounded the Hall 49-31. 6-8 power forward Sean Evans, shooting 51 percent from the field, looks to continue the momentum from his 15 points against DePaul, while 6-8 forward remains out of position in the pivot and opposing teams have exploited the inside lanes as a result.

The St. John's bench is thin and somewhat depleted. Its best player, Anthony Mason, Jr., was lost early in the season, and of the remaining reserves, 6-6 forward Rob Thomas (6.1 ppg) has been the most productive. With the suspension to center Dele Coker, the Redmen have only one player taller than 6-8 left on the roster.

Either way, St. John's doesn't quit. They play hard-nosed basketball, particularly at home, where the Redmen are 4-4 in conference games at MSG or Carnesecca Arena. Despite its relative strength at home for a 5-11 squad, the Redmen are near the bottom in attendance, and a similar crowd is expected for this one.

If Georgetown learned anything from Saturday's nail-biter with Villanova, it is that turnovers kill. It's a lesson also learned at St. John's, which ranks 15th in the league compared to Georgetown's 13th in turnover margin. But Georgetown also needs to play to its strengths, particularly inside, where consistent play from Dajuan Summers and Greg Monroe (particularly in the second half) can allow Georgetown the breathing room it needs and limit the kind of passes which lead to turnovers. Since neither team specializes in comebacks, getting an early lead and keeping it will be a point of emphasis for both squads.

Some keys to the game:

1. Mid-Range Shots: If St. John's is to get significant point production, it won't come from inside and likely not from three, where the Redmen are shooting at 31% overall, but in the mid-range shot. Georgetown must control the forwards and reduce offensive rebound opportunities.

2. The Last Four Minutes: Georgetown may have won the Villanova game with its efforts late in the first half. Another strong finish before halftime could be key.

3. Jessie Sapp: Sapp could be an invaluable defensive weapon on Horne, and has saved some of his best games for his hometown audience.

Georgetown matches up well with each of its final two opponents in the regular season, but matchups don't win games. In a season where the Hoyas have struggled on the road, a win Tuesday would keep the post-season alive, and make next week's return even more important.

Georgetown (15-12)
Coach: John Thompson III
(Princeton '88)
5th season, 116-48
Career: 186-88
AP: Not Ranked
RPI: 40
Expected Starters
Name Ht. Pts.
Chris Wright 6-1 14.7
Austin Freeman 6-4 11.9
Nikita Mescheriakov 6-8 3.0
Dajuan Summers 6-8 14.7
Greg  Monroe 6-11 13.0
Team Stats:
Points/Game: 70.9
Points Allowed 64.6
FG Shooting: 47.3
FG Defense: 40.8
3FG Shooting: 33.9
FT Shooting: 71.7
Rebounds/Game 32.9
Assists/Game 14.0
Turnovers/Game 14.6
Last 5 Games (1-4)
02/14: Syr 98, GU 94 (OT) 02/18: GU 65, USF 40
02/21: Marq 78, GU 72
02/28: Lvl 76, GU 58
03/01: GU 56, V'Nova 54


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