Georgetown Basketball: Pre-Game Report

Game Notes

• This is the highest ranked Providence team (#10) to play Georgetown in the history of the series between the teams. It's also only the second team any ranked PC team has played at Georgetown, and the first since the #20 Friars played #8 Georgetown on Feb. 28, 1987 at Landover, MD.
• Providence is 3-0 in Big East road games this season.
• D'Vauntes Smith Rivera is seven points short of passing Kevin Braswell (1998-02) for ninth place on the University's career scoring list.
• Providence was picked to finish fifth in the ten team Big East pre-season media poll.
• Watch the halftime score: Georgetown is 12-1 when leading at the break, PC 11-0. When trailing or tied, GU is 1-7, Providence 6-4.
• Georgetown is 14-13 all-time in games played on January 30, 8-3 in the Big East era.

Preview

It goes without saying that Georgetown's 74-73 win over Creighton was an important one, but even more so Saturday.

If Georgetown is going to make a serious case for an NCAA bid, it must demonstrate wins against top teams. With thee such games remaining on the schedule, and two on the road, Saturday's game against Providence can be a statement game.

Providence is playing some of its best basketball of late, and at 17-4 they have a record to show for it. Despite some ups and downs on the home court, PC is undefeated in Big East play on the road including an impressive OT win at Villanova last weekend. The Friars are led by All-America candidate Kris Dunn, another one of a long line of PC guards who rise up the national rankings with superior offensive and defensive play. Dunn's 17 point, six rebound and seven assist stat line makes one of only a few players nationwide with such range, and with one triple-double this year, 16 points, 10 rebounds, 14 assists versus Hartford) he is eminently capable of a repeat performance down the line. Dunn averaged 14 points in two games against the Hoyas last season and the GU defense needs to contain him to a similar figure in this game.

What has really elevated PC this season has been the play of 6-9 center Ben Bentil, who has been unstoppable in Big East games this season, with a high mark of 31 points and 12 rebounds versus Villanova and 21 points and 8 rebounds per game overall. Bentil can rebound, he can post up and he can drive inside, and has been doing that in every game this season. In its most recent game when the Friars were struggling against Xavier, Bentil's 25 points kept PC within distance until late.

But as good as these two players are, the rest of its team must step up. Dunn and Bentil were a combined14 of 33 in the loss to Xavier, but the rest of the team was a combined 8 for 37. The two players account for 55 percent of PC's scoring but perhaps more important, they account for 45 percent of its possessions via field goal attempts. Georgetown can't shut them down, but limiting their impact could go a long way in limiting Providence's other scoring options, particularly 6-8 Rodney Bullock (12.54 ppg, 7.0 rpg). Overall, PC ranks 9th of 10 Big East teams in field goal percentage and last in three point shooting.

Keys To The Game:

Inside Game: Georgetown needs a big game from Bradley Hayes and Jessie Govan against Bentil. Without it, there's not much DSR can do on his own.

Isaac Copeland: Can Copeland break out of his slump? A matchup with Bullock figures to be a tough test on both ends of the court.

Consistency: Georgetown has not won consecutive games play since its opening Big East games with Marquette and DePaul. A consistent game, free from fouls and scoring lulls, will set the course to victory.

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