When a Georgetown team shoots 49% at home and lost by 13 last year, plenty of college basketball experts were surprised. Even more surprising was the opponent:Old Dominion, a school which had not defeated a top 10 opponent in the regular season in 16 years. The win helped lead the Big Blue to 24 wins and an NCAA bidin 2007, and entering this season, ODU is a strong team once again, having outrebounded North Carolina and Louisville on consecutive nights.
With its third top 10 opponent in a week, ODU has a matchup that plays a little closer to its strengths, in an environment all its own. The Monarchs are 46-4at the Ted Constant Convocation Center over the last four seasons, but will need to improve its shooting to steer it past a Georgetown team that is up to thechallenge.
The Monarchs shot only 34% in their loss to Louisville, a game the Monarchs led in the second half but could not match the Cards inside. A similar fate befellthem the night before, as the North Carolina Tar Heels shot a torrid 71 percent from the floor while ODU could muster only 40 percent shooting. Guard play,particularly in outside shooting, is a point of emphasis in this game.
ODU's guards are more than capable of turning up the shooting heat. Brandon Johnson enters the game averaging 48 percent from the field and 50 percent fromthree, but has been more likely to feed the ball (6 assists per game) than take over the game offensively. Guard Marsharee Neely also fares well as a shooterbut averages fewer shots and could be at a disadvantage against a quicker Jessie Sapp in the defensive matchup.
Old Dominion's scoring punch is up front, where a pair of forwards have proven themselves worthy against some of the best in the nation. 6-5 BrianHenderson has led his team in three point shooting over the last two seasons, but has struggled to begin 2007-08, with a 31 percent mark outside the arc and 33percent overall. His outside shooting picked up with a 4-9 effort against Louisville, but he has yet to hit his stride. As Henderson's fortunes have beenunsettled to date, the Monarchs are bullish on Gerald Lee, a 6-9 sophomore from Finland who has shown signs of remarkable play this season. Lee was 8-11 fromthe field against Louisville and is shooting 61 percent from the field. The Monarchs will count on Lee for second half spurts, but to date ODU has struggledlate in games, which allowed Clemson, UNC, and Louisville to take over down the stretch. Its center, Sam Harris, is notable for being one of the few playerstaller than Roy Hibbert (7-3), but he is not a main scoring option.
Outside of an early spurt versus Michigan, Georgetown has played conservatively over its three games, preferring to get freshmen and receives more time earlyrather than build up considerable leads. In adjusting to the loss of Jeff Green, forwards DaJuan Summers and Patrick Ewing Jr. have yet to pick up theoffensive push, but the height advantage on Henderson should allow one of these two to work the mid-range shot and either find Hibbert inside or drive to thebasket.
Roy Hibbert had a nice game last season (17 points, 8 rebounds) against Harris (2 points, 4 fouls) and could do so again, but must be careful ODU doesn'ttry to set him up for some early foul trouble, which would give Lee much more freedom inside against Summers or Vernon Macklin. The guards must also look forsome strong efforts from OSU's bench, particularly redshirt senior Abdi Lidonde.
Some keys to the game?
1. Points Off Turnovers: The Monarchs gave up only seven turnovers in last year's game, limiting GU's opportunities for a comeback. ODU is averaging 17turnovers a game so far in 2007-08, and Georgetown needs to convert these accordingly.
2. Rebounds: With 40 rebounds a game, ODU doesn't give opponents many second chances.
3. Ewing & Henderson: With Summers and Lee both expected to battle for points, the matchup at small forward could prove critical. Defense will be key tokeeping Henderson off-target, while Ewing needs to get more scoring opportunities in transition.
Georgetown's guard and center play figure to lead the way, but the Monarchs' home cooking must not be ignored. In its first real test on a hostilefloor since the Syracuse game back in February, a methodical, efficient game is just what the Hoyas need entering December. And no surprises, either.
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I really just wana get through this one
The one thing that I kinda like is they have a 7-3 guy...and Roy always tends to play better against fellow big guys