Here We Go: #12/11 Georgetown Hoyas (18-4, 8-3) at #2 Syracuse Orange (23-1, 10-1)

Georgetown Hoyas		Syracuse Orange
	vs.
#12/11 (18-4, 8-3); RPI: 13		#2 (23-1, 10-1); RPI: 1

(Perspectives After The Jump)

View from the Student Section - A Perspective from Campus:

My hatred for Syracuse runs deep. That's what happens when your first two encounters with this rivalry included the Dajuan Summers dunk fest over Kristof Ongenaet and then getting glass bottles thrown at you. I hold no sympathy for anything bad that happens to Syracuse University. That being said they are a damn good basketball team. However Fab Melo still hasn't proven himself fully as he hasn't faced the best big man in the conference, Henry Sims. If the Hoyas make this a half court game I really like our chances. Our defense has been the best it's been in the last four years since the Pitt debacle. Hollis Thompson is also due for a big shooting night. I never think we should win in Syracuse but we always have a chance. This matchup is no different. Cuck fuse.

View from the Court Side Seats - A Perspective from OldHoya:

It's a damn shame that this Big East rivalry is coming to an end. More so than any other, this game has been one that fans both looked forward to and dreaded as Georgetown and Syracuse have consistently had strong teams and produced great games. And though he's loathe to admit it, OldHoya does have at least one friend who graduated from Syracuse, and the annual Cafe Milano wager may come to an end after this year.

As has been well documented, this rivalry really began with JT2 letting everyone know that Manley Fieldhouse was officially closed. This led to a long running cheer of "What's the streak at Manley now?" when Cuse visited DC but sadly, came to and end in the days before blogs and the ability to keep such lore alive.

The rivalry really intensified during the 80s as the Hoyas and Orangemen were consistently at the top of the conference. The best games of the series were in the 80s, and of course, the cream of the crop were with Patrick at center, particularly in the Big East Championship in 1984. The Hoyas met Syracuse in the championship game again in 1987 and 1989 (triumphant both times), a span during which Cuse boasted arguably its most awful player of all time: Rony Seikaly.

Though there were plenty of great games in between, a particularly sweet moment came on February 24, 2002. Yes, the date that Syracuse elected to decree the hideous floor inside the Carrier Dome, "Jim Boeheim Court." This was no great Georgetown team but behind Gerald Riley (since immortalized in the now defunct 'dress like a Hoya challenge') and Kevin Braswell, Georgetown got the last laugh by winning the game 75-69.

Folks - this is possibly the last time these two powerhouses will meet as Big East foes before the Orange defect for the woeful football conference known as the ACC. It's tough to picture Boeheim getting fired up for a game against Clemson and it would shock no one to see him step down as coach following this season.

It'll be a tough game but will this be Georgetown's chance to complete the trifecta and officially shut the Carrier Dome?

View from the Enemy- A Perspective from our Sleeping With The Enemy Interview:

HS: No clue. I could see Georgetown winning by 10, I could see Syracuse winning by 10. I don't think it'll be a blowout either way. If Thompson and Clark start bombing away, Syracuse is in deep shit. If Syracuse can get their stuff going inside and Lubick and Sims get knocked around a bit, I think it puts Syracuse is a good spot. I don't think they'll play this one out of the 60's, so give me Syracuse, 65-63. If you're taking the first half, I'll go Georgetown, 28-24.

TN: You want me to predict a Big East basketball game? In 2012? Are you insane? Every time I do this I am so far off from what actually happens that it's laughable.

All I will say is that I obviously expect Syracuse to win but I expect a great game in front of a very loud crowd who will, hopefully, not throw debris at you. Syracuse 68, Georgetown 63.

And a good day you, sirs and madams.

I don't quite know how the rocket scientists in the league office could let this game only happens once in a season, especially this year. If WVU gets its way, the deviants in orange will be off to serve as FLUFFER for the tobacco road showdown. I should be more nervous than I am. My nerves should be at an interplanetary level. Maybe it's because we are nearly a 10 point underdog, but I am just not worried. The truth is, I think that favorite or underdog status is thrown out the window in games like this. Regardless of what the 'Cuse Internet Troll Association says, we are, er, WERE their biggest rival. It ain't UCONN. I am not making the prediction that we will beat them up in Canadia. They are talented, tall and deep this year. We are much better than everyone thought we would be, but is that enough to beat them on their home floor, in what could be our last regular season game with The Orange? Will the Chinese experience help us step up in a hostile environment? Bottles in China are the same as bottles in Canadia, right?

I have been trying to keep CAPTAIN FURY bottled up. I think I have done a reasonably good job. Tonight will be tough. I could see myself being asked to go watch this game from a bar (and then being asked to leave that bar). OK, I have now worked myself up. I am severely, extremely, OH CRAP LEVEL NERVOUS. I want this game. I have been doing good deeds all week. Hell, I found a wallet in GCT and took the time to internet stalk the guy in order to give it back. PLEASE let me good deeds be repaid with a strong performance. PLEASE let the law of averages take effect and cause HANK14 to finish and make everything that he throws up! PLEASE.

Guns of the Navarone...

View from the Sportsbook (via DonBest) - A Perspective from Vegas:

The Line: Syracuse -9.5. Over/under 130.5.
The Hoyas lead the Big East is shooting percentage against a zone defense at 47%, in large part due to the deft interior passing of bigs Henry Sims and Nate Lubick and the outside shooting of Hollis Thompson, Jason Clark and Markel Starks. Put simply, these Hoyas are zone busters, and tonight I expect a ton of Otto Porter with the ball at the top of the key. Cuse likes to get out in transition, so the key tonight will be making shots to prevent the break outs. With 9.5 points I'm tempted to throw some coinage on the Hoyas moneyline, but for the sake of this modest exercise I'm rolling with the Hoyas and the points and I've already spent the winnings.

The pick is Georgetown +9.5. Final score Hoyas 67 - Orange 66.

Casual Hoya is 11-10-1 ATS this season.
Last season: 18-14 ATS.
Overall: 51-32-1 ATS.

www.CasualHoya.com: Where Your Money Stays And Plays.