Senior Day Preview: Georgetown vs No. 2 Villanova

Game 31: Georgetown Hoyas (14-16, 5-12) vs No. 2 Villanova Wildcats (27-3, 15-3)

Series: Hoyas lead 43-36

Where/When: Verizon Center/Saturday noon

TV: Fox

KenPom: Villanova 73-66, 75 percent

Line: Villanova -7.5

Well it might be hard to believe considering all of the noise around the program right now but there’s an actual game to be played this weekend as Georgetown finishes out the regular season against the defending National Champions.

Georgetown lost earlier this season at Villanova to run its losing streak to four games against the Wildcats. Another loss would equal the Hoyas worst ever losing streak to Villanova which happened between 1947-50. Villanova has won 8 of the last 9 over the Hoyas. Saturday’s game will be the last time Georgetown fans have to watch DC area standouts Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins rub salt into their wounds live and in person for leaving town for a rival program.

Overall the Hoyas are trying to snap a four game losing streak and avoid a program worst 13 conference losses in a season. On three other occasions the Hoyas have lost 12 conference games:

1998: 6-12

1999: 6-12

2004: 4-12

Since there are numerous other posts on this site debating Coach John Thompson III’s job stability at the moment let’s instead take a stroll down memory lane with the seniors and with what I think is one of their best moments as Hoyas. Also, please arrive early as the seniors will be honored at beginning at 11:45am. OK, here we go.

Reggie Cameron II: As a junior against Wisconsin, Cameron was instrumental in helping the Hoyas avoid an 0-3 start. Cameron hit a career high four 3-pointers en route to a 14 point performance at Madison Square Garden. He also picked up two offensive rebounds and drew a charge. Runner up moment was probably this season against Syracuse as the free throw line zone buster.

Bradley Hayes: Maybe the best thing about Hayes career is his 4-1 record against Syracuse. It’s hard to disagree with that. Of course if we are just talking about something that happened in one game it’s probably his game saving cameo in the 2015 NCAA Tournament against Eastern Washington. Of his 16 total points that as a junior that season, half of them came in 10 minutes in Portland as Georgetown did not fall to a double-digit seed despite early foul trouble from both Joshua Smith and Mikael Hopkins.

Rodney Pryor: Although Pryor has only been around for what seems like a few minutes, his name will be forever etched into the record books for his stroke from long distance. Pryor has scored in double figures in 28 of 30 games so far this season and has the highest single season average of any player in the JT3 era. With just two guaranteed games left, Pryor needs 42 more points to best DSR’s 580 points in 2014. Pryor’s best moment was probably in the win at Butler when he went 8 for 14 from the field for 20 points, most of which happened in the second half. I’m really not sure what this season would have been like without Pryor showing up.

BET Seeding: Georgetown is locked into the 8/9 game next Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden against St. John’s. Win that and there’s another meeting with Villanova in a very short period of time.

NIT or at least a .500 final record: The Hoyas need to win on Saturday and then make it to at least the semifinals of the BET. They basically have to beat Villanova twice in the next week to avoid another losing season. I’m assuming than an under .500 Georgetown doesn’t get an NIT bid or accept a bid to the CBI.

NCAA: Georgetown must cut down the nets at the BIG EAST Tournament next weekend in order to get into the Field of 68 this season. For perspective, Georgetown has done that just once since 1990.

Reason to be cynical: None of the buzz around the program has been positive this week and it’s hard to imagine that the outside noise didn’t trickle down to the players. This week couldn’t have been a morale boost to a team trying to snap a losing streak.

Reason to be delusional: It’s Senior Day and there’s nothing to lose.

Prediction: Villanova 65, Hoyas 58