Big East Tournament: Georgetown vs St. John’s

Game 32: No. 9 Georgetown Hoyas (14-17) vs No. 8 St. John’s Red Storm (13-18)

Where/When: Madison Square Garden/Wednesday 7pm

TV: FS1

KenPom: Georgetown 78-77, 54 percent

Line: Hoyas -1

Series: St. John’s leads 56-51

For weeks and weeks there have been plenty of opportunities for Georgetown to improve on last season’s first losing campaign in over 40 plus years. From right about the 13-10 mark back on Jan 31 we have drafted up scenarios in which Georgetown has to win this game or has to win that game in order to get back into the postseason or at worst just avoid finishing under .500. Well after losing five straight and seven of eight, Georgetown has literally made it to the ‘Must Win’ portion of the schedule. The Hoyas next loss will be its last.

Georgetown needs to win four games in four days after picking up just five conference victories all season in order to win the conference tournament for the first time since 2007. That’s a tall order for sure but if you had to pick a starting point – the Red Storm – would probably be it.

Nearly two months ago the Hoyas notched their largest conference win of the season in taking a part St. John’s 83-55. Four Hoyas were in double figures as LJ Peak and Rodney Pryor led the way with 16 and 13 points respectively. On the other side of the ball Georgetown held the Red Storm to just 5 of 30 shooting from deep. It was also the last time Jagan Mosely hit double-figures. For Georgetown to have any chance

St. John’s was able to get the win in the second meeting as 22 turnovers doomed the Hoyas. Shamorie Ponds and Marcus LoVett each finished in double figures. The young dynamic duo both earned spots on the All-Freshman team announced earlier this year.

A Hoyas loss would result in the schools having identical records until Thursday afternoon. Not great.

5-1: That’s the Hoyas all-time record against St. John’s in the BIG EAST Tournament although the Red Storm did pick up their lone victory the last time the two schools met in 2009. Georgetown last beat St. John’s in the 1992 semifinals.

Movin’ On Up: As Pryor’s lone season with Georgetown comes to a close the graduate transfer is still moving up the charts. Pryor needs six more 3-pointers to match the all-time single season mark set of 87 set by Allen Iverson back in 1996. Pryor also needs 21 more points to score the most ever in a season during the JT3 era. DSR’s 580 back in his sophomore season remains the highest tally. Pryor earned Honorable Mention for his stellar offensive season for the Hoyas.

Reason to be cynical: For the third time in four seasons Georgetown is participating in the play-in round as the ghost of Nikita Mescheriakov’s side of the back board 3-pointer haunts Hoya fans everywhere.

Reason to be delusional: As Pryor and JT3 have said since their last loss, it’s a new slate in NYC. Perhaps Senior Day went so horribly last weekend as the Hoyas didn’t want to give valuable game film to everyone else.

Prediction: St. John’s 75, Georgetown 68