Preview: Georgetown at Creighton

Game 21: Georgetown Hoyas (13-7, 3-6) at Creighton Bluejays (16-5, 6-3)

When: Saturday 8pm

Where: CenturyLink Center

Series: Hoyas lead 6-5

Last Meeting: Jan 6 - Creighton 90, Georgetown 66

TV: CBS Sports Network

KenPom: Creighton 84, Georgetown 71 - 89 percent

Line: Creighton -12.5, o/u 155.5

Georgetown begins a season long three-game roadtrip against Creighton in Omaha on Saturday night. They Hoyas enter one of the more difficult away venues in the BIG EAST after splitting their last two games in dramatic fashion.

Georgetown needed double overtime to dispatch a St. John’s squad that remains winless in the league and then dropped a one-point decision to DePaul as Jagan Mosely’s runner hit the rim twice before bouncing off.

Creighton is a perfect 12-0 at home this season and is 1-3 all-time against the Hoyas in Omaha. None of the four previous Georgetown - Creighton games at CenturyLink have been all that competitive. Creighton has wins of 13, 13, and 17 points while the Hoyas lone win came in the form of a 27-point blowout.

When these two teams met earlier this month, Georgetown got very little its star frontcourt duo of Jessie Govan and Marcus Derrickson. The two just 11 points and 10 rebounds. While Govan struggled last game with just five points and five rebounds, Derrickson has been saving some of his best stuff for late.

The junior forward had 17 of his career high 27 points after after regulation in the win over St. John’s and then hit a go-ahead 3-pointer against DePaul with 50 seconds left. Derrickson finished with 23 points in the loss to the Blue Demons.

Also coming on strong is freshman Jamorko Pickett.

Pickett his hit season highs of 16 and 19 points in back-to-back games while knocking down a combined nine 3-pointers.

For Coach Ewing, Pickett’s success doesn’t come as a surprise.

“I’m happy that he’s starting to figure it out,” Ewing said about Pickett’s recent performances.

Aside from the scoring surge, Picket is also starting to improve in other areas. Against St. John’s Pickett had a season high nine rebounds. Pickett followed that up with eight boards against DePaul while having just one turnover in 33 minutes while Govan sat for long stretches with foul problems.

“For his success and for our success he can’t be just a jump shooter. There’s a lot of other things he has to do and finally he’s starting to do it.”

Pickett, who chose Georgetown over Maryland, after de-committing from Ole Miss says there were two important factors in picking the Hoyas.

“What made me come here is that [coach Ewing] not only talked the talked, he walked the walked,” Pickett said about his HOF coach. “He been there and he done it. So why not come here and follow in his footsteps.”

The other reason was that Pickett knew there would be a chance to play a lot of minutes as a freshman.

Scouting Creighton: The last Georgetown saw the Bluejays it seemed as if they couldn’t miss from deep. Creighton made 16 3-pointers in their 90-66 win including five from big man Toby Hegner. Bluejays leading scorer Marcus Foster finished with a season low nine points but it didn’t matter as the other four starters each more than 12 points apiece. Coach Greg McDermott will be without Martin Krampelj who suffered a torn left ACL. The sophomore from Slovenia averages a team best eight rebounds and had a double-double against the Hoyas last time out.

BIG EAST Streaks: After dropping the first meeting against Creighton at home earlier this month, Georgetown runs the risks of not beating the Bluejays in a season for the first time in the reconfigured league. Creighton is one of three BIG EAST opponents along with St. John’s and DePaul that Georgetown has defeated at least once since the start of the 2013-14 season.

Post Game Plans: With Georgetown playing its furthest game away from home in Omaha on Saturday night, Ewing plans to take advantage of the situation.

“After Creighton I’m going out west,” Ewing said about about his travel itinerary.

Georgetown has a full week off in between games at Creighton and at Xaiver.

“We need pieces. I have two more scholarships I have to fill. I’m out there trying to fill them. We need another big so I’m going out to try and find another big and try and find another perimeter player. Then there’s 19, we’re out there trying to fill 19 so it’s never ending.”

Georgetown loses point guards Jonathan Mulmore and Trey Dickerson and adds guard Mac McClung along with forwards Josh LeBlanc and Grayson Carter.

Prediction: Creighton 85, Georgetown 72