GAME THREAD: Connecticut at Georgetown

Game 18: UConn Huskies (10-6, 7-6) at Georgetown Hoyas (7-10, 5-7)

When: Today 9 pm

Where: McDonough Gymnasium

Series: Hoyas lead 36-30

Last meeting: Georgetown beat UConn 72-69 on Jan. 14, 2017 in the second of a two game non-conference series between the then-former BIG EAST rivals. LJ Peak had 21 while Jessie Govan added 15 points off the bench as the Hoyas completed a second-half comeback.

TV: FS1 (Eric Collins & Nick Bahe)

Radio: The Team 980, SiriusXM 385, Radio.com (Rich Chvotkin, 47th season)

KenPom Ranking: UConn 35, Georgetown 93

KenPom Projection: UConn 70, Georgetown 67 (62 percent)

Tine: UConn -5, o/u 140

PREVIEW

The red hot Hoyas are back in action with the renewal of a BIG EAST rivalry with Connecticut tonight. After putting a hurt on Seton Hall’s at-large chances over the weekend, Georgetown gets another shot to hurt a resume with Dan Hurley and the Huskies in town. If Georgetown can win tonight it will be the Hoyas first 3-game conference winning streak since Jan. 2017. Yeah. It’s been awhile.

This game was originally scheduled to played back in December but now the two schools will meet twice in the final two weeks of the regular season.

Georgetown improved to 4-2 after their covid pause by finding a way to win despite a quiet night offensively from leading scorer Jahvon Blair. Dante Harris had one of his best games as a Hoya while Jamorko Pickett looked like the potential pro many have hoped to see for years. Qudus Wahab continues to be a double-double thread, Chudier Bile continues to play an important role and Donald Carey has become a walking, talking 4-point play.

UConn leading scorer James Bouknight is back after elbow surgery. The sophomore guard has played twice since returning and is basically back at his average of 20 points. R.J. Cole, who Hoya fans might remember from his days at Howard, is third on the team in scoring at 12.1 points per game and leads the Huskies in made 3-pointers (27) and assists (4.1).

Dan Hurley is in his third year in charge and has yet to guide UConn back to the NCAA Tournament. While Georgetown hasn’t been to the Big Dance since 2015, UConn last went just a season later in 2016 under Kevin Ollie. Back in the BIG EAST for the first time since the 2012-13 season, UConn only went to two NCAA Tournaments during their stay in the American. Of course one of those trips (2014) resulted in cutting down the nets.

NOTES

In four seasons as a player Ewing went 8-1 vs UConn. Since the 1996-97 season, Georgetown is 8-15 vs the Huskies...Blair scored a season-low three points against Seton Hall last Saturday but the senior did extend his streak with at least one made 3-pointer to 30 straight games. It was the sixth time during the current run when Blair made just one. Blair’s four attempts were his second fewest attempts since going going 2 of 3 vs Butler on Jan. 28, 2020.....

Bobby’s Prediction

Georgetown 72, UConn 69

Three of Georgetown’s last six wins in this series have come with the same 72-69 score line. Why mess with a winning formula?

Leave your witty (and non-witty) in-game comments here!

HOYA SAXA!