GAME THREAD: Big East Tournament (11) Georgetown vs (6) Seton Hall

Game 31: No. 11 Georgetown Hoyas (6-24) vs. No. 6 Seton Hall Pirates (20-9)

When: Wednesday 930pm

Where: Madison Square Garden

Game Notes: Georgetown, Seton Hall

Series: Hoyas lead 61-54

BET History: Tied 5-5. Hoyas beat Seton Hall 66-58 in the semis last season.

TV: FS1 (Tim Brando & Bill Raftery)

Radio: 99.1 (Rich Chvotkin, 48th season), Radio.com

NET Ranking: Seton Hall 32, Georgetown 199

KenPom Ranking: Seton Hall 35, Georgetown 182

KenPom Projection: Seton Hall 80, Georgetown 68 (86 %)

Line: Seton Hall - 10, o/u 144.5

Mutombo Coffee:

With the regular season mercifully over at 0-19, it’s a new day for the defending Big East Champs.

Defending champs. Yes, that’s right. And Dante Harris is the reigning Most Outstanding Player. Here’s something that will job your memory a bit.

The Hoyas will look to do what the last winless Big East team did and that’s pull a rabbit out of the hat at MSG in the first round of the Big East Tournament.

Yes, the 0-18 DePaul Blue Demons ended up beating Mick Cronin’s Cincinnati Bearcats in the 2009 Big East Tournament. That’s the good news. It’s possible. If you need more glass-half-full type stuff, both defeats to Seton Hall came by single-digits including a 73-68 L just last week.

So while the Hoyas are looking for their first win since Dec. 15, there are a few off the court things to look at.

Clearly all eyes will be on coach Patrick Ewing in his old stomping grounds as there is the distinct possibility that this could be it for the Hall of Famer as the Head Hoya. Despite the public backing from AD Lee Reed, it still seems up in the air with unsubstantiated contract rumors and vaguely worded tweets.

Also, will this be the only BET for Aminu Mohammed?

Mohammed lived up to much of the hype and earned himself a spot on the league’s All-Freshman Team. The preseason pick to be the Freshman of the Year is the sixth player to earn all frosh honors under Ewing. Only Pickett and Blair played in multiple conference tournaments. Akinjo and LeBlanc transferred before their second BET. Mac McClung was hurt in his second BET and then transferred.

And without getting into too much speculation, this is the era of the transfer portal and this team did just go 0-19. So, who else will be playing their final game(s) for Georgetown?

BOTTOM HEAVY

Both halves of this year’s bracket are not created equally, at least by historical standards.

The Bottom Half has combined for 26 titles.

The Top Half? Just two.

There will be a really good chance that we will see a team in the final that has never won it before. More on this below.

Top Half - Only top seeded Providence has ever cut down the nets. The Friars have done so twice, most recently in 2014. Creighton is winless in three Finals and Xavier lost in their only appearance in 2015. Butler and Marquette have never played in a Finals.

Bottom Half - This half of the bracket has won the last six titles. Georgetown has won eight Big East Championships while the Top Half of the bracket has only been in nine combined title games. UConn has won seven titles and will be looking to tie the Hoyas all-time mark. Villanova has five titles - with four coming since 2015. Seton Hall and St. Johns each have three. DePaul, as you may have guessed, have never even been to the semis, let along the final.

FINAL SALUTE

We do know that we are seeing the last game(s) for Donald Carey and Kaiden Rice. Both transferred in but earned big accomplishments in short periods. Carey was honored by the league this season and last year was able to be a big part of the Hoyas record setting 8th BET Title. And, oh, Ewing named him captain.

Rice set two big records that may take some time to be broken with 10 3s in a game and is now the only player in Hoya history with 90 3s in a season.

Bobby’s Prediction

Georgetown 75, Seton Hall 74

The first two games were close. Kadary Richmond is a game-time decision. I’ve figured all along the Hoyas would get one in 2022, it’s literally now or never.

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

HOYA SAXA!