GAME THREAD: Georgetown at Butler

Game 28: Georgetown Hoyas (6-21, 1-15) at Butler Bulldogs (13-14, 5-11)

When: Sunday, 3 PM

Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)

TV: FS1 (Jason Ross, Jr. and Dickey Simpkins)

Radio: 106.7 The Fan, Sirius XM 391 (Rich Chvotkin - 49th season)

Series: Butler leads 11-10 and has won the last three meetings.

Last Meeting: Butler won 80-51 on New Year’s Day in holding the Hoyas to a season low.

Georgetown Quick Look:
KenPom: 212 - Offense (175), Defense (241)
Best Two Wins: DePaul (147), Siena (172)
Worst Loss: American (265)
Net: 230
Last 5: LLLLL
KenPom Projected Record: 7-24 (2-18)

Butler Quick Look:
KenPom: 110 - Offense (196), Defense (57)
Best Two Wins: Xavier (22), Kansas State (26)
Net: 111
Last 5: LWWLL
KenPom Projected Record: 15-16 (7-13)

KenPom Game Prediction: Butler 74, Georgetown 65 (79%)

Line: Georgetown +5, o/u 138.5

If you just found out that NBA Slam Dunk Champion Mac McClung went to Georgetown until some things happened, boy are you in luck. Georgetown plays at Butler at 3 PM on Sunday so you can see McClung’s old team play. As far as current Hoyas are concerned, Mac only played alongside Qudus Wahab. Wahab is still technically on the team but the fourth year center hasn’t been seen in a few games as he’s dealing with some family issues. We all wish Qudus and his family the best.

So, anyway back to the game. For the second time this season, your Georgetown Hoyas are not a double-digit Big East road dog. Yes they are of course still the underdogs for the 17th time in 17 conference games but it’s looking like it will only be around 5 points as I write this. In their first eight conference road games the Hoyas were double-digits dogs seven times (at DePaul, +4).

Getting away from lines and such, Georgetown is trying to break their 22-game road losing streak this weekend. Also the Hoyas have lost 19 straight Big East road games. The record for longest Big East road losing streak was set by DePaul at 25 games between 2008 and 2011. This is a futility streak that Georgetown can’t break this season as there just aren’t enough opportunities remaining.

As for Butler, Thad Matta is having just a regular run of the mill meh season in his first campaign back after a coaching break. Butler is currently in 9th place and maybe, just maybe they can finish as high as 8th. Going 6-14 in the league got LaVall Jordan fired after five seasons at the end of last year and that’s probably about where this Bulldogs team will end up in a few weeks. Even though Georgetown lost to a very average Patriot League team in American during non-conference play, the New Year’s Day loss to Butler might the Hoyas most embarrassing L of the season. Butler shot and made open 3 after open 3 and probably could have hit the century mark if Georgetown had kept things a bit closer.

If what I’m writing looks familiar it’s because it is. There’s only so much that can be changed until the results start to look different.

Below are the streaks that could end this weekend with a Georgetown road victory at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Road losses: 22 (DePaul, Feb. 27, 2021)
Big East Road losses: 19 (DePaul, Feb 27, 2021)
Current losing streak: 6 (DePaul 1/24/23)

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