After a heartbreaking loss on Wednesday night at Villanova, the No. 9 UConn men’s basketball team (12-4, 4-1 Big East) has their eyes set on the nation’s capital, looking for a big road win against the Georgetown Hoyas (12-3, 3-1 Big East) on Saturday afternoon.
It is the second of back-to-back Quad 1 games for the Huskies and their sixth of the season. They are currently 3-2 in Quad 1 games, with wins over Baylor, Texas and Gonzaga.
Georgetown is trending in the right direction in head coach Ed Cooley’s second season. The Hoyas already have eclipsed last season’s win total and have secured wins over Creighton and Xavier so far. They are a battle-tested group, coming off a 74-66 loss at No. 7 Marquette.
“He’s done a great job,” Dan Hurley said on a Zoom call Friday afternoon. “The Big East is going to struggle without Georgetown [and] St. John’s being top 25 level. So, it’s great to be going to [Washington,] D.C. to play a big game.”
Four of Georgetown’s five starters average double figures, with forward Thomas Sorber leading the way at 15.1 points per game, which ranks 10th in the Big East. The 6-foot-10-inch freshman has emerged as one of the best newcomers in the Big East. According to ESPN, Sorber ranks third in the Big East in field goal percentage at 55.2%. He is the best rebounder in the Big East, averaging 8.4 per game.
The Hoyas run a three-guard backcourt with Jayden Epps (14.7 ppg), Malik Mack (14 ppg) and Micah Peavy (13.3 ppg).
What makes Georgetown a tough opponent is its defense. The Hoyas rank 30th in the country in defensive efficiency according to KenPom, with the 12th-best effective field goal percentage at 44.1% and the fifth-best defense inside the 3-point line, with opponents shooting 41.1% on 2-point field goals.
The Hoyas are one of the best teams at steals and blocks. All double-figure scorers in Georgetown’s starting lineup average at least 1.2 steals per game, with Peavy and Epps ranking in the top 5 in the Big East at 2.4 and 1.8, respectively. As a team, Georgetown averages 8.6 steals per game, ranking in the 89th percentile nationally.
Sorber is one of the best shot-blockers in the conference, averaging 2.3 per game. He is a major reason the Hoyas are one of the best shot-blocking teams in the country. They average 4.8 blocks per game, which is in the 90th percentile nationally. They have been especially strong in that category in their last five games, averaging six per game which is in the 99th percentile nationally.
Georgetown ranks last in conference play in turning the ball over. In their last five games, they have averaged 16.4 turnovers per game, which ranks in the second percentile nationally. While Connecticut has not been strong on the fast break, averaging 10.6 points per game on the fast break which is in the 66th percentile nationally, this is an opportunity to capitalize and improve in that category.
UConn will play their third consecutive game without Liam McNeeley, which could provide some defensive breakdowns as seen in the past two games. According to Evan Miya, McNeeley is the top player in terms of defensive value on the team. Their defense has been especially poor lately. In their last five games, the Huskies rank in the fourth percentile in defensive rating.
“[McNeeley’s] feeling better,” Hurley said. “The tests came in clean and [it’s] nice to see him out of the boot…This is obviously a really good time for people to play us.”
McNeeley has helped the Huskies on the glass and his absence has been present. In the last five games, UConn ranks in the 10th percentile in both defensive (21.8) and total rebounds per game (31).
“The video session of the Providence game was obviously horrifying,” Hurley said. “We were better against Villanova, +9 on the glass there. So, that was a step in the right direction for us.”
The two original Big East members will play the 75th meeting of their storied rivalry. With Connecticut finishing in the top half of the conference as of lately and Georgetown in the bottom half, the Huskies have a slight edge in the all-time series for the first time since leading 3-2 in 1973. UConn leads the Hoyas 38-36 all-time and are currently on an eight-game winning streak. The last time Georgetown came out on top was on Jan. 14, 2017.
The rivalry will continue at the Capital One Arena for the 12th time since the arena opened on Dec. 2, 1997. UConn holds a 7-5 edge in games against the Hoyas in their current venue.
Saturday’s game will tip off at 2 p.m. and will be nationally televised on FOX for the second time this season (Dec. 14 vs. Gonzaga).