Last year the Hoyas nuked Duke. Nearly 12 months later these two storied programs are set to collide again in one of the biggest non-conference games of the early hoops season. Much has changed since last year.
For one, the Hoyas will face a very hostile environment playing down in Raleigh in front of the infamous Cameron Crazies. Secondly, unlike last year’s game, Duke is no longer the No. 1 team in the country and Georgetown has once again returned to prominence. Finally, there will be a notable absence among the starting lineups. Most noticeable is the graduation of J.J. Redick and Sheldon Williams. Redick, a two-time player of the year award winner and the ACC’s all time leading scorer, torched Georgetown for 41 points last year. Sheldon Williams, a two time defensive player of the year who battled Mr. Hibbert down low, has also gone on to seek fortunes in the NBA. Georgetown also lost a go-to-guy in Brandon Bowman. While Green and Hibbert both return as serious Big East Player of the Year contenders, Georgetown will miss the leadership and confidence Bowman displayed over his four-year career. But while much has changed, fans can expect a similar result: a close, hard fought defensive battle that will be decided in the final minutes.
A win at Cameron is never easy. For one, Duke hasn’t lost to a non-conference team at home in 41 tries. And anyone that has ever been to a game at Duke will know the Crazies are ruthless. Duke may be starting two freshmen and relying heavily on four, but remember, Duke doesn’t rebuild, it reloads. So don’t feel too sorry for Coach K, because he still has a few tools to work with. Incoming freshmen Brain Zoubek, Jon Scheyer, Lance Thomas and Gerald Henderson are super diaper dandies who can fill it up in a hurry. Playing alongside them are sophomore co-captains Greg Paulus and Josh McRoberts. Paulus, who runs the point, is an electric player who displays great creativity with flashy passes. McRoberts, considered a top lottery pick in last year’s draft, isn’t too shabby either. With a total of six McDonald’s All-Americans on Duke’s roster, Georgetown must be focused and collected to steal one on Saturday night. Add the extra incentive of redeeming a recent loss to Marquette and Duke will be locked, loaded and ready to defend home court. Expect Duke to run and gun as they have both tremendous athletes and dangerous three-point threats. Watch Duke also force Georgetown to shoot from outside.
While the youth movement has hit the Blue Devils, Georgetown is returning its top two scorers in Green and Hibbert. Add stud freshmen McDonald’s All-Americans DaJuan Summers and Vernon Macklin, transfer Patrick Ewing Jr. and another year of experience with the Princeton offense, and Georgetown is once again in the national spotlight. With the luxury of a plethora of several highly touted, big forwards, look for Coach Thompson to pound Duke down low and get McRoberts in early foul trouble. Georgetown will use their size to dominate the boards and slow the pace of the game.
Georgetown keys to the game:
Hibbert must dominate early. Duke has size in the 7’1” Zoubek, but the freshman is not nearly as experienced in big game situations. Hibbert has been working all summer to improve his game, especially footwork. He can cement his status as one of the game’s best bigs with a breakout game.
Georgetown also must slow the pace of the game. Georgetown has a huge size advantage. The downside is that Duke is much quicker and will look to run all game long.
Find better unity and consistency. So far Coach Thompson has been unable to find the right chemistry, even after trying four different starting lineups.
Finally Georgetown needs better guard play. Wallace has proven a capable leader, but if Georgetown plans to win Saturday and contend all season long, Rivers, Sapp and Ewing Jr. need to find their shot and contribute more. So far the team’s shooting has been dreadful.
Duke keys to the game:
Let the freshmen run. Paulus is fast becoming one of the best guards in college. With so many good athletes, Paulus must push the tempo and let the freshmen go wild. Gerald Henderson, the prized recruit of the class, has been compared to Grant Hill. He has the ability to dominate games and will be matched up on Jeff Green all night.
Duke must also keep McRoberts out of foul trouble. Georgetown will go at him all game long trying to exploit different match-ups in order to get him on the bench.
Duke must also improve their rebounding. The team, and especially the guards, must commit to rebounding. Duke will want to run, but they need to make a conscious effort to attack the glass.
Lastly, Duke must feed off the energy from the Crazies, voted the “craziest” fans in sports. Duke has been dominant on their home court. With big play potential, Cameron is ready to rock so if Duke can get out and run early, the crowd could help to carry them.
Prediction:
This will be a close game for sure. Neither team enters with a clear-cut advantage. Duke always carries itself with pride and confidence that separates them from other top programs. This may be December, but a lot is at stake in this game. Home court cannot be overlooked, but in the end youth will not be served. Georgetown’s experience, size and athleticism will prevail. A win this Dec. 2 will go a long way towards helping fans forget the ODU loss and help restore that early season swagger. Prediction: No. 23 Georgetown upsets No. 10 Duke 71-67, ending Duke’s home win streak.
