On Saturday, November 25, the Georgetown men’s basketball team (3-0, Big East) will travel to Richmond to take on the Spiders (1-3, Atlantic 10). This is the Hoyas’ first away game of the season, and with it comes a new challenge.
Richmond last played on Tuesday in the Cayman Islands against No. 12 Cincinnati (6-0, AAC), losing 75-48 loss before coming back to the United States. Georgetown comes off an 83-57 victory against Maryland-Eastern Shore (1-2, MEAC) last Saturday. The Hoyas may have a slight advantage in that they haven’t played in a week, while Richmond just got home from the Cayman Island Classic.
“It’s always exciting to play someone else instead of just beating each other up,” junior forward Marcus Derrickson said about finally playing another game.
On Saturday, junior center Jessie Govan continued to dominate the opposition with 23 points and 14 rebounds. He has recorded a double-double in each game this season and averages 21 points and 14.3 rebounds per game. Govan’s dominance on the boards this season ranks fourth in Division I for rebounds per game.
In addition, junior forward Kaleb Johnson had his best game of the year on Saturday, racking up 24 points on 9-13 shooting, including 4-5 from beyond the arc. The Hoyas continue to lead a balanced scoring effort, getting double digits from five different players.
Against Richmond, the Hoya defense will have to keep an eye out for sophomore guard De’Monte Buckingham, who averages 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Another matchup to look out for will be Govan and Richmond freshman forward Grant Golden. At 6-foot-10 and 260 pounds, Golden presents a physical challenge for the 6-foot-10, 270-pound Govan. Golden averages 12.3 points and 5 rebounds per game and could provide stiffer opposition than big men the Hoyas faced earlier in the season.
“They’re going to try to take [Govan] out of the game with their zone,” Head Coach Patrick Ewing said of Richmond’s gameplan against Govan. “It’s going to be an interesting test for Jesse and our team.”
On paper, the Hoyas look to match up well. They average 86 points, 45.3 rebounds, and 22.3 assists per game, while the Spiders are averaging just 58.8, 25, and 12.3. Richmond’s 41.8 percent field goal percentage also pales in comparison to Georgetown’s 51.9.
“The level of competition now is a step up,” said Ewing.
Tipoff is at 6:00 pm as the Hoyas look to win their fourth straight to open the season.
