The Georgetown men’s basketball team (5-0, Big East) will return to Capital One Arena on Sunday to face off against the Coppin State Eagles (0-7, MEAC). The Hoyas attempt to keep their undefeated season alive while the Eagles search for their first victory of the season.
The Hoyas are coming off of a 76-55 win over the Maine Black Bears (1-6, American East) on Tuesday. Junior guard Kaleb Johnson led the Georgetown effort with 18 points, while junior center Jessie Govan added 16 points and eight rebounds. The Georgetown offense struggled against a full-court press employed by the Black Bears in the second half, leading to 12 turnovers and sloppy execution that worried head coach Patrick Ewing.
“I was disappointed in our effort tonight. We took a step backwards,” Ewing said on Tuesday. “We just didn’t do all the things that we are doing well.”
While the Hoyas’ relative struggles against Maine may be a cause for concern down the line, they likely do not indicate any difficulty with handling Coppin State, a team ranked 347 out of 351 teams on KenPom.com. The Eagles also shoot 31 percent from the field on the season and average just 31 rebounds per game. Ewing opted to focus the attention on the quality of his team’s practices this week, and in particular breaking the press that frazzled the Hoyas against Maine.
“We’ve been working on our press break,” Ewing said. “That’s something we shouldn’t have taken for granted. We’re probably going to face that the rest of the year, so we’re going to make sure that we’re laser-focused on that.”
Sophomore guard Dejuan Clayton averages 10.2 points per game for the Eagles, who most recently lost 80-37 to the Ohio Bobcats. The Eagles have already faced off against several high-profile opponents, including Oregon and No. 12 Cincinnati. Coppin State does not feature a player taller than 6-foot-8, which the Hoyas will likely exploit with their size advantage down low.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcasted on FS1. Follow @GUVoiceSports for game day updates and breaking news.
