Villanova Basketball Game Preview: Georgetown Hoyas

After a tough loss against a hot St. John’s team, the No. 3 Wildcats (11-2, 6-1 in the Big East) will face the Georgetown Hoyas (5-8, 3-5 in the Big East) at home on Sunday, Feb. 7. The game is scheduled for tipoff at 2:30 EST on FOX.

Previously On Wildcats vs. Hoyas...

Villanova last played Georgetown on Dec. 11. It was a rough first half for the Wildcats, trailing by as many as 18 points. The Hoyas shot 56% before the half, while Villanova struggled from beyond the arc at 32%. In the second half, the tide changed when the Wildcats went on a 15-0 run, led by Collin Gillespie (18 points, six assists), Caleb Daniels (18 points), and Cole Swider (10 PTS). Ultimately, Georgetown could not contain Villanova’s three point shooting, which led them to a 76-63 victory.

Hot Hoyas

On Wednesday night, the Hoyas took on the No. 15 Creighton Bluejays. It was Georgetown’s second contest after a three week COVID pause.

Despite the long break, Georgetown shot 50% from the floor and forced Creighton to commit 15 turnovers. Jahvon Blair (22 points, 7 assists), Jamorko Pickett (16 points, seven rebounds), and Qudus Wahab (12 points, eight rebounds) all helped the Hoyas secure the 86-79 win. Northwestern State transfer Chudier Bile offered up another solid performance, tallying 17 points, six boards, and four steals. He hadn’t been much of a contributor leading into Georgetown’s COVID pause, but has been playing very well since coming out of the break.

The Bluejays are the highest ranked team Coach Ewing’s teams have beaten in his four seasons as Georgetown’s head coach.

Overall, the Hoyas’ success largely depends on their star player—Jahvon Blair—who averages a team-best 18 points per game. At 6’11 and 235 pounds, Wahab also poses a big threat in the paint. However, Georgetown commits an average of 15 turnovers per game, almost double Villanova’s average. If Villanova can contain the Hoyas’ stars and take advantage of their turnovers—while taking care of the ball and putting up a cleaner game than Wednesday night—the Wildcats should make a comeback after their first conference loss.

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