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Game 25 - Georgetown (6-18) @ #20 Providence (17-6)
Nuts & Bolts
Date: February 8, 2023
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, RI
How to Watch: CBS Sports Network
Matchup History: Georgetown leads all-time series 47-32
Last Meeting: Providence def. Georgetown 71-52 on 2/6/22
Betting Lines: Via DraftKings
Spread: Georgetown +13
Over/Under: 147
Prediction: Georgetown 61, Providence 84
Official Game Notes: HERE
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Head Coach: Patrick Ewing (6th season, 74-102 record at Georgetown)
Record: 6-18 (1-12, 11th in Big East)
Last Time Out: Lost vs. #24 UConn 68-62 on 2/4
Highlights HERE
Player to Watch: Brandon Murray
Georgetown scored just 2 points in the final five minutes in Saturday’s 68-62 loss to UConn.
The Hoyas hung right with the Huskies throughout the contest, and even led with less than four minutes to play, before the offense stalled at the worst possible time, leading to a third straight defeat.
Brandon Murray led the Hoyas with 21 points, while Jay Heath came off the bench to score 13. Georgetown’s top scorer, Primo Spears, did not score a single point in 36 minutes and only took one shot from the field.
Georgetown has been playing much better over the last month. The Hoyas snapped the record-breaking conference losing streak and have close losses to
Villanova, Creighton, UConn and St. John’s.
Providence poses perhaps the most difficult road challenge for any Big East team and Georgetown will need a huge effort to just stay in the game.
The Friars have not lost at home this season and only lost once at home in conference play last year.
The Hoyas are playing noticeably better, but it still isn’t enough to catch up with the rest of the conference just yet.
I’m beginning to think a certain personnel move that felt inevitable a month ago is becoming less obvious. I’m not saying I agree with it, but it is how it feels.
We’ll see. 7 games to go.
Head Coach: Ed Cooley (12th season, 238-147 record at Providence)
Record: 17-6 (9-3, T-3rd in Big East)
Last Time Out: Lost @ #13 Xavier 85-83 on 2/1
Highlights HERE
Player to Watch: Bryce Hopkins
There is a clear top four in the Big East at this point in the season; Xavier, Marquette, Creighton and Providence.
The Friars have the best home court advantage in the conference and play the type of basketball that embodies the city and its coach. Ed Cooley, in his 12th season, had many questioning the security of his seat not long ago.
At one point, Providence was 5-3 following two losses in the Mohegan Sun Tournament. The Friars followed that up by winning 11 of 12 and are now right in the mix for a Big East regular season title with eight games to go.
They split the season series with Marquette and have a chance to avenge road losses against Creighton and Xavier in the next month.
The addition of Kentucky transfer Bryce Hopkins has been massive for the Friars. The 6’7 forward leads the team in points per game (16.1) and rebounds per game (9.3) while adding the second best mark in assists on the team (2.4).
The Friars are physical and are competitive in every game. Their three conference losses are by a combined 16 points and were all on the road to teams that were either ranked or are now.
The main question is, can this Providence team do it in March? They play the right style of basketball for success late in the season, but how is it going to translate to the Big East Tournament and NCAA Tournament?
For how much this team lost in the offseason, it’s amazing they’re even in
this position. A team that went to the Sweet 16 last year could easily equal that mark and even surpass it.
All to say I like Providence big against Georgetown. The Friars do not lose at home and I don’t see that changing against a Patrick Ewing-led team.
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