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Game 22 - Georgetown (13-8) vs. Butler (9-12)
Nuts & Bolts
Date: January 31, 2025
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Capital One Arena - Washington, D.C.
How to Watch: Fox Sports 1
Matchup History: Butler leads all-time series 13-11
Last Meeting: Butler def. Georgetown 90-66 on 1/23/24
Prediction: Georgetown 65, Butler 79
Betting Lines: (Via Draftkings)
Spread: Georgetown -3.5
Over/Under: 139.5
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Head Coach: Ed Cooley (2nd season, 22-31 record at Georgetown)
Record: 13-8 (4-6, 8th in Big East)
Last Time Out: Lost vs. #15 St. John’s 66-41 on 1/28/25
Player to Watch: Thomas Sorber
Tuesday night’s loss to #15 St. John’s in DC was Georgetown’s worst showing of the season.
The Hoyas scored 21 points in the first half, trailing at one point by 30 and went into the locker room down 26.
The Hoyas came out flat, and had no chance of recovering; at the first media timeout it was already 14-3. By the time there were less than three minutes left in the half, it was 41-11.
In the second half, the Georgetown defense stepped up and held the Johnnies to just 8 points for the first ten minutes after the break. Unfortunately for the Hoyas, the offense did not follow; the team shot just 25% from the field (14-57), including 6-26 from deep, finishing the night with more turnovers (16) than made shots (14).
Georgetown was led by Mallik Mack in the score column as the only Hoya who finished in double figures with 13 points, but had 6 turnovers along with 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
“For us, it’s a breaking point as far as how much we want to compete,” Head Coach Ed Cooley said after the game. I spotted him ripping off his Georgetown quarter zip as he walked off the floor; who could blame him?
Georgetown came out with no energy on Tuesday, and now heads into a Friday night matchup with a desperate Butler team that is much better than its record will show.
While the Hoyas were getting run out of their own gym on Tuesday, Butler was taking #9 Marquette to the brink, leading the Golden Eagles at one point by ten before Shaka Smart’s team came back in the second half to win by nine.
For Georgetown to get back to its winning ways, and maybe crack 70 points for the first time this calendar year, they’ll need to get into a much better offensive rhythm early in the game.
Ed Cooley has one of the younger teams in the country and sometimes they are playing like it; Georgetown ranks 289th in Division I basketball in turnovers, meaning there are 288 teams that are better at taking care of the basketball than them. Given the youth on the roster, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised.
Against St. John’s, the offense was stagnant AND the shots the Hoyas could get were not going down. In order to beat Thad Matta’s team, the Hoyas will have to take much better care of the basketball and knock down some shots.
Head Coach: Thad Matta (3rd season, 41-45 record at Butler)
Record: 9-12 (2-8, 9th in Big East)
Last Time Out: Lost vs. #9 Marquette 78-69 on 1/28/25
Player to Watch: Jahmyl Telfort
It’s been a disappointing third season for Thad Matta and his Butler Bulldogs.
Last year, the team went 18-14 overall and 9-11 in the Big East, earning an invitation to the NIT, where they lost in the opening game at home against Minnesota.
This year, Matta’s squad is 9-12 and 2-8 in the Big East, including an 0-6 start in conference play.
Of Butler’s 12 losses, however, eight have been by single digits, including four losses by four points or less. On the year, the Bulldogs are 3-8 in games decided by a single digit margin.
Despite the poor start in Big East play, Butler has surged over the last two weeks. The Bulldogs secured their first conference win over Seton Hall just after a close home loss to Creighton.
Since, the team lost @ UConn in overtime, beat DePaul by 17, and blew a double digit lead against #9 Marquette, eventually falling 78-69 thanks to a career day by MU’s Chase Ross.
All told, Butler heads to DC at the right time; playing its best ball of the year and fresh off a disappointing home loss while Georgetown enters the game fresh off their worst performance of the season.
Senior Forward Jahmyl Telfort is Butler’s leading scorer, eclipsing 20 points on eight occasions this season, including two of the last three games - the OT loss against UConn and Tuesday’s loss to Marquette.
Telfort will be the most dangerous player on the floor for either team and should be positioned well to have another huge day to lift Butler to their third Big East win.
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