Anyone else have the feeling that there will be precious few peaceful moments this evening?
Being forced to prepare for Georgetown in just one day is a tall task, writes C.L. Brown.
It will be the third time this season the Cards will play a Saturday-Monday schedule, but it's the first time both games will be on the road. They are 3-1 in those games, losing to Connecticut at home.
The Hoyas aren't an easy team to prepare for, even with more time. Freshman Greg Monroe, who was voted preseason co-Rookie of the Year with U of L's Samardo Samuels, presents matchup problems for most teams. The versatile 6-foot-11 forward leads the Hoyas with 6.8 rebounds and is second in scoring with 13.0 points per game.
Georgetown coach John Thompson III implemented elements of the Princeton offense he learned under Pete Carril. The Cards haven't faced a team this season with a similar style.
"It's going to be tough for us to adjust having one day of preparation for a team that runs such a unique offense," U of L guard Andre McGee said. "With all those backdoor cuts and all that movement, we've got to be ready for it."
The Washington Post says that any remote shot the Hoyas have at making the NCAA Tournament starts with a win over U of L tonight.
Tonight's game against seventh-ranked Louisville (21-5, 12-2) offers the Hoyas a chance to build on that incremental improvement. But it's unclear where even a resounding upset would leave Georgetown (14-11, 5-9) at this point, with only a slender thread of hope remaining for an NCAA berth.
Two scenarios remain: sweeping the four remaining games or winning the Big East tournament. And both are remote.
Georgetown has beaten only three ranked teams this season (then-No. 17 Memphis, No. 2 Connecticut, and No. 8 Syracuse) and none since Jan. 14, when its downward spiral began.
Bleacher Report has an interesting Q & A with Rick Pitino's son, Ryan, who is a freshman at Georgetown.
The Sports Network offers up yet another stat-heavy preview.
And finally, there's a hoard of good stuff to check out on Hoya Saxa.