To start the season, the Hoyas looked strong in almost all aspects. Good early season performances, a high ranking, and an 8-0 record - it looked like all the pieces were there for a championship run. But, they had not been truly tested. Then in the Memphis game, everything seemed to fall apart in the second half. The Hoyas were outrebounded and outhustled, struggled mightily from the free throw line, and endured a poor showing from Roy Hibbert. The game led some to question whether Georgetown even had the right pieces, much less the ability to solve the puzzle.

In recent games, the Hoyas had continued to struggle in certain areas. Rebounding was still the biggest area of concern, as evidenced by the much smaller American side holding its own against the Hoyas on the boards. The culmination of these woes was the game at Rutgers, in which all the flaws of the Memphis game resurfaced. Hibbert was a non-factor, the free throw shooting was abysmal, and the rebounding was unacceptable. Even the defense, which held Rutgers to 31% shooting, was not perfect, as the Scarlet Knights missed some wide open attempts. The saving grace was the team’s ability to make shots from downtown, but we know that the three-point shot is a fickle friend and should not be relied upon to win games. While winning despite playing poorly is encouraging - and an important trait for a contender - the game still left questions. Despite the win, one got the feeling that performances of this nature would not bode well for the rest of conference play.

Then came the DePaul game. All the previous troubles seemed to be a distant memory, as the Hoyas came out of the gate and looked unbeatable. Hibbert established his dominance in one of his best career performances: 17 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. The Hoyas were 9-11 from the free throw line and won the battle of the boards. The defense closed down the opposition, and on offense, Georgetown got back cuts to the rim for high percentage shots.

While the DePaul game was a good sign, there is still work to be done. One game does not always mean a team has turned the corner. Also, it is easy to let one’s guard down after a big win. Consider last year, when a tour-de-force pounding of Notre Dame was followed by a lackluster showing in a loss at home to Villanova. The Big East does not allow a team to let its guard down. The Hoyas need another strong, team effort if they wish to start 3-0 in the Big East for the first time under Coach Thompson. Connecticut has size, so Georgetown will again need strong rebounding, and if the game is close, free throw shooting will be key. It will be a hard-fought game, and the Hoyas will have to put all the pieces together in order to get the win. But, if the game against DePaul is any indication, at least the Hoyas have the pieces.

Teams

Georgetown:
The Hoyas started the game fairly well, and as a result, this game was pretty much over four minutes in with the Hoyas up 11-0. The rebounding improved, the free throws improved, and the Boys in Gray weren’t afraid to take it inside, as they relied less on the three yesterday than they had in the past.

DePaul:
DePaul is much better than they showed last night. They struggled early, shooting just 24% in the first half, and they never had a chance for a comeback. But don’t count them out entirely, as they will be a tough team in the conference and they can compete with the top teams in the Big East.

Players

Georgetown:
Roy Hibbert had a breakout performance last night, as he silenced all doubters at least temporarily. He showed off his post moves, his free throw shooting, his rebounding, and his decision making, as he racked up a career high five assists. He continued to show off his sky hook, but unlike against Rutgers, he didn’t rely on it, and he also got to the rim for some easy buckets. This is the Roy Georgetown fans were expecting to see from Day 1, and what’s most exciting about his game against DePaul is that he didn’t even showcase his entire repertoire.

DePaul:
Mac Koshwal was the only player for the Blue Demons who shot over 50% from the field, as he hit 6 of 11. He also pulled down nine offensive rebounds on his way to his second double-double in Big East play this season.

Coaches

Jerry Wainwright called a lot of timeouts, but nothing seemed to work. DePaul couldn’t compete with the Hoyas no matter what the coach had to say. For Georgetown, I still haven’t figured out why Coach Thompson hasn’t let Nikita get any minutes. After the ten-game suspension from the NCAA, I thought he would have seen some action now that he’s eligible, but Coach seems to think otherwise. Maybe he’s trying to keep him on the bench so he can red-shirt him.

Referees

Refs were nonfactors again, as this game was not even close. They did a good job handling Ewing’s technical, and they called the game pretty evenly. They called a couple carries on Sapp and a bizarre handcheck on Roy, but other than that it was fine officiating.

Fans

Not much for the home fans to cheer about. That game made the Blue Demons 4-4 at the Allstate Arena, a less than impressive home record.

Number of the Game

81.8: Georgetown’s free throw percentage. That’s the best the Hoyas have shot from the line next to the Fordham game, and if they can keep that up and keep working on rebounding, this team will be a much more dangerous team than it already is.

Georgetown scored the first 11 points of game and the Hoyas never led by less than eight after that. The Hoyas continued their trend of tough defense, holding the Blue Demons to 32.4% from the field. Coming off a six-point showing against Rutgers, Roy Hibbert was dominant from the outset, finishing with a game-high 17 points to go along with 11 rebounds and five assists. The starting five combined for 60 points, the exact total of the DePaul team.

Georgetown will play their first conference home game against the UCONN Huskies on Saturday at 2PM at the Verizon Center.

Keep it here for commentary during the game.

Since rebounding was an issue this past game, this question will see how well Georgetown can adjust against an even better offensive rebounding team:

How many offensive rebounds will DePaul pull down against the Hoyas?

We’re going to go with 16. DePaul is very good at rebounding, but hopefully this past game will act as a wakeup call for the Hoyas, and defensive rebounding will shift from being a point of emphasis to a point of marked improvement.

What do you all think?