GUHoyas.com has done a great job building up anticipation around the trip, and here’s a roundup of all of the China news to get you ready for tomorrow:

• The Hoyas’ schedule for the next two weeks has been set. The team will start out in Beijing where they’ll compete against two teams from the Chinese Basketball Association. They’ll play their first game on Wednesday against
  the Shanxi Brave Dragons and their second the next day against the Bayi Rockets.

  Then they will travel to Shanghai where they’ll host a clinic to help improve young Chinese players’ training and basketball skills. From August 18th to the 21st, the Hoyas will participate in Nike’s premier “Festival of Sport” during which they will also play against two more teams from the CBA.

• In July, the Georgetown Athletics department released four promotional videos for the upcoming trip starring several Hoya players and Jack the Bulldog.

  The videos follow the team preparing for their trip in Chinese 101, at the Credit Union, at Lauinger Library, and at the Uncommon Grounds coffee shop.

• Jason Clark talked about leaving the country for the first time and about the team getting to play together.
• Hoya Hoop Club president Al Bozzo will be taking a team of supporters to China to follow the team
• On Tuesday, the Basketball Program had a media day during which the team and Coach Thompson had the opportunity to talk to the press about their big trip.

  Here’s Craig Stouffer’s piece for the Washington Examiner, and videos of the interviews with Coach Thompson, Jason Clark, Henry Sims, Hollis Thompson, and Nate Lubick.

Teams

Georgetown:
The Hoyas continue to struggle without Chris Wright, losing their fourth game in a row, certainly not the streak Georgetown wanted to carry into the NCAA Tournament. The offense was stagnant for most of the game with very little cutting or ball movement. The Hoyas also could not connect from beyond the arc, making just 5 of their 22 three point attempts, 22.7%.

With the offense unable to produce, the Hoyas turned to their defense to keep them in the game, but did not happen. Georgetown gave up too many open looks and did not create turnovers that can help jump start the offense. It seems like the morale of team is very low, as once one thing starts to go wrong, the wheels fall off. If will be interesting to see if Chris Wright can return for the NCAA Tournament and provide an energy boost to lift up the team and get the Hoyas playing they way they did in January and early February.

Connecticut:
The Huskies took advantage of some early Georgetown turnovers and defensive lapses, using a 22-7 run run over a seven minute span in the first half to take control of the game. Connecticut led by 12 at half time and never looked back.

Players

Georgetown:
Without Wright in the lineup, the Hoyas have needed someone to step up on the offensive end to aid Austin Freeman. Jason Clark helped fill the void in this game, scoring a team-high 23 points on 7-13 shooting, but was just 1-6 on three pointers. If there is one positive from this game, it was that Clark was able to drive to the basket and then pull up for mid-range jumpers. It is a move he hasn’t used much this season, but one that can be extremely effective if teams try to run out at him when he sets up for threes.

Connecticut
Kemba Walker had another impressive performance against the Hoyas, putting up a game-high 28 points. The Hoyas again allowed him to get to the basket too easily, instead of forcing him to shoot outside jumpers, where his is less effective.

Referees

While the officiating in this game was not as controversial as some of the other Big East Tournament games, it certainly favored the Huskies in the early going. Seven minutes into the first half, the fouls were 6-0 in favor of Connecticut. And while the referees did not have as big an impact as in the Rutgers-St. John’s game, the early calls in favor of UCONN certainly set the tone for the game and worked against a Georgetown team that needed all the help it could get.

Number of the Game

15: Three point percentage shot by Austin Freeman and Jason Clark. Despite scoring 43 of Georgetown’s 62 points, the two were just 15% from beyond the arc. The struggles from three-point range are just a microcosm of the tough stretch the Hoyas are going through at the worst possible time. If things don’t change very soon, Georgetown’s offseason is going to start earlier than hoped.

Rest vs. Rust

During the game, the ESPN announcers made a claim that it might have been beneficial for Connecticut to have been able to play on Tuesday as opposed to receiving a first-round bye. While it may be true that the tune-up game helped them come out a little sharper than the Hoyas on Wednesday, it is hard to imagine a scenario where a team would prefer to play five games in five days. While seeding in the NCAA Tournament is important, I am a firm believer that a Big East Tournament Championship is more valuable than a high seed in the Big Dance.

After the game, here’s what Coach Thompson, Jason Clark, and seniors Austin Freeman and Chris Wright had to say:

Also, here’s what Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said about the game:

Teams

Georgetown:
The Hoyas gritted out a tough 64-56 win over arch-nemesis Syracuse to extend their win streak to seven games. It was not pretty, and the Hoyas struggled to score at various points throughout the game. However, they came up with big stops when they needed them, and made big plays down the stretch to earn the road victory.

Georgetown’s game plan offensively was to get the ball to the high post, then look for kick out passes to shooters for threes. The plan worked early, as Georgetown was getting plenty of open three-point looks, and started the game 4-5 from beyond the arc. However, as the game progressed, the outside shots stopped falling as Syracuse began extending their zone, making it harder to get the ball inside or move it around the perimeter.

The Hoyas’ greatest attribute when dealing with the Syracuse defense was their patience, as the team did not get flustered when the inside passes were not available, eventually finding an open man, and on a number of possessions the Hoyas simply wore down the zone, forcing the Orange to play defense for 30 seconds, then penetrating and finding an open shooter with the shot clock winding down for a good look. And, as the game wore on, the Hoyas began to find open players along the baseline for layups underneath the zone defense, passes that were not available earlier in the game.

Defensively, the Hoyas played well, but had a difficult time securing rebounds early on, as the Orange had seven first half offensive rebounds, compared to nine defensive rebounds for the Hoyas. However, the Georgetown made the adjustment at the half and did a better job on the boards, especially down the stretch, ensuring that there would be no comeback for their opponent, unlike in recent games.

This was a hard-fought win, and an important win, as it puts Georgetown at 8-4 in conference play two-thirds of the way through the season. The Hoyas played solid basketball for all 40 minutes, and were finally able to extend on a lead down the stretch as opposed to having to sweat it out. A very nice performance by the Hoyas.

Syracuse:
Syracuse struggled to score consistently, and that cost them. They were only 25% from beyond the arc, and there were five separate stretches in which the Orange went three or more minutes without a field goal. The Hoyas had their own such slump, going six and a half minutes without a field goal and scoring only a point during that period, but when Chris Wright scored to break the dry spell, the Orange were only up two.

In addition to the slumping offense, the patented 2-3 zone of the Orange was less than effective. There were stretches where they forced the Hoyas into bad looks, especially when they extended it beyond the three-point line, but the defense broke down at key moments for Syracuse, giving up too many kick-out threes or dump-down layups. The result was a Syracuse loss, the third straight for the Orange at the Carrier Dome.

Players

Georgetown:
Everyone contributed key plays in this game to help bring home the “w”. Hollis Thompson was 3-3 on three pointers on the night, including the critical game-tying shot with under four minutes to play to spark the Hoyas 12-1 run to close out the game. Julian Vaughn was perfect from the field in the second half, taking advantage of Rick Jackson’s foul trouble. Jason Clark, who had been tentative to shoot the ball for most of the second half, made two layups and two key free throws down the stretch. And, of course, Austin Freeman’s game-high 14 points and Chris Wright’s nine assists were also crucial, and the two teamed up on a long pass from Wright on the fast break to Freeman ahead of the pack for the layup that put the Hoyas up for good.

Syracuse
Big man Rick Jackson was saddled with foul trouble for most of the game. Freshman CJ Pain filled in nicely, scoring 12 points and grabbing five rebounds. Classmate Baye Moussa Keita also chipped in four points and five blocked shots to help fill the void in the lane.

Referees

The officiating in this game was incredibly bad, but for the most part consistent. For some reason, the referees felt that, in this game, any flop by a defender was reason enough to call a charge on the offensive player. There were a total of nine offensive fouls called in the game, many of which deserved no whistle at all, much less a foul on the offense. Georgetown perhaps benefited more from these calls, as Jackson and Joseph were each whistled for three offensive fouls, the most egregious being the off-the-ball fourth foul on Jackson. No one likes to see players rewarded for flops, and this refereeing crew did just that.

Number of the Game

1: Field goals made by Syracuse in the final 9:57 of the game. Baye Moussa Keita scored on an offensive put-back to put the Orange up by three with just under 10 minutes to play. Syracuse would make just one more field goal the rest of the way, a driving basket for CJ Fair with six and half minutes left. The Georgetown defense came up big when it needed to, keeping the Orange from getting quality inside looks, and forcing them to settle for jumpers, on which they rarely connected.

Men in Black

For the second time this season, the Hoyas sported their third jerseys, the black uniforms with blue trim that the team first wore in the 86-69 win over Memphis. That means that the Hoyas improve to 2-0 when wearing the black. Still, when it comes to uniforms, I prefer navy blue to black, and definitely gray to white.

Teams

Georgetown:
The Hoyas won their third straight one-possession game and sixth overall, barely eking out an 83-81 win over Providence. It was a familiar story for Georgetown: open a big lead, let the opponent back into the game, leave room for a dramatic finish. However, unlike the tough wins against Villanova and Louisville – two teams at the top of the conference – in this game the Hoyas struggled to put away Providence, one of the bottom dwellers in the Big East.

While Georgetown’s steady habit of squandering double digit second half leads proves to be a hard one to break, the defense was the more troublesome matter in this game. In the first half, Marshon Brooks was the only Friar who could score, yet Georgetown seemed not to make any adjustments to attempt to make him give up the ball, and Brooks ended up with 24 of his teams 34 first half points. Georgetown’s transition defense was also poor, as too often the Hoyas would score only to allow the Friars to get a quick basket on the other end before they could even set up. Providence was struggling to get anything going in the half-court offense, so giving them so many easy transition points was unacceptable.

On the positive side, the Hoyas got great production out of their trio of Austin Freeman, Chris Wright, and Jason Clark, as the three combined for 57 points. In the first half especially the three seemed to be clicking, and although they went cold in the second half, it was good to see what they are capable of when all of them are hitting shots.

All in all, it was a game that started out promising but ended way too close for comfort. Hopefully, this performance will serve as a wake-up call for the Hoyas as they next travel to Syracuse to take on the Orange. The team was lucky they were able to survive against Providence, and they can be sure Syracuse will not be as forgiving. The Hoyas must remained focused for 40 minutes if they want to get their first win at the Carrier Dome under Coach Thompson.

Providence:
Like every Big East team this year, the Friars believe they can play with anyone, and they do not get rattled when they fall behind. Despite trailing by 18 early in the second half, they kept to their game plan, and it eventually paid off, as they cut into the lead and put themselves in a position to win the game on the final possession. However, as was the case when the Hoyas played Seton Hall, the Friars were unable to execute in the final moments, losing the ball on each of their last two possessions, even though they were bailed out by the officials on one of them. The ability to make plays down the stretch is what separates the good teams from the bad teams, and Providence could not make the final play they needed to get the win.

Players

Georgetown:
Jason Clark had a perfect first half, going 5-5 from the field including four three pointers to score 14 points in the first half. He cooled down considerably in the second half, missing all five of his three point attempts. Julian Vaughn would take over as the hot hand, scoring 10 of his 14 points in the second half, including a critical three-point play after the Friars had cut the lead to two late in the game.

Providence
Marshon Brooks carried the Friars and almost led his side to an improbable upset. He finished the game with a career-high 43 points, the most Georgetown has ever given up against a conference foe. He was the only Friar scoring in the first half, making 10 of his team’s 12 field goals in the first period. He continued his scoring in the second half, getting to the basket with ease and making mid-range jumpers. Despite an incredible performance, he could not pull out the last bit of heroics for his side, as he was unable to get off a potential game-winning three before the Hoyas stole the ball. Still, it was a night Brooks will remember for a long time.

Referees

I have been trying not to pick on the refs too much during this win streak, but this game had two horrible calls towards the end of the game that almost changed the outcome. The first came when Jason Clark was whistled for a foul on Brooks’ made three pointer to give Providence a four-point play. There was minimal contact if any, and it had no impact on the shot. Brooks’ just threw himself to the ground and the referee took the bait. Then, with under 10 seconds to play and the Hoyas up three, Chris Wright was guarding Brooks as he brought the ball upcourt. Brooks fell, and Wright was whistled for the push. Brooks then got to go to the free throw line. Since Wright would only go 1-2 from the line on his next trip, that call could have cost the Hoyas the game. Fortunately, Wright avenged himself a moment later by getting a steal on the Friars’ last attempt to steal a victory.

Number of the Game

0: Three point field goals made by Georgetown in the second half. The Hoyas started the game with three straight three pointers, and entered the break shooting 53% from downtown. But after halftime, things took a serious turn for the worse, as the Hoyas were 0-11 from beyond the arc, many of them fairly uncontested looks. Even just one three would have helped relieve the pressure during Providence’s run. As it was, the Hoyas were forced to rely on inside baskets and free throws, and were able to just narrowly escape with a win.

The Bouncer

In my Postgame Thoughts after the St. John’s win, Zo mentioned Hollis Thompson’s monster dunk plus the foul. Julian Vaughn showed that Thompson isn’t the only Hoya who can throw down. He had a thunderous one-handed slam-and-one late in the game to give Georgetown a bit of a cushion. It made me wonder why he doesn’t dunk the ball more often.

After the third straight win by three points or less, here’s what Coach Thompson, Chris Wright, Jason, Clark, and Julian Vaughn had to say:

Providence’s head coach Keno Davis also spoke to the press, and after that Marshon Brooks talked about his 43-point performance. Here’s what the two Friars said:

Teams

Georgetown:
Georgetown won their third straight game, this time doing so in convincing fashion against the Red Storm. The Hoyas looked like a totally different team that lost to St. John’s the last time these two teams met. The team was getting open looks, moving the ball well, but more importantly playing good defense, not allowing the St. John’s guards the penetration that caused so many problems in the previous meeting.

The Hoyas had a balanced offensive effort, with five players scoring nine points or more and picking up 21 assists on 26 made field goals. Georgetown was also 9-18 from three-point range, only the second time in Big East play the team has been 50% or better from beyond the arc.

Georgetown has a nasty tendency to let opponents get back into a game to start the second half. It looked as though the Hoyas were letting St. John’s do exactly that, as the Red Storm started the half on a 9-1 run and quickly cut the lead from 13 to five. But the Hoyas would calmly respond, stretching the lead back out to 13 by the 12 minute timeout, and then going on a 19-5 run over the next eight minute to take complete control of the game.

The Hoyas have had struggles on both ends of the floor this season, but they did very well both offensively and defensively in this game, and when they are playing well, they look very, very good.

St. John’s:
The Red Storm struggled mightily from the field, and were leaving the Georgetown shooters too open. And unlike the first match-up when the Hoyas shot under 24% on threes, this time they made their shots. St. John’s did manage to cut the lead to five early in the second half, but Georgetown responded right back, and that took the wind out of the Red Storm’s sails.

Players

Georgetown:
Jason Clark entered the game in big three-point shooting slump, going just 5-31 in his last nine games, a paltry 16%. He seemed to break out of his funk in this game, going 3-3 on three’s and ending with a game-high 16 points. He was perfect from the field on the night, with his only misses coming from the free throw line, where he was only 3-6. I think we can forgive him this one time.

Hollis Thompson also had a good game. He came off the bench for the first time this season, as Nate Lubick got the start instead. Thompson did not seem discouraged by the coach’s decision, scoring 15 points on 5-6 shooting in a strong performance.

St. John’s
Justin Burrell had a team-high 12 points and eight rebounds for the Red Storm, and was a force inside. He used strong post moves to get to the basket and was very difficult to guard. He missed a few baskets towards the end of the game that would have made his line look even more impressive.

Fans

There were far fewer fans that usual at Verizon Center, as the accumulating snow outside dissuaded many from making the arduous trek to Chinatown. Therefore, the crowd was a little subdued. It ended up not mattering, but if this had been a close game, I wonder if the home court advantage would have been lacking due to the low turnout.

Number of the Game

34%: Field goal percentage shot by St. John’s. After a poor defensive performance against Seton Hall, Georgetown turned up their defense in this game, holding St. John’s to their worst shooting game of the season, 20-59. The Georgetown defense played like the powerful force that we are used to seeing.

Coach John Thompson III, Chris Wright, Jason Clark, and Hollis Thompson talked about the victory and getting back even in the conference. Here’s what they said:

Also, Coach Steve Lavin talked about his team’s current struggles, dropping 5 of their last six:

Thank you, Rutgers.

Georgetown is going to live or die by the performance of their three star guards, and on this night Freeman/Wright/Clark combined for 53 points and the first win in what seemed like forever. At the very least it was good for these guys to see the ball go in the basket and maybe regain some of the early season swagger that resulted in impressive road victories against Mizzou and Memphis.

It was Austin Freeman’s 25 points that seemed to carry the Hoyas, including three critical 3-pointers when the game got close. Georgetown will need to continue the rebound against Seton Hall and St. John’s before facing another real test in the Villanova Pussy Cats.

Also, here’s what Bob Huggins had to say on how his team played: