Georgetown used to be criticized a lot for having an easy non-conference schedule, but there were always important non-conference opponents that provided classic match-ups for the Hoyas.

If you look back to the very beginning of Georgetown’s rise to power, Maryland and Georgetown used to play every season before the head to head rivalry evaporated. In the early 1980s, Georgetown started playing DePaul, and those games were always very intense. In fact, in 1984, the Hoyas actually lost by two at DePaul. That was their only non Big East defeat for two seasons. During that same time period, the Hoyas began a series with UNLV which showcased two of the most athletic teams in the country.

Then in the early 1990’s the Hoyas started to square off against Memphis. These meetings were always very enjoyable games because of the high entertainment value, and they were especially enjoyable for Georgetown fans because the Hoyas never lost to Memphis in their five regular season meetings from 1994-1998.

Two of these Memphis match-ups stick out in the memories of Hoya fans, 1994-95 and 1995-96. It’s probably not a coincidence that these two memorable games were played in the two years of Allen Iverson’s career. The first one came in December of 1994, when Iverson was a freshman. Last week, we talked about that game, in which George Butler made a three-pointer at the buzzer of regulation to force overtime, where the Hoyas managed to hold on to win by three.

In February of the following year at the Capital Centre, Memphis and Georgetown went at it again. This time instead of drama, the game was highlighted by the spectacular. For the first 10 minutes of the game it seemed like every basket was either a thunderous dunk or a long three-pointer. The fans were oohing and aahing from the opening tip, and in a strange way, it was sort of like a high-class street ball game. The Hoyas eventually prevailed behind 30 points from Iverson and 27 from Othella Harrington. The Hoyas led by one at halftime, but outscored the Tigers in the second half 40-20.

This Saturday, ten years after their last meeting, Georgetown and Memphis will reignite their rivalry. Just like a decade ago, the two teams will feature some of the top players in the country, and just like a decade ago, athleticism will be on display for basketball fans who have a rooting interest or not. If everything goes according to plan for Hoya fans, the result will also resemble those games from ten years ago.