Butler vs. Georgetown: 3-Point Preview

Will Butler get the best of Georgetown again?

In a super rare occurrence, this is actually the second of (at least) three times these teams will meet up this year. They battled in the third-place game in the Battle 4 Atlantis, during the week of Thanksgiving. Butler got the best of Georgetown in that game, winning by a score of 64-58, thanks largely to Kellen Dunham's 16 points. Georgetown's Isaac Copeland also had 16 points. It was a very entertaining game, because these are two very evenly matched teams.

Will Joshua Smith make an impact?

Smith, in two games last week, averaged 13 points and 11 rebounds, putting him on the Big East Honor Roll for the week. There's no denying the athletic ability of the Georgetown big man, however, Smith tends to get into early foul trouble sometimes. The Hoyas need Smith on the court, because Butler's big men aren't great. If Smith is out of foul trouble, he could lead to a nightmarish matchup problem for the Bulldogs. If they get him into foul trouble, however, the game becomes that much more winnable for Butler.

Who wins and why?

Usually it's smart to pick the home team in conference games, but that's not the case when it comes to Butler. They've already won thrice on the road in conference play. The Bulldogs are three-and-a-half point underdogs, but I am picking them to win. They don't get blinded by the bright lights of road games thanks to their group of veteran leaders and Chris Holtmann keeping everyone in check. As I've said above, however, it should be a great, evenly matched, game.