Georgetown vs. DePaul analysis: The Hoyas' Crossover Examination

The Georgetown Hoyas finally got its first road win of the season on Wednesday when they defeated the DePaul Blue Demons in Rosemont, Illinois. The Hoyas showed tremendous amounts of confidence despite not winning a true road game all season, and put on an impressive display on the outskirts of The Windy City.

In the first half, Georgetown was playing well on both sides of the ball. Billy Garrett Jr. was giving his team good production in the first half. Both teams were stupendous in the first half of play, but the Hoyas really turned it around in the final 10 minutes of the ballgame after a dry spell to start the second half.

The issue for Georgetown in the first half was that they could not finish shots around the basket. There was not much in the way of defense as both teams shot well over 50 percent once the first half was over. D'Vauntes Smith-RIvera was a huge part of the offense for the Hoyas. The offense got a little stagnant, scoring just nine points in the first 10 minutes of the second frame, but the defense contained some of DePaul's main players.

Jabril Trawick was a huge part of the win. He was aggressive on both sides of the ball and although at times his scoring has been sparse this season, he is always aggressive. His vocalness really took its toll on the team on the floor, showing some leadership qualities and proving his worth.

Joshua Smith found himself in foul trouble again, but provided a big boost thanks in part to the attention he'll typically garner when he's on the floor. The foul issues keep persisting, which isn't exactly a hallmark for the former UCLA Bruin, but just providing a presence has been good enough for the Hoyas.

Observations

• D'Vauntes Smith Rivera played an terrific game and was the key for Georgetown in this win. Smith-RIvera was consistent throughout, but the second half belonged to him thanks in part to his great 2-way effort.
• Joshua Smith's eight point performance marks just the fourth time the big man has scored less than 10 points this season. But he did make some key baskets down the stretch.
• L.J. Peak looked like he was starting to get his aggressiveness back, even though he only scored eight points in this game.
• DSR did a lot of dirty work in the paint and got a lot rebounds for the team that played key into the wind down the stretch.
• Georgetown shot 54 percent from the field, which is a big reason why they were able to steal this game on the road.
• Georgetown's defense held DePaul to a field goal percentage of just 45 percent throughout the whole game.
• Paul White put on a defensive show on the that side of the ball, rebounded well and made small plays on both sides of the ball.
• Isaac Copeland made some hustle plays down the stretch and scored a few baskets for his team.

What it means?

What this means for Georgetown is that they can be a good team on the road if they played the way they did in the second half of the game. They got contributions from everyone on the team that plays quality minutes, and they can use the depth they have to there advantage.

Georgetown's big man Joshua Smith needs to learn how to make smart plays on the defensive end because the longer he is on the floor, the more the offense will be open, and then the shooters will be able to spread out more. L.J. Peak and DSR are a backcourt that is so versatile because they both can compliment one another and dominate other guards.

Smith-Rivera needs to play like he does on the road at home because he has such a great feel for the game in other environments. He is averaging close to 20 points per game on the road and at home, it is not even close to that, thus that will need to get better because it is an important stretch coming up for the Hoyas. His presence will have to translate inside the Verizon Center, and Smith-Rivera needs to start to solidify himself as why he was picked to be the Preseason Player of the Year.