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Winners of their last four games and five of the last six, Georgetown is back at it on Saturday afternoon as they look to stride into BIG EAST play at the top of their game later this month. The Hoyas look to maneuver themselves to 6-3 on the season, which would match their start from last year and make it at least 15 years in a row that they would be through nine games with three losses or less.
Going into D.C. are the upset-minded UNCW Seahawks. The Seahawks are one of 10 teams that remain in the NCAA with an unbeaten record. To this point, UNCW is 5-0 on the year, with their last win coming against Coker on December 2. Senior point guard Craig Ponder & Co. come into the matchup with Georgetown as the sixth-best team in the country in 2-point field goal percentage, living at the rim with a field goal percentage of 72.4 percent at that part of the floor.
Will one of the nation's remaining unbeaten teams net their first loss? Or will UNC Wilmington pull off what would be a shocker? Stay tuned to find out.
How to watch or listen
Game Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
TV: CBS Sports Network || Channel Finder
Radio: The Beach 94.1 FM (UNCW) || WJFK 106.7 FM (Georgetown)
No live stream is available for this telecast.
Gamblin' Info
Odds: Georgetown opened as a 12-point favorite via OddsShark. Other spreads to be had include 11.5-point spreads in favor of the Hoyas.
Records ATS: UNCW (2-1) || Georgetown (5-3)
O/U: The O/U opened at 149.
3 things to watch
1. Taking care of business: Sans their loss to Radford in their season opener, Georgetown has done a terrific job this season of beating inferior teams standing in front of them. While UNCW is 5-0, there is a stark contrast between the two clubs. Georgetown ranks No. 29 in KenPom's rankings while the Seahawks are 139th. With few ample opportunities anymore for Georgetown to get "big wins" over nonconference opponents - perhaps Monmouth in their next matchup is their last - it's imperative for the Hoyas to net this win on Saturday afternoon.
2. Protecting the rim: As mentioned, UNCW has been living and dying at the rim this year. 36.4 percent of their field goal attempts have been at the cup and the Seahawks have been converting at a 72.4 percent clip. The only area that has seen more shots taken is in 2-point jumpers (37.1 percent) so the Hoyas will have to do a good job at defending at the rim. Additionally, they will have to watch out for passes to the low post and baseline as well. 46.1 percent of their shots at the rim have come off an assist with that number only exceeded by the 85.3 percent mark from the 3-point line. Luckily, the Hoyas have bigs for days including 7-footer Bradley Hayes who has arguably been the biggest surprise of any player in the conference. So, suffice it to say, Georgetown is amply prepared for attacks at the rim.
3. The Fantastic Flemmings: UNCW is led mostly by point guard Craig Ponder as well as shooting guard/small forward Chris Flemmings. Flemmings, a 6-foot-5, 175-pound junior from Cary, North Carolina, has been the most productive Seahawk in 2015 based solely on ORtg and an efficiency standpoint. Flemmings is scoring 30.4 points per 100 possessions and has an ORtg of 138 via Sports-Reference.com. Simply put, the Hoyas will have to keep him in check defensively and their guards will be put to the test on Saturday afternoon.