Thompson ended skid at Syracuse last year
For the first time under coach John Thompson III, Georgetown sophomore, junior and senior players will enter the Carrier Dome on Wednesday with the confidence of having won there before.
But for the freshmen, it’ll be their first visit to a place that they may have seen on TV, but its size and intensity can only be fully explained by actual experience. A crowd of more than 30,000 is expected on hand, which would be the first of that size for a weeknight game in 22 years, according to the Post-Standard.
“It’s like that high school game, when you were younger, that you went to, and it seemed like everybody you knew was at that game,” Hoyas sophomore guard Markel Starks said. “But it’s just a little bit different.”
| up next | ||||
| No. 12 Georgetown at No. 2 Syracuse | ||||
| When » | Wednesday, 7 p.m. | |||
| Where » | Carrier Dome, | Syracuse, N.Y. | ||
| TV » | ESPN | |||
The Hoyas (18-4, 8-3 Big East) also have reason to believe differently than in the past after last year’s 64-56 victory, the first of Thompson’s tenure in Syracuse and first since the 2001-02 season.
“It was a big deal,” Hoyas senior center Henry Sims said. “We were all proud of that. We wanted to get that win for him because he loves to win away games. They mean a lot more to him, I feel, than the home games do.”
This time around, Sims could inherit the role taken last year by Chris Wright, who Thompson planted in the middle and had nine assists, finding holes in Syracuse’s legendary 2-3 zone defense, which is as good as ever this season. The Orange (23-1, 10-1) are first in the country in turnover margin (6.9) and lead the Big East in steals (10.1 a game).
“Being good on offense and not turning the ball over is a key to your defense against Syracuse,” said Thompson, who is less concerned about how his players handle the atmosphere. The Hoyas have key wins this season at Alabama, Louisville, and, as Thompson pointed out, “Bayi Rockets,” in China.
Time could be running short for the rivalry with Syracuse announcing its intention to leave the Big East for the ACC, adding to the unusual feel with the teams meeting only once during the regular season for the first time in five years. The Big East intends to hold the Orange to a 27-month notice period that would keep them in the conference through the 2013-14 season.
For now, it remains implicitly part of Georgetown’s makeup, even if Thompson and his coaches don’t sell their recruits on its tradition. The students take care of that once they arrive on campus.
“When you get here, actually you start to realize more,” Hoyas freshman guard Jabril Trawick said. “The more you go to, like playing games somewhere, out of nowhere, someone’s saying, ‘I hate Syracuse.’ You get that feel. It’s something that grows on you over time.”
