The discomfort with being anointed a preseason Final Four contender was clear once the Georgetown men’s basketball team lost three of its first seven games.
After a similar rush to judgment following the demolition of Notre Dame in their Big East conference opener, the Hoyas were once again dragged back into the national shadowsby consecutive losses.
But flying under the national radar the last two weeks, John Thompson III’s steady process of creating a complete Georgetown team has continued at pace. The Hoyas have crafted four straight victories entering the fulcrum of the conference season with some of their best basketball of the year.
Here are three questions Georgetown must answer down the stretch to make another stirring postseason run:
» Can the Hoyas raise their ranking and perception by playing well under the national spotlight?
Starting tonight at Madison Square Garden against St. John’s, the Hoyas play three times in 10 days on ESPN. Their results on national television so far this season have been decidedly mixed.
Georgetown is 2-3 in nationally televised games, including losses in both appearances thus far on ESPN — both of the wins came on ESPN2. The Hoyas next two opponents following the Red Storm also are among the top four in the Big East.
» Will Roy Hibbert be able to summon dominant performances on the road and continue his torrid shooting?
The junior center went 11-for-13 from the field against Cincinnati, reaching double-digit field goal attempts for the first time this season.
Hibbert’s astounding 71 percent field-goal percentage (80.9 percent in conference games) sets the tone for Georgetown’s solid shooting as a team.
The Hoyas shoot better than 54 percent from the field in conference. In all but one of their losses, they hit less than 49 percent.
» Who will step up and be the playmaker down the stretch for the Hoyas?
Georgetown has had four different scoring leaders in its last four wins, and when the Hoyas share the ball, they win — averaging 16.2 assists in victories and 11.4 in losses.
But Thompson gets more than 75 percent of his scoring from the starting five, a group that hasn’t varied for 17 games. They must pace themselves and hope for quality minutes from the bench.
Georgetown (15-5, 5-2 Big East) at St. John’s (12-9, 3-5)
» When: Tonight, 7
» Where: Madison Square Garden
» TV: ESPN
