With March Madness one month away, schedules aren’t forgiving for area college programs
Georgetown
at South Florida, tonight, 7 (MASN/980 AM, 92.7 FM, 94.3 FM)
vs. No. 10 Marquette, Sat.
vs. No. 7 Louisville, 2/23
at No. 12 Villanova, 2/28
at St. John’s, 3/3
vs. DePaul, 3/7
Postseason prospects » Two years ago it was the Final Four. But the Hoyas (13-10, 4-8 Big East) don’t appear to have a ticket to the Big Dance this season. They’re going to need two victories out of their three remaining games against top 12 opponents, along with a defining run at Madison Square Garden in the Big East Tournament.
Silver Lining » After throwing caution to the wind, Georgetown nearly rallied from 16 points down to beat Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, proving it can still match up with any team in the country.
Achilles’ Heel » Georgetown’s struggles rebounding the ball have translated into a one of the poorest defenses in the Big East, an ugly turn for a team that led the nation in field-goal percentage defense last year.
Maryland
at No. 13 Clemson, last night
vs. No. 3 UNC, Sat.
vs. No. 9 Duke, 2/25
at N.C. State, 3/1
vs. No. 8 Wake Forest, 3/3
at Virginia, 3/7
Postseason prospects » Headed into last night’s game at Clemson, the Terps (16-8, 5-5 ACC) had six games left, including four against teams ranked in the top 13. If Maryland can pull off an upset of one of the ranked opponents and win at N.C. State and Virginia, a .500 mark in ACC should get it done.
Silver Lining » Gary Williams is wringing more and more from his team as the season progresses, fueling the rabid Comcast fan base. Can the Terps ride the synergy to an upset or two?
Achilles’ Heel » Talent. The Terps could play very well and still lose several of the difficult games left on the schedule. It happened Feb. 3 at UNC.
George Mason
Drexel, tonight, 7 (FIOS 1/1260 AM)
at Creighton, Saturday
at UNC Wilmington, 2/25
Towson, 2/28
Postseason prospects » Jim Larranaga’s Patriots (17-8, 10-5) can still get to 21 wins, but that won’t be enough in the balanced CAA, where every team has at least eight losses. The Patriots will need a strong showing in the conference tournament — championship game or bust.
Silver Lining » The reputation of the CAA soared with the Patriots’ 2006 run to the Final Four and VCU’s 2007 upset of Duke. That can only help CAA bubble teams. The presence of Mason AD Tom O’Connor on the selection committee doesn’t hurt either.
Achilles’ Heel » Road woes. Mason is 1-5 on the road in Virginia. The tournament will be played in Richmond.
American
at Army, tonight, 7
vs. Holy Cross, Sat.
vs. Navy, 2/25
at Lafayette, 2/28
Postseason prospects » The Eagles (17-7, 9-1 Patriot League) have already sewn up a first-round home game in the Patriot League Tournament. Following tonight’s visit to Army, home dates against Holy Cross and Navy will determine whether the road to the NCAAs goes through Bender Arena.
Silver Lining » Depth and experience, especially at point guard, where Derrick Mercer is playing his best basketball of the season. Nick Hendra is emerging as a legitimate threat as sixth man.
Achilles’ Heel » Expectations got the best of American early in the season, but the Eagles did much better once they focused solely on league play. Resisting any peeks ahead at the NCAAs is a must.
George Washington
vs. St. Bonaventure, Thurs.
at No. 16 Xavier, Sun.
vs. Charlotte, 2/25
at Richmond, 2/28
at Massachusetts, 3/4
vs. Temple, 3/7
Postseason prospects » Time has nearly run out for the Colonials (7-15, 1-9 Atlantic 10), who will miss the NCAAs for the second straight season and are three games out of a berth in the A-10 tournament with six contests remaining. Only two of those games (at No. 16 Xavier, vs. Temple) are against teams with winning league records, but that hasn’t mattered thus far.
Silver Lining » Swingman Damian Hollis is as talented as they come, if he can avoid silly mistakes and foul trouble, and Robert Diggs is a veteran presence down low. Both are capable of big nights.
Achilles’ Heel » Bad goes to worse very quickly when the Colonials find themselves in trouble. Unless they can pull themselves together for longer periods, the season is over in 17 days.
Howard
vs. Morgan State, tonight, 7
vs. Coppin State, 2/23
at North Carolina A&T, 2/28
at Norfolk State, 3/2
vs. Hampton, 3/5
Postseason prospects » The Bison (7-18, 5-6 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) need an upset over Morgan State or Hampton for a confidence boost that would make them the sleeper in the MEAC Tournament, where the winner is the only one to get an NCAA berth.
Silver Lining » Improved performance in nearly every aspect of the game since the beginning of conference play. Kyle Riley’s scoring average (12.5 points per game) is nearly fifty percent higher in MEAC contests.
Achilles’ Heel » Tonight’s opponent, the Bears (16-10, 10-2) have won six straight — and beat Maryland earlier in the year — making them clear MEAC favorites for March Madness.
