It is not the most anticipated mini-battle in Saturday’s Big East showdown between No. 10 Pittsburgh and No. 12 Georgetown. But a New York City rivalry is brewing in the backcourt.
Panthers guards Ronald Ramon and Vance Fields hail from the Bronx and Brooklyn, respectively, while Hoyas sophomore Jessie Sapp is a Harlem native.
“We’ve been friends for a long time and played together in AAU,” said Sapp. “So I know what they do, and they know what I do.”
Sapp also knows guard play was supposed to be the Hoyas’ weak link this season.
“We heard it, but we really didn’t pay any mind to it,” said Sapp, who combines with backcourt mate Jonathan Wallace to average more than 20 points per game. “We came in with the state of mind that we had to work as a team.”
Wallace (11.2 ppg) has been unflappable, shooting 47.8 percent from 3-point range. He’s also a recognized teamleader. Sapp (9.3 ppg) doesn’t carry the same stature, but has started 25 of 26 games and is a tireless worker who unafraid of big shots. He matched his career-high with 16 points against Villanova last Saturday, tied for a team-high 15 at Pittsburgh last month, and he’s averaged 15 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the last two games.
“It’s been tough,” Sapp said. “We have a lot of good players on this team, but coach put me on the floor for a reason. I just want to take advantage of that, and I want to show him that he wasn’t making a mistake.”
The rest of the Hoyas have always had faith.
“I knew from preseason that our guards played extremely well,” said junior center Roy Hibbert. “Everybody wants to talk about the guards, but they are a key part of our offense. If they want to focus on Jeff [Green] and me, that’s fine, but our guards step up every day in practice and in every game.”
The perimeter battle remains an under-card attraction. The knock-down, drag-out fight is expected in the middle — if it materializes. Green, Hibbert and Pittsburgh seven-footer Aaron Gray are vying for the Big East player of the year as well as first place in the conference, though Gray may not play because of an ankle injury.
“They are very balanced team, a team much like us,” said Hoyas head coach John Thompson III. “A lot of the attention and focal emphasis goes toward their post players, Aaron Gray. But you look around, and they have many, many people who can hurt you.”
No. 10 Pittsburgh (24-4, 11-2 Big East) at No. 12 Georgetown (21-5, 11-2)
» When: Saturday, 2 p.m.
» Where: Verizon Center
» TV: CBS
