Georgetown @ Oklahoma State preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 23, 2016 ) Georgetown 70, Oklahoma State 97

Georgetown will be without two of its top players for Wednesday's game at No. 25 Oklahoma State and beyond. James Akinjo, a point guard and the team's second-leading scorer, and forward Josh LeBlanc have both left the team and entered the transfer portal, casting a pall over the NCAA Tournament aspirations for the Hoyas.

Akinjo, the reigning Big East Freshman of the Year, played in every game this season, logging a team-high 30.7 minutes per contest while averaging 13.4 points and 4.4 assists. The Oakland, Calif., native was coming off a game in which he had a season-low one assist while going 4-of-15 from the field and 1-of-6 from 3-point territory. LeBlanc, also a sophomore, was suspended for the team's season opener for a violation of team rules and was one of three players who received a restraining order resulting from an alleged burglary and harassment incident. The undefeated Cowboys, who have four players averaging double figures in points - including Isaac Likekele, Yor Anei and Lindy Waters III, opened with five wins over mostly inferior competition, but their last two victories over Syracuse 86-72 and Mississippi 78-37 likely silenced any doubters.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, No TV

ABOUT GEORGETOWN (4-3): The departure of Akinjo and LeBlanc will put added pressure on the likes of top scorer and rebounder Omer Yurtseven and Mac McClung, who assumes the role of No. 2 scorer. Yurtseven had his lowest scoring output of the season Saturday in an ugly 65-61 home loss to UNC-Greensboro and saw his scoring average dip to 15.6 points after being at 17 after four games. McClung, a sophomore, showed what he is capable when his shots are falling, something that doesn't happen often enough given his 37.7 percent shooting clip, when he scored 25 points against Georgia State and 19 against Texas - both wins for the Hoyas.

ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE (7-0): Anei will likely prove a thorn in Yurtseven and the rest of the Hoyas' side with his shot-blocking ability, which had him 10th in Division I entering Tuesday with 3.29 per game. The sophomore from Kansas, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the NIT Season Tipoff, is currently blocking 19.2 percent of the opposition's 2-point attempts, a rate that is tops in the country according to KenPom. Anei is one of two sophomores in the country with at least 100 career blocks and only Oregon State's Kylor Kelley (3.59) and Sacred Heart's Jare'l Spellman (2.93) are above him in career active shots per game list (2.77).

TIP-INS

1. Jagan Mosely will likely take over the point guard spot for the Hoyas as he leads the team with 2.7 assists per game.

2. The Cowboys defeated the Hoyas 97-70 in the only prior meeting in 2016.

3. The 46 points allowed to Ole Miss were the fewest for Oklahoma State since an 81-29 victory over Washington State in 2004.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma State 83, Georgetown 58