Navy @ Georgetown preview
Capital One Arena
Last Meeting ( Dec 23, 2006 ) Navy 44, Georgetown 65
The Georgetown Hoyas will look to start 2-0 for the fourth straight season Tuesday night when they host the Navy Midshipmen, who are trying to open 3-1 for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
The Hoyas are very much in transition. Georgetown had six players leave the program during the offseason -- most significantly last year's leading scorers Mac McClung (15.7 ppg, who transferred to Texas Tech) and center Omer Yurtseven (15.5 ppg, who declared for the NBA but went undrafted).
Under fourth-year coach Patrick Ewing, the Hoyas are hoping their new-look lineup of Arkansas graduate transfer Jalen Harris and Siena graduate transfer Donald Carey, alongside returning starters Jamorko Pickett, Jahvon Blair and Qudus Wahab, can improved on last year's 15-17 season.
Ewing is looking to lead the Hoyas to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.
The Hoyas' season got off to a good -- but not a great -- start against the University of Maryland-Baltimore County on Wednesday. The Hoyas led, 36-30, at halftime and went on to win 70-62.
Blair scored a game-high 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds to pace an offense that had three others players finish in double figures -- Carey (13), Wahab (12 points, game-high 12 rebounds) and Pickett (10 points, 8 rebounds). Harris didn't score, missing all six of his attempts from the field, but finished with a game-high six assists.
Georgetown (1-0) shot just 37.3 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from 3-point range, and struggled mightily from the free-throw line, making just 7 of 14 attempts. The Hoyas played much better on the defensive end in front of a crowd of cutouts, as spectators were prohibited due to coronavirus pandemic.
The Hoyas outrebounded the Retrievers, 58-38, and forced UMBC to shoot just 35.4 percent from the floor and 25 percent (6 of 24) from beyond the arc.
The Midshipmen are coming off a 73-67 victory against Mount Saint Mary's (1-1). Cam Davis scored 26 points -- two shy of his career high -- while John Carter Jr. added 10 and Greg Summers scored eight to lead Navy.
After a close opening half, Navy put the game away by opening the second half on a 15-2 run to take a 47-33 lead with about 13 minutes remaining. The Midshipmen shot 47.2 from the field but were terrific from the free-throw line, making 19 of 22 attempts (86.4 percent).
Behind four returning starters, the Midshipmen are expected to contend for their first Patriot League title in 20 years. They opened the season with a victory over George Washington and a lopsided loss to Maryland.
--Field Level Media