North Texas @ Georgetown preview

Georgetown may have fallen from the ranks of the unbeaten, but it has a chance to get back to its winning ways Wednesday against visiting North Texas. The Hoyas proved they are better than their schedule by pushing Syracuse to overtime last week and should score an easy victory with a similar performance in their first meeting with the Mean Green.

The Hoyas did a lot of good things in the game against Syracuse, particularly Jagan Mosely, who equaled his career high with 20 points, but blowing a 13-point lead is inexcusable to coach Patrick Ewing, who has two games left to prepare his team for Big East play. "It's a game that we should have won," Ewing told the media. "When you're up double figures, especially down the stretch, you can't make the mistakes that we made." One area that bears watching is the Hoyas ability to guard the 3-point line, which was lacking against Syracuse and will be important against the Mean Green's Roosevelt Smart, who has hit 43.6 percent from beyond the arc this season. Smart leads a quintet of players averaging double figures for first-year coach Grant McCasland, who has his team one win shy of matching last season's total.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 2

ABOUT NORTH TEXAS (7-5): Smart, a sophomore transfer from New Mexico College, has had a fantastic season by any definition, but when he is held in check, the Mean Green usually lose. In the six games that the 6-3 guard has been limited to 15 points or fewer, North Texas has lost five of them and the one win was a 38-point victory over McNeese State. Sophomore guards Ryan Woolridge and A.J. Lawson have combined to average 23.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and 7.2 assists, but neither is much of 3-pointer shooter for the Mean Green, who are 69-100 since their last winning season in 2011-12.

ABOUT GEORGETOWN (8-1): After coming out of the gate hot from beyond the arc, the Hoyas have cooled down considerably since and were downright cold against Syracuse. Ewing's team shot 47 percent from deep over its first four games, but 26.6 percent in its last five games, including 2-of-17 against the Orange. Junior guard Kaleb Johnson, the team's top 3-point shooter at 52.4 percent, missed his only attempt while Jamorko Pickett and Jahvon Blair combined to go 2-of-11 against Syracuse.

TIP-INS

1. Jessie Govan had his fourth straight 20-point game, registering 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks against Syracuse.

2. Smart, who is the No. 5 scorer in Conference USA at 18.5 points per game, ranks 22nd in the country in free throw percentage (92.2).

3. Georgetown has dismissed Chris Sodom, a 7-3 freshman center who had played a total of 27 minutes this season, for a violation of team rules.

PREDICTION: Georgetown 85, North Texas 72