Georgetown @ Providence preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 12, 2019 ) Providence 90, Georgetown 96

Teams hoping to kick start a run that will lead to an NCAA Tournament berth will do battle Wednesday when Georgetown visits Providence for a Big East game. The Hoyas and the Friars are similar in that have young teams trying to find their way but how they play could not be any different.

Led by freshmen James Akinjo and Mac McClung, the Hoyas prefer high-scoring affairs, much like their 96-90 double overtime victory over the Friars on Jan. 12. Patrick Ewing's team is tied for first in the Big East in scoring (82.4 points per game) and last in scoring defense (78.1), a fact that leads it to struggle in low-scoring games such as Sunday's 77-65 loss at No. 13 Villanova. The Friars and Alpha Diallo, who along with Georgetown's Jessie Govan, is one of two players in the top eight in the conference in scoring and rebounding, bring up the rear in the Big East in scoring (72.1) and are fourth in scoring defense (69.1). The teams are similar in one area - shooting - as the Hoyas are second-last and Providence last in the conference, but the Friars struggles have reached new depths with nine straight games below their season average of 42.4 percent.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

ABOUT GEORGETOWN (14-8, 4-5 Big East): Govan can't wait to put the Villanova game behind him as the senior fouled out after 13 minutes of action and finished with zero points on 0-of-9 shooting. The 6-10 center, who needs seven points for 1,500 in his career, hadn't been held without a field goal since early in his sophomore season and hadn't been held scoreless since the final game of his freshman campaign. Govan, who put up 33 points and 14 rebounds in the first game against the Friars, was averaging 21.3 points and 9.3 rebounds in conference play prior to the performance against Villanova, which included two rebounds.

ABOUT PROVIDENCE (13-9, 3-6 Big East): One silver lining from Saturday's loss at DePaul, a team the Friars had beaten less than a week earlier, was the play of David Duke. The 6-5 freshman guard, who had scored 16 total points in the four games prior, had 17 points for his sixth game in double figures this season. Duke, who matched his career high with three 3-pointers, combined with Diallo, who needs 12 points for 1,000 in his three seasons with the Friars, to go 9-of-21 from the field while the rest of the Friars struggled to the tune of 7-of-35, including 1-of-17 from 3-point land.

TIP-INS

1. Georgetown is 12-2 when it scores 80 points or more this season.

2. The Hoyas snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Friars with the win at home and will go for their first win in Providence, R.I., since 2012.

3. Akinjo earned Big East Freshman of the Week honors for the third time after averaging 21 points, four assists, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and one turnover in games against Xavier and Villanova.

PREDICTION: Georgetown 80, Providence 75