Georgetown's versatility shines through in a win over Utah State

Georgetown has developed a rep for consistently putting together one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country.

This season was no different. They opened the year by heading down to Norfolk, VA, to take on CAA favorite Old Dominion. Then after heading to the Charleston Classic, which also featured NC State, the Hoyas went to Kansas City to take on Missouri in what was essentially a road game. Today, they hosted Utah State and still have trips to Temple and Memphis left on their schedule.

Considering the kind of competition that the Hoyas have played, has any team had a more impressive start to the season?


How long before they get put into the conversation with the Ohio State's and the Pitt's and the Michigan State's of the world as the second best team in the country?

After today's 68-51 win over the Utah State Aggies, Georgetown is 8-0 on the season and will likely see their ranking jump up into the top ten come Monday. This start isn't necessarily a surprise for the Hoyas, who were ranked in the preseason and predicted to be a top four or five team in the Big East.

Everyone knew about their back court, which is headlined by Big East preseason player of the year Austin Freeman, Chris Wright, and Jason Clark.

Chris Wright had 21 points to lead all scorers Saturday afternoon. He only needed nine shots to get those 21 points. His aggressiveness midway through the first half is what allowed Georgetown to build their first half lead. His defense in the second half (four steals) sparked a 17-2 run to start the second half that put away the Aggies.

But Wright was the only player to reach double figures this afternoon. (Actually, he was the only player in the game. Utah State's leading scorer had just nine points.) Freeman had nine points on 4-11 shooting and Clark finished with seven points on just six shots from the floor.

And Georgetown still beat the WAC favorite by 17.

To be fair, this wasn't the real Utah State. Nate Bendall is clearly not 100% as he battles a foot injury. Tai Wesley, Utah State's star big man, played just 20 minutes and fouled out with 10 minutes left. Starting point guard Brockeith Pane played just 19 minutes as he battled foul trouble as well, and the back up point guard is arguably the biggest question mark on Utah State's roster.

But regardless of the circumstances and the competition, the Hoyas proved tonight that they are more than just a talented back court. They won this game because they forced 15 Aggie turnovers, many of which resulted in a layup or free throws at the other end. They won this game because the 2-2-1 press that John Thompson II threw on late in the first half and early in the second half completely took Utah State out of what they wanted to do.

The Aggies are a very good defensive basketball team. They are an experienced group that buys into and understands what Stew Morrill wants them to do. This afternoon, their focus was clearly to take away the three for Georgetown. That's why the Hoyas, who are generally considered a perimeter oriented three point shooting team, only were able to get off nine threes, a few of which were forced as the end of the shot clock.

"They did a terrific job of taking away the three," Thompson said. "We didn't get that many open looks."

So what did Georgetown do?

They attacked the basket. Whether in transition or in their half court sets, Georgetown was going at the rim. Part of the risk of closing out long on three point shooters and trying to prevent open looks from deep is that it creates driving lanes and puts the offensive player at an advantage should he decide to put the ball on the floor.

"We've been shooting the ball well, but we have guys that can attack the basket and be aggressive," senior point guard Chris Wright said after the game. "Today was different. Their plan was to cover the three point line, so we had to penetrate and get in gaps."

It worked. Utah State's best big man and starting point guard were in foul trouble throughout the game. Georgetown got into the bonus relatively early and dominated the Aggies from the line, going 20-27 from the charity stripe as opposed to 4-8 for USU.

Keep in mind, all of this is coming just four days after the Hoyas scored 111 points and hit 15 threes against a Missouri team that wanted to play at a faster pace.

If Georgetown proved anything this week, its that they can adapt. This isn't just a three point shooting team, this is a group that can win games playing any style.

"What our team has done, is doing, and did a good job of today is taking what the defense gives you," Thompson said. "We don't have to make threes to win games."

"Our goal as a team is to get a good shot," he continued. "Whether it comes in three seconds or 33 seconds, I don't care. I just want a good shot."

The Hoyas just beat their second consecutive tournament team. For the second consecutive game, the team they beat was able to execute their game plan. Making it all the more impressive is that Missouri and Utah State are polar opposites in terms of the style of basketball they play.

"There's multiple ways we can be effective on the offensive end," Wright said. "As long as our defense is solid, we'll be alright."

Georgetown proved that even when they aren't playing their best basketball and they aren't playing the style that they prefer, they are still going to be a tough team to beat.

There aren't many teams in the country that can say that.