Today is a pivotal day that may determine the fate of the WVU men’s and women’s basketball team. A win for the men’s team will place them atop the Big East Mountain while the women need their fan support to cement them as a must-see team with more Top 25 programs coming to Motown this February. Both teams will face Georgetown with the women tipping off at 2pm and the men tipping off at 7pm. The women’s game will be televised on West Virginia public television while the men’s game will be televised nationally on ESPN.

Victory for the Mountaineer men would put them in a share for the lead with a 5-2 Big East conference record, catapult them into the Top 25 for the first time in a month, and increase their RPI rating well into the teens. Their key concern will be how to defend 7′2″ Roy Hibbert. He has been WVU’s worst nightmare as they’ve struggled to control him all season long. I don’t have access to Coach Huggs game plan, but I assume they will be playing zone all game whether it’s 2-3 or 1-3-1 or even a triangle and two to throw off Georgetown’s athletic perimeter offense. If they try to play man-to-man, Hibbert could have a career night. The Hoyas may offset their various zone sets by throwing some backdoor passes reminiscent of a Princeton offense.

Even with the loss of Top 5 pick Jeff Green, there is still some real talent on this Georgetown squad.
Their leading shooter is senior Jonathan Wallace who has an excellent 3-point shooting percentage of 44% with an average of 10.5 points a game. One player WVU can’t afford not to guard is freshman phenom Austin Freeman. A recent McDonald’s All-American, Freeman shoots an outstanding 58% from the field due to his excellent jump-shooting ability.

Another player sure to be a fan favorite among the Maniacs is one Patrick Ewing Jr. As we all remembered last year, he got into a tussle with Joe Alexander and that got current scUM coach John Beilein off his seat to get in his face. Next to winning the NIT Championship, that was one of my favorite moments of last season. As long as the officials don’t control the game, this is shaping up to be an excellent duel between Ewing and Alexander. Wellington Smith and Joe Mazzulla may even join in the ruckus.

As a fan, this is by far the most intriguing match-up of the season. Both teams are known for their excellent perimeter defenses. Georgetown gives up an astounding 35.7% from the field and and 29% from three. If The Rainmaker has an off game, there’s no chance for a Mountaineer upset. Both teams are in the top three in the Big East in points allowed with West Virginia giving up 60 points a game while Georgetown gives up 57.5. Both teams also value possessing the ball as well as distributing the ball to the right people. They are the top two in the Big East in assist-to-turnover ratio with WVU at 1.52 and the Hoyas with 1.4. This is the game that may very well determine our chances of cracking the Field of 65. In the words of Tony Caridi let’s make tonight a great night to be a Mountaineer wherever you may be.

To break down the first meeting of the women’s teams, the Georgetown Hoyas have been known to be the perennial doormats of the Big East. They have not had a winning record in the Big East since the 1999-2000 season and have only won three Big East meetings in each of the past two seasons. They recently scored their first Big East win against Seton Hall Tuesday night. They have been successful in their non-conference slate which includes an upset over Virginia Commonwealth who are favored to represent the CAA in the NCAA tournament.

The player to watch is two-time all Big East second teamer Kieraah Marlow. Marlow leads the team with 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. What has troubled the Lady Hoyas in their Big East play is the inability to defend the perimeter and make consistent quality shots outside of Marlow. If WVU is not careful, Georgetown may keep it close as they lost to Rutgers and Villanova by an average of eight points.

The one senior that stands out for WVU is reigning Big East player of the week winner Yinka Sanni. Sanni, in the past three games, has averaged 18 points and almost 14 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, WVU will be without the services of senior sharp-shooter Meg Bulger. Bulger tweaked her knee the other night against Marshall. She was cleared to come back into the game, but it was in Coach Carey’s best interest to give her twice-injured left knee some much needed rest. Her game will be sorely missed as Georgetown employees a zone defense so seniors LaQuita Owens and Sparkle Davis will have to rise up to the challenge.

On paper, West Virginia should win in a rout but they’ve been known to be lax in some games this year, which has continued to frustrate Head Coach Mike Carey. What may help carry them to victory is the large student turnout expected due to getting first dibs on excellent seating for the men’s game with Georgetown. This turnout may be just what the women’s program needs. Hopefully they can stay long enough with remaining home dates against top five Rutgers, nationally-ranked Pittsburgh, DePaul, and up-and-coming rival Louisville. The women’s team would be thrilled to see such a wonderful turnout from the students and hopefully that begins tomorrow.