• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Georgetown-DePaul Preview

Jan 2, 2010 - 6:46 PM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Georgetown (10-1) at DePaul (7-6), 2:00 p.m. EDT

Georgetown won 10 of its first 11 games last season, but the post-New Year's Day portion of its schedule was a major disappointment as the Hoyas slipped out of the rankings and the NCAA tournament picture.

After starting this season the same way, 13th-ranked Georgetown is hoping to avoid a similar collapse, and a visit to lowly DePaul on Sunday could be a good way to open 2010.

The Hoyas (10-1, 1-0 Big East) closed the 2008 calendar year with a 74-63 win over then-No. 2 Connecticut, improving to 10-1 and reaching No. 11 in the AP poll.

But they went 6-14 after Jan. 1, a stumble Georgetown's players insist won't happen again.

"You keep going back to last year. This is a whole different year," junior Chris Wright said.

Wright will certainly be looking for more of the same in the new year after leading the Hoyas to victories in their last two games following an upset loss to Old Dominion.

The guard followed a career-best 34-point performance against Harvard with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting in a 66-59 win over St. John's on Thursday.

The Hoyas' other two leaders, sophomore Greg Monroe and junior Austin Freeman, each scored 15 points Thursday as Georgetown won its Big East opener. The team went 7-11 in conference play in 2008-09 after compiling a 28-6 record in the league over the previous two seasons.

"Once league play starts, you're more familiar with your opponents. They know our personnel. Their guys knows us. We know them," coach John Thompson III said. "They know what we're going to do. We know what they're going to do. ... There are no secrets."

Georgetown hasn't been able to hide the lack of production from its bench, which did not score a point against St. John's. The Hoyas' reserves are averaging 9.5 points, among the bottom five of the nation's 347 Division I teams.

While plenty of challenges await the Hoyas in a conference that boasts five of the nation's top 13 teams, a visit to Allstate Arena isn't likely one of them. DePaul lost its 20th consecutive Big East regular-season game Monday, opening conference play with a 65-52 defeat at Pittsburgh.

The Blue Demons (7-6, 0-1) went winless in league play last season, although they did beat Cincinnati in the Big East tournament.

DePaul is led offensively by senior Will Walker (16.1 points per game) and junior Mac Koshwal (14.4), but the team is looking for improvement from newcomers Mike Stovall and Eric Wallace.

Stovall, a junior college transfer, has as many field goals (25) as turnovers this season, and Wallace, a transfer from Ohio State, was 1 of 10 from the field against Pitt.

"Stovall and Wallace have to play better," coach Jerry Wainwright told DePaul's official Web site. "They have to rebound more, defend more, and they can't turn the ball over. They have to play at a higher level for us."

The Hoyas have won their last eight meetings with DePaul, including all four since the Blue Demons joined the Big East in 2005. Georgetown held them to 28.8 percent shooting in a 48-40 victory March 7.

"They are one of the better defensive teams in the country," Wainwright said.