West Virginia vs #9 Georgetown: Prediction & Fan Poll

NO. 9 GEORGETOWN (13-1, 3-0 Big East) AT WEST VIRGINIA (11-4, 2-1 Big East)

Time/TV: Noon/MASN, SNY, ESPN3

Location: WVU Coliseum

RPI Rankings: Georgetown 6; West Virginia 24

Line: West Virginia -2

Georgetown Players to Watch: G Jason Clark, 6-2 Sr. (15.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.8 spg); C Henry Sims, 6-10 Sr. (12.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.8 apg); F Otto Porter, 6-8 Fr. (8.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 53.4% FG). In his first three Big East games of his career, Porter had 31 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end.

West Virginia Players to Watch: F Kevin Jones, 6-8 Sr. (19.6 ppg, 11.6 rpg, 54.2% FG); G Darryl “Truck” Bryant, 6-2 Sr. (18 ppg, 3.1 apg, 36.3% 3s); C Deniz Kilicli, 6-9 Jr. (11.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 51.7% FG). Jones earned his 10^th-career double-double with 14 points and 14 boards in Wednesday’s 85-70 win over Rutgers.

Storylines: Georgetown sits atop the Big East at 3-0, alongside No. 1 Syracuse. The Hoyas’ 11-game winning streak matches their longest since 2006-07 when they last went to the Final 4. The Mountaineers remain in league contention at 2-1.

Key Matchup: These are two of the best defenses in the Big East and points may be at a premium. Georgetown is holding opponents to 38.5 percent from the field, 28.9 percent from the 3-point line and turning them over nearly 15 times per game. In West Virginia’s three conference games, no team has scored more than 70 points. And the two offenses struggled in recent outings. The Hoyas scored 49 points in a victory over Providence, which statistically has the worst defense in the Big East. The Mountaineers managed only 48 points in a loss at Seton Hall last week. West Virginia’s offense did break out in a victory over Rutgers, scoring a season-high 51 point.

The Bottom Line: West Virginia has beaten the Hoyas four straight times and held them to under 60 points on three of the four occasions. Going into Morgantown and stealing a win is never easy, particularly with young players. The streak should remain alive.

The Pick: West Virginia 65, Georgetown 62