Solid Blue Demons stand next for Hoyas

January 9, 2016 - Despite going 0-3 in BIG EAST Conference play, DePaul (6-9), the Georgetown Hoyas' Saturday opponent should not be trifled with; their last two defeats, setbacks to Seton Hall and Butler - a pair of the league's best teams - by four and five points, respectively, could have gone either way.

Though the Blue Demons fell to G'Town first, by 12 points in suburban Chicago, Ill's Allstate Arena, the Blue and Grey (9-6, 2-1) is not taking DePaul lightly.

"They lost last time we played them. I take it they are going to be really hyped to get us back" said G'Town senior center Bradley Hayes today, during a post game presser.

In conference standings and statistics, DePaul doesn't necessarily wow you: The Blue Demons only rank in the league's top 50% - read half - in field goal percentage (5th at 45.8%), three point field goal percentage (5th, 35.4%), while slotting ninth or tenth in assists, assists/turnover ratio, turnover margin, steals, blocked shots, scoring margin and scoring offense. Add a last place position in league standings.

By comparison Georgetown may trail DePaul in floor shooting (eight at 44.8%), but bests in the likes of scoring offense, scoring defense, scoring margin, free throw percentage, field goal percentage defense and six others categories. For those counting that's 11 different stats the conference's fifth best team leads DePaul.

Stat-heads may look at that and presume a moribund DePaul squad has no chance. The Hoyas don't.

"I think so, yeah" said Hayes, the team's leading rebounder at 7.7 rpg (eight in the BIG EAST), when asked if by the eyeball DePaul looks overall more solid than last season. "I think they're more together of a team than the last couple of years. Being on the court and hearing them talk to each other, you can tell they are a together a lot more than they were before".

His coach, John Thompson III more or less agrees, admitting a difference between last year's Blue Demon bunch, coached by now departed Oliver Purnell and the current crew, led by Dave Leitao, in his second stint with the team.

"Quite honestly, and this is not to take anything away from Dave, because Dave is an outstanding coach. I think they're a year older" opined Thompson, "it's a lot of the same personnel and they're a year older, and they get it and they've gone through the wringer, and understand what it's like not to have success. you go through and you watch films and (you're like ) 'These dudes have been here forever'. It's a whole group of them.

"I think they're just a year older. And possibly they can answer it...Maybe the new voice does affect things. But you can see the maturity across the board, in their players".

A certain sophomore has shown maturity, and is one of the best at his position in the league, a guy who is eighth in scoring and ninth among assisters, being good 14.6 points and 3.9 helpers, respectively .

"He does a good job of picking and choosing when is it my turn, when should I get my guys involved" said Thompson of Billy Garrett, Jr., DePaul's do everything, sophomore point guard. "It's a task, it's a tough task trying to control him".

Though attempting to curtail Garrett will be a team affair, a large piece of responsibility rests on G'Town's standout point guard D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, a senior that paces his team in scoring (15.1 ppg ) and assists (4.3 rpg), marks both good for seventh conference-wide.

Said Smith-Rivera of his positional nemesis tomorrow "He's a solid guard, can do everything, a lot of size. Really crafty with the ball. We have to contain him better than Watson", the last sentence alluding to Creighton's Maurice Watson, Jr. who gave the Hoyas 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists earlier this week (For more of what went wrong at Creighton, a 79-66 loss, see Premium Court).

What must the Hoyas do to cut the head off DePaul's snake, i.e. hinder Garrett? The answers are also on Premium Court.

Rest assured they don't include taking Garrett et al lightly.

Game Particulars:

When: Saturday, January 9th, 2016

Time; Noon

Place Verizon Center

Tickets: Click here

TV: Fox Sports 1

Radio: 99.1 FM, Rich Chvotkin on the call

Real time, in-game chat: Thread is here