Duke vs Georgetown: 2019-20 College basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Joey Loose
Duke and Georgetown meet in the 2K Empire Classic final. Can the Hoyas pull off another upset or will the Blue Devils continue their hot start to the season?
TV schedule: Friday, November 22, 7:00 pm ET. ESPN2
Arena: Madison Square Garden in New York, New York
As the season progresses, Duke (5-0) continues to look like the top team in college basketball. They easily dispatched of California 87-52 to make the finals. They’ve had little challenge since their opening night two-point win over Kansas. Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke squad looks as lethal as ever.
The new faces are playing a big role, but sophomore guard Tre Jones (17.0 ppg, 5.8 apg) is the star of this team early on and the lone returning starter. Freshman center Vernon Carey Jr. (14.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg) just put up 31 points and 12 rebounds against the Golden Bears and look like the most talented of Duke’s young faces. Top prospect freshmen Cassius Stanley (13.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and Matthew Hurt (10.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg) will also be a force this year.
Though ranked atop the AP Top 25, the Blue Devils sit at 3rd in KenPom, ranking second in defensive efficiency behind only Virginia. While there have been some cupcakes in there, their defense is pretty impressive, giving up less than 60 ppg. The rebounding has been impressive and will only continue as their young frontcourt continues to grow and adjust to the college game.
On the other hand, Georgetown (4-1) has had an up and down start to their season. Coach Patrick Ewing’s squad lost at home to Penn State by 15 last week but just upset Texas 82-66 to qualify for this game. Ewing has had some impressive moments at Madison Square Garden, but does this team have a chance against the #1 Blue Devils?
Last year’s leading scorer is gone, but the rest of the starters are back, led by senior center Omar Yurtseven (17.0 ppg, 12.5 rpg). Sophomore guard Mac McClung (12.3 ppg) led the way with 19 points in their upset of Texas while fellow sophomore guard James Akinjo (12.3 ppg, 4.5 apg) might be the team’s best scoring guard.
Making the NCAA Tournament is a possibility this season, though the Hoyas may need a win like this to make it happen. They currently sit at 62nd in KenPom and have really struggled at times on defense. They do play at a quick pace and have the offense to facilitate this, but they’ll need plenty of second-chance opportunities to contend with Duke.
For the Blue Devils, just control the game on the boards and hitting their shots. They can’t afford to let the Hoyas into this game with sloppy play. For the Hoyas, clearly avoiding costly mistakes is a given, as well as establishing Yurtseven early in this game. If Duke shuts him down early, then this could be a long night for Georgetown.
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The effort against Texas was impressive, but it’s hard to tell which Georgetown team will show up in this game. Duke should continue their roll, overwhelming the Hoyas with their size and talent. Yurtseven and those young guards give the Hoyas a chance, but I wouldn’t expect they have this kind of upset in them.