Georgetown Basketball: 3 keys for Hoyas against Duke in 2K Empire Classic
By Brian Rauf
2) Omer Yurtseven must be effective – and stay out of foul trouble
Freshman big man Qudus Wahab was forced to play more minutes than normal due to the foul trouble star Omer Yurtseven was dealing with throughout the game.
He helped defensively with two big blocks during that second-half surge and was reliable on the glass, but the didn’t have the kind of impact Yurtseven is capable of having.
The NC State transfer was Georgetown’s leading scorer coming into the event with 17.0 points per game and is a major factor in the way head coach Patrick Ewing wants to play. Getting that level of production from him will be more important than normal on Friday because you know the Blue Devils are going to put up a solid number of points despite how stingy Georgetown’s defense may be. Having Yurtseven on the court – out of foul trouble – is their best chance to match Duke bucket for bucket.
Yurtseven also holds down the paint on both ends with his rebounding prowess (12.5 per game) and shot-blocking (nearly two per game).
The Hoyas will need that rim protection to deter Duke’s slashing wings from attacking the basket but, most importantly, they need him to be able to defend Carey down low. He is just as important as a factor for the Blue Devils as Yurtseven is for Georgetown, making this perhaps the most important individual battle in the game.