NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 10 matchups in 2020-21 Big 12/Big East Challenge
8. West Virginia at Georgetown
The Mountaineers were one of the few teams to get some good news this offseason, having leading big men Derek Culver and Oscar Tshiebwe back for next year. They make up arguably the best frontcourt in the country, with four-star forward Isaiah Cottrell adding more size and depth.
The perimeter is more of a question, with one scoring double-digits this past season. West Virginia also loses Jermaine Haley and Chase Harler from the rotation as well. It could possibly be a good thing, creating a clearer hierarchy of certain players getting the priority of minutes. That includes rising sophomore Miles McBride (9.5 ppg) and Sean McNeil, who led the team with 29 made three-pointers.
Georgetown won’t have their best frontcourt player next year, with Omer Yurtseven all but likely go pro this offseason. There’s also a chance that Mac McClung stays in the NBA Draft but the feeling is that the scoring guard will be back for his junior year. The team also gets Arkansas grad transfer Jalen Harris, who gives them a needed point guard and distributor.
Still, the Hoyas haven’t recovered from the mid-season exodus of players, including starting guard James Akinjo. They haven’t replaced that kind of production and lost a few more seniors, leaving Harris, McClung, and rising seniors Jahvon Blair and Jamorko Pickett to take care of the scoring in 2020-21.
West Virginia’s lack of scoring likely won’t change much next season, giving the Hoyas a chance to pull off the upset. But there’s a massive frontcourt advantage that the Mountaineers will enjoy in this matchup that I can’t see Georgetown making up for. Huggins should get the road victory.