Thompson still seeking first win at Syracuse
As Georgetown and Syracuse once again converge for one of the biggest clashes of the college basketball regular season, the Hoyas and Orange couldn’t be more similar, except for one little thing.
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The Hoyas (18-5, 7-4 Big East) are ranked 11th in the country. The Orange (20-4, 7-4) are 12th. The teams are tied for fifth in the conference. Georgetown won 11 of its first 12 games, then lost four of its first five in conference but has bounced back with victories in its last six. Syracuse won 18 in a row to start the year, lost four straight and has righted the ship with two wins in a row.
The main difference, of course, is Georgetown coach John Thompson III has never won at the Carrier Dome — 0-5 in his first six seasons with the Hoyas. He’s taken the Orange into overtime on two different occasions, and last year might’ve been the best chance for him to notch his first win in upstate New York. Georgetown opened its visit with a 14-0 run, only to eventually lose by 17 points.
| Up next |
| No. 11 Georgetown at No. 12 Syracuse |
| Where » Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y. |
| When » Wednesday, 7 p.m. |
| TV » ESPN2 |
| Georgetown and Syracuse boast the three most efficient shooters in the Big East. Orange forward Rick Jackson (13.5 points, 11.5 rebounds per game) leads the conference with a 58.3 field goal percentage. Georgetown forward Julian Vaughn (9 ppg) is second at 54.7. Hoyas guard Austin Freeman (18.7 ppg) is third at 53.8. |
The faces have changed but Syracuse’s patented 2-3 zone is still holding opponents to 39 percent from the field, 13th best in the nation. An equally important factor will be the hostile crowd of more than 30,000. The game falls on the 30th anniversary of Georgetown’s first visit to Carrier Dome.
“I don’t think this group gets rattled too much,” Thompson said after last weekend’s win over Providence. “Just as long as we settle in and focus on what we need to do and how we need to do it, they usually can figure out what’s necessary.”
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