Saturday afternoon, Syracuse (5-4) welcomes historical rival Georgetown (7-2) to the JMA Wireless Dome for the 100th meeting in the series between the two programs. Prior to the 2:30pm Eastern tip-off, Ron Bailey of the Hoya Report gave us the scoop on the Hoyas as they come into this game under second-year head coach Ed Cooley.
1. How has Ed Cooley changed the Hoya program coming into his season season as head coach?
The need for and scope of change was widely misunderstood, as the project was and is rather massive. Put it like this: Georgetown was run by a culture that began in 1972. It was 2022. And said culture, ultimately, brought down the program.
So, head coach Ed Cooley went to work repairing relationships, reaching out to stakeholders and making himself available. He's displayed much energy trying to instill a culture more suitable to winning this decade.
It's been a mixed bag. He's transformed how the program works internally and started to bring folks back under the tent. Changing how others in the school proceed - and to be clear, the former culture impacted that greatly - is slower. People resist change.
So, it's a work in progress.
2. What is Georgetown’s preferred style of play on both ends of the floor?
Offensively they want to get easy buckets. If those opportunities are not there, they will work their offense. much of it being motion-based. Ideally, they get feet in the paint.
Defensively, head coach Ed Cooley runs a primarily man team that mixes in zone, also. Cooley is more of a defensive pragmatist. In man, they are strongly nail-based.
3. Who are the Georgetown players that should be at the top of Syracuse’s scouting reporting and why?
Thomas Sorber, Micah Peavy, Malik Mack, and Jayden Epps. Sorber, a freshman, has been the best player and rebounder. Peavy is a next-level guy defensively who is the team leader while Mack and Epps are the team's primary ball handlers. Given the room for error is low with this team, if an opponent can take one of these guys out or make them commit bad decisions, it's hard for the Hoyas to beat good teams.
4. Do you have a prediction for the game?
I only saw Cuse vs Texas, so my understanding of Syracuse is not what I would want it to be. That said, I think Sorber bests Lampkin, the Hoyas harass the Orange guards, particularly Carlos, and if they rebound the ball, they should win, barring another injury.
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