While Hoya fans are probably still hung up on Georgetown’s most impressive win of the season over Louisville, the Blue and Gray (14-4, 4-3 Big East) will look to keep rolling against Seton Hall (13-7, 2-5 Big East) on Wednesday night in a potential trap game.  The Louisville win capped off a week in which the Hoyas also handily trounced then no. 24 Notre Dame 63-47 in South Bend.

On Saturday, the Blue and Gray pulled off a 53-51 upset of then no. 5 Louisville on the back of 17-point performances from junior guard Markel Starks and sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr.  Starks climbed out of his recent slump as he shot 43.8% and reached double-digits for the first time in three games.  With 12 rebounds in the contest, Porter Jr. posted his fourth double-double of the season and has averaged 19.2 points per game since sophomore forward Greg Whittington was ruled ineligible to play. Without Whittington in the line-up, the Hoyas are now 4-1.

Although Georgetown survived to defeat the Cardinals, the Hoya offense has remained a concern. Sophomore forward Aaron Bowen’s acrobatic shot was Georgetown’s only field goal in the final 4:17 minutes of the game.  The Blue and Gray essentially relied on the two-man offense of Starks and Porter Jr.

Key to Georgetown’s victory was a gritty defensive effort.  The Cardinals failed to score a field goal in the final four minutes of the game.  Senior guard and national player of the year candidate Peyton Siva was held scoreless and forward Chane Behanan only scored seven points.

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When we last left our Hoyas

It’s been smooth sailing for Georgetown since their overtime loss to Syracuse, with two easy 10-point victories over St. John’s and Providence. The Hoyas haven’t exactly looked dominant, but they’ve taken care of business and remain in control of their own destiny in the race for second place in the Big East.

Tonight’s villain

The Seton Hall Pirates vied with the Hoyas for the title of most surprising team in the Big East earlier this season, posting an 11-1 non-conference record and earning their first national ranking since 2001. Conference play, however, has exposed the Pirates as beneficiaries of a weak conference schedule.

After a stretch where they went nearly a full month without a win, losing six straight from January to February, the Pirates now find themselves in a desperate situation. Without a single marquee win on its resume (sorry Pirates fans, beating UConn doesn’t count anymore), Seton Hall is clinging to the NCAA Tournament bubble. With only two games against Rutgers and DePaul remaining, tonight may be the Pirates’ last chance to impress the selection committee.

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Photos by Jackson Perry

This year, Vox is taking a page from Deadspin and New York’s books and giving you a guide for rooting against each of the Hoyas’ Big East opponents. In preparation for tonight’s game against Seton Hall, here are three reasons to hate the Pirates:

Jeremy Hazell

Sometimes you can look at Jeremy Hazell’s stat sheet and not be intimidated. 4-of-19 from three-point range? Then you look to the right and realize he finished with 41 points. The 6-foot-5 guard has never seen a shot he hasn’t liked, and unfortunately, there also doesn’t seem to be a shot he can’t make. The junior averages 23.3 points per game and can explode in a scoring barrage at any time. He’s Austin Freeman without a conscience.

“Jeremy is one of the offensive players that what you do is irrelevant, it’s just whether he makes it or not,” head coach John Thompson III said Wednesday. “He has unlimited range, literally. His handle is good enough that he can hit shots off the dribble. What goes not talked about is he’s terrific off the ball also. He gets baskets off of cuts and movement. Literally, with him, it’s just whether he’s making or missing.”

So, yeah, Jeremy Hazell can beat you.

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