The most popular choice of the first round among Yahoo Tourney Pick’Em users has not come close to rewarding this optimism.
Georgetown’s stagnant attack and inept 3-point defense caused viewers to place a red pen on their keys at halftime.
A team from Georgetown who won four wins in four days to claim the Big East tournament title seven days ago returned to occupy eighth place after thinking twice a week later. 12th-placed Hoyas was never remotely competitive in a 96-73 loss to fifth-placed Colorado on Saturday in an NCAA tournament game in the first round.
The margin was 10 to less than eight minutes into the game. He grew to 24 at halftime. By the time Colorado’s main point guard, McKinley Wright, danced at the base line after a transition layup with less than four minutes to go, Georgetown faced a 57-27 disadvantage.
Georgetown’s biggest problem was the total failure to hit Colorado’s 3-point pitchers. Time after time, Wright would attack the dribble, attract several defenders and kick for an open shot. Time and again, the Hoyas were fighting and took a long time to recover.
Colorado hit 11 of 17 points out of 3 in the first half, many of which were little contested. Freshman Jabari Walker had the best record of his career with four points from 3 points after just 12 minutes and finished with 24 points. Wright controlled the game from the start and finished with 12 points, 13 assists and zero turnovers.
It would have been difficult for Georgetown to stay away from an attack anyway, but Colorado’s stifling defense did not give the Hoyas easy looks. There was never a splinter of space in Georgetown’s painting. The Hoyas achieved nothing but contested shots through a tangle of arms.
Nearly 47 percent of Yahoo Tourney Pick’Em participants had Georgetown advance, making Hoyas one of several fashion choices that have been set on fire in the past two days. Winthrop was no match for the shorthanded Villanova on Friday night, while Colgate failed to secure a double-digit lead in the first half against a top-tier Arkansas team.
As Colorado advances to face the state of Florida in fourth place on Monday, Georgetown returns home with questions about the health of its program. The Hoyas went 58-58 over four seasons under Patrick Ewing before pulling out four consecutive wins out of nowhere last weekend.
Arriving at Saturday’s game, there was optimism that running was a sign of progress. Now it is fair to imagine if it was just a four-day mirage.
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