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Georgetown
Road to the Final Four.............................................................................................
The Hoyas built up some momentum, if not their NCAA tournament dossier, with 16 consecutive victories to open the season. The best victory of the lot was against Minnesota, which seemed to be NCAA tournament-bound before suffering its rash of injuries. The last win in the streak probably was Georgetown's best, and served notice that the team might be good (if not great). It came against Seton Hall before the Pirates' wheels came off. That 78-66 victory ended Seton Hall's four-game winning streak. Honestly, Georgetown hasn't done much to capture anyone's fancy since beating Seton Hall, but its early work -- victims in the 16-game streak included College of Charleston, Louisville and Houston -- apparently was enough to offset conference results that included two victories against bottom feeders (Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh), two against a decent West Virginia team, and not much else.Player to Watch Point guard Kevin Braswell only averages 11.1 points per game, but don't be fooled. He is a dangerous scorer capable of exploding for 40 points, as he did last season in the NIT against Virginia. Braswell has done his best work this season as a playmaker, averaging 6.5 assists (fourth in the Big East) while shooting just well enough from three-point range (36.4 percent) to take pressure off the Hoyas' inside game. With the Ball The balanced Hoyas have nobody in the Big East's top 20 in scoring, but several clustered between eight and 13 points per game. Power forward Mike Sweetney leads at 13.2 points on 53.6-percent shooting, and also grabs 7.6 rebounds. Center Ruben Boumtje Boumtje has been inconsistent, but he's a strong 7-footer who scored nine points on 55.1-percent shooting and must be accounted for. Also keep an eye on 6-11 Lee Scruggs trying to get hot from three-point range. Defending the Ball The Hoyas prefer pressure defense, and Braswell gives them the right man up top. He averages 3.3 steals, second in the Big East, and the team collects 10.5 per game. When Georgetown isn't forcing 18.5 turnovers per game, it tries to funnel players toward Boumtje Boumtje, who averages 2.5 blocks per game. Foe prefer the three-pointer, and have hit it with some success (34.2 percent). Seed Analysis Exceeding the Seed Playing to Expectations Falling Short BRACKETOLOGY SCORE: .971 (1.000 is playing exactly to a team's historical seeding) Bracketology Report 1985-2000: The Hoyas return to the national stage for the first time since 1997. Georgetown has not won an NCAA game since the Allen Iverson-led team of 1996. There was a time (1982-1989) in which the Hoyas were not only a tournament fixture, but a dominant presence in the bracket. The Hoyas were a No. 1 seed five times in eight years, winning the last national championship before the NCAA field expanded to 64 teams. Roster
 NCAA Basketball Championship Week It's March, which means the madness has started and invitations are being reserved throughout Championship Week.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |  |
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Craig Esherick and the Hoyas just couldn't step up to the challenge of Maryland. (Courtesy: NCAA Prod.)
ESPN's Shelley Smith previews the bragging rights at stake with Thursday's Georgetown-Maryland match-up.
