Georgetown heads into their Big East/Big XII Battle match up with Oklahoma State (7-0), a little short-handed. As announced earlier this week, James Akinjo and Josh LeBlanc are no longer with the program.
At the beginning on the season, Georgetown made it a point to throw it into Omer Yurtseven as much as possible. With the current construction of the roster, they’ll need for Yurtseven to stay out of foul trouble and throw him the ball even more. Oklahoma State’s 6’10” big man, Yor Anei, will present a challenge for Yurtseven. Anei was the NIT Season Tip-Off MVP after averaging 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. He’s blocked at least one shot in 24 straight games.
When the Hoyas aren’t looking inside, they will need to rely on McClung returning to his old self. Over the last two games, the sophomore has struggled from the field, shooting a combined 5-17. On the positive side, he’s 3-5 from the three point line in those games.
Jamorko Pickett could also provide an offensive punch. After a solid freshman year, Pickett’s numbers dropped as he adjusted to the Hoyas more guard-centric offense. But there are signs that he’s ready to make a big impact on this team. So far this season he’s shooting a career high from the field (55%), the three point line (50%), and rebounds (5.1 ppg).
Off the bench, freshman Qudus Wahab needs to continue his maturation along with some outside shooting from Jahvon Blair.
Wahab should play a major role against Anei tonight. Wahab might be up to the challenge if his minute total increases. Not only is his points needed but, more importantly, he’ll need to grab rebounds and be a rim protector. The more confidence Ewing has in him, the more he can be used to protect Yurtseven from heavy minutes and potential foul trouble.
For Blair, he’ll need to make the most of whatever minutes he receives. He’s shooting career lows in FG% and 3P% but that could be due to low minutes. He’ll need to gain Ewing’s confidence for his minutes to increase. With a short bench tonight, now would be a good start.
About Oklahoma State
- The Cowboys returned all five starters from last season
- Four players average in double-figures
- Leading scorer Isaac Likekele had a career high 26 points against Syracuse earlier this season. Was a member of the USA Basketball at the FIBA U19 World Cup team.
- KenPom ranks Anei first nationally with a block percentage of 19.2.
