CINCINNATI — We’re going to learn about the Musketeers Friday night. The Musketeers looked really strong in their first Big East win Tuesday as they blew out Seton Hall 94-72. That came after two hard-luck losses to UConn and Marquette.
The Musketeers win over Seton Hall showed that their efforts against UConn and Marquette are evidence that they can be a good team in the Big East and a potential factor in the conference this season. We’ll find out if that’s true Friday night when Xavier visits Georgetown in our Nation’s Capital. Georgetown is surprisingly 11-2, and they’re looking to make a statement of their own Friday night.
This is a Georgetown team that plays fast, active on the defensive end and a team you can tell is starting to buy in to what head coach Ed Cooley is looking to implement within the program. It’s a road game in the Big East, and Xavier needs to be ready for a 40-minute battle on Friday night against a Georgetown team that is playing above expectations so far this season.
Let’s look at the Players to Watch on the Georgetown Hoyas on Friday night.
Players to Watch
1. #10 Jayden Epps 6’2″ 190 lbs. Jr. Guard Norfolk, Va. Illinois Transfer
15.9 pts, 2.2 rebs, 45.9 FG%, 39% 3-PT FG, 75% FT, 33.8 mpg
Epps finished third in scoring in the Big East last year with 18.5 points per game, his first season with Georgetown. Since the calendar flipped to December this season, Epps has increased his scoring average by nearly 2.5 points per game. In addition, Epps has seven games with three or more made three-pointers. That includes a stretch going 9-12 from three-point range against Syracuse and Creighton. Epps has played in 30 minutes in every game but once this season. Not only is he a great scorer and good shooter, but Epps is also durable. That’s a tough combination the Musketeers will be dealing with Friday night.
2. #35 Thomas Sorber 6’10” 255 lbs. Fr. Forward/Center Trenton, N.J.
15.7 pts, 8.3 rebs, 28 blk, 56.2 FG%, 4-22 3-PT FG, 74.2 FT%, 29.4 mpg
Sorber is playing a big role in his freshman season with the Hoyas. The No. 50 prospect overall in the Class of 2024, according to 247Sports, Sorber averaged a double-double as a Senior at Archbishop Ryan in Pennsylvania. Sorber has four games with 20+ points this season. In addition, Sorber has four games with 12+ rebounds. He’s also played 30+ minutes in each of the Hoyas last four games. Already making a high impact his first season with the Hoyas, Sorber is going to challenge Xavier’s short-handed frontcourt in a major way Friday night.
3. #5 Micah Peavy 6’8″ 220 lbs. Gr. Guard/Forward Cibolo, Texas TCU Transfer
13.2 pts, 4.5 rebs, 55 ast.-35 TO, 35 stl, 45.3 FG%, 33.3 3-PT FG%, 73.1 FT%, 34.2 mpg
A terrific player on both sides of the floor, the Musketeers must know where Peavy is on the court at all times on Friday night. He had a stellar season at TCU in 2023-2024, averaging 10.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game that included a triple-double, two 20-point games and a season-high 26 points at Kansas State. Peavy also recorded three or more steals five times.
This season, Peavy has four 20-point games and two games with 24 points. He also has seven games with three or more steals, three with five or more steals and two games with seven steals. Peavy makes an impact on both ends of the floor, and he’ll be on the court for a majority of the game Friday night. Peavy has played 35+ minutes, including 40 minutes twice, in Georgetown’s last five games.
4. #2 Malik Mack 6’2″ 175 lbs. So. Guard Oxon Hill, Md. Harvard Transfer
12.5 pts, 4.4 rebs, 40.5 FG%, 40.4 3-PT FG%, 17-24 FT, 33.8 mpg
Mack bursted on the scene in the Ivy League last year at Harvard, winning the Ivy League Rookie of the Year and being named Ivy League Rookie of the Week eight times. The Washington D.C. Gatorade Player of the year in 2022-2023, Mack led Harvard in scoring (17.2 pts), minutes per game (33.2), assists (4.8) per game and steals per game (1.3), while also ranking in the top 10 of the Ivy League in assists per game (first), scoring (third), free-throw percentage (third, 81.3), free throws made (fourth, 100), minutes per game (fourth) and steals per game (sixth).
Mack has scored in double figures in every game but two this season, and he’s also played 30+ minutes in every game but one so far this season. He’s proven he can hold his own in a step up in competition this season. Mack will now have to show that over Georgetown’s next 18 games in Big East play.
5. #20 Drew Fielder 6’11” 235 lbs. So. Forward/Center Boise, Idaho
8 pts/gm., 5.8 rebs, 55.1 FG%, 4-22 3-PT FG, 16-21 FT, 22.7 mpg
Fielder is coming off his best game of the season, scoring 20 points while pulling down 13 rebounds in a blowout win over Coppin State last Saturday. He has six games this season with more than five rebounds, and Fielder has played 25+ minutes in five of Georgetown’s last six games.
6. #23 Jordan Burks 6’9″ 205 lbs. So. Forward Decatur, Ala. Kentucky Tansfer
5.1 pts, 3.2 rebs, 63% FG, 3-12 3-PT FG, 5-7 FT, 16.2 mpg
Burks has two double-digit scoring games this season, and he has played 20+ minutes four times this season.
7. #4 Caleb Williams 6’7″ 230 lbs. Fr. Forward Washington, D.C.
3.8 pts, 3.4 rebs, 47.5 FG%, 5-13 3-PT FG, 6-7 FT, 14.9 mpg
Williams has a season-high 10 points and 22 rebounds over his last three games. Those 22 rebounds have increased his rebound average by over one board per game. Those last three games have seen Williams start each of them, playing an average of 33 minutes in that stretch.
8. #11 Curtis Williams Jr. 6’6″ 205 lbs. So. Guard Detroit, Mich. Louisville Transfer
2.7 pts, 1.4 rebs, 12-23 FG, 6-14 3-PT FG, 2-2 FT, 7.4 mpg
Williams is starting to find his groove over the Hoyas last three games. The Louisville transfer has 24 points over the last three games and is 6-7 from three-point range.
Head Coach: Ed Cooley (2nd season)
You may know Ed Cooley from CBS Sports College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein referring to him as “The American Dream.” In 12 seasons at Providence, Cooley led the Friars to seven NCAA Tournaments that culminated in a No. 4 seed and a Sweet 16 in 2022. The Friars also won the Big East regular-season title that season, which came eight years after they won the Big East Tournament.
Cooley’s players won two Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards in his 12 seasons at Providence while also seeing three Big East Most Improved Player of the Year awards.
Keys to the Game
1. Take care of the ball: Georgetown is a team that can cause chaos on both ends of the floor. The Hoyas are active on the defensive end, especially Micah Peavy. They’re also chaotic on offense, with just a 1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio. That chaos can lead to opposing teams getting caught up in it. We’ve seen that when the Musketeers take care of the ball, they win games. When the Musketeers turn the ball over, they lose close games. It sounds so simple to take care of the ball.
2. Make the Hoyas shoot the three: Georgetown is a good shooting team… when they get high-percentage shots. The Hoyas shoot 47.8 percent overall from the field, but they’re only 31.8 percent from three-point range. Only one player (Malik Mack) has a 40% clip from three-point range with at least 25 three-pointers attempted. If you’re the Musketeers, don’t give the Hoyas any easy looks and make them earn their points from three-point range.
3. Come out and start fast: This may sound cliche, but it’s paramount for any team to come out and start fast on the road to set the tone of the game. Xavier looked really good in their win over Seton Hall, their first win in Big East play. If they can immediately carry that momentum over into the start of this game, that will set the tone in this Friday night showdown with a surprise Georgetown Hoyas team.
Score Prediction: Xavier 80 – Georgetown 74
Georgetown may be 11-2, but they were aided by a non-conference schedule that wasn’t overly difficult. Plus, their two losses were to Notre Dame and West Virginia. Now, the Hoyas are taking on a Xavier team that’s averaging 84.3 points per game in three Big East games so far this season. I believe the Musketeers will keep their offensive momentum rolling Friday night and even their Big East record at 2-2.
