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Georgetown and Indiana meet Saturday in New York
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Published: 12/27/2014  at  4:35:00 AM
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GEORGETOWN HOYAS (7-3)

vs. INDIANA HOOSIERS (10-2)

Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
Tip-off: Saturday, Noon ET
Line: Georgetown -3

The Indiana Hoosiers look to get another big non-conference before Big Ten play as Tom Crean’s team takes on the Georgetown Hoyas Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

Indiana (6-5 ATS, 9-1 OVER) has played very well since a surprising loss to Eastern Washington on Nov. 24, with the team’s lone defeat during that span being to undefeated Louisville. One of the biggest reasons for the strong play is an offense that ranks fourth in the nation in scoring at 86.3 PPG. Indiana has lost its last two games at Madison Square Garden, and has only one win this season not in Bloomington (Butler). Georgetown (3-3 ATS, 4-3 OVER) is looking for a signature win this season, but the Hoyas have played one of the most difficult schedules in college basketball. The team has losses to Kansas, Wisconsin and Butler, with all three of those defeats coming by a combined 14 points. These two schools played in 2012, with the Hoosiers getting an overtime victory.

Can Indiana end its Madison Square Garden losing skid on Saturday? For the latest college basketball picks, check out The Platinum Sheet for all the Expert picks. The five experts are led by StatFox Gary's strong 63% ATS record (20-12), while StatFox Zach is 55% ATS (18-15) and StatFox Brian is 53% ATS (17-15) to open the season. StatFox Scott is a perfect 4-0 ATS since Tuesday.

The Hoosiers have been very good on offense this season, ranking 4th in the nation in scoring (86.3 PPG), 9th in shooting (50.3% FG), 42nd in assists (15.6 APG) and 44th in rebounding (39.4 RPG). SG James Blackmon Jr. (17.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG) and PG Yogi Ferrell (16.3 PPG, 5.1 APG, 3.8 RPG) have formed one of the best scoring backcourts in the Big Ten. Ferrell at times struggled last season, as defenses really focused on stopping him. Now, he has more one-on-one matchups on the perimeter, and it has allowed him more open looks from behind the arc (47% threes). Blackmon Jr. is only a freshman, but his 6-foot-4 frame allows him to get his shot off against most opposing guards. Sophomore SF Troy Williams (12.7 PPG, 58% FG, 5.8 RPG) has continued to improve off a strong freshman campaign. In the victory against No. 23 Butler last Saturday, Williams had 22 points and 11 assists. The Hoosiers can shoot the ball very well from deep, as they are hitting 42% of their three-point tries.

Georgetown ranks 46th in the country in shooting (47.6% FG), 75th in scoring (73.5 PPG), 97th in assists (14.1 APG) and 103rd in rebounding (37.0 RPG). Like Indiana, the Hoyas have a very good inside-outside scoring duo. On the perimeter, it starts with PG D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera (13.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.8 APG). Smith-Rivera does a great job of attacking the rim, and he is even more difficult to stop because of his ability to convert from the line (93% FT). At times, he does take some tough shots, and he needs to improve on his long-range accuracy (27% threes) to become even more difficult to stop. Where the Hoyas will have an advantage in this game is with C Josh Smith (12.7 PPG, 64% FG, 6.5 RPG). Smith, a UCLA transfer, has widely been considered one of the more talented post players in college basketball. However, he has struggled to stay in good enough shape to play extended minutes. This season, Smith is averaging 22 minutes, and he has shown the ability to take over a game. The Hoosiers do not have a post player to guard Smith, so look for Georgetown to get him involved early and often in this game.


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