Villanova plays Georgetown in final home game in January | Villanova vs. Georgetown Preview

VILLANOVA, PA—Villanova has won four of its first six games in January. The Wildcats look for their second consecutive victory after winning a tight battle against Providence on Friday in South Philadelphia. Monday’s Big East contest will not be easy for the Wildcats as they face the much-improved Georgetown Hoyas.

The Wildcats have been victorious in nine of their last 12 contests since November 27th. They are 12-7 overall and 5-3 in Big East play, which ranks fifth in the conference standings. In addition to their stellar play since late November, the Wildcats are 9-1 at the Finneran Pavilion this season.

Villanova defeated Providence, 75-73, at the Wells Fargo Center on Friday evening. Eric Dixon passed Josh Hart for sole possession of tenth place in program scoring history. Dixon now has 1,944 points. He scored 23 points against the Friars and leads the country in scoring with 24.7 points per game.

Villanova defeated Providence on Friday evening at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia.

Jhamir Brickus finished the game with 18 points, including 14 in the second half. Wooga Poplar, a senior transfer from Miami, had his fifth double-double of the season against Providence.

Villanova’s defense will look to contain the Hoyas’ offense. The Wildcats won their second game this season on Friday against Providence when they allowed 70 points. They are 27-6 since the start of last season when limiting opponents to fewer than 70 points. Luckily for Villanova, Georgetown has been really struggling in the last few weeks.

Georgetown’s Surprising Start to 2024-25

After losing 23 games last season, Georgetown is off to a much better start in 2024-25. The Hoyas are 12-6 overall. However, they are only 3-4 in conference play. Georgetown has lost four consecutive games against Marquette, UConn, St. John’s, and DePaul.

The Hoyas started their conference season with three wins, including their best win of the season against Creighton in Washington, D.C.

In its most recent game, Georgetown suffered another conference loss in January. DePaul defeated Georgetown, 73-68, on Friday in our Nation’s Capital. Georgetown was without Thomas Sorber and Jayden Epps. The Hoyas struggled to score consistently without two of their best players. They were just six-for-22 (27%) from behind the arc. They were outscored, 39-28, in the first twenty minutes.

Sorber’s Star Freshman Season

Georgetown’s offense averages 73 points per contest. Thomas Sorber, a freshman forward from Trenton, NJ, averages 14.2 points per game. Sorber is Georgetown’s leading scorer, but he has scored just 14 points in his last two games. He did not play against DePaul with an elbow injury.

Malik Mack, a sophomore guard transfer from Harvard, averages 14 points per game. He accumulated 19 points and six assists against DePaul. Mack is one of Georgetown’s best three-point shooters, with a 38% success rate.

Micah Peavy and Jayden Epps also score more than 10 points per game. Peavy, a fifth-year transfer guard from TCU, averages 13.3 points per game. He had one of his best games of the season against St. John’s on January 14th with 21 points and seven rebounds.

Epps was Georgetown’s leading scorer last season. He averages 13.2 points in 2024-25 but did not play against DePaul with a hamstring injury. He scored only 15 points against Villanova in two games last season. He was three-for-19 (15.7%) from the field against the Wildcats.

Without Epps and Sorber, the Hoyas’ offense lacks depth. Georgetown converts 31.8% of its three-point attempts. Epps is the Hoyas’ most consistent three-point shooter, converting 39.2% of his threes.

The Hoyas’ Excellent Defense

Georgetown’s defense has been excellent in both non-conference and conference play. After allowing more than 77 points per game last season, the Hoyas have allowed an average of 64 points to their opponents in 2024-25, including only 65 points per game in conference play.

Despite playing some of the best teams in the Big East, like Marquette and UConn, the Hoyas have not allowed more than 75 points in conference play. They have allowed 70 points only twice in conference play.

Georgetown has limited its opponents to a 39% success rate from the field this season. The Hoyas have also been solid at the perimeter, allowing their opponents to make 33% of their three-point attempts. Georgetown’s defense is one of the best in the Big East, averaging 14 forced turnovers and eight steals per game.

Georgetown is also a strong rebounding team, led by Sorber, who averages almost nine rebounds per game. The Hoyas average 37.6 rebounds per contest.

Per Kenpom.com, Georgetown is ranked 76th in the country. The Hoyas are 160th in offensive efficiency and 28th in defensive efficiency. Georgetown is 2-3 in away contests this season.

Sorber and Epps’ Injury Update

According to Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein on X), Sorber and Epps are questionable for tonight’s game at the Finn. Without them, Villanova would have a large advantage against a struggling Georgetown squad.

All-Time Series Info

Villanova leads the all-time series against Georgetown, 51-45. The Wildcats have won the last seven matchups against the Hoyas.

WXVU’s Live Coverage of Villanova vs. Georgetown

Monday’s contest between Villanova and Georgetown on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day starts at 6pm. This is the second time these two Big East teams have met on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Finn in the last three seasons. WXVU’s pregame coverage begins at 5:30pm from the Finneran Pavilion. One can listen on the local 89.1 FM dial, the WXVU website, and the RadioFX App.