Pre-Duel Pleasantries: Georgetown

Xavier is at an all-time high in the polls right now. The #5 team in the country gets their next test tonight against Georgetown. To get you ready for the game, we talked to our good friend Casual Hoya. Let's see what he had to say.

1.) This seems like a particularly strange season for the Hoyas. What's been the highlight of it so far?

- The highlight was clearly the win over Syracuse, which at the time had the fanbase actually thinking this team was pretty good and ready to take the Big East by storm.  Of course, that has happened yet and probably won't, so woe is us. Rather than "strange" I'd use the word "frustrating" to describe the season thus far.  I've been looking into things that I personally can do to help turn things around, but thankfully I have yet to actually take that frozen pepperoni pizza in my freezer out and into the oven and my discipline remains strong.  A blowout loss to you dudes might change things, however.

2.) What are your feelings towards JTIII?

- Good guy, good coach, runs a clean program, has (or at least had) restored Georgetown to national prominence.  On the flipside, the March failures have been piling up and this season has been particularly painful, watching a team that by most accounts was predicted to finish 2nd in the Big East and a threat to make the 2nd weekend of the Dance look clueless at times on both ends of the floor.  I toe the line on the keep him or get rid of him argument, but I can certainly see why the vultures are circling lower and lower to the ground.  At the end of the day I don't think he will ever get fired, so if the Hoyas are to be coached by anyone else it will happen only after he decides it's time to step away.

3.) Who on this Georgetown team do you think will give Xavier trouble?

- I haven't watched a ton of Xavier hoops, but I know that Chris Mack is probably the best coach in the conference outside of Jay Wright, so it really doesn't matter if there is anyone on Georgetown that could give the Muskies trouble because he will be neutralized and the game will end like we all assume, with the Hoyas fans sad and the Muskies fans high-fiving one another while exiting the Cintas Center and ignoring the fact that the chili they revere is horrible.  Speaking of which....

4.) Have you had Skyline Chili, and if so, how much did you love it?

- I've never had the misfortune of eating that plate of spaghetti covered with meat that you call chili, though I'm sure I would enjoy documenting it and would ultimately lick the plate dry.  In fact, can you just send me some so I can avoid having to make the trip to Cincy? By the way, why the hell is your airport in Kentucky?  But seriously, it's essentially spaghetti with meatsauce loaded with cheddar cheese. That shizzle aint' chili.

5.) Which is cooler, Jack riding a skateboard or Jack shredding a box?

- Both are pretty casual.  The shredding of the box was obviously more aggressive, but the skateboarding thing is way cool.  I'd trade them both in and eliminate the sideshow completely for wins in March, however.  Speaking of sideshows, one of your assistants is Bill Murray's kid and one of our assistants is Patrick Ewing's kid.  Not sure who wins that battle, to be honest, but let the record reflect that LOST IN TRANSLATION was complete garbage.

6.) Who's going to win?

- Xavier has traditionally been a tough matchup for the Hoyas, but I suppose if DSR is hot and finds someone else to help him out this game could be close.  Maybe, just maybe  this is the game in which sophomores Isaac Copeland and LJ Peak awaken from their season-long slumps and maybe, just maybe centers Bradley Hayes and Jessie Govan can make baskets from 5 feet out and maybe, just maybe the Hoyas get some nice contributions from Marcus Derrickson, Reggie Cameron and Tre Campbell.  Actually, I'm now convinced the Hoyas are going to win by like a dozen points.