NCAA Tournament Predictions: Midwest 3. Georgetown vs. 14. Belmont

By: Kels Dayton

 3 Georgetown (23-8, 12-6 Big East)- The Hoyas are a well-balanced team that thrives on precision timing on offense and lock-down defense to win games. Senior guard Jason Clark has been the team’s MVP this season, averaging 13.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

Junior forward Hollis Thompson (12.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and senior center Henry Sims (11/7 ppg. 6.2 rpg) are capable scorers inside, and freshman Otto Porter (9.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg) has been a pleasant surprise at small forward.

Georgetown has plenty of size and athleticism, and may be the most physically-imposing team on their half of the bracket in the Midwest.

For what it’s worth, the Hoyas lost to Kansas, 67-63, in the Maui Invitational in November.

KEY STATS:

11 games, Hoyas’ longest winning streak this season

57th Field Goal Percentage (.463)

16th Points Allowed per game (59.2)

Team stats courtesy www.bbstate.com.

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 14 Belmont (27-7, 16-2 Atlantic Sun)- Head coach Rick Byrd has put together a terrific run at Belmont, which has a nine-man rotation and scores points in bunches. The Bruins are led by junior guard Kerron Johnson, who averages 14.1 points and 5.2 assists per game.

The Bruins are 4th in the nation in points per game (81.5), 5th in assists (17.4), and 17th in field goal percentage (.484).

Belmont nearly upset Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in November, falling 77-76 in a heartbreaker that was reminiscent of when the Bruins lost by two as a 15-seed to 2nd-seeded Duke in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

KEY STATS:

4th Points per game (81.5)

17th Field Goal Percentage (.484)

5th Assists (17.4)

 

PREDICTION: Belmont 

Team stats courtesy of www.espn.com.

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