At this point in the Big East season, a team might welcome a non-conference game the way a Chicagoan would welcome free tickets to St. Tropez.
For No. 13 Georgetown, the tickets are to Siberia.
After playing five ranked opponents in their first six conference games, the Hoyas travel to one of the most hostile environments in the game, facing No. 3 Duke on Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
“Them being plopped in the middle of conference play is another difficult game among the others,” coach John Thompson III said.
An 88-74 home victory over No. 8 Syracuse on Wednesday was a critical win, Thompson said. But steadiness is the key to succeeding in this deep, tough conference.
“After key wins you can’t get too excited,” Thompson said. “After key losses you can’t feel the sky is falling.”
Who’s hot
Connecticut (15-1, 4-1): Senior forward Jeff Adrien has been the steadiest of the No. 4 Huskies. He’s averaging more than nine rebounds a game for the third year in a row and leads the team with 14.5 points per game.
Georgetown (12-3, 3-2): The Hoyas shot a season-high 57 percent on three-pointers in a home victory that halted Syracuse’s seven-game win streak.
Pittsburgh (16-0, 4-0): The No. 1 Panthers have a roster full of reasons opponents should fear them. Here’s one: DeJuan Blair, the nation’s leading offensive rebounder, has 50 rebounds in his last three games.
Louisville (12-3, 3-0): Now for the encore. After beating No. 12 Notre Dame in overtime at Freedom Hall, the No. 20 Cardinals get a crack at top-ranked Pittsburgh. A triumph would be the Cardinals’ third straight over a ranked opponent and fifth straight victory overall.
Marquette (15-2, 4-0): No. 14 Marquette boasts four starters who score in double figures. The leader is senior Wesley Matthews, who averages 18.9 points per game and shoots 52.9 percent.
Syracuse (16-2, 4-1): Andy Rautins, the Orange’s leading scorer since conference play began, sat out the second half against Georgetown after hurting his knee. That makes Syracuse fans quiver, considering Rautins missed all of last season with a knee injury. The knee is bruised and sprained, but coach Jim Boeheim said Rautins should play against Notre Dame.
Who’s lukewarm
Notre Dame (12-4, 3-2): No. 12 Notre Dame hopes to keep its streak against Syracuse going. The visiting Irish have won three straight games against the Orange.
Providence (11-5, 3-1): The Friars couldn’t live up to their first tough conference challenge in a loss at Georgetown last Saturday. They have another chance to prove their record is legitimate with a home game against Marquette on Saturday.
St. John’s (10-6, 1-3): Nobody envies the Red Storm’s schedule, which includes four straight games against ranked opponents. After beating Notre Dame at home, St. John’s lost a road game to Pittsburgh and at home to Connecticut on Thursday. Up next: Villanova on the road. “That’s very hard when you’re young and missing your point guard and star player,” coach Norm Roberts said of injured Malik Boothe. “But that’s life.”
Villanova (13-3, 1-2): No. 23 Villanova’s two conference losses (to Marquette and Louisville) came by a combined eight points. The Wildcats’ only other loss (against Texas) was by nine points. “We’ve played decent,” coach Jay Wright said. “In this league, that’s not good enough.”
West Virginia (12-4, 1-2): Coach Bob Huggins said guard Joe Mazzulla’s fractured left shoulder has not shown much improvement. The junior will not undergo surgery but may sit out the rest of the season if it does not heal quickly enough.
Who’s cold
Cincinnati (11-6, 1-3): The Bearcats are turning the ball over 15.1 times per game and average only 5.1 steals per game. The home victory over Rutgers marked their first conference victory since Feb. 20, 2008. “It was a character builder for our team,” coach Mick Cronin said.
DePaul (8-9, 0-4): The Blue Demons have attempted more free throws than all but five other conference teams. The problem is they shoot only 61.1 percent from the line.
Rutgers (9-9, 0-5): Mike Rosario has been a dependable scorer for the Scarlet Knights and is especially reliable from the foul line. He leads the conference with an 88.9 free-throw percentage.
Seton Hall (9-7, 0-4): It’s tough to find a victory when three straight opponents are ranked. Welcome to Seton Hall’s world. The Pirates head to No. 4 Connecticut on Sunday. “They’ve got an NBA front line,” coach Bobby Gonzalez said of the Huskies’ Adrien and Hasheem Thabeet. “They have pretty much all the ingredients you need.”
South Florida (6-10, 1-3): The Bulls earned their only conference victory at DePaul. On Tuesday, the Blue Demons head to South Florida for a rematch.
