Lehigh Mountain Hawks vs. Georgetown Hoyas Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 6th 2024

Preview and Prediction

Last month, the head coach of Georgetown University, Ed Cooley, denied rumors about potentially taking over as the head coach for the University of Virginia's basketball team, led by Tony Bennett.

Instead, Cooley is fully focused on reviving the success of the Georgetown Hoyas, which was achieved under the guidance of former coach John Thompson. Thompson led the team to a national championship in 1984 and three Final Four appearances.

After a disappointing first year with a record of 9-23, Cooley is confident in the potential of his team to show improvement this season. The true test of their abilities will come when they open their season against Lehigh on Wednesday.

Cooley is dedicated to the Hoyas for the long haul, stating, "This will be my last college job. My goal is to bring back the power of Georgetown basketball and inspire others. The rumors about Virginia are false and it's unfortunate that people would jeopardize others' livelihoods. But as Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'I have a dream,' and that dream is to be a Georgetown Hoya."

The Hoyas are led by junior Jayden Epps, who was the top scorer for the team and ranked third in the Big East with an average of 18.5 points per game last season. Epps also contributed 4.2 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game over 29 games.

Sophomore Malik Mack, who averaged 17.2 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.0 rebounds at Harvard last season, is expected to make an impact for the Hoyas. Other key transfers for Georgetown include Micah Peavy from TCU, Jordan Burks from Kentucky, and Curtis Williams Jr. from Louisville.

Lehigh, who made it to the Patriot League championship game last season but finished with an overall record of 14-18, started their season with a 90-46 loss to Northwestern on Monday in Evanston, Illinois.

Nasir Whitlock led the Mountain Hawks with 11 points off the bench, while last season's top scorer, Tyler Whitney-Sidney, added 10 points. However, Lehigh struggled with their shooting, only making 32.1% of their shots and going 2-for-17 from the 3-point range.

Keith Higgins Jr., who was the second-highest scorer for the team last season with an average of 12.6 points per game, only scored five points on Monday, shooting 2-for-7.

Coach Brett Reed has put together a challenging non-conference schedule for his team, including games against No. 22 UCLA and Dayton.

"This year's non-conference schedule will be a great opportunity for our team to grow and learn as we head into November and December," said Reed. "It will be a test for us to learn more about ourselves as we strive for a Patriot League championship."

PREDICTION

Lehigh Mountain Hawks

Georgetown Hoyas