Hey Sport! Hoops Heavy Edition
TUESDAY
>>The area's highest -- err, only -- ranked men's basketball squad, the Georgetown Hoyas, might be 6th in the latest national poll, but they've been far from convincing. After thrashing lowly St. John's, they staggered to a home win against a mediocre Seton Hall team. John Thompson III's crew shouldn't have trouble on Tuesday: sitting alone in first place in the Big East, they face the cellar dwelling South Florida Bulls at the Verizon Center. It's a game they'll need to win to stay hot going into their tough road matchup at Louisville on Saturday. Tickets still available. 7:30 p.m. MASN.
WEDNESDAY
>>The ailing Wiz welcome defending World Champions San Antonio Spurs to the Verizon Center for a mid-season non-conference matchup. Recently named all-star Caron Butler returned on Sunday against the Lakers and picked up 15 points, but he's still listed as day-to-day. What's more, the team has lost four of their last five to slump close to .500 at 24-22. The Wizards are dealing with some offensive issues as well, with only Butler and fellow all-star Antawn Jamison in double digits in Sunday's loss to LA. If they can get that sorted out, they're golden: The team is 8-1 when they shoot over 50 percent. Tickets available. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
THURSDAY
>>Venture out to scenic Fairfax's Patriot Center for a Colonial Athletic Association women's hoops showdown. The 9-12 George Mason Patriots may be fading in conference play, but they get an opportunity to right the ship against Old Dominion, ranked #13 in the latest national poll. To do it, they'll need to step it up on the boards, where they were outrebounded by 20 in a 63-51 loss to Virginia Commonwealth on Sunday. They'll also need more scoring from senior stars Lateisha Wade and Moni Akintude if they hope to break a three-game losing streak. But despite their struggles, GMU continues to draw a solid crowd (over 2500 witnessed Sunday's game) and with a ranked team in town, a good turnout is expected. 7 p.m.
Photo by Andrew Wiseman
FRIDAY
>>Big game for the Capitals? They're all big games down the stretch in the Southeast Division, and with only one likely playoff spot up for grabs and division rivals Carolina in town, this is no different. Might be a good time to look into those $10 tickets or the "Student Rush" promo the team runs on Thursdays and Fridays. 7 p.m. at the Verizon Center.
SATURDAY
>>The GW men have a chance to redeem their disappointing season against Dayton at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Smith Center. The Colonials are holding up the bottom of the Atlantic 10, having lost 6 in a row to drop to 5-12 and 1-6 in conference. And Dayton won't be an easy one — the Flyers were in the top 25 earlier in the season, are 15-5, are #13 in the RPI and have the 8th toughest schedule in the nation. They're led by big time shooter Brian Roberts at 19.9 per game and have three more players with between 8 and 10 points per game. The Colonials have been playing better basketball lately, putting up more assists than turnovers in their last two games, but still not good enough for wins. Look for A-10 player of the week Rob Diggs, a resurgent Maureece Rice, and other Colonials to rotate on covering Roberts. The game is also on CSTV.
SUNDAY
>>The GW women, almost like clockwork, are having a strong season, currently ranked 13/14 in the polls with an 18-4 record and 6-1 in conference. They've beaten ranked teams like Texas A&M and Auburn as well as Virginia. Coach Joe McKeown got his 500th career win on Saturday against Dayton, and this Saturday he's going for his 501st at home against Richmond. McKeown, GW's head coach since 1989, has somewhat quietly formed a powerhouse in Foggy Bottom, with the Colonials making last year's Sweet 16 and the NCAA tourney in 14 of the last 17 seasons. The Colonials are led by Anacostia's Jessica Adair at 15.8 points per game, preseason national player of the year candidate Kim Beck, who one of the best point guards in the country last year and Sarah-Jo Lawrence and Antelia Parrish, all of whom score at least 11.8 per game. The game is at 2 p.m. at the Smith Center.