Georgetown starters to be tested during difficult five-game stretch

"He's patient," Monroe said of Freeman, who's averaging 15.5 points per game. "He doesn't force anything. These past couple games, you've seen him take advantage of the opportunities he has. Of course he was being more aggressive; he was attacking a little bit more."

Clark leaves all he has on the floor, whether on defense or offense.

And as a group, their familiarity with one another is paying dividends. All three of Georgetown's starting guards are from the Washington area. Wright played at St. John's College High School, Freeman at DeMatha and Clark at Bishop O'Connell. And they frequently competed in the same AAU tournaments.

"We know how each other plays, and that helps a lot," Clark said. "When we're on the court with each other, we know which shots each other likes to get."

But Villanova Coach Jay Wright has a wealth of experienced guards to rotate in and out of the lineup to keep his Wildcats fresh. Senior Scottie Reynolds of Herndon is the most explosive among them, and he scored a season-high 36 points (including the game-sealing layup) in Villanova's 92-84 victory over Louisville on Monday, in which the Wildcats clawed back from a 17-point deficit in the first half.

Rounding out Villanova's back court are junior Corey Fisher, last season's Big East sixth man of the year (12.8 points per game); senior Reggie Redding (10.7 points per game), the team's best defender; junior Corey Stokes; and freshmen Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek.

Of the bunch, only one -- Redding -- plays as much as 30 minutes per game (31).

All of that is immaterial, of course, if Georgetown's starters stay sharp and play the sort of disciplined basketball Thompson preaches -- taking smart shots, minimizing turnovers and limiting their opponents' transition baskets.

As for his starters' stamina, Thompson says his players are sufficiently conditioned for whatever playing time a game dictates.

"There has been an understanding internally from the beginning they were going to play big minutes," Thompson said. "They understand they have to take care of their bodies as much as possible -- eat right, get your rest -- because they're going to play. They understand the demands of them. They've prepared for that and are ready for that."