Sports (washingtonpost.com)

7 Georgetown vs. 3 Florida

Game Info | Matchups | Difference Makers

The Washington Post
Friday, March 24, 2006; Page E14

When: 9:40 p.m.
Where: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis (50,000).
Television: WUSA (Channel 9); WJZ (Channel 13).
TV Announcers: Jim Nantz and Billy Packer.
Radio: WTEM (980 AM).
Records: Florida (SEC champion), 29-6; Georgetown (Big East at-large), 23-9.
Winner Faces: Winner of Villanova-Boston College on Sunday in Minneapolis.

Matchups
Front Court
Florida sophomore Joakim Noah, the son of former tennis pro Yannick Noah, averaged 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds last weekend; he has exceptional athleticism and speed for his size (6-11). Georgetown 7-2 sophomore Roy Hibbert averaged 18.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in just 28 minutes in the first two rounds. In the postseason, Corey Brewer (6-8) and Al Horford (6-9) are averaging 14.6 and 10.8 points respectively for Florida, and Brewer has the ability to shoot from the outside (52.6% from three-point range). Sophomore Jeff Green (6-9) is the Hoyas' most versatile player.

Back Court
Florida's guards push the pace, and as a result, the Gators average 79.3 points per game. But only four teams this year have scored more than 70 points against Georgetown, and two of them, Duke and Notre Dame, lost. Florida junior Lee Humphrey leads the team in three-point shooting (46.7%)`, and sophomore Taurean Green is averaging 4.9 assists per game. Georgetown's Ashanti Cook and Jonathan Wallace have been steady in the NCAA's (combined 14 assists and five turnovers).

Benches
The Gators go eight deep, but the bulk of their scoring (78%) comes from its starting five, all of whom average in double digits. Freshman guard Walter Hodge is shooting 37.8 percent -- third-best on the team -- from beyond the arc. The Hoyas have gotten big contributions off the bench from senior Darrel Owens and freshman Jessie Sapp.

Coaches
Florida's Billy Donovan is only 40, but he's already the longest tenured SEC coach (10th season). This is the third time he's taken the Gators to the round of 16, but the first time since 2000, when they advanced to the national title game. John Thompson III has the Hoyas in the round of 16 for the 10th time in school history; his Hall of Fame father, John Thompson Jr., was responsible for the first eight appearances. Thompson III prepared his team for this moment with games against Illinois and Duke.

Difference Makers
Jeff Green, F, Soph
Green's performance against Ohio State was overshadowed by Hibbert's, but he had 19 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in 39 minutes

Taurean Green, G, Soph.
The Gators' second-leading scorer (13.4 points) is due to snap out of his funk. He has made just 4 of 15 shots in the tournament.

-- Analysis by Camille Powell

© 2006 The Washington Post Company