Georgetown put to test early in non-conference slate
![Returning forward Otto Porter returns for the Hoyas after the team finished 24-9 and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament last season.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2012/10/30/2012-10-30-porter-16_9.jpg?width=660&height=372&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
- The Hoyas have one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation this season, starting against Florida
- Georgetown will face No. 13 UCLA (followed by either No. 1 Indiana or Georgia) at the brand-new Barclays Center in Brooklyn
- Last season, a relatively inexperienced Hoyas team picked to finish 10th in the league by Big East coaches weathered a tough early non-conference schedule
WASHINGTON β Georgetown basketball coach John Thompson III says he doesn't have a core scheduling philosophy.
But he kind of does. There are only a few options from which he chooses, depending on how he feels about his team.
"Some groups need to get beat up a little bit so they can bounce back," Thompson says. "Some groups need to feel good about themselves and need to get wins, don't matter who it's against. I think this group ... we have a lot of questions that need to be answered. We have a lot we have to figure out.
"There are different ways to skin the cat. We have to figure out the best way for this group to skin the cat. We're going to be tested early and often, and hopefully, we have some success."
The Hoyas have one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation this season, starting against Florida, ranked No. 10 in the USA TODAY Sports preseason coaches poll, aboard the USS Bataan in Jacksonville.
Georgetown will face No. 13 UCLA (followed by either No. 1 Indiana or Georgia) at the brand-new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.; host Tennessee in the Big East-Southeastern Conference Challenge; and play No. 24 Texas as a part of the Jimmy V Classic in Madison Square Garden β all within the first month of the season.
Such a strategy has suited Georgetown in the past.
Last season, a relatively inexperienced Hoyas team picked to finish 10th in the league by Big East coaches weathered a tough early non-conference schedule with two wins against Memphis, one at Alabama and a close loss to Kansas in Hawaii.
The Hoyas went on to win at Louisville in their first Big East game, finished 24-9 and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.
"Over the past couple of years, we've done a lot of traveling to play in those kinds of big games. To have those β not just Jacksonville, but to play at Madison Square Garden, the Barclays Center, that'll be a cool opportunity," junior forward Nate Lubick says.
Other players aren't focusing on the multitude of big games, saying instead they are simply paying attention to Florida.
"I don't think playing outside will affect anything," says sophomore forward Otto Porter, adding that the Hoyas played outdoors last summer on a trip to China.
But as the players focus on preparing for a talented Gators squad and the team gets closer and closer to kicking off its treacherous month, Thompson is getting nervous.
"It made sense in July," Thompson says. "Now, you get here, and I'm not sure if it's the right thing to do or not. Scheduling is an inexact science.
"I just thought it was important to test this group. I may be sitting here months from now saying, 'Wow, that was crazy,' but we'll just see how that plays out."