Judging by the way Georgetown had no trouble polishing off a local rival in its last game, it is hard to see another one with a lesser pedigree being more competitive.
The 20th-ranked Hoyas look to post a second straight lopsided win Saturday when they open a five-game homestand with a matchup against city rival American University.
Georgetown (4-1) hasn't played since a 75-48 win over Maryland on Sunday in the third-place game of the Old Spice Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The Hoyas and Terrapins were meeting for just the third time since 1980, but Georgetown left no doubt as to which team was better, shooting 53.1 percent and limiting Maryland to 31.6 percent from the floor.
"Everyone on our team is friends with the guys on their team, and so that comfort level raises the stakes," Georgetown coach John Thompson III said.
Austin Freeman scored a game-high 18 points and DaJuan Summers added 14 for the Hoyas, who bounced back from a 90-78 loss to then-No. 12 Tennessee on Nov. 28.
"I think our team improved this week," Thompson said. "I think we learned a few lessons from that Tennessee game."
The Hoyas felt that knowing many of the Maryland players helped them avoid any complacency when they took the court. They led by as many as 21 points in the first half.
"It was an emotional game for us," senior point guard Jessie Sapp said. "Like Coach said, those are our friends on the other side. We just wanted to go out there and get the win. We didn't look at them as friends. Once we got on the floor it was just, you're our enemy right now."
Georgetown will likely have the same mind-set against American (4-3). The teams met for the first time since 1986 last season and the Hoyas won 78-51 on Dec. 29 in a game similar to last weekend's contest versus Maryland.
Georgetown shot 60.4 percent and held American to 38.3 percent shooting in last season's meeting - the Hoyas' 12th win in their last 13 games in the series. They admitted the local rivalry contributed to their high level of focus.
"Obviously you have a lot of pressure," former Georgetown center Roy Hibbert said after last year's victory. "You don't want to lose to a team that's 10, 15 minutes away from our campus."
American recovered from that loss and went on to capture the Patriot League, losing to Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA tournament. This season's Eagles are trying to avoid a third straight loss after falling 57-52 to Mount St. Mary's on Tuesday.
Brian Gilmore had 15 points and 16 rebounds for American, which blew an 11-point lead early in the second half.
The Eagles feature a starting backcourt of seniors Derrick Mercer and Garrison Carr, who combined to score 33 points in last season's loss to the Hoyas.
