By Andrew P. Napolitano
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Otto Porter knew from a season's worth of experience that Florida Gulf Coast would make stopping him a priority. But this time, in the bright spotlight of the NCAA tournament, Porter wasn't able to overcome that increased pressure.
In a perfect world, defense wins championships. But when the second-seeded Hoyas began their NCAA tournament quest Friday night, defense failed them in a 78-68, upset loss to 15th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast.
Georgetown players said they weren't taking No. 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast lightly. Armed with the memories of last year's upset loss to N.C. State early in the NCAA tournament and a 2010 loss to Ohio, the second-seeded Hoyas figured this time it would have to be different. It wasn't.
The Hoyas seem to be in a better situation than a year ago. Friday they'll open the NCAA tournament at Wells Fargo Center as a No. 2 seed against No. 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast with memories of last year's upset fresh in their minds.
The coach who almost always measures his words carefully and avoids big-picture statements whenever possible has, in his own way, let it be known that he's expecting more than the usual when his Hoyas, seeded No. 2 in the East, begin the NCAAs with a round of 64 game against Florida Gulf Coast on Friday in Philadelphia.
The Orange held top-seeded Georgetown (25-6) to 22 percent shooting from 3-point range with their trademark 2-3 zone and got a big game from their bench to avenge two previous losses to the Hoyas this season.
Markel Starks had 14 points and D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera added 13 off the bench, including a tiebreaking 3-pointer that sparked a game-turning run for the top-seeded Hoyas (25-5).
John Thompson Jr. coached Georgetown to a regular-season title in 1979-80, Year 1 of the Big East, and his son took the Hoyas to the final regular-season title before the conference undergoes massive changes, emphatically ending the rivalry against Syracuse with a 61-39 win Saturday.
Otto Porter Jr.'s layup with 9.5 seconds remaining in the second overtime gave No. 7 Georgetown a 79-78 victory over Connecticut on Wednesday night, the Hoyas' 10th straight win and first-ever at Gampel Pavilion.
With Otto Porter on the bench nursing a sore knee, the player known as DSR put on Georgetown's best freshman scoring performance in 17 years.
Porter scored 16 points while playing in foul trouble and Starks hit the biggest shots down the stretch, rallying the Hoyas to their seventh straight win on Friday night, 62-55 over Cincinnati.
Porter is never going to rock the boat, while Starks — who wants to run for political office one day — makes grand statements that make coach John Thompson III's eyes roll.
Otto Porter scored 11 of his 21 points after a momentum-shifting technical foul on Marquette coach Buzz Williams, and No. 15 Georgetown won a stop-and-start game of turnovers and whistles Monday night, beating the 18th-ranked Golden Eagles 63-55 to move into a tie for second in the Big East.
Markel Starks led the Hoyas with 20 points but it was Porter who took over down the stretch in a 69-63 victory over Rutgers on Saturday.
Otto Porter scored 20 points, and Georgetown made a season-high 15 steals and got a rare first-half boost from a walk-on Wednesday night in a 74-52 win over Seton Hall.
Junior guard Markel Starks said he was sick to his stomach after losing to No. 11 seed NC State a year ago, and this wasn't any better.
Otto Porter Jr. faces decision, Georgetown faces reflection after early NCAA exit →
