NCAA Tournament: Virginia Commonwealth Blows Out Georgetown, 74-56

We knew the Georgetown Hoyas would have the services of Chris Wright as he recovered from a broken hand suffered three weeks ago against Cincinnati. Now, we know that he will have no restrictions. Wright is listed in the starting lineup for the team’s first-round NCAA Tournament game against Virginia Commonwealth, according to Sports Illustrated’s Stewart Mandel.

Wright will have a challenge against Virginia Commonwealth’s pressure defense, which would have bothered him even if he was fully healthy. The Hoyas desperately need Wright to be himself, because they are 0-4 with a point differential of -14.5 with Wright out of the lineup. Prior to Wright’s injury, the Hoyas were one of the best teams in the Big East and were striving for a high seed.

Star Watch: The return of Georgetown’s star guard Chris Wright can’t come at a better time if you ask John Thompson, III. Virginia Commonwealth loves to pressure the basketball and force turnovers, and Wright’s return means the Hoyas can now deploy three solid ballhandlers against that pressure when you add Jason Clark and Austin Freeman to the mix. Wright’s return is also great news for Hoya shooting guard Austin Freeman. With Wright taking over the ball handling duties, Freeman can do what he does best--run through screens and find catch and shoot opportunities. In fact, the entire Hoya squad should look forward to the five dimes per game Wright was dishing out before his injury.

VCU will continue to look to the little floor general Joey Rodriguez for creativity, leadership, and the occasional big shot. The Rams hope shooting guard Brandon Rozzell can stay sizzling from beyond the arc while forward Jaime Skeen does the dirty work on the inside. The key for the Rams is forcing turnovers for easy buckets, however, because they’re not a real efficient team in the half court.