St. John's vs Georgetown: the second Casual Q and A

Some of of you may have mind-wiped the last St. John's/ Georgetown game from your memories, as a 79-57 throttling on the road is not the stuff that sweet dreams are made of.

But the Big East is a true round-robin, and the senior-laden Red Storm have one more shot at the Hoyas tomorrow at noon on CBS with Marv Albert and Len Elmore - a taste of March Madness to end February.

And we have some more Q and A with our Hoya friends at Casual Hoya to help set the mood. Take it away, Casual-H (and see our responses to their questions on Casual Hoya).

Rumble: What is it, exactly about playing in the Verizon Center that brings out the worst in St. John's – and the best in Georgetown? Give the definitive answer.

Casual Hoya: The definitive answer is that I have no idea. The Red Storm's futility at Verizon is one of the greatest mysteries of our time, right up there with the existence of the Loch Ness Monster, why anyone watches First Take on ESPN, and how Shakespeare In Love won the award for Best Picture over Saving Private Ryan.

I think Steve Lavin referred to Verizon as your "House of Horrors", which isn't that bad since your House of Horrors is usually a half-empty NBA arena that happens to have a decent beer selection.

Rumble: And if the Hoyas are that good, how come they couldn't take out DePaul by more than five points?

Casual Hoya: Look, a win is a win in the Big East, and though the double digit wins are more relaxing, the close games are the ones that prepare teams better for March. I hope that's true, at least.

The Hoyas have outscored opponents by 46 points over the last three games (you help that stat, by the way), so I'm not concerned about the small margin of the DePaul win. For what it's worth I think DePaul is better than Creighton, Marquette and maybe even Seton Hall right now so I'll take that W and run, thanks very much.

Rumble: Despite the lopsided outcome, where there any St. John's players you were impressed with? If not with their game, their on court style and flair?

Casual Hoya: Yes, thanks for asking! The Johnnies are an interesting squad because I think there's a lot of talent there, and for me Chris Obekpa stood out in our last dance since he played hurt, was able to hit a couple outside shots, and was still a factor defensively - all while wearing short shorts.

D`Angelo Harrison has historically been terrible against Georgetown, Rysheed Jordan has shown flashes but can't seem to put it all together for 40 minutes (his silly technical foul midway through the 1st half turned the game in our favor), and Pointer shows flashes as well.

All of the that is undermined, however, when Lavin comes out sporting a mock turtleneck. I just don't get that. Like at all.

[Rumble note: we can't vouch for that choice, either, honestly.]

Rumble: And given the location and the fact that it is senior day for the Johnnies, are you worried about the match up or do you think Georgetown should take it running away and have time to sample all the touristy fare around MSG?

Casual Hoya: Every Hoyas game is terrifying. I'd be surprised if this game plays out similarly as the first one, because I have to think Lavin is telling his guys that this is a "win and in" game for the Dance. If the Johnnies can't get up for this game at MSG in front of what should be a good crowd, then maybe it's time for you guys to throw some money at one of the Hurleys and see if one bites.

Also, that touristy stuff around MSG kinda stinks. I do love the gyro platter with extra olives at the wonderfully named 'Gyro II' across the street from MSG, however. Fun fact: there is no 'Gyro I'.

Rumble: Who is your pick for Big East rookie of the year and player of the year, and assuming extreme homerism from you, explain your choice.

Casual Hoya: I don't think it's extreme homerism to anoint Isaac Copeland as the Big East Rookie of the Year. Winner of the last two Big East Rookie of the Week awards and three overall this season, Ike has been the best Big East Rookie by far since he ascended into the starting lineup for Georgetown a few games ago. The national media is beginning to catch onto him as well, and some have compared him as a mix of Otto Porter and Jeff Green. That's a pretty fair comparison, and he'll be a lottery pick possibly as soon as after next season.

As far as Player of the Year goes, I'll roll with that [Darrun] Hilliard cat at Villanova. D`Vauntes Smith-Rivera has been everything we have needed him to be, but I think the POY should come from the team that wins the Conference and Hilliard has been Nova's rock all season.

Rumble: Bonus question: if this is in any way your cup of tea, name some interesting mainstream or up-and-coming music artists from the DC area. I was playing some Dismemberment Plan for my son, and I got sad that there is no new awesome music scene I could think of coming out of the DC area.

Casual Hoya: Springsteen isn't from DC, and I'm the wrong dude to be asking this question to.

However, you know what sound was really casual? The thundering silence that was expertly mixed and layered with soft whimpers coming from every St. John's fan at Verizon Center on February 17, 2015. DJ Pauly D should start playing that during his appearances at The Pool After Dark or wherever it is that Johnnies students go to party.