KU-Georgetown men’s basketball preview

▪ WHEN/WHERE: 6 p.m. Wednesday at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

▪ TV/RADIO: Fox Sports 1; KCSP (610 AM)

▪ ABOUT KANSAS (6-1): The Jayhawks, who have won five straight since losing to No. 1 Kentucky on Nov. 18, will play their first true road game this season. They will also play without junior forward Jamari Traylor, who is serving a one-game suspension following an arrest in Lawrence over the weekend. KU should have the depth to compensate; sophomore Landen Lucas has averaged just 10.7 minutes per game this season despite starting the last five games. Freshman forward Cliff Alexander is playing 18.7 minutes per game. Junior forward Hunter Mickelson is also an option off the bench. During the five-game winning streak, Kansas has outscored opponents by 13.8 points per game and outrebounded opponents by 9.8 boards per game. Sophomore guard Wayne Selden will look to continue his offensive surge after a season-high 21 points in a comeback victory over Florida last Friday. Sophomore Frank Mason, meanwhile, has been in double figures for four straight games, while shooting 55.6 percent in his last three contests. The Jayhawks are 2-1 all-time against Georgetown. Last season, Kansas defeated the Hoyas 86-64 at Allen Fieldhouse, while Georgetown won the first matchup in the 1987 Sweet 16. The other: KU claimed a victory in the 2011 Maui Invitational. For Kansas, it’s the third game of four straight difficult non-conference matchups. KU plays No. 13 Utah at the Sprint Center on Saturday.

▪ ABOUT GEORGETOWN (5-2): For the moment, the Hoyas are playing like a NCAA Tournament team. Georgetown owns a neutral-floor victory over Florida, and its only losses have come against Wisconsin and Butler at the Battle 4 Atlantis in November. Senior center Joshua Smith is a genuine load in the middle, standing 6 feet 10 and 350 pounds. Smith, who is averaging career highs with 12.7 points and 6.9 rebounds, was limited to just five points before fouling out in last season’s 86-64 loss at Allen Fieldhouse. The Hoyas enter Wednesday’s game ranked 20th nationally in KenPom’s efficiency ranking, boasting the 24th-most efficient offense. Georgetown shoots 35 percent from three-point range, but the Hoyas do most of their damage inside. They shoot 56 percent inside the three-point line, which ranks 16th nationally. Under coach John Thompson III, Georgetown has been in the NCAA Tournament seven of the last nine years. Last year’s team finished 18-15 and lost in the second round of the NIT.

This story was originally published December 9, 2014 at 5:22 PM with the headline "KU-Georgetown men’s basketball preview."