Georgetown HC Ed Cooley hoping to create "home court advantage" vs. Maryland men's basketball on Saturday

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After taking down Loyola (Md.) by 22 points to kick off the regular season, Georgetown head coach Ed Cooley quickly shifted attention toward game two. Maybe rightfully so. Maryland men’s basketball opened the regular season with a dominant win over Bucknell, yet next up features the second of a four-year series between Maryland and Georgetown with the rematch set at Capital One Arena on Saturday night.

While it marks Maryland’s first official road game of the season, Georgetown will look to capitalize on the local angle of both fanbases to create an improved environment on Saturday night. Georgetown announced $1 beer nights for Hoyas students for 75 minutes prior to tipoff, a last minute incentive for the Hoyas to control the atmosphere. Yet with Maryland fans circling this game for months, Ed Cooley admitted that the Hoyas’ matchup against Maryland, “will feel like a tournament game.”

“I hope the entire DMV – we [are] playing this game really for our community. Back when Kevin [Willard] was the coach at Maryland, we signed a four year agreement to play home-and-home. And hopefully our community shows the love that we showed them renewing this rivalry here in our area,” Cooley said on Monday night.

Cooley admitted that Maryland will serve as a “really, really hard opponent” who presents a challenge on the glass.

“I think Maryland’s an elite offensive rebounding team. I think Buzz does a really good job with that,” Cooley said.

For Maryland, Saturday also marks as a potential measuring stick. After opening the Buzz Williams era with a 22-point win over Coppin State, Maryland was ultimately outmatched and humbled en route to a ten-point loss against the Hoyas at home, a result that ultimately reset expectations for the rest of the season. With a chance to respond one year later, guard Andre Mills admitted that Saturday was “personal” for the new-look Maryland squad.

“We know we’re going to face a very physical team, a team we were fortunate to win on the road last year. We’re going to be playing in a hostile environment. Hopefully it’s our hostile environment against our opponent,” Cooley said. “Our thing that I need all of you in this room to do is please have people come out to support the game. We need that home court advantage.”

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