Austin Freeman's value to Georgetown is pretty easy to quantify. When he plays well, the Hoyas win. When he struggles, they don't.
And when Freeman busts loose -- as he did in Georgetown's 69-66 win at Villanova on Saturday -- the Hoyas can beat anybody in the country.
"We wanted to concentrate on getting the ball to Austin," Georgetown point guard Chris Wright told reporters following Saturday's win. "It's stupid not to give him the ball."
That's especially true when Freeman is shooting well. Since his mini-slump earlier this month in which he scored 29 points combined in consecutive losses to St. John's, West Virginia and Pittsburgh, Freeman has gotten hot, averaging 24.3 points a game and connecting on 31 of 57 attempts from the floor. The Hoyas, appropriately, have won four straight.
On Saturday, Freeman turned in one of his best games of the season, scoring 30 points -- including 10 in the final 4:59 -- and lifting Georgetown to its biggest win of the season. His hot hand couldn't have come at a better time for the Hoyas (16-5, 5-4) who play No. 23 Louisville on Monday and travel to No. 5 Connecticut and No. 9 Syracuse in the next 17 days.
"Austin Freeman is unflappable in most situations," Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. "What he did in the last four minutes is indicative of what he's done for the last four years."