At first glance they're polar opposites.

No. 17 Georgetown (17-5, 8-3 Big East) dominates in the paint; Marquette (16-8, 6-5) prefers to play on the perimeter.

Tonight's game at the Bradley Center should provide an interesting contrast.

Both teams, however, galvanized their 2005-'06 seasons in January with upsets of college basketball's biggest powers.

Marquette knocked off previously unbeaten Connecticut on Jan. 4 and rode the victory to an overachieving start in its first Big East season. Georgetown knocked off previously unbeaten Duke on Jan. 21 and reeled off five straight conference wins to practically seal a spot in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001.

But the teams share something else, something a little more embarrassing.

Marquette started 14-2 last season before finishing 19-12 after a first-round NIT loss. Georgetown started last season 8-3 in the Big East before finishing 8-8 and losing in the quarterfinals of the NIT.

It's that time of the year again.

The Golden Eagles, fresh off a disappointing loss Sunday at Rutgers, hope their friendly Bradley Center confines straighten out their yearly late-season tailspin. The Hoyas, fresh off a home loss to West Virginia after holding an eight-point halftime lead, find themselves at (gasp) 8-3 in conference play.

So forgive the Marquette players for speaking in "we have to take it one game at a time" clichés. They really mean it this time.

"We gotta have our big guys step up to the challenge," said Marquette freshman Dominic James.

That's easier said than done, for Georgetown boasts the conference's second best (to UConn's big men) frontcourt: swingman Brandon Bowman, versatile power forward Jeff Green and 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert.

Bowman leads the Hoyas in scoring, Green has averaged 17.3 points per game in his last three contests and Hibbert is shooting 59.5 percent from the field.

Marquette's glaring weakness all season has been the lack of production in the post, which means a lackluster effort could spell trouble.

"If we let them get a lot of more-than-one chances, it's going to be a long night," said Marquette freshman Jerel McNeal.

Georgetown coach John Thompson III knows that if Marquette's Steve Novak gets hot from the perimeter, then it's going to be a rough night for his Hoyas.

"Looking at tapes of him the past couple of days, he's made more tough shots, more guarded, contested, long, tough shots than anyone I've seen so far this year," Thompson said in a statement on Tuesday.

Novak hopes to shake off his 4-for-13 three-point performance against Rutgers for tonight's ESPN-televised clash.

"Every game is big, but if you're on national TV, you might play a little harder," James said.

Anything to reverse trends of the past.