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What: The No. 9 Hoyas open their league schedule against the No. 15 Fighting Irish. Georgetown leads the all-time series 14-12.

When: Georgetown gets its second straight nationally televised stage at 7 p.m. tonight on ESPN2.

Where: GU-ND tips off from the Joyce Convocation Center on the campus of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. The Hoyas are 4-7 all time at Notre Dame, with their most recent win being an 85-82 double overtime triumph during the 2005-2006 Sweet 16 season.

What will it mean: Picked to finish fourth in the conference in the preseason, Georgetown made a surge up the national rankings during its non-conference schedule, which included road wins over Old Dominion and Memphis and a narrow loss at Temple. Notre Dame has gone from unranked to the top 20 in both major polls behind the play of Tim Abromaitis and Ben Hansbrough. A Georgetown win will be further proof that the Hoyas are a contender for the league title. If the Irish win, it will be an eye-catching victory for Mike Brey’s team as it is about to start a grueling three-game Big East gauntlet: No. 9 Georgetown, at No. 5 Syracuse, No. 4 UConn.

Prediction: 72-65 Georgetown. With the outside games of Abromaitis and Hansbrough complemented by seniors Carleton Scott and Tyrone Nash in the paint, Notre Dame will give the Hoyas all they can handle in their Big East opener. But the trio of Austin Freeman, Chris Wright and Jason Clark, along with the deep and improved frontcourt, will give Georgetown the win.