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October 31st,
2006
By Joel Welser
jwelser@collegehoops.net
Broadcast Basketball
Georgetown
Hoyas
Overall Rank:
#13
Conference
Rank:
#3 Big East
2005-06:
23-10, 10-6, 4th (t)
2005-06
postseason: NCAA
 It
feels a little like 1985 at
Georgetown. The expectations are
that high in the nations capital. With Coach John Thompson III
reclaiming the glory days of his father’s reign, the Hoyas will
look for better things than the Sweet Sixteen this year.
Who’s Out:
The
departures of Ashanti Cook, Brandon Bowman and Darrel Owens
leave a massive gap on the wings. Cook, the teams best long
range shooter a year ago, averaged 10.2 points and 2.5 assists.
Bowman tacked on 11.0 points and 5.0 rebounds from the small
forward spot. Owens, despite not starting a game, saw nearly as
much action off bench. Little used Amadou Kilkenny-Diaw and
Ryan Beal have also run out of eligibility.
Who’s In:
Pat Ewing,
Jr. makes the family’s triumphant return to Georgetown. The
6-10 junior averaged 4.0 points and 3.8 rebounds for Indiana two
years ago and will be one of the many battling for minutes at
the three. DaJuan Summers may stand in his way of finding a
starting job. Summers can handle either forward spot, although
his post moves need a little work. His overall game is pretty
polished for a freshman and if Coach Thompson wants him to
start, he should be able to handle it. Vernon Macklin needs to
gain some strength, but the 6-9 power forward has tons of
potential. Macklin is the third Mr. Basketball from Virginia to
play with the Hoyas, following Alonzo Mourning and Allen
Iverson. Jeremiah Rivers may be asked to provide some much
needed depth on the perimeter and should get the chance to find
some minutes.
Who to Watch:
Replacing the wings won’t be easy. Tyler Crawford and Jessie
Sapp have a handle on the shooting guard spot. Crawford hardly
saw any minutes last year, but if he can provide some much
needed long range shooting, he’ll be in the mix to start. Sapp
showed promise as a freshman and is the most likely candidate to
start. Along with Ewing and Summers, Marc Egerson and Octavius
Spann will compete for the other spot on the wing. The only
spot Georgetown fans can feel good about in the backcourt is the
point. Jonathan Wallace averaged 7.9 points and 3.2 assists as
a sophomore and will have to mentally and physically carry the
backcourt, at least while the inexperienced guys are coming into
their own.
Final
Projection:
Looking past the
deficiencies on the perimeter is where Georgetown becomes a top
20 team. Jeff Green earned second-team All-Big East honors as a
sophomore after averaging 11.9 points and 6.5 rebounds. As an
upperclassman, the 6-9 forward is expected to have a breakout
season and garner some national attention. Roy Hibbert, at 7-2
and 283 pounds, can cause nightmares for opposing centers.
Hibbert isn’t just a big man. He greatly improved his
production up to 11.6 points and 6.9 rebounds for his sophomore
campaign and he keeps working hard and trying to improve his
game on every level. The frontcourt is awesome, the backcourt
has questions. Georgetown desperately needs to replace the long
range shooting lost by Cook and Owens in order to open up the
interior for the talented big guys. If that doesn’t happen,
Georgetown will fall short of their newly found lofty 1985 type
expectations.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
NCAA
Projected
Starting Five:
Jonathan
Wallace, Junior, Guard, 7.9 points per game
Jessie Sapp,
Sophomore, Guard, 2.8 points per game
DaJuan Summers,
Freshman, Forward, DNP last season
Jeff Green,
Junior, Forward, 11.9 points per game
Roy Hibbert,
Junior, Center, 11.6 points per game
Also:
Complete
Big East Preview & Ranking
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