Georgetown Hoyas
Big East (25-6, 14-4)
Purchase Georgetown Merchandise
As young as Georgetown is, no one saw them have the kind of success they had this season. After a few bad early season performances (in wins even), the Hoyas jumped out to seize control of the Big East. It all came down to a showdown with rival Syracuse for the Big East title. How fitting since the conference is getting dismantled next season. This is a team that believes in themselves, they believe in their coach, and they play smart basketball. Even after losing Greg Whittington, they remain on fire. They may even have the conference and national player of the year on the roster. Otto Porter, Jr. has been magnificent. They will be a treat to watch in March.
Big Wins: 1/26 Louisville (53-51), 2/11 Marquette (63-55), 2/23 at Syracuse (57-46)
Bad Losses: 1/8 Pittsburgh (45-73), 1/19 at South Florida (58-61), 3/6 at Villanova (57-67)
Coach: John Thompson III (9 seasons at Georgetown)
Why They Can Surprise:
The balance on this team is stellar. They have some cerebral big men down low in Nate Lubick, Mikael Hopkins, and Moses Ayegba, who has come on as of late. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera has been great as a freshman. Markel Starks has been one of the best point guards in the conference. Porter, Jr. has been nothing but clutch for this team when he needs to be. Everybody plays a role and they understand it well. The key for the Hoyas all year has been their defense. They have played some of the most mind-numbingly low-scoring games this season. They beat Tennessee 37-36. They held Syracuse to 46 points in their last head-to-head conference matchup in the Carrier Dome. They have held opponents to just 37.7 percent shooting from the floor. Georgetown’s style is to keep it frustrating for whomever they play. They seem to have perfected it to the tune of 12 wins in 13 tries to close out the regular season.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Perhaps the reason that Georgetown’s philosophy is to keep the game low-scoring is because they are not a team that racks up a lot of points themselves. They only score 65 points per game. They do not particularly rely on the 3-ball either to help them win games. Their defense is vital to their success. They do tend to have some trouble hitting the glass. They rank low nationally in rebounds per game, so they have to value every possession and try and get a good shot each time down the floor. They could stand to get a little better from the foul line as well. They shoot under 70 percent from the stripe. The Hoyas have won a lot of games late on the heroics of Porter, Jr. with some incredible plays. If he goes cold, they could be in some trouble late in the second half. Outside of a few games this season, the Hoyas do not really pull away from anybody.
Probable Starters:
Jabril Trawick, Sophomore, Guard, 5.7 ppg, 2.0 apg, 2.8 rpg
Markel Starks, Junior, Guard, 12.5 ppg, 2.9 apg, 1.8 rpg
Nate Lubick, Junior, Forward, 7.2 ppg, 2.8 apg, 5.4 rpg
Otto Porter, Jr., Sophomore, Forward, 16.3 ppg, 2.6 apg, 7.4 rpg, 1.9 spg
Mikael Hopkins, Sophomore, Center, 6.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.1 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Freshman, Guard, 9.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Moses Ayegba, Junior, Center, 1.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 65.0 (238th in nation, 14th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 56.1 (10, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.0 (52, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 37.7 (7, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.9 (192, 7)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.1 (74, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 68.4 (203, 11)
Rebound Margin: 1.2 (141, 9)
Assists Per Game: 14.9 (46, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.9 (133, 9)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
2012 NCAA Round of 64 win over Belmont
2012 NCAA Round of 32 loss to North Carolina State
2011 NCAA Round of 64 loss to VCU
2010 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Ohio
2009 NIT First Round loss to Baylor
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over UMBC
2008 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Davidson
2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over Belmont
2007 NCAA Round of 32 win over Boston College
2007 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Vanderbilt
2007 NCAA Regional Final win over North Carolina
2007 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Ohio State
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
