Georgetown Hoyas
2016-2017 Overall Rank: #50
Conference Rank: #6 Big East
Georgetown had much higher expectations last year than a 15 win season. The Hoyas season would not have looked so bad if it were not for six straight losses to end the regular season. That is not the momentum Coach John Thompson III wanted heading into the 2016-2017 campaign. Much of the scoring load this season will fall onto the shoulders of junior guard L.J. Peak. He averaged 12.3 points per game and knocked down 40.9 percent of his three-point attempts. With more attempts to go around, he should be in for a big year. However, he has to stay on the floor. Peak only started a dozen games last season because he was often in foul trouble. Peak fouled out eight times in 33 games, twice as much as anybody else on the team, which is usually tough to do for a 6-5 guard.
2015-16 Record: 15-18, 7-11
2015-16 Postseason: none
Coach: John Thompson III
Coach Record: 264-133 at Georgetown, 332-175 overall
Who’s Out:
D’Vauntes Smith Rivera is a massive loss for Georgetown. He led the team with 16.2 points and 4.5 assists per game. He was also solid on the defensive end and it was his return to the Hoyas that was supposed to propel them back to the NCAA Tournament last year. But it did not work out that way. Smith-Rivera was the player who would take all of the big shots and finding another leader like him will not be easy. The only other loss is little use Riyan Williams, who played just 46 minutes all season.
Who’s In:
Coach Thompson III only has two incoming freshmen in this class; George Muresan and Jagan Mosely, who can make an impact on the defensive end right away. But there are three transfers who will have a much bigger impact this season. Rodney Pryor comes as a transfer from Robert Morris. Pryor was a great player at RMU and his ability to attack the basket will still be relevant in the Big East. He is also a superb rebounder for a 6-5 guard. Akoy Agau did not play much at Louisville, but a fresh start should do the 6-8 forward well. He will get an opportunity to compete for minutes in the frontcourt. Jonathan Mulmore was a massive scoring threat during his time at the junior college ranks. The versatile 6-4 guard can do it all and was an NJCAA second-team All-American last year.
Who to Watch:
The frontcourt returns plenty of talent. Marcus Derrickson is the big man who can stretch the floor with his shooting ability. But he is not just a 6-7, 250 pound forward who can only hang out on the perimeter and shoot. Derrickson is tough too and he will mix it up in the paint. Isaac Copeland can shoot the ball as well, although his shooting was quite inconsistent last season. The 6-9 junior forward is a decent scorer inside though and if that outside shot does start falling, he will be a very dangerous scorer. Bradley Hayes, who was granted a fifth year of eligibility, also returns. The seven-footer averaged 8.7 points and 6.7 rebounds and having a player of his size in the paint is extremely important for Georgetown. There is solid depth in the frontcourt too. Most notable is Jessie Govan. The 6-10, 270 pound sophomore averaged 6.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and led the team with 33 blocks on the year. Govan was ready to step in for Hayes, but with both of them back, Coach Thompson III has options and quality depth. Reggie Cameron, a 6-6 wing, also earned quality playing time last season. Cameron is an experienced shooter who can knock down plenty of shots.
Final Projection:
The most important player on the team though might be Tre Campbell. The junior point guard will have to take over the ball handling duties and become a leader on the floor. He did start 20 games last season, but he will have a lot more to do with Smith-Rivera gone. Campbell is never going to be a big scoring threat, but he can attack the basket and create shots for his teammates. One thing that will be especially important is keeping the turnovers down. Turnovers were a huge problem for the Hoyas last season and now it will mostly be up to Campbell to help rectify that. Just like last year, this team has talent; but they basically have the same talent except their best player in Smith-Rivera. If the defensive intensity picks up and the turnovers decrease, this should be an NCAA Tournament team. If they play like they did last year, Georgetown could have another losing record. The reality lies somewhere in-between and a trip to the NIT would at least put last year’s terrible season far behind them.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NIT
Projected Starting Five:
Tre Campbell, Junior, Guard, 4.1 points per game
L.J. Peak, Junior, Guard, 12.3 points per game
Marcus Derrickson, Sophomore, Forward, 7.1 points per game
Isaac Copeland, Junior, Forward, 11.1 points per game
Bradley Hayes, Senior, Center, 8.7 points per game
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 73.6 (155th in nation, 7th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 71.8 (171, 6)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.1 (176, 8)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.2 (60, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.9 (88, 3)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.9 (213, 8)
Free-Throw Percentage: 75.1 (19, 2)
Rebound Margin: 1.2 (146, 6)
Assists Per Game: 14.9 (74, 6)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.4 (247, 6)
Madness 2017 NBA Draft Rankings:
#53 Jessie Govan
Madness 2016 Men’s Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#142 Jagan Mosely
