Georgetown Hoyas
Overall Rank: #35
Conference Rank: #7 Big East
Georgetown Team Page
Georgetown had a great season in 2011-2012, although it did end a little earlier than they had hoped in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Winning a game in March this time around may be asking a bit too much. The Hoyas have to replace three starters and their coach. Coach Keith Brown, known for his recruiting, takes over the head coaching job after spending five years on the Georgetown sidelines as an assistant. The general coaching philosophy will be the same and that will make the transition go much smoother. However, Coach Brown does need some players on the floor.
2011-12 Record: 23-9, 11-5
2011-12 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Keith Brown
Coach Record: First season at Georgetown, 0-0 overall
Strengths:
And Coach Brown does have one superstar back who has proven that she can carry this team. Sugar Rodgers averaged 18.5 points per game during her junior campaign. Her outside shooting can be a little inconsistent, but Rodgers can certainly put up some huge numbers in the scoring column even if the outside shot is not falling. Rodgers also spearheads the Hoyas defensive effort and averaged a team high 2.3 steals last season. As if she did not do enough, Rodgers even averaged 5.4 rebounds per game. With Rodgers versatility and talent, the Hoyas can build around her again this year. The key will be finding those inexperienced players who are ready to step up and fill the void. Sydney Wilson is a returning starter, but the 6-6 senior averaged just 15.4 minutes per game. She is a great rebounder and a solid shot blocker, but Georgetown will need her to stay on the floor longer. If she does, Georgetown has a great inside-outside duo to work with.
Weaknesses:
Replacing Tia Magee, Adria Crawford, Rubylee Wright, Alexa Roche and Taylor Brown will not be an easy task. Magee and Crawford were great rebounders and Magee was the consistent interior scoring threat for Georgetown last season. Wright was the only other player on the team besides Rodgers who was a threat to hit the long ball and she also ran the show. Roche and Brown provided solid offensive and defensive sparks off of the bench. Coach Brown does have some returning players with experience and they will all need to step up, some into starting roles. Andrea White averaged less than eight minutes per game as a sophomore, but she proved to be a capable rebounder and defender. If White can finish more consistently around the basket, she could also turn into a fine scorer. Brittany Horne and Vanessa Moore will also look for playing time in the frontcourt. The backcourt will look to junior Samisha Powell and sophomore Jasmine Jackson. Jackson is a good shooter, but only played in seven games as a freshman.
Final Projection:
That leaves plenty of room for the talented group of newcomers to make an impact. Shooting guard Katie McCormick and big 6-2 wing Logan Battle are both talented enough to crack the starting lineup from day one and they will be given the opportunity. McCormick is a fine shooter and Battle will do a bit of everything. For the most part, the younger players will not have much time to adjust to their new roles. Coach Brown can spend some time mixing and matching and finding the right combination of players, but he will need to find the gems on the roster that are ready to step into a starting role and others who are capable of making an impact off of the bench. In the meantime, Rodgers has a lot on her shoulders.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
Projected Starting Five:
Jasmine Jackson, Sophomore, Guard, 2.0 points per game
Katie McCormick, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season
Sugar Rodgers, Senior, Guard, 18.5 points per game
Andrea White, Junior, Forward, 1.9 points per game
Sydney Wilson, Senior, Center, 3.2 points per game
Madness 2013 WNBA Draft Rankings:
#8 Sugar Rodgers
Madness 2012 Women’s Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#46 Katie McCormick
#62 Logan Battle
