Georgetown Hoyas
Big East (21-10, 12-6)
Under John Thompson III, Georgetown is always in the hunt for the postseason. He always has talent on the floor. The only question each season is if the collection of talent will be enough to make a run. Overall, JTIII has to be pleased with the development of his young Hoyas and their competitive nature. They are not going to win every game, but it will be a dogfight from whistle to whistle.
Big Wins: 1/17 Butler (61-59), 1/19 Villanova (78-58), 3/3 at Butler (60-54)
Bad Losses: 12/31 at Xavier (53-70), 1/27 Xavier (53-66), 2/28 at St. John’s (70-81)
Coach: John Thompson III
Why They Can Surprise:
If Georgetown is hitting on all cylinders, then they are going to be hard to beat. Star guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera is the 5th leading scorer in the Big East. He has only scored in single-figures in five games this season. Josh Smith is a gigantic load down on the block and he has helped control the inside-out game for Georgetown. He is their most efficient scorer at 64 percent. They have really solid secondary role players in Jabril Trawick and Aaron Bowen. What has really elevated the Hoyas has been the contribution of the freshmen class that Thompson has brought in. He has always been a great recruiter, but the contributions of Isaac Copeland and L.J. Peak cannot be understated. They are among the team leaders in minutes.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Just as easily as the Hoyas can get hot, they can struggle on the offensive end. They are best in transition and less effective in the half-court. They are apt to turn the ball over too much in certain cases as well. If Josh Smith has a poor night or gets into foul trouble, they are not the same powerful team than they are with him in the game. A common thread in their losses is the failure to score over 65 points. That will be their magic number going forward. A tough defensive matchup could spell the end for the Hoyas.
Probable Starters:
D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Junior, Guard, 16.2 ppg, 3.1 apg, 4.1 rpg, 1.6 spg
Jabril Trawick, Sophomore, Guard, 9.0 ppg, 2.4 apg, 3.7 rpg, 1.0 spg
Josh Smith, Junior, Center, 11.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg
L.J. Peak, Freshman, Forward, 7.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg
Isaac Copeland, Freshman, Forward, 6.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Aaron Bowen, Senior, Forward, 5.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg
Paul White, Freshman, Forward, 5.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg
Mikael Hopkins, Senior, Forward, 5.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.6 bpg
Tre Campbell, Freshman, Guard, 3.4 ppg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.3 (81st in nation, 4th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 65.0 (137, 3)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.9 (73, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 39.9 (50, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.9 (223, 8)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.1 (138, 7)
Free-Throw Percentage: 69.6 (156, 6)
Rebound Margin: 3.2 (78, 4)
Assists Per Game: 13.3 (119, 6)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.8 (197, 9)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2014 NIT First round loss to West Virginia
2014 NIT Second Round loss to Florida State
2013 NCAA Second Round loss to Florida Gulf Coast
2012 NCAA Second Round win over Belmont
2012 NCAA Third Round 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 3/8
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
