Georgetown Hoyas
2015-2016 Overall Rank: #26
Conference Rank: #3 Big East
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Georgetown played much better in 2014-2015 than they did the previous season. The Hoyas ended up tied for second in the Big East with a 12-6 record and earned a four seed in the NCAA Tournament. They failed to make the Sweet Sixteen thanks to the stingy defense of Utah, but this Hoyas team has the potential to make a better run this time around. That is in large part due to the return of senior guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera. He has All-American talent and did everything for the Hoyas last year, leading them with 16.3 points, 3.2 assists and 1.6 steals. The question will be just how much help he can get from the supporting cast.
2014-15 Record: 22-11, 12-6
2014-15 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: John Thompson III
Coach Record: 249-115 at Georgetown, 317-157 overall
Who’s Out:
This year the supporting cast will not include Joshua Smith and Jabril Trawick, the team’s second and third leading scorers. Smith finally put it all together last year and ended his rocky collegiate career averaging 10.8 points and 5.8 rebounds. At 6-10 and 350 pounds, his presence in the paint will be missed. Trawick was the team’s secondary shooting and ball handling option behind Smith-Rivera. He was basically a slightly less effective version of Smith-Rivera and did a lot for the team and was able to take advantage of the situation when the opposition spent too much time focusing on Smith-Rivera. Aaron Bowen and Mikael Hopkins are both significant losses as well. Bowen only averaged 15.0 minutes per game, but he was quite effective during that time. Hopkins was a regular starter beside Smith in the paint. He was never much of a scoring threat, but Hopkins was tough on the glass and on the defensive end.
Who’s In:
Obviously Coach John Thompson III needed to bolster his frontcourt with this class and he certainly did that. Jessie Govan is the most likely candidate among the newcomers to be the scoring threat in the paint. The 6-10, 270 pound center can step outside and knock down mid-range jumpers too. Marcus Derrickson is more Big East ready since he does not mind contact and can battle it out with anybody in the conference. He is only 6-7, but at 250 pounds and with more strength than the average freshman forward, Derrickson will see minutes. Louisville transfer Akoy Agau will add depth once he is eligible following the fall semester. The other incoming freshman is Kaleb Johnson, a 6-6 wing. He is a strong athlete and can score in bunches. For now, he will be a nice option off of the bench.
Who to Watch:
Sophomores L.J. Peak and Isaac Copeland are the most likely candidates to emerge as secondary scorers to Smith-Rivera. Peak is a tough 6-5 wing, who grabbed a starting spot early last season and never let it go. He averaged 7.9 points per game and can certainly be more productive than that, but his outside shooting is questionable at best. Copeland started 11 games as a freshman and his versatility proved to be tough to defend. He can shoot a little and will anchor the new look frontcourt for now. Paul White showed some potential during his sophomore season too and will add more options and versatility to the frontcourt. Like Copeland, he can shoot, but White has a little more defensive toughness to him.
Final Projection:
The key to this team could be Tre Campbell. Yet another sophomore, Campbell is a pure point guard. The more he plays, the more Smith-Rivera can move off of the ball and concentrate on his scoring. Campbell averaged just 13.7 minutes per game as a freshman and it is a big step up into the starting lineup. He can hit the long ball, but does need to work on attacking the basket. But as long as he can keep the turnovers down and continue to play stellar defense, Georgetown will get the most out of their superstar Smith-Rivera. And he will lead them to the NCAA Tournament.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
Projected Starting Five:
Tre Campbell, Sophomore, Guard, 3.4 points per game
D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Senior, Guard, 16.3 points per game
L.J. Peak, Sophomore, Guard, 7.9 points per game
Isaac Copeland, Sophomore, Forward, 6.8 points per game
Jessie Govan, Freshman, Center, DNP last season
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 70.9 (82nd in nation, 4th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 65.2 (137, 3)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.6 (75, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.7 (74, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.1 (202, 7)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.3 (127, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 70.4 (124, 6)
Rebound Margin: 2.9 (83, 4)
Assists Per Game: 12.9 (147, 6)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.6 (180, 9)
Madness 2016 NBA Draft Rankings:
#56 Isaac Copeland
Madness 2015 Men’s Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#45 Jessie Govan
#86 Marcus Derrickson
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