Georgetown Has Questions, We Have Answers
There are a ton of questions regarding Georgetown heading into the 2011-2012 campaign. With a young team and some upperclassmen who have failed to thus far live up to their potential, the Hoyas could be a great team or they could slide deep down the Big East pecking order.
Can Markel Starks run the point?
Sure he can. The unexpected loss of Vee Sanford causes some major depth issues, but Starks is a true point guard who can run Coach John Thompson’s system. It may take a little time for him to turn into a leader, but he will.
Who replaces Austin Freeman?
Jason Clark, one of just two seniors on the roster, is a very similar player to Freeman. He averaged 12.0 points last season and is an average three-point shooter who can finish around the basket. Clark will probably average 15 to 18 points per game this season. And, like Freeman, he is a good rebounder.
Can Hollis Thompson play like a pro?
Thompson flirted with the NBA after his sophomore season, but the 6-7 small forward only averaged 8.6 points and 4.4 rebounds last season. What makes Thompson a good NBA prospect is his size and ability to hit the long ball. He can play the two guard spot at the next level. However, he needs to attack the basket more often and use that size to his advantage. With a need to score more this year he will be involved, but not enough.
Is there a big man on this team?
There are a lot of promising freshmen. Nate Lubick is a promising sophomore, but will not be a great interior scorer. Henry Sims is a senior who was failed to live up to expectations. He will put up better numbers this year than he did in 2011-2012, but that is not saying too much.
Is this an NCAA tournament team?
It is a talented team, but the non-conference schedule is tough. The RPI will not be too bad, but the wins and losses will be a few games over .500 overall and that puts Georgetown in the NIT.
Is John Thompson’s job on the line?
Not yet, but there will be talk after this team fails to make the NCAA Tournament. However, he will get a contract extension after the year due to the promise of the youngsters. That promise will pay off in 2012-2013 when Georgetown makes it back to the Tournament, but they still won’t win a Tournament game until 2014.
Read the in-depth men’s basketball preview for this team
