Big East In Review: Georgetown

Henry Sims' breakout senior campaign was responsible for moving Georgetown into top half of Big East.  (Photo courtesy of USA Today)


Just as the University of South Florida did this past season, Georgetown advanced further than most had predicted, going from the middle of the Big East to a fifth-place finish that got the Hoyas a bye in the conference tournament and a round of 32 appearance in the NCAA Tournament.  However, for all the positives around the nation's capital, Georgetown is still perceived as a team that has been unable to get it done when it matters thanks in large part to their four straight early exits in the NCAA Tournament.  Next year should change that perception, as the Hoyas return a young core of a team that loses only two seniors in center Henry Sims, whose six rebounds per game and average of over three assists per contest complemented his offensive touch; and first team all-Big East guard Jason Clark, who will be remembered just as much for his sharp shooting as he will for being a consummate leader on and off the court.


Swingman Hollis Thompson's decision to declare for the NBA draft this June will leave an opening for one of the returning players to be the face of the Hoyas next season after a junior campaign in which Thompson shot a blistering 43 percent from three-point range and 46 percent from the field, drawing comparisons to former Georgetown star Brandon Bowman.  One person who can become the main attraction for Georgetown will be Nate Lubick, who prepares for his junior season; while joining him up front will be Otto Porter, who will become a full-time starter after a rookie year that saw the Missouri native average nearly ten points and seven rebounds off the bench.  Porter could very well be the next great Georgetown forward, and will have 6-8 wing Greg Whittington as a supporting cast member as well.  Markel Starks will more than likely be the starting point guard next year, while Jabril Trawick and Mikael Hopkins also return for their sophomore seasons to provide more depth on John Thompson III's bench.


Georgetown only has two recruits coming in by virtue of their many underclassmen, but both are highly regarded.  Brandon Bolden is a 6-10 center that can be as useful for the Hoyas as Henry Sims and Julian Vaughn before him, and is in the same mold as those two; while D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, a 6-3 point guard is ranked 22nd in the nation by Rivals.com.  Smith-Rivera turned down offers from UCLA, fellow Big East school Louisville and North Carolina State; who defeated the Hoyas in the NCAA Tournament, to play for Georgetown, where he will see significant minutes in the backcourt for a team that is one of many on an upward movement in our nation's capital.