Georgetown 2014-15 (Blue Ribbon's Preview)

2013-14 RESUME

The 2013-14 season might have been one of the strangest John Thompson III had experienced in his head-coaching career. The Hoyas appeared to have all the pieces in place to challenge for the championship in the inaugural season of the new Big East, but then adversity would strike and Thompson would have to regroup. 

The obstacles began presenting themselves in the summer.
Greg Whittington, back after missing all but the first 13 games because of academics, tore his ACL in June.
"Josh" Smith, the 6-10, 350-pound (2.04 x 155 kg) transfer from UCLA, saw action in 13 games before Thompson announced on Jan. 23 that he would not play for the remainder of the 2013-14 season because of academic issues. 

Starting guard Jabril Trawick broke his jaw and missed five straight games in the heart of the Big East season.
Then backup center Moses Ayegba had to sit out a game at home against first-place Villanova—because of what the university said was a pre-enrollment infraction. The hits just kept on coming. 

As a result, the Hoyas, picked to finish second by Big East coaches in the preseason, wound up 8-10 and suffered an embarrassing first-round loss to DePaul in the league tournament.
They went to the NIT and won a game before getting sent home for the summer by Florida State. They were 2-7 on the road in conference play and lost six of their final nine games.

Thompson said the (2013-14) season was “disappointing in many ways. Last year was frustrating probably because as much as any year I’ve had as a coach, different obstacles or hurdles kept getting thrown at us. You start off and Greg Whittington tears his ACL. Obviously you can’t prepare for that so you deal with it. 

Then as soon as you get rolling a little bit, now 'Josh' has issues in school and you lose him for the rest of the season, so you make adjustments for that. A lot of what we did was geared toward him. Then Jabril breaks his jaw... then unexpectedly Moses (Ayegba) has to miss a game. 

Part of the beauty of athletics is to adapt, and I thought we did a pretty good job of that. But last year it just seemed that one major hurdle after another kept popping up. The kids fought, they stuck together. We ended up making the NIT and from what some people said, we were probably one of the last teams out of the NCAA tournament. I think the adversity of last year will help the returning group for this year.” 

2014-15 PREVIEW

The Hoyas are an intriguing group this season. Joshua Smith is back and Thompson says, “I’d like to think the light bulb has gone off a little.” A loaded freshman class is expected to provide help almost immediately. Thompson can play various combinations of size and speed because of the versatility he has available. 

The Hoyas lost a pair of valuable players in guard Markel Starks (17.3 PPG), the Big East’s No. 5 scorer last season, and forward Nate Lubick (5.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG). Backup center Moses Ayegba graduated from Georgetown and decided to use his final season of eligibility at Nebraska. Still, Thompson thinks he has the parts to fill in for the personnel losses, particularly Starks and Lubick.

“Those guys were a key part of what we did for their four years here with the character and the commitment that they brought,” he said. “We’re going to miss that. But that’s the nature of athletics. There’s a four-year window at the longest, and then they’re gone. But we have a core group of juniors and seniors that have played a lot of big games, and we can fall back and lean on them. Then you surround them with an extremely talented freshman class, and then you have big 'Josh' back.” 

D'VAUNTES SMITH-RIVERA

The veterans are led by 6-3, 214-pound (1,90 x 97 kg) junior guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera (17.6 ppg., 5.0 rpg., 2.7 apg, 1.2 spg), a second-team All-Big East selection who formed a potent 1-2 punch with Starks in the backcourt last season. Smith-Rivera led the conference in free-throw percentage (.873) and paced the team in steals (41), 3-point percentage (.393) and 3-pointers made (66) while averaging 35.5 minutes per game. 

Smith-Rivera surpassed 30 points twice, scoring 32 against West Virginia and 31 against St. John’s. He finished as the Big East leader in rebounds among guards, something that Thompson really liked. With (Markel) Starks gone, he also will have the team’s primary ball-handling responsibility. 

“Even people who watch us every day don’t realize what a good rebounder he is,” Thompson said. “That’s just instinctual, something he does naturally. This year, without a doubt, he’s going to have the ball in his hands a lot more, whereas for the last couple of years, that’s been mainly Markel (Starks). This year we’re also going to need him to score. He scores easily, but at the same time, he’s going to have to run the team. I think he’s up to it. I think he’s excited about it, to tell you the truth. And I look for him to have a very big year.” 

JOSHUA SMITH

That would leave the task of being the No. 2 scorer to the 6-10 (2.07) center Joshua Smith (11.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.0 SPG), the UCLA transfer who is now a senior and still listed on the preseason roster at 350 pounds (155 kg). Thompson always has said the issue with Smith is less about weight and more about his ability to move his feet on defense and get up and down the floor. 

Smith arrived back on campus in late August and Thompson said he is “in the best shape that I’ve seen him. He’s been committed on the court and in the classroom doing everything that he has to do. So having him back alters our team tremendously.” 

It’s clear that Smith, whom his coach calls “a talented basketball player at any size,” possesses many skills on which the Hoyas plan to capitalize. 

“When Josh is on the court, there’s not too many people, quite honestly, that can do the things that he does in college basketball,” Thompson said. “Having that low-post presence back is a bonus. He has a very good feel for the game. He can score on the block. He can make the pass; he’s a very good passer. So when you take that and then you put it at his size and his strength where he is physically as big and strong as anyone in college basketball, he’s hard to stop. He has the agility, he has the aptitude.” 

JABRIL TRAWICK

Thompson is excited about the “unbelievable summer” shown by the 6-5 senior guard Jabril Trawick (9.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.7 APG). Trawick, who started 21 games last season, posted a high of 16 points against Marquette late in the season and added a pair of 15-point games. He shot almost 52 percent for the season. 

“Every year, there has been growth in his game,” Thompson said. “I think a lot of times in this day and age, fans and players look for that immediate jump, that immediate gratification. Jabril is someone who has improved from his freshman year to his sophomore year, sophomore year to junior year. We’re going to look for him to be in that mix.” 

MIKAEL HOPKINS

The Hoyas’ third returning starter is 6-9 (2.04) senior forward Mikael Hopkins (6.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.5 BPG), who entered the starting lineup after Joshua Smith was ruled ineligible. Hopkins had been hampered by foul trouble over the last two seasons, and committed one foul for every 6.4 minutes of action last year. 

But the guy has shown some glimpses of rebounding ability—he snared 15 in a game against Seton Hall last season—and the Hoyas would like to see that much more often. 

“I would like to see him being more assertive in other aspects of the game other than scoring,” Thompson said. “That’s not to say I don’t want or need him to score. But I think that he needs to focus on defense a little bit more. With rebounding, he’s going to have to get in there and get dirty and be more aggressive.” 

OFF THE BENCH

Aaron Bowen (6.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.0 SPG), a 6-6 (1,97) fifth-year senior, is regarded as the team’s energy guy. He averaged better than 20 minutes a game while coming off the bench in all but one contest. He scored a season-high 13 points twice, against Seton Hall and Villanova—and improved as the season progressed. 

“He’s a freak athlete,” Thompson said. “He’s very fast, very quick, and he’s going to be a presence. He’s going to have to use his athleticism to make plays. Physically he has tools that not a lot of people have. Also, we’re going to need him to be one of our main hubs defensively.” 

Reggie Cameron (3.8 PPG, 1.3 RPG) also will be competing for playing time. The 6-7 (1,99) sophomore made 12 starts last season and his 25 3-point baskets ranked third on the team.
Other returnees include 7-0 (2,12) junior Bradley Hayes (0.9 ppg, 0.9 rpg), 6-2 (1,87) junior David Allen (0.3 ppg) and 6-9 (2,04) senior Tyler Adams, whose career has been off and on because of a heart condition. He did not play last year. 

FRESHMAN BLOOD

Georgetown’s freshman class was chosen the best in the Big East by a couple of recruiting analysts, and Thompson expects the rookies will see playing time rather quickly.

“Along with the guys who are returning, we have a group of freshmen that we are going to depend on to help,” he said. “That’s exciting because we have an older group that knows and has been there and has played, and we’ve got this young group coming in.” 

Perhaps the most highly regarded freshman is 6-9 189-pound (2,04 x 84 kg) forward Isaac Copeland, who last played at Brewster (N.H.) Academy. A Raleigh, N.C., Native, Copeland saw his stock rise markedly in his senior season. He’s a good perimeter shooter who explodes to the rim although he will have to add some bulk to battle inside players in the Big East.

“He’s long and bouncy and someone that is very different yet very similar to the Otto Porters and Greg Whittingtons of the world,” Thompson said. “At 6-9, he’s comfortable on the perimeter as well as comfortable in the hole.” 

L.J. Peak, a 6-5 (1,94) forward, spent his junior season at Whitney Young High School in Chicago before transferring back home for his senior year at Gaffney (S.C.) High. Rated the top player in South Carolina, he scored 49 points in a state playoff game and averaged close to 30 points per game that season. 

“He’s multi-skilled, can score outside and can score off the dribble,” Thompson said. “He can post up. He’s a natural, natural scorer.” 

Thompson calls 6-8 (2,02) freshman Paul White “a multifaceted, versatile forward that can do a lot of different things, and who has played well in big games.” He averaged 14.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in helping lead Whitney Young High to the Chicago Public League title. 

Tre Campbell (St. John’s College/Washington, D.C) is a muscular 6-2 (1,87) guard who is an adept passer.
A late commitment to the Georgetown class owns a familiar name—6-9 (2,04) forward Trey Mourning (29.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, Ransom Everglades/Miami, Fla.), the son of basketball Hall-of-Famer Alonzo Mourning. 

When Thompson says, “I’m excited about this year” and “I’m excited about this group,” which he did more than once during his interview with Blue Ribbon, you’d better believe him. The Hoyas return a good core of talent and add a freshman class that is expected to make an impact in the Big East. 

SMITH-FACTOR

The X-factor is Joshua Smith. Thompson was excited about having him in the lineup last season, taking advantage of his size and skill, only to see Smith leave the team in late January because of academics. If Smith can keep a better focus on his studies—and Thompson seems to think he can—and remain in good shape, the Hoyas have a chance to separate themselves from most of the Big East pack. 

The durable D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, one of the best all-around guards in the Big East, worked in the offseason on his conditioning and his ball handling and should be fine for his double duty as floor leader of the team and the primary scoring option. 

The freshmen also will have to develop, and a summer of working out on campus certainly has helped them and helped their teammates get to know them. As they come along, Thompson will have the ability to start a physical lineup, or a small lineup, or one that can capitalize on its speed and quickness. 

It should be a good season on The Hilltop. The Hoyas should be in the mix of the Big East regular-season race, challenging Villanova for first place and probably returning to the NCAA tournament, where they have won just two games since making the Final Four in 2007.

Joe Juliano, Blue Ribbon

BLUE RIBBON ANAYSIS: 

BACKCOURT:      B+ 

FRONTCOURT:    B+ 

BENCH/DEPTH: B 

INTANGIBLES:    B+

LOCATION: Washington, DC 

CONFERENCE: Big East 

LAST SEASON: 18-15 (.545)  

CONFERENCE RECORD: 8-10 (7th) 

STARTERS RETURNING/LOST: 3/2

NICKNAME: Hoyas

COLORS: Blue & Gray

HOMECOURT: Verizon Center (20,600)/ McDonough Arena (2,400)

COACH: John Thompson III (Princeton ’88) 

RECORD AT SCHOOL: 227-104 (10 years)

CAREER RECORD: 295-146 (14 years) 

ASSISTANTS: 

Kevin Broadus (Bowie State ’90)

Tavaras Hardy (Northwestern ’02)

Kevin Sutton (James Madison ’88)  

WINS (LAST 5 YRS.): 23-21-24-25-18 

RPI (LAST 5 YRS.): 15-15-14-15-75  

2013-14 FINISH: Lost in NIT second round.