The Georgetown basketball program entered last year with high expectations. However, the Hoyas finished with their first losing season since John Thompson III took over in 2004 and completely missed out on any post-season tournament. With a deep and experienced roster, Georgetown is looking to rebound from their abysmal 2015-16 season.
GEORGETOWN HOYAS
Last Season: 8th, 7-11 in Big East, 15-18 overall
Predicted Big East Finish: 5th
Projected Depth Chart
C: Bradley Hayes (Sr)/Jesse Govan (So)/George Muresan (Fr)
PF: Marcus Derrickson (So)/Akoy Agau (Jr)/Trey Mourning (Jr)
SF: Isaac Copeland (Jr)/Reggie Cameron (Sr)/Kaleb Johnson (So)
SG: L.J. Peak (Jr)/Rodney Pryor (Sr)/Jagan Mosley (Fr)
PG: Tre Campbell (Jr)/Jonathan Mulmore (Jr)
Gone: G-D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, SF-Paul White (transfer-Oregon)
Georgetown Basketball Strengths:
Besides point guard, the Hoyas go two-deep at every position. Bradley Hayes was granted a fifth year of eligibility meaning Georgetown has a solid one-two punch at center with him and Jesse Govan. Marcus Derrickson returns as the starting power forward and will be backed up by Louisville transfer, Akoy Agau who was sidelined all of last season with a torn ACL.
There is versatility at the small forward position where Isaac Copeland looks to bounce back after a disappointing sophomore campaign in which many expected him to breakout on the national scene. Three-point threat Reggie Cameron and Kaleb Johnson should be role players like they were a year ago which is part of the reason Paul White decided to transfer late in the summer. L.J. Peak and Robert Morris graduate transfer Rodney Pryor provide JT3 with a pair of threats at two-guard.
Find minutes, roles, and keep everyone happy with their playing time will be a massive challenge for Thompson. That is a great problem for a coach to have though.
Georgetown Basketball Question Marks:
The one position where there is some uncertainty is point guard due to the graduation of D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera. Even though he wasn’t a true point guard, DSR spent a lot of time playing the one along with Tre Campbell. That position is now Campbell’s though junior college transfer Jonathan Mulmore will battle for minutes and JT3 could even slide Peak over to point guard if needed.
Georgetown Basketball Player to Watch:
After watching Isaac Copeland progress during his freshman season, I thought he would have a breakout sophomore season but that did not really happen. The versatile forward was a valuable all-around contributor but really struggled with his shooting which lessened his impact. He and Peak figure to take on the go-to scoring roles this season in place of DS-R, and I still think Copeland is capable of much more than he displayed a year ago and is a first round talent.
X-Factor:
Govan and Derrickson were highly recruited prospects and played well for most of their freshmen campaigns. If they continue to take a step forward that might be the recipe for Georgetown to get back near the top of the Big East standings.
Looking Ahead to 2017-18:
Assuming nobody bolts early for the NBA, the Hoyas should return all of their starters except for Bradley Hayes and have a more than capable replacement in Govan. The core is there for Georgetown to string together some successful seasons but now it’s time for them to live up to the expectations.
Key Non-Conference Games:
11/15 vs. Maryland
11/18 vs. Oregon (Maui Invitational)
11/18 vs. Wisconsin/Tennessee/ (Maui Invitational)
11/18 vs. North Carolina/Chaminade/UConn/Oklahoma State (Maui Invitational)
12/10 vs. LaSalle (in Miami)
12/17 at Syracuse
1/14 vs. UConn
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Milwaukee to Honolulu. He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft and the most accurate 2012 NBA Mock Draft on the internet (Yup, repeat champ… #humblebrag), and finished with the second most accurate 2013 NBA Mock Draft (nearly a three-peat.) You can follow him on Twitter at David_Kmiecik.