As a new year begins, so does a new dawn for Georgetown basketball. Our writers have put together their thoughts on the season to this point, and where our heads are at as Georgetown students and fans.
Jack: The start of this season has reinvigorated Georgetown fans everywhere. While a tournament appearance wasn’t on the radar in November, this team now has at least the opportunity to do so, which is more than any Georgetown team has been able to say for years. My prediction is that the Hoyas finish 11-9 in the Big East, but without marquee wins against UConn or Marquette, they’ll be sitting nervously on the bubble going into the Big East Tournament and potentially Selection Sunday. While hearing their name called would be a momentous occasion for Ed Cooley’s team, Georgetown fans should not be expecting it. Instead, we should appreciate that Cooley has, indeed, turned around the program to a competitive level again, and anything beyond that this season is icing on the cake.
Teddy: Wow. Cooley needed to show us improvement in year two, and he has delivered. Incredible recruiting job. The impact of the freshmen, most notably Sorber and Williams, deserves its own article. Micah Peavy is a true leader and plays with a defensive tenacity that has spread to the rest of the team (note our 35th-ranked defense by KenPom as of 1/6). I loved seeing what Mack was capable of in his breakout game against Xavier, he can both facilitate and score at a high level. Epps has become far more efficient and effective with more talent around him and Fielder has shown flashes too. I’m thoroughly enjoying this season as a Hoya fan.
I like Jack’s 11-9 conference prediction. However, depending on how they show at Marquette, I could see the Hoyas beating a McNeeley-less Huskies squad. I think our performance in the Big East Tournament will make or break our NCAAT chances. Unfortunately I predict us being on the wrong side of the bubble come Selection Sunday, but man has it been fun to have these conversations surrounding the program again.
Brendan: It’s a great time to be a Hoya basketball fan. Cooley has brought the energy and identity back to this program thus far this year, and Georgetown is off to its best start in a decade. Sorber has been a revelation to watch winning the Big East’s top Freshman award seemingly every week, Micah Peavy’s defensive instincts and playmaking from the wing are elite, Epps and Mack have shown they can function together and apart, and this team has young bench pieces in Williams & Williams that can play at the Big East level.
I’m more optimistic for the rest of the way, predicting a 13-7 finish in conference play heading into the Big East Tournament at MSG this spring. Ultimately, I believe Georgetown will be a bubble team as well, and will need a strong Big East Tournament performance to cement their status in the Big Dance. Defense will carry this Hoya team as far as they want to go this Spring.
Cam: The start of this season has been everything I could have hoped for. Cooley is doing a fantastic job of getting people bought in, but the question remains: Will the success continue? This upcoming stretch of games is daunting and all of the Hoyas’ mental strength will be tested. 0-3 in these matchups is more than possible against the 3 best BE teams. Can the Hoyas pull one off and prove they are legit? If not, can they bounce back and stay the course? Will the short bench continue to be something to watch in the coming games? There are lots of questions still, but I believe in Coach Cooley and think that he has the ability to guide these young men the rest of the way.
When I look at the schedule, I don’t see a game we can’t win (sans Marquette and @UConn). I think that Peavy, Sorber, and Epps will lead this team to a 12-8 BE record with one or two big time wins. I may be delusional, but what is the fun in being realistic? UConn at home (Saturday 1/11) is a great opportunity this week with McNeeley out. Whatever happens, it is awesome to be excited about Georgetown Basketball again and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the Cooley era has to offer.
Matt: The rest of the season will be very fun to watch. Sorber has been the standout player to me, but it could be argued that every single Hoya has exceeded expectations. Everyone has bought in on the defensive end and is committed to doing the little things it takes to beat good teams. The improvement over the course of the season has been incredible. Call me crazy, but I’ll give the Hoyas a projected Big East record of 14-6. Going 11-6 over the next 17 is unlikely, but it isn’t impossible given how this team is playing. The Big East isn’t that good this year, and the Hoyas have shown they can win tight games.
Nick: With big wins against weak out of conference opponents, questions were raised about whether Georgetown could keep their form going against Big East competition. With the Hoyas sitting at 3-0 after a blowout win against Creighton, a tight game at Seton Hall, and a nice victory against Sean Miller’s Xavier squad, many analysts have the team on the bubble. A tough 3 game stretch awaits Georgetown, starting at Marquette. In all likelihood, the Hoyas will leave Milwaukee with a loss. If the team can show their defensive strength that they did against Creighton along with a solid offensive showing from Epps, Sorber, and Mack, an upset could be in the cards. With Liam McNeeley out for the UConn game, the Hoyas may be more likely to pull out a victory amid the #PackTheCap movement.
Overall, this season has marked a notable improvement in the program after years of abysmal performances. If the Hoyas can sweep DePaul, Butler, Seton Hall, Providence, split games with Xavier, Villanova, Creighton, and pull a win or two from Marquette, UConn, and St John’s, that puts the Hoyas at 12-8 or 13-7. In my opinion, I can see Georgetown pulling a 12-8 season and potentially sneaking into the tournament. I am excited for the future of this program, and in all honesty, finishing conference at .500 or above would be considered major progression regardless of the postseason.
Andrew: The word “back” has been thrown around a lot in the last few weeks, and that is easy to understand. The 12-2 (3-0) record is an eye-catching one, and dramatic wins against hated rivals will always be invigorating to any fanbase.
That said, it will be important to be patient and not to get carried away. Georgetown is an exceptionally young team, and health has been an issue already. In the backcourt, Jayden Epps has missed time, as has Malik Mack. Julius Halaifonua (understandable growing pains aside) was set to play a key depth role but has been sidelined for weeks with an ankle injury, with no return in sight. There are 17 grueling Big East games left on the schedule, most much tougher than what Georgetown faced in non-conference play. This team is absolutely ahead of schedule, but a sport where the postseason is set via invitation is a difficult place to compete before you are expected to. The Hoyas’ strength of schedule is poor, and whether that was by design or not, it will hurt the resumé. A .500 record in conference play is attainable, but not assured, and that might not be enough for at-large consideration.
Hope is good, and the pieces look as if they are coming together, but cautious optimism is the order of the day. Between youth, health and a non-conference slate that suggests this level of play came a year earlier than expected, too much has to go right to expect more than an NIT (or College Basketball Crown?) berth right now, but there is (at long last) hope.
Always glad when The Towel has new content! Love the takes of all the contributors. Some overlap, some key differences, a good bit of nuance. Thing that hits me most is that such comments were unthinkable for this program not only a year ago but a month ago! Hard not to get carried away but hope does spring eternal, and the Big East is better when Georgetown is better. This is exciting and this is fun — let’s keep it going!