Being a Georgetown basketball fan requires a certain level of crazy.
You have to be crazy enough to make the trek to Capital One Arena for a 9pm tip against some no-name non-conference foe in November. You have to be crazy enough to keep the hope alive when things are at their bleakest. And apparently, you have to be crazy enough to drive nine hours to cover a game in Indianapolis in the middle of a pandemic.
When Georgetown offered me a spot in the media section to cover the Hoyas’ first NCAA Tournament game since 2015, I didn’t hesitate. Commit first. Figure the rest out later.
Like a large number of Georgetown fans under the age of 25, my time following the Hoyas hadn’t seen a large number of successes. My first memory rooting for the Hoyas was during the 2013 NCAA Tournament. I wasn’t a Georgetown fan at that point, but I had picked JTIII’s second-seeded squad to win it all in my March Madness bracket pool. Heck, I had even invited all of my middle school friends over to watch the Hoyas take on Florida Gulf Coast in the first round of the tournament. We all know how things played out on that infamous night.
When I arrived on the Hilltop as a student in the fall of 2018, my luck hadn’t improved much. Late in the 2018-2019 season, the Hoyas got blown out by a lowly DePaul team, effectively ending their chances of securing an at-large bid to the Big Dance. The following year, things were looking up. Georgetown had just beat a ranked Texas team at MSG and played Duke tight before being shafted by the refs. And then all hell broke loose (chock it up to PTSD, but I won’t go into further detail). The depleted Hoyas showed fight but crumbled down the stretch, losing seven games in a row to end the season. Fast forward to January 2021, and the Hoyas were 3-8, seemingly destined to miss their sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament.
Needless to say, I was yet to experience the same highs that older Georgetown fans spoke so fondly of. I haven’t been able to see an AI-type player, or watch the Hoyas make a deep run in the tournament (or heck, any run).That’s what made this past month all the more exciting. For a new generation of Georgetown fans, myself included, the Hoyas’ improbable postseason run was their first taste of real success. And given all that’s happened in the world these past 12 months, I think we all deserved something to celebrate.
So with two of my roommates (who had miraculously scored tickets to the game) along for the ride, I set off for Indianapolis.
To say I was excited would be an understatement; I practically spent the entire morning of the game pacing back and forth in my hotel room. This would be just my second time attending an NCAA Tournament game. My first March Madness experience had been an Elite Eight matchup between Michigan State and Louisville (two thoroughly unlikeable teams) at the Carrier Dome (an even more unlikeable arena). This time around, I would be watching my beloved Hoyas at Hinkle Fieldhouse, an iconic setting for Georgetown’s triumphant return to the national stage.
Walking into Hinkle was a surreal feeling. Not only was it the first sporting event I had attended in more than a year, but this was the pinnacle of the college basketball world. The luster of the Big Dance permeated throughout, and I tried to take in the sights and sounds and savor them. After over a year without live sports, this return was unique and special; even more so that it was to watch the Hoyas dance for the first time since I became a serious fan. Attendance may have been limited, but the fans that were there filled Hinkle with the noise and energy that the moment deserved. For the cherry on top, Hinkle’s concession stands even served up Chick-Fil-A sandwiches to hungry media members and fans alike (take note, Capital One).
An unrelenting three-point barrage from Colorado was the only thing that could spoil my mood. Sitting in the media section, I had to bite my lip and try not to cry out in desperation as each successive three pointer found the bottom of the net for the Buffaloes. If the Big East Tournament was a fairytale, the first round loss to Colorado was a fever dream.
In the moment, the loss stung. It was difficult to not get emotional as four-year seniors Jamorko Pickett and Jahvon Blair left the floor, likely for the last time. I thought that this wasn’t how their story was supposed to end, with a brutal loss in the first round of the tournament. But then again, no one had expected them to leave as Big East Tournament Champions either.
In retrospect, even a blowout loss couldn’t cast a pall over that spectacular month of basketball. For a couple weeks, being a Georgetown basketball fan was a pure adrenaline rush. The Hoyas were back. They were the darlings of the media and public, a plucky underdog. There was an undeniable buzz around the program, and it was all positive. And after going through so much as a program, boy, did we fans savor it.
Above all, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be there for Georgetown’s return to the NCAA Tournament. But this isn’t the end of the story, it’s just the beginning.
The Hoyas will be back. And when that happens, we’ll be there. Not just some of us, all of us. I’m beyond excited for the day when more Georgetown fans will get the chance to cheer on our team in person. For now, that taste I got in Indy will have to do. And what a taste it was.
