The Hoyas may be on a COVID-induced hiatus, but that won’t stop us from ringing in the new year by reminiscing about the last year in Georgetown basketball.. This year saw the return of fans, new gumbo connoisseurs, and an unlikely Big East Championship. Before we turn the page on 2021, we remember the 10 most memorable Georgetown basketball moments of the past year.
10. Dedication of the John Thompson Jr. Court
Before Georgetown played Syracuse, the program was finally able to have its dedication of its basketball court to the late John Thompson Jr. With members of the Thompson family in attendance and fans toting white towels that read “John Thompson Jr. Court,” it was an emotional moment that was able to recognize in some small part the magnitude of what Coach Thompson did for Georgetown.
9. Chudier Bile has a huge game enroute to a Senior Night win against Xavier
Say what you will about Chudier Bile, but he always left it all out there on the floor. That effort was on full display against Xavier last March, as Bile finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks on senior night. Bile’s effort guided Georgetown to a 72-66 victory, and Patrick Ewing said afterward that the Hoyas were “playing their best basketball of the season.”
8. Kaiden Rice lets it fly against UMBC, makes a program-record 10 three pointers
In just his seventh game as a Hoya, graduate transfer Kaiden Rice etched his name in the Georgetown record books with an unforgettable shooting performance against UMBC. Rice was simply on fire, draining 10 threes on just 12 attempts. When the shots start dropping for Rice, it’s fun to just sit back and watch the man cook.
7. Pickett and Blair both hit 1,000 career points in the same game
In a dominant victory over Butler last February, the biggest storyline was seniors Jamorko Pickett and Jahvon Blair both eclipsing 1,000 career points. After arriving together on the Hilltop as freshmen as part of Patrick Ewing’s first recruiting class, it was fitting that Pickett and Blair hit this mark on the same night. This was a great moment to salute a pair of four-year guys who had stuck it out through thick and thin.
6. After COVID pause, Hoyas beat Providence in a thriller
After a crushing loss on the road to Syracuse, Georgetown fans went three weeks without seeing the Hoyas play, and four games in that time were canceled. In the team’s first game back, Georgetown looked rusty to start against the Friars, but managed to pull out a 73-72 win.
This game was a harbinger of things to come. It was the first time that season that the Hoyas had looked like a cohesive unit—a team—during the entire game, and different players stepped up, such as Chudier Bile, who scored 19 points off the bench. This game was the beginning of a new-look Georgetown team that emerged following the COVID pause, and foreshadowed the team’s development to come.
5. Georgetown topples #15 Creighton in Omaha
Immediately after pulling out the close win against Providence, the Hoyas went to Omaha and took down #15 Creighton, leading the Bluejays for all but two minutes of the contest. If the game against Providence showed Georgetown’s ability to play as a team, this game showed how the Hoyas could put together a complete game to overpower a team that was much better than them (on paper). This game had the hallmarks of post-COVID pause Georgetown: Strong play from seniors (especially Chudier Bile), grit on both ends of the ball, and the team ultimately pulling out the improbable win.
In a season where people had expected so little (and expectations had sunk even lower following crushing losses to the likes of Navy and Syracuse), Georgetown going on the road and taking down a top-15 team in their own place would have registered as the definite highlight of the year. Little did we know…
4. Pickett shuts down Mamu in Big East Tournament semifinal win over Seton Hall
Everyone remembers the dominant win over Creighton in the Big East Tournament final, but that game couldn’t have happened without a gritty 66-68 victory over Seton Hall the night prior. Senior Jamorko Pickett stole the show, holding co-Big East Player of the Year Sandro Mamukelashvili to just 8 points while pouring in 19 points of his own. It was well deserved that Pickett had a moment to shine at the Garden after such an illustrious career on the Hilltop.
3. Dante Harris leads Georgetown past Villanova in Big East Tournament Semifinal
We won’t soon forget when Dante Harris knocked down the game-tying and go-ahead free throws to send ‘Nova packing in a win-or-go-home game at Madison Square Garden. This was the catalyst that spurred the Hoyas’ incredible run that culminated in the Big East Tournament title. Harris was simply spectacular, bursting onto the national stage with a 18 point, 5 assist, and 0 turnover performance in the biggest game of his life. He would later go on to be named the Big East Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, thanks in no small part due to his heroics against Villanova.
2. Georgetown upsets Syracuse thanks to Aminu Mohammed’s second-half heroics
It doesn’t get much better than beating ‘Cuse in front of a packed crowd at Capital One Arena. The atmosphere was electric for this rivalry game as Georgetown put together a second-half comeback enroute to a 79-75 victory. Aminu Mohammed was fantastic, scoring 20 of his 23 points in the second half and pulling down 13 rebounds to boot. If any Hoya fans hadn’t already fallen in love with Aminu Mohammed, this performance certainly changed that. All aboard the Aminu hype train!
1. Georgetown wins Big East Tournament Championship
Was there any question what would be #1 on this list? Last March, the Hoyas capped off a spectacular Big East Tournament run with a definitive 73-48 victory over the Creighton Bluejays to claim their record 8th conference tournament crown.
Watching this game was pure bliss for Georgetown fans. Quite literally everything that could go the Hoyas way did. And at the end of the night, it was the boys in Blue and Gray who hoisted the trophy and punched their ticket to the Big Dance. Nine months later, and I still get goosebumps thinking about it.
2021 certainly had its fair share of highs (and lows) for our beloved Georgetown Hoyas. Thanks for sticking with us for the wild ride that is Georgetown basketball. Cheers to the 2021 Big East Tournament Champions—and to an even better 2022!
