It’s hard to not still be buzzing after the Hoyas came from a double-digit deficit to beat DePaul. The arena was dead, and so were the Hoyas. Dave Leitao, DePaul’s coach, was just chilling on the sidelines blowing bubblegum bubbles for most of the game. The Hoyas weren’t playing particularly well, and it looked as if this godawful DePaul team was going to upset Georgetown in their own house.
And yet, somehow, improbably, the Hoyas came back to win.
Mac McClung was out for a third straight game, and Jahvon Blair started in his stead. In addition, the Hoyas lost yet another player, as Omer Yurtseven left halfway into the second half with a bad sprain in what seemed like a cruel joke of cosmic fate.
Next man up.
George Muresan came in, and nabbed a rebound and helped to seal the deal with a pair of free throws. He was a hero of the game, but then again, there were a lot of heroes today. Instead of doing a normal postgame recap, we’re going to instead look at three players whose sterling performances helped lead the Hoyas to victory and were Georgetown’s heroes of the game.
Three Stars of the Game:
Jahvon Blair
In McClung’s absence, Blair was yet again spectacular on Saturday. He finished with 30 points, a new career high, on 11 of 18 shooting, while playing a full 40 minutes for the third consecutive game. Known as primarily a three-point specialist, Blair was clearly out to prove he is more than a one-dimensional player. Blair attacked off the dribble early and often, utilizing the floaters as well as numerous acrobatic finishes at the rim. Perhaps he’s picked up a thing or two from Mac McClung.
The emergence of Blair as a multi-dimensional scoring threat has been a revelation for this Georgetown offense that largely lacks players with the ability to create their own shot. Opposing coaches are starting to take notice as well. In the post-game press conference, DePaul’s Dave Leitao spoke about Blair’s new-found tendency to attack. “From the start of the game, the guy who has a reputation as a shooter was putting the ball down against our defense,” Leitao said.
While McClung’s injury has certainly hurt the Hoyas, the silver lining has been the emergence of Jahvon Blair as a stellar offensive weapon.
Qudus Wahab
With over 11 minutes to play, Georgetown’s starting center Omer Yurtseven left the game with an apparent ankle injury and did not return. This left the freshman fan-favorite Wahab in a position to contribute down the stretch. And boy, did he take advantage.
While it was Blair’s scoring that propelled the Hoyas’ offense, it was Wahab’s defense that anchored Georgetown on the other end of the floor. Wahab finished with six (yes, six!) blocks, proving to be a force in the paint. Perhaps equally importantly, Wahab showed he is capable of defending without fouling, finishing with three fouls in 23 minutes of action. Since Wahab has struggled to stay out of foul trouble this year, his ability to do so on Saturday was crucial in allowing him to stay on the floor.
While it was Wahab’s defense that will garner the most attention (and rightfully so), the big man also knocked down two huge free throws to put the Hoyas up five with under a minute to play. Qudus may still be a freshman, but he certainly plays with confidence beyond his years.
George Muresan
The unlikeliest of heroes, Muresan was forced into action after Jamorko Pickett fouled out with 1:49 to play. With Georgetown holding a narrow three-point victory, Muresan pulled down a critical defensive rebound with a minute to play. A couple of Georgetown miscues allowed DePaul to hang around, pulling within two with three seconds to play. The Hoyas struggled to inbound the ball and were forced to burn their final timeout. The second time around, things did not get any easier. Both of Georgetown’s primary options were covered, forcing Muresan to cut back to recieve the inbounds pass, sending him to the free-throw line with a chance to ice the game.
And that’s exactly what he did. With the game in the balance, Muresan showed no fear, converting the biggest pair of free-throws of his collegiate career. Folks, it’s officially time to declare it #MuresanSZN.
Other thoughts:
One of the only blemishes on an overall great day to be a Hoyas fan was Omer Yurtseven leaving the game with an apparent ankle injury. While it’s never good to deal with injuries (especially on a team that only goes 6 or 7 deep), Ewing’s comments after the game helped reassure the fanbase at least a little bit.
As it turns out, the weeklong break could not have come at a better time for Georgetown. Yurtseven and McClung will have additional time to recover, and both seem to have a legitimate shot at playing next Saturday against Butler. Until then, we’ll be stuck grasping at straws to try and get some indication about the status of Georgetown’s two leading scorers.
This guy is a legend.
That’s it.
You have to love Patrick Ewing pumping up the crowd at the end of the game as he walked out.
For all the stuff that’s gone down this season, these players have showed heart and determination at every turn, and their efforts were rewarded with a win today. We said earlier this week that the state of Georgetown basketball is getting stronger, and today was a prime example why.
A win over DePaul isn’t normally anything to write home about, but at the end of the game, the Hoyas were down to five available scholarship players, and one of them fouled out. The comeback was due to the sheer force of will, and that’s why this team is a lot of fun to root for as a fan.
The Hoyas will be off for a week until they take on Butler next Saturday in Indianapolis. For now, let’s enjoy the heart of the team and a great win. Hoya Saxa!
