It’s the most wonderful time of year…
It’s the most wonderful time of year, and that’s not simply because of the holidays and giving spirit that’s in the air. In less than ten days Georgetown concludes non-conference play against American, and things have been going swimmingly for the Hoyas of late. In fact, a victory over American would bring the Hoyas’ win streak to six games entering Big East play. Well, that and the fact Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year.
As a kid, nothing was more exciting than going to bed on Christmas Eve. The anticipation of waking up the next morning with presents littered under the tree always made it difficult for me to go to sleep. My mother would catch me slipping out of bed, trying to get a sneak peak at what presents I would receive that morning.
Writing this article, I’m channeling that same spirit and energy toward our beloved Hoyas. Forget toys, I want three simple things when I wake up and open presents under the tree. Here they are.
An Aggressive Jamorko Pickett
I think it’s safe to say that most Hoya fans have an opinion on Jamorko Pickett. The 6’8’’ junior has tantalizing potential thanks to his measurables, but hasn’t always put up gaudy offensive numbers. Since the mass exodus of the Georgetown program, Pickett has averaged 8.8 points per game on 42.5% shooting from the field and 6.2 rebounds.
A staple of Georgetown’s offense now is fluidity and unselfish passing. Led by Terrell Allen and Jagan Mosely, the Hoyas will fling the ball around the court until they get an optimal look at the rim. Pickett has never been a dominant on-ball presence so he fits into this mentality well, but there will be times moving forward where Georgetown will need Pickett to step up and really look for his shot. The Hoyas have adopted a scoring by committee approach behind Omer Yurtseven and Mac McClung, but Mac is still developing and you’d be foolish to expect him to drop 20 every night. And what happens if Omer picks up early foul trouble?
This is where Jamorko would need to pick up the slack. And I believe he’s fully capable of that. He needs to work toward what he’s comfortable with, and that’s his mid-range game. Notice how when JP attacks his defender off the dribble, he doesn’t even look to turn the corner. Once he gets straight on with the basket, he utilizes his length on the step back to gain separation for an open look. Pickett has shown that he’s capable of knocking down mid-range jumpers with ease, thanks to his high release point and arching shot.
Ewing has gotten creative utilizing Pickett in the half-court. JP operated on the baseline and in the high post against the Orange 2-3 zone, but we’ve also seen Pickett set screens and work in the pick-and-roll. Below, Pickett hands the ball off to Mosely and sets a hard screen, using his length to snare the defender and give Jagan some room. Instead of fading to the corner, JP rolls hard as Jagan slips him a perfect bounce pass and he attacks the basket. Please give me more of that.
Again, there will be games when Mac McClung’s shot will not be falling. There will be games when Omer Yurtseven gets into early foul trouble. There will be games where the Hoyas need a person to step up and become a focal point of the offense. There is no reason to believe that can’t be Jamorko Pickett.
Jahvon Blair: More than a One Trick Pony
Let’s just get this out of the way upfront: I love Jahvon Blair. I thought that he was a crucial component to this team before the season began and stuck by him during his rough play early on. I try to remain humble and grateful, but it’s hard for me to here.
Everyone just kind of assumed Blair would come off the bench and shoot a large quantity of threes this season. And, to an extent, that has happened. But Blair’s shown that he provides much more hidden value to this offense beyond pulling the trigger from deep.
In his last three games, Blair averaged 11.67 points, 5.33 rebounds, and 2.67 assists per game. What struck me about Jahvon’s performance in these games was not his scoring, but his passing and defense. Notice in the play below, Blair confidently pushes the ball in transition and assesses his options. He stares down Pickett to his left to throw the defense and then zips a picture perfect pass to Omer for an easy slam.
A big reason why his passing has been effective is his basketball IQ. It no longer seems as though Blair’s confused as to what to do with the ball. He’s playing with more confidence in his abilities instead of being afraid to make a mistake. And it shows in this instance. After Yurtseven gathers McClung’s miss, Jahvon immediately locates the space in the zone and moves there to give Omer an outlet. Once receiving the pass, Blair recognizes the best play is to put the ball on the floor (not his strength) and attack as Elijah Hughes sailed past him on a steal attempt. This pressure forces the middle defender of the 2-3 to step toward Blair and prevent the lay-in, giving Yurtseven a free run in down the middle of the lane. Jahvon slips a decent pass to Yurtseven who skillfully gets the deuce.
Is there anything flashy about these two plays? No. But they are plays that Jahvon needs to make consistently as they help lead to easy buckets. Blair earlier this season would not have made either of these. He needs to continue to operate within himself in Big East play, as he’s Georgetown’s most important bench player right now.
At least a 3-1 Start to Big East Play
At Providence. At Seton Hall. Versus St. John’s. At Villanova. Georgetown needs to emerge from this stretch at least 3-1. I do not think this is too much to ask.
Outside of its recent 70-48 demolition of Texas, Providence has been the most disappointing team in the Big East (and the sole squad the Hoyas swept last year). Seton Hall is currently without its top two scores in Myles Powell and Sandro Mamukelashvili. While Mamu will be sidelined for most of Big East play, Coach Kevin Willard said it’s “realistic” to expect Powell to return January 3rd against the Hoyas.
St. John’s has proven that they are no push-over with their stunning 70-67 win over then #16 Arizona at Madison Square Garden. First year Coach Mike Anderson has done a nice job of putting his team in the position to exceed the low expectations set preseason.
Finally, Georgetown travels to Pennsylvania for the always highly-anticipated showdown with #10 Villanova, who recently knocked off former #1 Kansas.
It’s safe to say there are no free wins in the Big East this year. But if Georgetown is going to make the NCAA Tournament this season (with a respectable seed), the Hoyas need to avoid a costly loss to a subpar opponent early in the schedule. That makes the games at Providence and against St. John’s must wins (and I believe they will win both).
The Hoyas must find a way to win one of the Seton Hall or Villanova game. Obviously, it appears as though Seton Hall is the weaker team as of right now, but Coach Willard is brilliant and that team is hard-nosed and really defends well. If Ewing’s squad could steal a win on the road against Seton Hall (even without Powell), it would be monumental to showing outside analysts that the Hoyas are for real.
