Did Georgetown just break its jersey curse?
Hoya faithful are ready for a new era of greatness. Last year’s transfer fiasco dissolved any hope that the McClung/Akinjo/LeBlanc trio would bring Saxa back. Georgetown fans turn their gaze to a rebuilding year and a promising 2021 recruiting class that is ranked 17th in the nation according to 247Sports, featuring Ryan Mutombo, Jordan Riley, Tyler Beard, and Jalin Billingsley. This young blood paired with the high ceiling of the current freshman class gives promise to a brighter future ahead. Naturally, this new chapter of Georgetown hoops history deserves some worthy Jordan threads.
Hoya fans will be disappointed to realize that the jerseys the team has been rocking since the 2015-2016 season (shown below) have produced a whopping zero NCAA tournament appearances . Moreover, their odd tank-top shape and half-baked kente pattern along the side have been further spoiled by the memory of the recent exodus.
Don Carey leaked us the first glimpse of the new gray Jordan jerseys on his Instagram story a few weeks ago. Fans were quick to notice the hip font for the numbers and apparent lack of kente. Fortunately, any fears of a kente-less jersey were quelled when the official @georgetownhoops Instagram posted a birthday message for new walk-on Victor Muresan (son of former NBA player Gheorghe Muresan and brother of former Georgetown player George Muresan). This post revealed that a faded kente pattern can be visible on the entire jersey. We have yet to see any of the other jersey colors or even an angle showing the back of this gray jersey.
Although the new threads are contemporary in taste, they clearly drew inspiration from rich Georgetown history. If you feel like the “HOYAS” style and font looks familiar, you would be correct. Though slightly altered with notches at the tops and bottoms of letters to more adequately match the numbers, the angular shape of the “S” in particular plays clear homage to the Allen Iverson jerseys worn from 1994-1996 when the Hoyas marched to the Elite 8 as a #2 seed. The blue waistband is also a nod to AI.
These jerseys were also the first to introduce the fabric resembling kente cloth, the traditional Ghanaian textile. The continued use of the kente cloth seemed imperative to many fans given the passing of John Thompson Jr. His unrelenting fight for racial justice changed the narrative of the sport and is perhaps no better symbolized by the inclusion of the traditional West-African print. The program even introduced the pattern to its court floor at Capital One Arena in 2018 after a design contest.
Any new jersey would be remiss not to honor the 1984 National Championship won by current Head Coach Patrick Ewing and company. The new rendition features the classy navy and white border along the top of the jersey and the bottom of the shorts. Furthermore, the particularly light shade of gray reflects the Ewing jerseys as well. Somehow, this old-school trim looks clean almost 40 years later. Gorgetown has previously worn a similar trim on its “retro” gray jerseys in the recent past.
Georgetown is fortunate to be one of only a select number of Jordan college basketball schools around the country. The program shares this elite identity with only North Carolina, Michigan, Marquette, Oklahoma, and Florida. The Jordan brand gives Georgetown a leg-up in the recruiting process and is a testament to the historical caliber of the program. Though ironic given the nature of the Ewing-Jordan rivalry, the Jordan logo is perhaps the most premium in the country and garners respect from prospective recruits. Frequently, as high schoolers post the final schools they are considering, they will go out of their way to feature each school’s respective sponsors. In this sense, Georgetown often sets itself apart from the competition.
Fans will certainly require some time (and winning) to grow fonder of these new jerseys. Nonetheless, this synthesis of hope for the future, the Iverson Era, and the 1984 championship uniform has produced a jersey that Hoyas ought to wear with pride.
The tank-top jersey nightmare is finally over. These new grays look much better suited for dancing.
PS
Shout out to Irve Horne (@irvscotti3). The Assistant Director of Basketball Operations is responsible for many of the awesome Georgetown/Jordan tee-shirt designs worn by the players and featured as promotions for games. Thanks to him and Jordan, Georgetown’s style remains top-tier.
