It’s officially that time of the year; the beginning of the college basketball season is two days away. It will be refreshing to see the Hoyas take the court for the first time in nine months, but at the same time the outlook for the season is not looking too great. With the departure of four upperclassmen and the loss of a number of contributing players to the transfer portal, Patrick Ewing was left with only seven returning players. Yes, he had to fill nine spots in one offseason. More than ever, the play of those returning players will be integral to Georgetown’s success; here’s what we should look forward to from each of those seven returners.
Jamorko Pickett (G/F)
I start with Jamorko because the success of this team is going to live and die with his play. Put simply, if this team plans on doing anything good this year (and I literally mean anything), Pickett needs to step up into his new role as one of the two veterans and build on his play from the end of last season. Last year, he began the season as a starter, averaging about 25 minutes a game, but after a string of transfers, his role was expanded, forcing him to play almost every minute of every game through the end of the season. Nobody could have expected that, but to be fair, he was able to embrace that role relatively well.
This season, expect Pickett to be a top two scoring option for this team. Although he didn’t put up the flashiest numbers last year, he did display glimpses of the player he could become. If things go as planned, Jamorko could be an elite 3 and D style player. We know he can play solid defense and he has a very good three-point shot, but it’s just a matter of whether he puts it all together and finds a way to play efficient basketball in an increased role this season.
Javhon Blair (G)
Blair finds himself in a similar situation to Pickett going into this season. As the only other returning senior for Georgetown, Blair will be expected to lead the Hoyas both on the court and on the stat sheet. Unlike Pickett, Blair began last season on the bench, but those early season transfers presented him with a starting spot and by the end of the season, he played all 40 minutes in seven of the last eleven games. In his time as a starter, he proved he could be a very potent scorer, averaging 16.7 points per game during that eleven game stretch. On the flipside, Blair also showed how inconsistent his scoring was, shooting a mere 35.2% from the field and 29.7% from beyond the arc.
While I don’t expect him to play 40 minutes per game this season, it would not be completely farfetched for Blair to become a top scoring option. He obviously proved that he has the ability to score at a high rate, it is now a matter of whether he can make better decisions and become a more efficient scorer. If he can find a way to do all of that, expect Blair to be a solid contributor for the Hoyas.
Qudus Wahab (C)
Wahab is in position to make a huge jump this season. Despite backing up the offensive beast that was Omer Yurtseven during his freshman season, Qudus proved to be one of Ewing’s biggest assets on both sides of the ball. After the injury to Yurtseven late in the season, Wahab was given the opportunity to start in seven of the last eight games, averaging 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in 23 minutes per game over that stretch. Obviously, he is still a raw player, but going forward he has the tools to cement himself as one of the best centers in the Big East.
This season, expect Wahab to flourish as the starting center. If he can find a way to be more disciplined on the defensive side of the ball and not get into foul trouble early, he could very easily be averaging a double-double by the end of the season. Look out for this man.
Timothy Ighoefe (C)
More so than any other returning player, Timothy Ighoefe’s development will be an interesting story to keep an eye on. After a freshman season that netted him very little playing time, it is clear that his development is still well in the works. However, during the minimal time Ighoefe did have on the court, he showed that he could be an asset to this team going forward. He already showed some skill on the defensive side of the ball, so expect him to fill into the role of Wahab’s backup well. He may not get the most playing time, but if he shows any signs of development, he and Wahab could be an elite two-headed monster for years to come.
Malcolm Wilson (C)
After redshirting his freshman year (we think), Wilson now joins the team as the final member of the Hoyas center trio. As the third string center, don’t expect him to receive much playing time, especially with the current condensed schedule. That being said, as a 7’0” center playing under Patrick Ewing, Wilson’s upside could be huge in the coming years.
Chuma Azinge (G) and Jaden Robinson (F)
Azinge and Robinson fall into the same category for this upcoming season. Both players will be late game time eaters so they’ll only see the floor in blowouts or late in non-conference games. Don’t expect them to have much of an impact.
Chuma Azinge warms up before the game against Syracuse. Photograph by Nathan Posner. 
Jaden Robinson shoots against Xavier. Photograph by Nathan Posner.
It’s clear that this season probably won’t be the greatest or most memorable in the program’s history. After all, Georgetown was ranked last in the Big East’s preseason coaches poll. But the beauty of that is there is nowhere else to go but up. Instead of having to worry about whether or not this team is going to do something in the Big East Tournament or break through the NCAA Tournament bubble, as fans we can simply enjoy watching this team with no expectations.
