Welcome back to the weekly Thompson’s Towel Mailbag! In this week’s edition, Will and Jacob discuss the wealth of new players, little-talked about off-season storylines, and expectations for the season. Don’t forget to submit your questions (you can also submit using the form at the bottom of the page!), and we’ll be back up with our regular mailbag posts starting from next Monday.
Here’s a quick question for you all: what freshman do you think will have the biggest impact from the get-go this season and why?
Jacob: While a lot of attention has been focused on the departure of Jessie Govan, it is important to remember that the Hoyas lost two other bigs (in Trey Mourning and Kaleb Johnson) who contributed significant minutes. Where are those minutes going to go? Omer Yurtseven will obviously step into Govan’s starting role, but I expect freshman center Qudus Wahab to get extended run off the bench, especially if Yurtseven struggles with foul trouble. There’s a reason Patrick Ewing brought in three centers as part of this year’s recruiting class- the Hoyas need depth in the frontcourt. And as Ewing himself said on Media Day, Wahab is the most game-ready of the three, and thus should get the first crack at backing up Yurtseven.
Will: I think Myron Gardner will actually be a key piece for the team moving forward. That’s not to say Qudus Wahab isn’t going to also play a significant role, but Gardner’s athleticism is off the charts and he can be a great defender at multiple positions. What really did in the Hoyas last season was a non-existent defense, and having someone like Gardner who can come in off the bench and offer lockdown defense at multiple positions is big. Also, his athleticism will help play a major role in Patrick Ewing’s system, as the team at preseason media day said they expected to play at an even faster pace this year. Keep in mind, Georgetown’s tempo last season was already 10th in the country with an average of 76.6 possessions per game.
What do you guys expect to see out of Galen Alexander this year? Could he push Jamorko [Pickett] for minutes if [Pickett] struggles?
Will: I’m really excited for the arrival of Alexander. He’s very athletic and can flat-out score. At this point, I don’t really see Pickett and Alexander as covering the same type of play; Pickett is, at this point in his career, a guy who’s defense-first (while hitting the occasional three, helping to space the floor) and should be used as such. Pickett’s length makes him ideal for defending beyond the arc. Alexander seems to be an explosive offensive player who can both shoot from three as well as score inside, which is valuable as the Hoyas look to develop secondary scoring options.
With that being said, I do think that they’ll be fighting from at least some of the same pool of wing minutes, and Alexander might be able to force the issue and win over some more wing minutes if Pickett doesn’t perform well. If the reports from Ewing and the team are to be believed though, Pickett’s offensive game has improved over the summer, thanks in part to playing against Alexander in practice, so if Pickett regains his role as an offensive contributor from his freshman year, as well as his newfound defensive versatility, the Hoyas are that much better.
Jacob: I agree with Will that Alexander and Pickett have distinct styles of play. Galen’s strength is something that makes him uniquely gifted at attacking off the dribble and finishing through contact, perhaps not one of Pickett’s strong points. On the defensive side of the ball, Pickett’s length does allow him to guard a wider range of players, and play the power forward position in a small-ball lineup, something I doubt Alexander will be tasked with. If Pickett has improved this summer (as Will mentioned above that reports seem to indicate), he may well play a much bigger role and maintain the starting job. That being said, Alexander is too talented to not play, thus I would expect him at the very least to serve as Jamorko’s back-up, and occasionally Ewing would play the two simultaneously at the 3 and 4 spots. On the other hand, should Pickett be virtually non-existent on offense like he was for most of last season and Alexander impress early on, do not be surprised if Galen takes the starting role for himself.
What’s the biggest offseason story-line that no one is talking about?
Jacob: For me, this has to be the addition of UCF transfer Terrell Allen. Allen may not have the flash of Galen Alexander, but he certainly makes up for it in skill and experience. For a team that’s hoping to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years, adding a player that’s been there before (UCF made it to the Round of 32 before falling to Duke last season) is crucial. Allen started every game for the Knights last year, and thus should add a calming veteran presence to a team that’s lacking in senior leadership outside of Jagan Mosely. While Allen may not be the biggest contributor on the scoresheet this year, his ball handling, defense and decision making ability will be worth more than many expect. Kudos to Coach Ewing for once again going to the transfer market to bring in top talent, just as he did last year with Omer Yurtseven.
Will: This really has nothing to do with the actual basketball being played on the court, but I can’t help but notice how much the amount and quality of social media content shared by the program has gone up. The program was long criticized for having minimal access provided to fans through both social media and traditional media; this is the same program that doesn’t allow its freshmen to talk to reporters until around the winter break. But now, we’re seeing “all-access episodes” that show fans what’s going on (and also happen to be well-made).
In addition, the overall photos and graphics shared on social media have really improved in quality.
Am I reading too much into this? Probably, but I’m a guy who’s big on video and multimedia content, so it’s neat to see the program really step up its game in terms of content before a season where they’re hoping to get back to national prominence. It also possibly reflects changing attitudes that the program is showing more of the players and making them more available through this kind of content.
What are your expectations for the upcoming season?
Will: Hmm, this is a tough question. As a fan, it’s make the NCAA tournament or bust. I wouldn’t have believed I’d be saying this just two years removed from watching Jonathan Mulmore as our starting point guard (and I’m not hating at all, just a very different team from then to now), but the tournament and maybe even an AP Top 25 ranking somewhere along the way is what I’d expect. As a fan though, I think what I really want to see is for the Hoyas to beat Syracuse at home. It’ll be the last time I’ll see Syracuse play at Capital One Arena as a student. Plus, as someone who saw the 2017 home and 2018 road Syracuse games in person, the disappointment of watching those choke jobs unfold in person still eats at me.
As for my expectations as a slightly less irrational “analyst”, I say, “who the hell knows?” There’s a lot of new players on the team this season, and there could be some growing pains. The team certainly has the talent to make the tournament, but this is all contingent on Yurtseven being the player we’ve heard him being talked about for the past year (and I do think he is), Mac, James, and Josh all taking steps forward in their sophomore years (which I also think they will do), and the team being able to withstand the stronger non-conference schedule and put together some good wins. It’s a lot to ask of for a team that’s got a lot of new faces, especially when they have some early tests (such as in 10 days against Penn State). I sound like a Debbie Downer, but I’m still cautiously optimistic and believe the team will make the tournament even if they stumble early.
After all, I was still doing mental gymnastics in that 2017-2018 season until like February thinking about how it was possible for that team to somehow sneak into the tournament. As a fan, I believe in the team 100% and a new season offers new and untapped potential.
Final Predictions for Non-Conference Play: 11-2 record, with the losses coming to Duke at MSG and on the road at Oklahoma State.
Jacob: I worry about setting expectations too high because it hurts to be disappointed time and time again. I also worry about setting expectations too low because the sky’s the limit for this team. Overall though, I am far more optimistic about the team’s chances than Will. I may take time for the new pieces to fit in, but returning four starters provides more continuity than there is for most collegiate programs.
Conservatively, the bare minimum for this team should be an above-.500 conference record and an NCAA Tournament bid. If we’re being ambitious? Call me crazy, but I don’t think it’s out of the question to aim for a Big East title and multiple NCAA Tournament wins (vigorously knocks on wood). Please don’t let this come back to haunt me.
Final Predictions for Non-Conference Play: 11-2 record, with losses to Texas at MSG and UNCG at home
That concludes our first edition of the Mailbag for the 2019-2020 season! Don’t forget to submit your questions (you can also submit using the form below!), and we’ll be back up with our regular mailbag posts starting from next Monday.
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