All Jessie Govan could do was sit and bury his towel in his face. With 4:53 remaining in the 2nd half of Georgetown’s biggest game of the season, Govan had picked up his 5th foul and faced a long, lonely walk to the bench. It just wasn’t Jessie’s night. On a day where Georgetown had the chance to make a statement to the college basketball world, Govan failed to score a single point as he went 0-9 from the field and only played 13 minutes due to foul trouble.
Yikes.
The end result was a frustrating 77-65 loss at #14 Villanova that left both Patrick Ewing and Hoya fans wondering what could’ve been. Even with Jessie struggling in the worst of ways, the Hoyas let this one slip away. Ewing’s squad had this game tied up at 53-53 in a defensive battle with under 7 minutes to go before allowing the Wildcats to break the game open with a devastating 16-2 run.
This loss showed how dangerous this Georgetown team can be when they’re locked in defensively. But for Georgetown to win these types of games, there is one absolute prerequisite: Jessie Govan must play like a star. It is the unwavering assumption that all Hoya fans (including myself) make when talking about this team’s potential. And, to be honest, that just goes to show how consistently dominant Jessie has been dating from the end of last season up until this Villanova game.
Govan flashed brilliance at times under JTIII’s leadership, occasionally busting out and schooling opponents with his quickness and touch outside and inside the paint. But JTIII was never able to get Jessie to reach his potential. That’s the difference between Ewing and JTIII.
Ewing’s hands on work with Jessie made all the difference for the big man during the 2017-18 season. Govan dominated Georgetown’s nonconference schedule during his junior year, scoring 19 points on 58.2% shooting from the field. Jessie also hauled in 12.1 rebounds and blocked 1.73 shots per game. The budding star was assertive on the block, on the glass, and on defense.
However, Govan struggled to adjust to the step-up in talent and intensity of the Big East immediately. In his first 10 conference games specifically, Jessie’s numbers significantly dipped as he was only scoring 13.1 points per game on 37.6% shooting and 8 rebounds per game. In all honesty, these numbers are still solid (outside of his field goal percentage), but Ewing was not satisfied. He knew Jessie had greatness in him and kept pushing him to improve.
As the season progressed, Jessie’s footwork in the post developed. He slowly became more comfortable playing with his back to the basket. And his field goal percentage sky-rocketed. The result was Jessie tearing through Big East competition to close out his junior year. Govan pumped in 21.8 points per game on 54.6% shooting. He became more comfortable attacking the glass against bigger competition and averaged 9.4 rebounds per game.
The biggest question for Jessie going into his senior year was whether he could continue that hot streak without Marcus Derrickson (who declared for the NBA Draft and signed an agent) to help open up the lane. Well, let’s just say Govan has resoundingly cleared up any lingering doubt.
Jessie’s stats so far into this season are exceptional. He is averaging 18.5 points per game on 51.3% shooting from the field. His three-point efficiency has jumped from 34.8% last year to 44.2% this season. A 6-foot-10 center who shoots 44.2% from three is the definition of a match-up nightmare. Govan’s rebounding dipped to 7.9 per game after Villanova, but he is still averaging 1.4 blocks per game and 0.9 steals.
One of Jessie’s best features is his ability to pass out of the double team. His vision and poise are second to none. In the clip below, notice how quickly Jessie recognizes the double coming on the baseline. As soon as Jessie got the ball and position, he had two primary options when backing in: 1). If no help comes, work his way to the paint and use his famous right hook; 2). If the double comes, swing the ball to an open shooter. Dissecting the situation before it even happens is a sign of a seasoned veteran who is one step ahead of his competition.
Govan has been nothing short of brilliant all season long. To prove this, let’s take a quick peek at where Jessie stands on Big East individual stat rankings:
4th in points at 18.5 per game.
3rd in rebounds at 7.9 per game.
3rd in blocks at 1.4 per game.
5th in offensive rebound percentage.
3rd in effective field goal percentage.
1st in 2-point field goals.
8th in win shares.
I’m sorry. Are those stats good?
This why it was stunning to see Govan so off against Villanova. Hoya fans have just become so accustomed to witnessing Jessie consistently put up top-tier numbers. Unfortunately for Hoya fans, Jessie is, in fact, human and is prone to some off days. But best believe that Jessie will use this game as motivation to come back better than ever. And we should believe he will. #RollHoyas
