This season just keeps getting weirder and weirder. After a 3-8 start to the season, headlined by a loss to Navy and numerous late game meltdowns, it turns out that all Georgetown needed to right the ship was….. a three-week long COVID-induced shutdown.
Experts and fans alike wrote off the year as unsalvageable following a 74-69 loss at Syracuse on January 9th. Since then, the Hoyas have ripped off back-to-back wins versus Providence (9-9, 5-7 BE) and at 15th-ranked Creighton (13-5, 9-4). This surprising resurgent stretch marks Georgetown’s first two-game win streak of the season and has enabled a rise from 120 to 94 in the KenPom rankings.
Hoya fans have come back to life after consecutive victories and a win over a ranked opponent, but most people expect Georgetown to quickly fall back to Earth, starting with Saturday’s matchup at #3 Villanova. As a self proclaimed optimist, however, I’ll be the one to ask the question: Is it possible for the Hoyas to sustain this level of play for the duration of the season? Let’s take a closer look.
Limiting Turnovers
The first game back after the layoff, a 73-72 win vs Providence, started off like usual with the Hoyas promptly spotting the Friars a 10-0 cushion out of the gate. Despite the slow start and a 6 for 23 (26%) shooting performance from downtown, the Hoyas were able to stay within striking distance due to their newfound turnover free ways, finishing the game with a season best seven turnovers. Improvement on the ball security front was also evident in the 86-79 win at Creighton, as the Hoyas forced two more turnovers than they committed themselves.
Georgetown has a tendency to hang around with the competition through most of the game, only to commit a rash of ill-advised turnovers and easy transition baskets in the waning minutes. The recent success in limiting giveaways has allowed the Hoyas to buck this trend by allowing their defense to get set and preventing big runs in the second half. If Georgetown can continue to keep wasted possessions to a minimum, they will have opportunities to replicate their past pair of performances.
Against Providence, Georgetown never let its second half deficit grow larger than five, giving Wahab the chance to nail the go-ahead jumper with just over a minute left. In Wednesday’s game versus Creighton, the Hoyas led from start to finish, a rare occurrence in the Ewing era.. After a Dante Harris turnover with 5:27 remaining, the Hoyas tightened up and didn’t turn the ball over for the rest of the game, refusing to allow Creighton to steal a win in the final seconds. If the Hoyas continue to limit sloppy mistakes in today’s matchup, Georgetown has a good chance of holding on for a win if the game script resembles the first game against Villanova.
Better Ball Movement
Out of the many words used to describe the Hoyas’ play during their 3-8 start, the most fitting is probably ugly. Marred by sloppy turnovers and forced three pointers, Georgetown’s offensive possessions were generally not worth watching. Since the COVID hiatus, however, Georgetown has been whipping the ball around the perimeter and making extra passes to free up outside shots and driving lanes, tallying 16 assists in each of its past two games.
Although the apparent uptick in offensive chemistry did not generate better results from downtown against Providence, the Hoyas commitment to work the shot clock and move the ball softened up the Friars defense and allowed them to get to the line at a higher clip. Georgetown shot 19 free throws against Providence and 24 against Creighton, two of the highest totals of the season. Georgetown’s more efficient offensive attack yielded elite results against Creighton, as they shot 50% from the field and canned 10 of 21 triples, highlighted by 4 for 6 and 5 for 8 nights from Pickett and Blair, respectively. If our two most important perimeter scorers can maintain this level of efficiency, 80 plus point games will become the new norm for the Hoyas.
The Emergence of Chudier Bile
Much maligned by fans for a large part of the season, the Northwestern State graduate transfer had gradually seen his role reduced and hadn’t scored over 10 points or played over 20 minutes in a game since the win versus Coppin State on December 8th.
Since Georgetown’s return to play, Bile has looked like a changed man. Coming off the bench against Providence, Bile played 30 minutes, leading Georgetown in scoring with 19 points and grabbing 9 rebounds. He also accounted for 12 of the teams’ 19 attempts at the charity stripe. Ewing rewarded him for this performance with a promotion to the starting lineup, and Bile didn’t disappoint, recording 17 points, 6 rebounds (3 offensive), and 4 steals in 30 minutes against Creighton.
Bile’s emergence as a slashing offensive option has taken defensive pressure off of Wahab in the post and created open looks for Blair and Pickett, who should no longer need to force up highly-contested looks to get their fill.
Bile’s unique combination of size (6’7’’ 200 lbs) and speed also makes him a versatile defender, as he can guard opposing power forwards while also wreaking havoc in passing lanes and creating chances in transition. Bile’s emergence as a key contributor could be the solution to Georgetown’s early season struggles, as his presence on the court encourages better spacing and makes the Hoyas much more dynamic on both ends of the floor
Hopefully my efforts in writing this haven’t been futile and the Hoyas can sustain their current level of play. We’ll find out this afternoon. #HoyaSaxa
