Location: Washington, D.C. | Founded: 1789 | Enrollment: 6,164 | Colors: Blue and Gray
Coach: John Thompson III | Home Court: Verizon Center | Capacity: 20,600 Record:
(28-6, 15-3
Big East)
Even as Georgetown finished first in the regular season of the brutally tough Big East, there was a sense that there was something missing from the Hoyas. The team had all the ingredients for a second consecutive Final Four run, but it seemed to play up or down to the level of competition, relying on late-game heroics to win a series of narrow victories rather than taking charge and ending the suspense.
For much of the 2007-2008 season, that worked. The veteran team led by seniors Jonathan Wallace and Roy Hibbert were calm when the situation was tense, and made the plays that were needed to win. But the late-game heroics deserted the team against Davidson in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and the Hoyas blew a 17-point lead, suffering a shocking, 74-70 defeat at the hands of the 10th-seeded Wildcats.
It was a crushing end to a season in which so much was expected. Combined with a loss to Pittsburgh in the Big East Tournament championship game, the Hoyas failed to meet their own expectations in March.
Now, the program says goodbye to the core group of veterans who arrived along with John Thompson III and embraced his coaching philosophies, helping to lead the team places it hadn't seen since Thompson's father was in his coaching prime. Roy Hibbert heads to the NBA, but also gone are four-year starter Jonathan Wallace and Big East sixth man of the year, Patrick Ewing Jr.
Thompson is a great recruiter, however, and the talent level will again be high in 2008-2009. Jessie Sapp seems as though he's been around for a decade manning the point; he'll be a senior next year, and along with Austin Freeman and Chris Wright, will form a quick and dangerous backcourt. DaJuan Summers and Vernon Macklin will anchor the paint.
Georgetown will be a contender for the Big East title again in 2008-2009, but the bitter taste from this March will linger for a long time. For the first time in Thompson III's four-year tenure, he has a team that did not meet expectations, and that will hurt for quite awhile.
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Wow.....kind of a surprise that Macklin is a goner. This was finally gonna be his year. Oh well. I dont think he was made for the offensive sets that JT3 runs. And frankly with Monroe and Sims (who is a beast) coming in, I think the Hoyas will be fine. Any thoughts?
Hey guys, I'm trying to set up a sim league starting next season, where a simulator plays out the game and gives you realistic scores and stuff, and your Hoyas are still available! If you are interested or have any questions feel free to e-mail me at dosegorillaz@aim.com.
Joe Lunardi already has a bracketology out for next year. He has Hoyas as a 9 seed in the west playing Baylor. With the winner playing Duke. Andy Katz top 25 has us at 19 I believe. I think that might be about right. I don't know about a 9 seed. I don't see that big a drop. I think more like a 5. They should still be a very good team. 4th or 5th in the big East
How will it effect the Hoyas? Right now, in the Big East, Syracuse is slated to lose Donte Greene, West Virginia is slated to lose Joe Alexander, and Louisville is losing Earl Clark and Derrick Character. This does not include other notable Big East graduates Eric Devendorf, Darris Nichols, Roy Hibbert, David Padgett, and Ronald Ramon. How do you all think the teams will stack up. As of right now,
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Here's a brief article with one writer's Top 10 for next season (he was pretty solid last season, with the exception of putting Ohio State and USC in the Top 10, though he based that on Conley returni
So I haven't seen much news about this, just some highlights on tv and on the web. But for anyone who is a Georgetown fan who wants something to smile about, check out this dunk by Ewing Jr. This is simply incredible.
