2006-2007 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 2) GEORGETOWN

November 4, 2006



With John Thompson patrolling the sidelines and #33 Patrick Ewing on the floor, the Georgetown Hoyas are once again in the NCAA title hunt entering the 2006-2007 season. Whoaaa...2006-2007? I thought I was reading a flash back to the 1985 conference preview!!

The MUCH anticpated season is about to tip-off and the excitement around the Georgetown program has not been this high in a long time. With one of the nation's best frontcourts and incoming freshmen classes, the Hoyas are looking to continue their resurgence under head coach John Thompson III. Add in Indiana transfer Patrick Ewing jr and it definitely sounds a lot more like the mid 80's than the year 2006.


Even with all the excitement, there are still questions to be answered as the Hoyas will be looking to replace three of their top six scorers from last year. Of our projected top 9 preseason Big East teams, only Connecticut and Villanova lost as much scoring from the previous season. Gone from last year's Sweet 16 team are Brandon Bowman, Ashanti Cook and Darrel Owens, a trio of players that offered flexibility and a knowledge of Thompson's Princeton-style offensive system.

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Bowman's ability to play inside and out, on both offense and defense, will be very hard to replace in this system. However, the Hoyas definitely have options available to them with transfer student Patrick Ewing jr eligible to play this season and incoming freshman DaJuan Summers. Another player that should not be counted out of the mix is sophomore Marc Egerson. Although Egerson played sparingly last year, he does bring a knowledge of the system and the ability to rebound the basketball to the SF spot. Summers is a 6'8 freshman from Baltimore that has the potential to be similar to Bowman as he continues to develop his perimeter skills. He does not have the 3-pt range than Bowman had, but he can battle inside against forwards in the Big East and take them outside as well. Ewing is another 6'8 athlete that is a special run/jump performer. He never really found a consistent groove at Indiana and has some big shoes to fill because of his name, but he also offers versatility at the SF spot and can slide to the PF depending on match-ups. All three players look to be capable of filling the hole left by Bowman, but until one player seperates himslef from the pack, the position will be questioned on how consistent it can be.

The is no question at the PF and C positions with the Hoyas as juniors Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert return. Both players are potential 1st round NBA picks and have the talent that NBA scouts drool over. Green, along with Dominic James and Aaron Gray, is a preseason candidate for the conference's player of the year award. The 6'9 forward is a perfect fit for Thompson's system as he can handle and pass the ball effectively from the perimeter and knock down the 3-pt shot. He is also big enough to rebound and defend a variety of players in the league. He is a versatile player that fills the stat sheet in a variety of ways, this year the Hoyas will look for him to become a little more of a go-to scorer.

The other half of their NBA frontcourt tandem is 7'2 center Roy Hibbert. Even at 7'2, Hibbert seems to play longer than that with long arms and solid athletic ability. He can run the floor and always has his hands up. His continuous improvements offensively have made him a solid threat with the ball in the post. He has added strength and a willingness to play more physical on the defensive end, making it more and more difficult to take position from him. At 7'2, shooting over him is not going to be easy. This should be the season that moves Hibbert into the elite among college post men.

Filling out the Georgetown talented frontcourt is 6'9 freshman Vernon Macklin. Nicknamed the 'Big Ticket', Macklin was a signature signing for John Thompson III last year as he was a coveted recruit for many. Macklin has a body ready for the Big East and brings an impressive amount of athletic ability along with it. Macklin needs to improve his skill set to be a big contributor this season in the intricate Princeton-style offense, but he is a player that when the lights are on can impact a game with his strength and ability around the rim.


Where most of the questions on the Hoyas arise is in their backcourt. College basketball has become more and more of a guards game and while the Hoya guards are definitely solid, the question is will they step up and become very good, or better. The point guard is junior Jonathan Wallace who orchestrates the offense. Wallace is very good at knocking down the open 3-pt shot when the opportunity presents itself to keep the defense honest. He is an extremely smart quarterback on the floor and keeps the offense running at all times. He will likely be joined in the backcourt this season by either sophomore Jesse Sapp or junior Tyler Crawford. Sapp is a wildcard, he comes to the Hoyas as an accomplished player from the streets of NYC and the Gauchos AAU program. He still needs some fine-tuning to play consistently in the Hoya system, but he has the style to also create his own offense in the open floor and when the offense breaks down that no other Georgetown guard possesses. Crawford saw less time last year as a sophomore than he did as a junior, getting bypassed by Sapp in the rotation backing up Cook. If Crawford shows an improved ability to knock down the perimeter shot, he will see increased action and provide Sapp a quality counter-part of the 2-guard. Incoming freshman Jeremiah Rivers, son Doc Rivers, also adds depth to the backcourt as a heady point guard. Rounding out the roster are big man Sead Dizdarevic, the only senior on the roster, and Octavius Spann, a 6'6 wing that will provide additional depth for the Hoyas, but neither figure to see much time in the regular rotation.


Pegged by many as a co-favorite with Pittsburgh, the Hoyas got a tough conference slate with Pittsburgh, Villanova and Cincinnati as their home and home games. The miss out on Providence and South Florida (who they played twice last year). Their home schedule is a tad tougher than their road slate, as they will be welcoming UConn, DePaul and Marquette, along with Pitt and Villanova, to the Verizon Center. Away from home, Syracuse and Louisville represent the toughest trips in addition to their mirror opponents, although a trip to NYC to meet St. John's will be one to watch out for.


The Big East lost a lot of talent from last year and the league is definitely in a state of transition. Georgetown was not immune to losing talent as they look to replace vital pieces in Brandon Bowman, Ashanti Cook and Darrel Owens, but the Hoyas also joined in on the conferecne's major recruiting haul by adding top talents in Vernon Macklin and DaJuan Summers and welcomes in the transfer student Pat Ewing, who is eligible this season. With returning studs in Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas are well positioned. John Thompson III has done an excellent job n returning the Hoya program to national prominence and it is time for one more step forward in 2006-2007.

Projected Big East Record: 12-4