Georgetown Basketball: Jessie Govan returning to the Hoyas
After testing the NBA Draft waters for a while, big man Jessie Govan is returning to Georgetown basketball. This is news with major Big East implications.
There is just under a week remaining until all NBA Draft decisions have to be made for college basketball players testing the waters. There are still many athletes waiting until the last minute but that list no longer includes big man Jessie Govan. On May 24, the Georgetown basketball star elected to withdraw from the draft process and return to college for his senior season.
This is major news for the entire Big East Conference. With Govan back in the fold, the Georgetown Hoyas have an incredibly dangerous roster. Govan was clearly the best player on the team last season and his return means that they have an All-Conference player leading the team. In 2017-18, Govan led Georgetown in scoring (17.9 points), rebounding (10.0 boards), and blocks (1.1 swats). His impact was felt on both ends of the floor as he was one of the best big men in the conference.
Considering Seton Hall’s Angel Delgado has graduated, Govan might return for next season as the top center in the conference. Govan started all 30 games for the Hoyas last year and used his 6’10”, 270-pound frame to carve out space in the paint for him to operate. On the season, he finished on 52.9% of his shots inside the arc. In addition, he flashed the ability to knock down the 3-pointer, shooting 34.8% on 1.5 attempts per game.
Even though fellow star Marcus Derrickson is still going pro, the roster around Govan is good enough to finish in the top half of the Big East. This is mostly due to the youngsters on the roster garnering more experience by the day. Most notably, rising sophomores Jamorko Pickett and Jahvon Blair will step into larger roles next season. They both averaged nine points per game last season and will become focal points of the offense in their second years with the team.
In addition, head coach Patrick Ewing is bringing in a recruiting class that ranks No. 31 in the country. Guards James Akinjo and Mac McClung are clearly the most exciting players coming in but nobody should look past incoming forwards Josh LeBlanc and Grayson Carter. This was going to be extremely young and talented team next season but the return of Govan gives the Hoyas a vital veteran star presence.
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With this roster in place, Georgetown should compete in the top-half of the Big East. The conference is expected to experience a down season and that will leave plenty of opportunities for the Hoyas to snag wins and creep close to the NCAA Tournament cutline. It might be a surprise to some, but Coach Ewing and Govan can lead this team to the Big Dance.