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NCAA Basketball: 4 teams to end drought for 2020 NCAA Tournament

By Jason Burgess

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 24: A view of an NCAA sign and towel prior to the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional between the Kansas State Wildcats and the Loyola Ramblers at Philips Arena on March 24, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 24: A view of an NCAA sign and towel prior to the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional between the Kansas State Wildcats and the Loyola Ramblers at Philips Arena on March 24, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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SYRACUSE, NY – DECEMBER 08: Mac McClung #2 of the Georgetown Hoyas drives to the basket against Bourama Sidibe #34 of the Syracuse Orange during the first half at the Carrier Dome on December 8, 2018 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
SYRACUSE, NY – DECEMBER 08: Mac McClung #2 of the Georgetown Hoyas drives to the basket against Bourama Sidibe #34 of the Syracuse Orange during the first half at the Carrier Dome on December 8, 2018 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /

Georgetown Hoyas

The Georgetown Hoyas are the team on this list that has most recently made the NCAA Tournament, having been there in 2015 as a No. 4 seed under previous head coach John Thompson III. They won one game and haven’t been back since, but Patrick Ewing is hoping to lead his alma mater back in 2019.

Ewing is entering his third season at the helm at Georgetown and is coming off a season that saw him go 19-14, finish in a four-way tie for third place in the Big East, but lost to Seton Hall in their first game of the conference tournament. The excitement around the basketball program is arguably the most optimism seen in Washington, D.C. post-January 2016. The reason for the optimism is the group of players that Ewing has returned.

Despite losing center Jessie Govan and his 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds to graduation, the Hoyas bring back the sophomore backcourt of Mac McClung and James Akinjo who combined for 26.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game as freshmen and although they didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, they did make 80% of their attempts from the charity stripe. Also returning is 6-7 forward Josh LeBlanc who averaged nine points and over seven rebounds as a freshman.

There are two transfers could play very key roles for the Hoyas if they hope to return to the Big Dance, including 7-0 center Omer Yurtseven joins the team after playing his first two seasons at N.C. State, where he averaged 13.5 points and 6.7 rebounds in his final season in Raleigh. The big man’s presence should help alleviate the departure of Govan. Terrell Allen is a 6-2 graduate transfer from Central Florida who dished out a team-leading 4.3 assists for the Knights last season.

With 6-8 junior Jamarko Pickett the lone forward returning who saw significant action last season with 6.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 23 minutes of action, it’s no surprise that the Hoyas’ recruiting class consists of four players measuring 6-6 or taller. The 6-10 Qudus Wahab from Virginia is probably the best of the three centers but is probably a year or two away from being a consistent contributor. But, 6-6 Myron Gardner and JuCo transfer Galen Alexander, who started his college career at LSU, could find themselves in a battle for a starting frontcourt position.

If the sophomores can take the next step in their progression and the transfers can fill some of the holes, the Hoyas will improve on last season and be in the mix for a tournament berth.

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