Georgetown Basketball: Impact of Hoyas losing two mid-season transfers

Things can’t get much worse for Georgetown Basketball as Hoyas are in disarray. Will they be able to recover to still have a solid season?

Georgetown Basketball is in major turmoil as they head to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to take on the undefeated Oklahoma State Cowboys as part of the inaugural Big East/Big 12 Challange on Dec. 4.. Georgetown (4-3) is off to its worst start in coach Patrick Ewing’s era and the Hoyas have lost two straight overall. The Hoyas are coming off a disappointing 66-61 loss to UNC-Greensboro on Saturday as they shot just 36.8% from the field and turned the ball over 19 times.

However, GU’s problems span more than just on the basketball court.

Late on Monday night, Georgetown announced, via a press release, that sophomores James Akinjo and Josh LeBlanc were no longer with the team. It was later learned that both players intended to transfer. Then NBC Sports’ Rob Dauster broke the news that a female Georgetown student accused freshman Myron Gardner of “sexual harassment and assault on September 15th”. The following day, Gardner, along with LeBlanc and junior Galen Alexander, allegedly burglarized her home.  The student received a preliminary restraining order against Gardner and Alexander on Nov. 12.

“In response to an alleged burglary that I believe Joshua LeBlanc committed against me on September 16, 2019, Joshua threatened bodily harm against myself and my roommate,” the complaint read. “He continued to threaten me verbally and via text message in the following week.”

The victim’s roommate requested a separate restraining order against LeBlanc and Alexander. A preliminary injunction was granted on Nov. 20.

Akinjo was not mentioned in either of the complaints. It is unknown why he is no longer with the team.

Akinjo started all seven games this year at point guard and his loss will be felt for the remainder of the year. While the reigning Big East Freshman of the Year has struggled mightily shooting the ball, the 6-1 sophomore was second on the team in scoring at 13.4 points and led the squad with 4.4 assists. He scored in double-figures in six of seven games this year.

LeBlanc served as the Hoyas’ sixth man after starting 22 of 33 games a year ago. The 6-7 sophomore forward averaged 7.2 points along with 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in six appearances.

Georgetown has yet to announce any punishment for either Gardner or Alexander. It would be surprising and disheartening if either player is allowed to play during the Hoyas’ current two-game road trip. GU travels to SMU following Wednesday’s contest.

The university did release an updated press release.

“Georgetown takes student conduct issues very seriously and ensures that they are investigated thoroughly. While we are not able to comment on specific cases, we have processes for investigating and adjudicating alleged violations for our student code that are fair to both parties. We encourage any student who has a concern to be in contact with the Georgetown University Police Department or the Office of Student Conduct.”

Next man up

Georgetown will have to adjust its starting lineup for the game against Oklahoma State. What the Hoyas will really need to find with Akinjo’s departure is someone to put the ball in the basket. The Hoyas have used the same starting lineup in each of the first seven games that included Akinjo, Mac McClung, Jagan Mosely, Jamorko Pickett, and Omer Yurtseven.

Yurtseven has been terrific in his first season with the Hoyas, ranking among the top five players in the Big East in scoring, rebounds, field goal percentage, and blocks. McClung and Pickett will need to step up their games if the Hoyas want to stay competitive. McClung has struggled shooting overall, but he is knocking down 36% of his three-point attempts. The 6-2 sophomore guard has shown the ability to score in bunches. He has scored in double-figures three times this year and has seven games of at least 20 points.

Grad transfer Terrell Allen will likely move into the starting lineup. Allen, who has started most of his career while at UCF and Drexel, is averaging 2.3 points and 1.1 assists in 14 minutes. The 6-3 guard produced 6.7 points along with 4.3 assists last year at UCF.

If Gardner and Alexander are forced to miss games, it will really hurt the Hoyas’ depth. While 11 players have played in at least six games, 6-4 junior guard Jahvon Blair is the only other player who is capable of playing in the backcourt or wing that has any experience.