Big East Basketball: Way-too-early conference power rankings for 2020-21
By Brian Foley
10. Georgetown Hoyas
2019-20: 15-17 (5-13), t-8th in Big East
Key Departures: C Omer Yurtseven*, G Jagan Mosely, G Terrell Allen
Incoming Freshmen: F Jamari Sibley, G Tyler Beard, G Kobe Clark, G Dante Harris, C Malcolm Wilson (RS)
Incoming Transfers: G Jalen Harris (Arkansas)
Headline: How long will Georgetown let Patrick Ewing spin his wheels?
Star Watch: Mac McClung
Who makes The Leap: Qudus Wahab
X-Factor: Jahvon Blair
Stop me if you have heard this before – it could be a tough year at the Capital One Arena.
And the unfortunate thing is – this was supposed to be the year for the Hoyas. In another world, Georgetown is trotting out a lineup featuring an elite junior trio of McClung, James Akinjo, and Josh LeBlanc, plus Omer Yurtseven for his redshirt senior season.
Instead, only McClung remains, as Akinjo and LeBlanc were part of a mass exodus at last season’s midpoint, and Yurtseven – with a year of eligibility remaining – appears to be on his way out as well. Even McClung announced that he will go through the NBA Draft process, but was clear to point out he will maintain his eligibility. Because the NBA is not exactly clamoring for an undersized guard with a shaky shot and inconsistent defensive skills coming off a foot injury, McClung is expected to be back in the blue and gray for 2020-21.
Though a healthy McClung will provide the playmaking that the Hoyas desperately need, Ewing will still be forced to turn to his five freshmen for big minutes. Throwing the young guys in there right away will undoubtedly pay dividends in 2021-22, but how much longer can Georgetown convince its fans to look towards next year? Georgetown was expected to be one of the top dogs in this new version of the Big East; instead the Hoyas have made the NCAA tournament just once in the past seven years, and have averaged less than 16 wins per season over the last five. That marks the worst five-year run for the program since the early 1970s. The Hoya faithful were even social distancing before it was trendy – the number of empty seats at the Capital One Arena dwarf the number of warm bodies in attendance on a nightly basis.
Ewing is not on the hot seat quite yet. He is a program legend, and he kept the short-handed Hoyas together last season until injuries to McClung and Yurtseven left the team with just six healthy scholarship players. If Blair can build on his late-season surge (16.7 ppg after January), and Wahab can avoid enough fouls to show off his burgeoning offensive game (8 ppg and 6 rpg after Yurtseven’s injury), then the Hoyas might have a little something alongside McClung.
But the signs of growth need to be there this year, followed by an NCAA tournament appearance in 2021-22. If that doesn’t happen, it might be time for a complete shakeup. By the time the 2022 tourney rolls around, Georgetown will have been stewarded by John Thompson or a JT2 disciple for 50 freaking years – from Thompson himself to Thompson’s top assistant to Thompson’s son to Thompson’s best player. A little fresh blood could be just what the doctor ordered for this once-proud program.