Under the watchful eye of Georgetown basketball legend Patrick Ewing, the Hoyas recorded a winning season last season for the first time in four years. The second-year coach squeezed a lot out of a mostly young squad.
Previewing the Georgetown Hoyas 2019-20 Season
Recapping the 2018-19 season
While the Hoyas did not make the NCAA Tournament, last year had to be viewed as a success. Georgetown finished with a 19-14 overall record (9-9 in the Big East) while the team earned a bid to the NIT.
Georgetown opened the season admirably by posting a 10-3 record in the non-conference portion of the schedule. The Hoyas remained competitive by going .500 in conference play while beating each of the conference teams (Villanova, Marquette, Seton Hall, and St. John’s) that reached the NCAA Tournament.
The Hoyas’ season concluded with a first-round loss in the NIT to Harvard.
“Every year you want to improve,” Ewing said at Big East media day about what last season taught him. “In order to improve we have to continue to develop the guys that we have and the new guys that can help us. It’s always a learning process. The day you stop learning is the day you die.”
“I continue to learn and continue to try to be good at my craft,” Ewing added.
Senior center Jessie Govan went out with a bang. He was named to the All-Big East first team after averaging 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.
It was also a banner year for Ewing’s freshmen class as James Akinjo, Mac McClung and Josh LeBlanc were all named to the Big East All-Freshmen Team. Akinjo took home Big East Freshman of the Year after averaging 13.4 points and 5.2 assists per game.
Who’s Back
Back for the Georgetown basketball program will be the aforementioned now sophomore trio of Akinjo, McClung, and LeBlanc.
Ewing will undoubtedly build around this promising nucleus.
Akinjo is the engine that makes the Hoyas bark. McClung is an athletic freak who is a highlight reel and a fan favorite on Twitter. Meanwhile, LeBlanc (9.1 points ad 7.3 rebounds per game) flies under the radar but is one of the Big East’s better forwards.
“They better be better than they were last year,” Ewing joked about their expected improvement. “I do expect them to do well. We continue to push them, try to sculpt them and be the best players that they can possibly be. And I expect a lot out of them.”
Also back are guards Jagan Mosely, Jamorko Pickett, and Jahvon Blair. They will provide Ewing with some nice depth.
New Additions
Ewing is welcoming in a four-man freshmen class.
The class includes 6’11” center Malcolm Wilson, 6’11” center Timothy Ighoefe, 6’10” center Qudus Wahab and 6’6” small forward Myron Gardner. That’s a lot of size Ewing is bringing in, but don’t expect an immediate impact from this class. They’ll mostly be used to bolster the bench.
It is the addition of some transfers that will make waves.
The biggest will be at center with former N.C. State transfer Omer Yurtseven eligible to play after sitting out last season. The talented big man has a multi-faceted game and will step into the role Govan played for this team.
Junior college transfer Galen Alexander, a 6’6” wing, figures to get a lot of minutes. The former 4-star recruit out of high school has a nice skillset that will nicely complement McClung and LeBlanc.
Central Florida graduate transfer Terrell Allen should also see time in the backcourt. Allen should serve as a mentor of sorts to Akinjo at point guard.
Season Expectations
For Ewing and the Hoyas, it’s all about building the positive momentum from last year. With a great freshmen class now a year older and a year wiser, there are limitless opportunities in D.C.
Add in contributions from veterans like Pickett, Mosely, Blair, Yurtseven, Alexander and Allen and Ewing has a nice mix of youthful energy and established veterans. It could result in the Hoyas reaching their first NCAA Tournament under Ewing.
3 Days😤 #HOYASZN | #WEAREGEORGETOWN pic.twitter.com/gxN2D06Q1w
— Georgetown Hoops (@GeorgetownHoops) November 3, 2019
Making the NCAA Tournament is the clear goal here. Georgetown was on the bubble going down the stretch last season but eventually came up empty. You can excuse last year’s absence given the number of freshmen Ewing leaned on.
That said, this should be the year the Georgetown basketball program reenters the national spotlight. Maybe bring back Hoya Paranoia?
“We just have to continue playing hard and work (for it) and we’ll see where we are at the end of the year,” Ewing said.
Prediction: 21-10 overall, 10-8 Big East.
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