When I originally started laying out the teams in my Top-25 Countdown, I had Georgetown in at 18th. As I started to do more research and learn more about the top teams in the country, GU began to drop on my list.
Eventually they fell to 21st and then I knocked them straight out of my top 25. This despite the fact that many publications and writers have ranked the Hoyas in the top 25, if not the top 15.
Dickie Vitale ranks them 15th, Athlon Magazine has them 21st in its season preview, Rivals ranked them 11th in June. Rivals is also counting down the teams and is down to number 12 without ranking Georgetown yet. When number 11 is released tomorrow, it'll probably be the Hoyas.
Most of my rankings won't be radically different than the big name publications, but the one that varies the most is where I rank Georgetown.
The Hoyas are good. There's no doubt about that. John Thompson III has a nice group of very impressive of players, but also have lots of question marks and very little depth.
Defections and graduation have left GU with just four plays who saw significant time in 2008. Center Roy Hibbert and forward Patrick Ewing Jr. moved onto the NBA, and point guard Jonathan Wallace who started every game in his four year career is now attending Georgetown's Law School.
The Hoya Saxa is also without the son of Celtics coach Doc Rivers, Jeremiah Rivers who transferred to Indiana. Promising forward Vernon Macklin left to attend Florida.
Three of the four leading Hoyas in offensive efficiency are no longer on the team, and DaJuan Summers, the player expected to lead GU in 2009, had a sub-par 102 efficiency rating. To put that in perspective, Roy Hibbert's rating was 119, Jonathan Wallace had a 122 rating, and even Patrick Ewing Jr.'s rating was 108.
John Thompson's offense thrives off being slow paced and incredibly efficient. If Summers doesn't improve offensively, Thompson will have to look towards another player to lead his offense.
Sophomore Austin Freeman will step up after a solid freshman season when he averaged almost ten points per game. He finished the season with an offensive efficiency rating of 115, third best on the team.
The Hoya's next best returning player is senior guard Jessie Sapp who's a solid marksman, but not much else.
The final player Georgetown returns is Chris Wright, a dynamic sophomore who struggled through injuries his freshman year. He showed flashes of brilliance with his long range shooting abilities and athleticism.
But those four players, Summers, Freeman, Sapp, and Wright are the only four players the Hoyas return.
Georgetown does bring in several highly touted freshmen and transfers that will help build its roster.
Center Greg Monroe will most likely start and enters GU as a top ten recruit. Backing Monroe up will be another freshman, Henry Sims. He's considered another 50 recruit that won't make a big impact in 2009, but will have a role.
The Hoyas also picked up the 35th ranked power forward of his freshman class, Julian Vaughn who transferred to Georgetown after originally enrolling at Florida State.
Guard Jason Clark will only be Georgetown's third true guard on the roster. He's generally regarded as a top 75 recruit.
So where does this leave Georgetown?
The Hoyas have four players that will definitely be solid contributors. Freshman Greg Monroe should play well enough to be a factor, so that's five solid players.
After that, GU has major question marks. Henry Sims and Jason Clark should contribute, but how effective they will be is uncertain.
The Hoyas have just three true guards on their roster, Sapp, Wright , and Clark. Austin Freeman can slide over to the two guard spot if needed, but that leaves the Hoyas with a hole on the wing. If DaJuan Summers plays the three, Georgetown will be forced to put both Monroe and Sims on the floor at the same time.
Georgetown is the 2009 version of the 2008 Syracuse team. Lots of talents, lots of youth, and a lack of depth.
One injury or one suspension can completely sink the Hoyas season. Just ask Syracuse about how quickly injuries can derail a season. SU lost both of its shooting guards Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins to A.C.L. injuries. The Orange played the rest of its season with seven scholarship players.
The 'Cuse flirted with a ranking in the beginning of 2008, but slowly slipped through the rigors of the conference schedule. Georgetown will follow Syracuse's footsteps in 2009. The Hoyas will be ranked to begin the season and fall throughout the Big East conference schedule. A team cannot compete in the Big East with just seven or eight players.
So the Hoyas will have some impresive, young talent, but in the end will lack the personal to be a top tier team in the Big East and the country.
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about 1 month ago
I still wouldn't be surprised to see Georgetown end up in the top 15 towards the end of the season. I haven't really read up on this year's competition in the top 25, but the Hoyas will still post a respectable record with the guys they have.
from about 1 month ago
I can't see it happening. I just don't think they are as talented as everyone thinks. They aren't deep enough to win a lot of games in the Big East. To be in the top 15 you can't lose seven or eight conference games which GU will definitely do. They could even finish .500 in the conference.
from about 1 month ago
You may be right, and probably are. I don't know anything about the Big East and G-Town right now. I just think that any team with a good coach, a few returning players, and some good incoming players can't really be put on the loser's shelf. I know that's not what you were saying in this article, but I don't think you can count the Hoyas out.
from about 1 month ago
I'm not in the least bit prepared to count them out, I just don't think that a team that as shallow as them with a few returning players that aren't really that special can win a ton of games in the Big East.
They've got top 20 talent, but are you too young/shallow to show that potential. Next year however if Greg Monroe and Austin Freeman stick around for another year, this team is probably contending to go back to the Final Four.
about 1 month ago
I’m definitely not a G-Town fan, but I think they will be a Top 25 team. Their youth may keep them out of the polls early on… but this team will finish strong.
A couple of notes:
I promise you that Rivers and Macklin would have loved to finish up at G-Town. There is no doubt that both of these players were told that their minutes would dwindle next year… transferring was their only option. Rivers was a steady defender, but an offensive liability. Freshman Jason Clark was the best player in the Washington Metropolitan Catholic League (the second best high school conference in the country). He is the real reason why Rivers is gone. Macklin was a bust in every way! We will never here from him again. JTIII is landing recruits at will. He is getting commitments from big men all the time! Macklin was spiraling waaaaaay down the bench.
Losing Roy and Wallace will hurt, but they are being replaced by McDonald’s All-Americans Monroe and Wright. And don’t be surprised if Henry Sims becomes a star! He could end up being the most promising pro prospect on this team.
I’m not sure this team lacks depth. Wright, Freeman, Clark and Sapp are very versatile guards. Summers, Monroe, Sims and Vaughn are all high major caliber starting big men. That amounts to no less than 8 top 100 high school players. Youth is there only potential road block.
Side Note: There are rumors that Freeman has put on some unwanted weight.
from about 1 month ago
Even though they will run seven or eight deep, they still have an incredible amount of youth with Wright, Freeman, Clark, Monroe, Sims and Vaughn which is why I'm hesitant to rank them. One injury and this team could be handicapped. I just see a lot of parallels between this team and last year's Syracuse team which struggled a lot at times with its youth.
I just think Georgetown is a year away from being dominate if everyone stays.
Rivers may have sucked offensively but defensively his contributions were incredible. Think about to the SU game in Georgetown, Jonny Flynn was going to win that game for the Orange until Thompson put Rivers on him, and Flynn struggled the rest of the second half and the over time period.
I agree the Macklin loss isn't huge, but he was probably going to see ten minutes per game this year and contribute a little. He would have added depth.
So who's to say one of the freshman this year doesn't end up like Macklin and turn out to be somewhat of a bust?
about 1 month ago
There’s always a risk that a freshmen will be a bust, but that is never taken into account when you are evaluating pre-season rankings. The polls (right or wrong) always assume that high school top 100 guys are going to be studs.
It’s actually my opinion that Monroe is not going to be anywhere near the player that he is expected to be.
I really am not that high on G-Town, but I do think they should be ranked near the bottom of the top 25. They have way too much talent.
Thanks for responding to my post!
from about 1 month ago
Yeah I completely understand what you are saying with the polls, but fortunately I'm not the polls haha.
I'm a Syracuse student and fan, I will never deny that, so when I was placing these teams in the 20s I was using them as a benchmark because that's what I know best. And what I found was Georgetown just doesn't match up with them talent wise. Syracuse has better star players and just as solid role players. I ranked the Orange 24th so I realized GU just doesn't deserve to be top 25.
Can Georgetown reach the top 25 by the end of the season if things click, certainly yes. At the same time can they crash and burn like SU did last year? Of course.
7 days ago
I frankly expect us (I'm a Hoya currently) to falter early and come on strong late in the year ala 2007. We need continuity and we need familiarity. It's how JTIII's offense works best. I wouldn't be surprised with an upset loss to some early easy opponent (think ODU in 2007), and I'd be (pleasantly) surprised to see Memphis go down, even in DC. Unfortunately, we face UCONN PITT and ND to start BEast play, while I feel like we'd likely hit our stride by the 5th of Jan at the earliest (which would suck for ND). Pitt also gets the boost of X-mas break going until the 7th, meaning few would likely be back for the game on the 3rd. However, JTIII brings back a young solid backcourt (Wright, Freeman, Sapp) and Summers who might be able to acclimate Monroe and his fellow freshman sooner than anticipated. Write us off at your own risk.
from 7 days ago
I'm not writing GTOWN off. There's potential for them to be a very good team, but I think more likely than not, they aren't as good THIS year as everyone is making them out to be. I think if everyone who can stick around does, this team will be once again a top five to ten team.
7 days ago
I'd suggest reading the article in the Washington Times (God, I doubt I'll ever suggest that again). It presents a compelling case, though I think it undersells the difference in how much the newbies will have to do this year compared to 07. However, I would watch and see how summers responds this year. He's the real key. If he continues to grow, he can have a Jeff Green-esq year (Not the same numerically mind you, but a similar effect)
from 7 days ago
I'll check that WT article out assuming its online. Definitely sounds interesting.
Though I don't think Summers can have a Jeff Green-esq year. I don't think he's nearly as talented as Green at all. I think it was absurd that he made the first team Big East preseason team.
7 days ago
He did WHAT now? I concur, He didnt belong there. He needs to put up the numbers now to be worthy of that, and I haven't seen him earn it...yet
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