Big Ten at MSG: One & Done
College basketball arrives to Madison Square Garden today, as the Big Ten conference opted to play its tournament a week early to schedule it in New York, while the Big East will be there next week. The experiment is receiving widespread criticism, so much so that its commissioner already said last week they wouldn't do it again."We won't do it again this way, and I take responsibility for asking the coaches," commissioner Jim Delany said last week in this link to the Chicago Tribune. "I know we will be back out East. Where we will be, I don't know. It won't be on a regular basis. I expect that 80 percent will be [Chicago and Indianapolis] and probably 20 percent out East, whether it's in D.C. or Philadelphia or New York."Delany said he may be interested in playing at MSG in the future, but only on the same week as the other tournaments--the Big East owns those rights with the Garden though 2026. But if this year's event is not well received, the Big Ten may not be back to New York for a number of years beyond that. "On the bright side, nobody's paying attention," writes Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star." No, wait, that's the downside. And it's not the only downside. It's not even the biggest downside. But let's not ignore how badly the Big Ten has devalued its basketball tournament, even if the city hosting the damn thing will in fact be ignoring its basketball tournament." Wednesday's opening doubleheader features Illinois-Iowa and Rutgers-Minnesota.
"We Continue To Regress":
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Home Attendance Drops In 2017-18; Lowest Since 1980-81
Just 5,375 attended Monday's game with Marquette at 20,500 seat Capital One Arena. The game attendance reduced the 2017-18 average home attendance to just 7,531 per game this season, the lowest average since games were moved off campus in 1981.
| Top Five (Home Court) | Attendance | Capacity |
| 1. 2007-08 (Verizon Center) | 12,955 | 63.1% |
| 2. 2008-09 (Verizon Center) | 12,826 | 62.5% |
| 3. 2010-11 (Verizon Center) | 12,675 | 61.8% |
| 4. 1989-90 (Capital Centre) | 12,637 | 66.3% |
| 5. 1990-91 (Capital Centre) | 12,422 | 65.2% |
| Bottom Five (Home Court) | Attendance | Capacity |
| 33. 2001-02 (MCI Center) | 8,194 | 39.9% |
| 34. 2016-17 (Verizon Center) | 8,037 | 39.2% |
| 35. 2004-05 (MCI Center) | 7,837 | 38.2% |
| 36. 1999-00 (MCI Center) | 7,758 | 37.8% |
| 37: 2017-18 (Capital One Arena) | 7,531 | 36.7% |
As a point of comparison, Georgetown was 42-7 at home from 2012 to 2015. In the last three seasons, GU is just 29-24.
Family Matters
A rare interview with John Thompson III is the debut article in The Sports Capital, a subscription sports site who provides an inside look at the thoughts of the former Georgetown coach.
Thompson remains guarded as to the circumstances of his March 2017 departure. "I have some definite thoughts on the who, what, where, when, why," he said. "I really don't want to go into [it]...but there are some tangible things that led us to having a couple of bad years. Some could be controlled, some couldn't. I've done an honest assessment of everything. I am not sitting here saying if I had to do it all over I would do it exactly the same, no, no. I think I know some factors that led to us sitting here having this conversation."Thompson also deferred comment on his father's role within Patrick Ewing's program as well as that of his brother Ronny (C'92), whose role on Ewing's staff is not publicly discussed by the athletic department.
"We had a couple of difficult years," Thompson III said. We didn't win and they decided to make a change and go in a different direction. That's part of this business. That's part of this industry at all levels."
Providence 74, Georgetown 69
Ed Cooley continues his mastery of the Georgetown Hoyas, as Providence won its eighth straight game over the Hoyas--this time in a 74-69 win at Capital One Arena Saturday.
Both teams opened the game with a sluggish bent, as each team mustered only three goals for the first six and half minutes of play. Three pointers by Marcus Derrickson and Jamarko Pickett opened up a 15-11 lead, where PC was forced to play from behind throughout the first half. An 8-0 run by Providence tied the score with just under eight minutes to halftime, but the Hoyas answered with a 7-0 run of its own, 30-23, with 6:23 in the half.Led by strong efforts by Jessie Govan (14 points) and Marcus Derrickson (7 points, 6 rebounds), the Hoyas repelled two late runs by the Friars that closed the margin to one at 36-35, scoring the final four points of the half and carrying a 40-35 lead into the break. The Hoyas shot 54 percent in the first half, holding PC to just 38 percent from the field and carrying a 22-12 lead in points in the paint.
Ed Cooley is well known for halftime adjustments and the results inside sent the Hoyas off course. Georgetown missed its first three shots of the second half, then held its breath when Derrickson landed awkwardly on the floor and left the game at the 17:57 mark. Though Derrickson returned to action, he was not as productive and Govan was equally unresponsive from the field, and the Friars went to work.
As has been the case for nearly every Big East opponent facing the Hoyas, a guard shall lead them, and Kyron Cartwright stepped forward. Cartwright scored the Friars' next eight points as a 10-0 run erased the long-held GU lead, 51-46, during a run where the Hoyas missed nine of ten shots. Even a rare technical from Ewing did not rally the Hoyas, as turnovers returned to wreak havoc on its plans. Georgetown had five turnovers in the first half and doubled that total within nine minutes of the second. By the time the shooting woes abated, PC held a 59-49 lead at the 9:05 mark, whereupon GU was 2 for 18 from the field and the Friars had posted 19 assists in 24 field goals.
Inside play neutralized the Hoyas at this point of the game. The 22 points GU had scored in the paint evaporated, with just two after halftime entering the late stretches of the game. Its guard play, long suspect, offered little assurance and less performance--allowing the Friars free reign from three (4 for 5) and contributing just one basket between the group of Jonathan Mulmore, Kaleb Johnson, Jagan Mosely, and Trey Dickerson. With Derrickson ailing and Govan absent, Georgetown was going nowhere.
Down 11 with 7:26 to play, Georgetown showed signs of life while limiting PC from second chance opportunities. A three from Mosely narrowed the lead to eight, 64-56. A pair of free throws by Govan, his first points of the half, closed to six, 64-58. A free throw was followed by Govan's only three pointer of the game, sending him past the 1,000 point career mark and bringing the Hoyas back to four, 66-62, with 5:25 to play.
Providence went to zone, and Georgetown went inside. A layup and foul shot brought the Hoyas to three at the 4:17 mark, 68-65, and a Derrickson offensive rebound and putback closed to one, 68-67, with 3:08 to play. Free throws added back two to the PC lead, but Georgetown had few answers down the stretch. A long three missed from Pickett, Derrickson missed an open jumper at the foul line, and Derrickson turned the ball over at the 1:47 mark. Cartwright missed a jumper up three, and Derrickson set himself inside for the layup, 70-69 at the 1:11 mark.
PC's next play went inside and Kaleb Johnson was well out of position, with Govan fouling Alpha Diallo for a basket with 42 seconds left, 72-69. Diallo missed the field goal,a and the Hoyas called time with 37 seconds remaining. Instead of going back inside, Jahvon Blair launched an ill-advised jumper and that was about it. Georgetown committed three quick fouls to get PC to the foul line, where Rodney Bullock put the game away with 12 seconds left, 74-69.
It would be easy to say that the Hoyas were young an inexperienced in late game situations, but this was simply not so. Georgetown has been an easy mark this season with being unprepared to close games out and PC took advantage of it yet again. The Friars outscored the Hoyas 9-0 in the final moments to win its game earlier this month in Providence, and took a 6-2 margin home with them Saturday.
"We're going to have good games and bad games," said Patrick Ewing, a quote that could easily have come from John Thompson III a year ago at this point of the season--indeed, after 16 games of the 2016-17 season, the Hoyas also stood at 5-11.
"We have to keep striving to get better."
Govan finished with 20 points, but just six after halftime. Derrickson scored four in the second and 11 overall, to go with 15 rebounds. Pickett scored 12 points, but took only one attempt in the final eight minutes and missed it. Georgetown finished a woeful 27 percent from the field (8-29) in the second half and allowed Providence to shoot 5 for 7 from three point range after halftime, further supporting PC's NCAA tournament hopes. The Friars were led by 19 Rodney Bullock, as Providence has won the last nine of ten against the Hoyas since the Big East reorganization, six by six points or less. In addition, it confirmed a fifth straight winning season at PC, the first time in the history of the conference that PC has ever managed such a feat.
Back in DC, the loss locks Georgetown (15-12, 5-11 Big East) into the 7:00 pm Wednesday consolation bracket March 7 at the Big East tournament, its fourth appearance in the last five years and the first time in 18 years that Georgetown has finished below .500 in three consecutive Big East seasons. For yet another season, Georgetown is an afterthought in the conference it helped build, and the conference it saved.
Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Mulmore 14 0-1 0-1 2-2 3 1 3 2
Pickett 35 1-2 3-6 1-2 3 1 2 12
Johnson 24 2-6 0-0 3-4 2 1 0 7
Derrickson 33 4-14 1-2 0-0 15 0 0 11
Govan 34 7-13 1-2 3-5 11 0 2 20
Reserves:
Blair 22 0-2 1-4 0-0 2 1 1 3
Mosely 25 2-3 2-2 2-3 4 5 1 12
Walker 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Dickerson 11 1-1 0-1 0-0 1 6 3 2
Team Rebounds 2
DNP: Hines, Muresan, Mourning
TOTALS 200 17-42 8-18 11-16 43 15 12 69
Yahoo Sports Breaks Open College Agent Scandal
The long whispered college agent scandal is the subject of an exclusive report at Yahoo Sports, opening the books at one of the numerous sports agents targeted in an ongoing federal investigation, with former and current players from Duke, Seton Hall, Creighton, Xavier, USC, and Maryland along those named.
The extensive story reviews specific line items in the financial records of agency Andy Miller and his company, ASM Sports.
Names of interest to Big East fans implicated in the report: former Creighton center Justin Patton, former Seton Hall guard Isaiah Whitehead, and former Xavier guard Edmond Sumner.
"I have no relationship with Andy Miller or any of his associates," said Xavier coach Chris Mack. "He plays no role in the recruitment of potential student athletes on Xavier's behalf. Beyond that, our staff has never created a path for him to foster a relationship with any of our student-athletes while enrolled at Xavier. Any suggestion that I or anyone on my staff utilized Andy Miller to provide even the slightest of financial benefits to a Xavier student-athlete is grossly misinformed. We are prepared to cooperate with any and all investigations at any level."
"These allegations, if true, point to systematic failures that must be fixed and fixed now if we want college sports in America," said NCAA president mark Emmert in a prarared statement. "Simply put, people who engage in this kind of behavior have no place in college sports. They are an affront to all those who play by the rules. Following the Southern District of New York's indictments last year, the NCAA Board of Governors and I formed the independent Commission on College Basketball, chaired by Condoleezza Rice, to provide recommendations on how to clean up the sport. With these latest allegations, it's clear this work is more important now than ever. The Board and I are completely committed to making transformational changes to the game and ensuring all involved in college basketball do so with integrity. We also will continue to cooperate with the efforts of federal prosecutors to identify and punish the unscrupulous parties seeking to exploit the system through criminal acts."
McClung Sets VHSL Record
Georgetown signee Mac McClung continues his record setting season at Gate City (VA), breaking the Virginia public school season scoring record held by Allen Iverson.
McClung had 41 points in Gate City's 80-43 regional playoff game, breaking the single season mark Iverson set at Bethel HS in 1993. He has 958 points this season (a 38.3 per game average) and should Gate City continue to advance in the playoffs, he would be within range of Caleb Tanner's career scoring record of 2,770.
"The record doesn't mean a whole lot," McClung said. "I just want to win a state championship and be the first ones to do it for Gate City."
"Like Iverson, McClung will compete for Georgetown at the next level," writes USA Today. "And like Iverson, the expectations will be high, particularly after McClung's jaw dropping senior season. As a frame of reference, Iverson racked up his record in 30 games. McClung set the new mark in just 25."
Videos of McClung have gained a widespread following on the Internet. A YouTube video of last night's effort follows below.
Xavier 89, Georgetown 77
For 30 minutes, Georgetown was every bit the match for #4 Xavier, but stalled late as the Musketeers swept the season series, 89-77, before 8,012 at Capital One Arena.
Georgetown shot 55 percent in a busy first half, leading 40-38 at the break behind four threes from Jamarko Pickett and holding Xavier's leading scorer, Trevon Bluiett, scoreless at in the first half. From a 50-47 lead four minutes into the half, Xavier answered with a 14-3 run, thanks to four Georgetown turnovers in six possessions.
The Hoyas closed to six, 61-55, midway through the half, but Jessie Govan missed the front and of a one and one and picked up his fourth foul 26 seconds later, and the Hoyas gradually lost steam.
Pickett led all GU scorers with 21, tying his season high. Naji Marshall led the X-men with 21, and J. P. Macura 20, while Bluiett was held to 1 for 10 shooting. The Hoyas' hot hand from three failed them late--GU was 6-8 from three in the first half and just 5-21 after halftime.
The Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Mulmore 21 0-1 0-0 2-2 1 6 3 2
Pickett 28 0-4 6-7 3-4 3 1 3 21
Johnson 24 4-5 1-1 0-0 2 2 2 11
Derrickson 36 3-6 1-4 0-0 4 1 3 9
Govan 32 7-12 0-0 1-3 11 3 4 15
Reserves:
Blair 23 1-5 2-5 4-5 3 1 1 12
Mosely 14 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 4 0 0
Walker 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Dickerson 19 2-5 1-2 0-1 1 1 1 7
Team Rebounds 3
DNP: Hines, Muresan, Mourning
TOTALS 200 17-38 11-19 10-15 29 19 17 77
Commentary: Back At The Gym
Fourth ranked Xavier comes to Washington this week, a good as time as any to remember the last time a #4 ranked team came to Washington--what was gained, and what was lost.
In the fall of 1981, Georgetown announced its first off-campus schedule since 1950, but noted that its biggest non-conference game, a Feb. 20 meeting with two-time Big 8 champions Missouri, had a scheduling conflict with the Ice Capades show at Capital Centre.
Instead of a big crowd at Landover against a team that would be ranked #4 in the nation, the game would be moved to a place called "McDonough Arena". In the Internet age that we live in, it boggles the mind that in 1982, no one at Missouri ever thought to ask "What the heck is McDonough Arena?"
In a subsequent interview, coach Norm Stewart said he assumed the "arena" was a structure along the lines of the buildings in the Big 8: Gallagher-Iba Arena, the Ahern Coliseum, the Lloyd Noble Center--the kind of places seating 7,000 to 12,000 fans, but not the NBA-type building that Capital Centre was. No worries.
So when the Tigers' team bus arrived late to the Key Bridge Marriott the night before, Stewart passed on a team walk-through and would get an early start at the gym by 9:00 am the next morning. Across the river, Al McGuire was holding court in the Center Pub and the little gym that could was about to become the talk of college basketball.
Somewhere, Dave Gavitt was smiling.
Norm Stewart and the Tigers walked into a buzzsaw on Feb. 20, 1982, where Georgetown made its debut on national television at an overstuffed McDonough Gymnasium. A crowd approaching 5,000 overwhelmed the capacity. McGuire couldn't help himself.
"I feel like I'm in a wine cellar!" he shouted over the noise overwhelming the NBC microphones.
"The fire marshal," he said, "must be out of town today."
Georgetown's 63-51 win was memorable in many ways. The team didn't lose a game for the next five weeks, and a freshman named Patrick Ewing became a household name. The most memorable game in 30 seasons at McDonough, it also marked the last game of any significance there. All these years later, little has changed in The House That Father Mac Built.
What does its future hold? Continued...
Home Attendance In Home Stretch
With three home games in a five day period, Georgetown needs a late run at the turnstile to avoid a fifth year of declining attendance in the last seven seasons.
Despite active promotions (Wednesday's is titled "51st State Night"), numerous tickets remain available for this week's game versus #4 Xavier, with tickets as low as $6.00 on the secondary market.
Attendance figures through February 18:
| Team | Games | Avg. Attendance |
| Creighton | 16 | 16,843 |
| Marquette | 15 | 13,649 |
| Villanova | 11 | 11,386 |
| Xavier | 17 | 10,461 |
| Providence | 15 | 9,217 |
| Butler | 16 | 8,550 |
| Seton Hall | 14 | 7,872 |
| St. John's | 14 | 7,533 |
| Georgetown | 16 | 7,439 |
| DePaul | 14 | 5,809 |
Report: Campbell Granted Graduate Exemption
Senior Tre Campbell has received a graduate exemption to play a fifth season after graduating from Georgetown this spring, according to reports.
Campbell, a 6-2 guard from Washington, DC, averaged 3.7 points per game from 2014 through 2017 and did not return to the varsity as a senior following a knee injury suffered in February 2017 following a bus crash.
Georgetown has not posted any release on the matter.
Following graduation, Campbell would become the fourth GU player to exercise a graduate transfer year elsewhere, joining Moses Ayegba (C'14, to Nebraska), Riyan Williams (C'16, to Goldey-Beacom (DE), and Akoy Agau (C'17, to Southern Methodist). Agau has played in 20 games with the Mustangs this season, averaging 3.3 points.
Georgetown-Butler Game Highlights
Didn't catch the game last night on CBS Sports Network? Here are some highlights:
Georgetown 87, Butler 83
A pair of season-high performances piloted Georgetown to an 87-83 road upset at Butler--one from who you would expect, one not.
The Hoyas got 27 points from Marcus Derrickson, but the surprise was reserve guard Trey Dickerson, with an 18 point effort that was five times the output of his 3.5 points average and matched his total point production over the last ten games combined. In the end, it was a solid team defense and some late game confidence that led the Hoyas to an important win at Butler Tuesday night.
Butler's only lead was an early one, 5-2. Georgetown got off to a great start, hitting seven consecutive baskets in a 16-2 run that gave it a 18-7 lead seven minutes into the first half. A run of threes by the Bulldogs narrowed the score to three, 20-17 at the midway point of the half, but Dickerson and Derrickson connected on the next four straight between them, 30-23, and Dickerson scored the next five after Butler had closed to two points at the 7:45 mark. Georgetown forced Butler to miss five of their final six shots from three point range with just four turnovers. Shooting 60 percent at the break, Georgetown led 44-39.
Georgetown's good shooting continued into the second half. The Hoyas opened with an 11-3 run to extend its lead to 13, 55-42, and connected on seven of its first nine shots of the half. A quiet crowd at Hinkle Fieldhouse saw Georgetown push the lead to 14 at the 14:45 mark before the turnover bug returned for the Hoyas. With just five turnovers all evening, Georgetown suddenly turned the ball over on three straight possessions as Butler climbed back in to the game, 58-50. A run was averted when Dickerson and Derrickson scored on consecutive possessions to extend the lead back to 13, 63-50, at the 12 minute media time out.
Marcus Derrickson's solid inside play continued to maintain Georgetown's lead. A pair of Derrickson jumpers brought him to 27 points at the 8:21 mark, 72-58, and a three from Jagan Mosely extended the lead to 15, 75-60 at the 7:32 mark. At this point, Butler turned its offense to inside play, and found success driving against the Hoyas. Layups on three of its next four possessions brought the Bulldogs to 79-69 at the 5:20 mark, and defensive pressure forced consecutive Georgetown turnovers that closed the lead to 78-71 with under 5:00 remaining.
An exchange of free throws kept the lead at seven, where Dickerson drove the lane with 3:13 to put the Hoyas up nine, 84-75. Neither teams could maintain momentum over the next minute, missing a combined six attempts (including two missed layups by Butler and a missed dunk for Jessie Govan) before Butler's Kamar Baldwin took over late. Baldwin fed Tyler Wideman inside for a dunk at the 1:53 mark, 84-77, and caught a break when Dickerson missed both free throws on the next possession, driving inside for the layup at the 1:39 mark, 84-79. Pickett threw the ball away eight seconds later, and Baldwin went back inside to close the lead to three, 84-81--six points in 26 seconds of play.
Georgetown needed something late, and an alert pass inside the lane from Derrickson to Jonathan Mulmore with 1:05 left allowed Mulmore to pick up a pair of big free throws, 86-81. The Bulldogs, who trailed by five despite going 0 for 7 from three point range in the second half, went back outside late, with Martin missing a three that was rebounded by Wideman and converted via free throws, 86-83, with 52 seconds remaining. Butler opted not to foul on its next possession, which worked to the Hoyas' advantage. Georgetown took 27 seconds off the clock on its next possession, and while Govan's jumper was short, it shortened the game. Instead of a quick layup and a foul, Butler went outside yet again, and Baldwin missed from 20 feet with eight seconds left, where a free throw from Jahvon Blair sealed the win.
"We've lost six or seven games when we've had the lead. If my team hasn't learned from that yet, then we aren't going to learn anything," said head coach Patrick Ewing in post-game remarks. "I thought we showed some resiliency and were able to make plays at the end both offensively and defensively."
The Hoyas' margin of victory was narrow but its effort was widespread across the board. Derrickson's 27 points tied a career high, while Dickerson's 18 points was his most in any game since Feb. 23, 2017 versus Western Illinois, while Dickerson was playing at South Dakota. Govan had 17 points and 12 rebounds (all defensive rebounds), as the Hoyas shot 57 percent for the second half and 59 percent overall.
Perimeter defense was the story of the game. Butler entered the game having scored 24 three pointers in its last two games and 66 over its last five. The Bulldogs hit five in the first half and none hereafter, as Georgetown held Butler to 0 for 9 from three point range after the break and 1 for 15 dating back to the late stretches of the first half. Had the Bulldogs gone inside earlier (BU shot 64 percent from two point range in the second half and had 30 of its 44 second half points in the paint) the outcome might have been different, but Georgetown's perimeter defenses did what it had to do and Butler was late in adjusting.
The win marks the first back to back Big East wins for the Hoyas since the G-men defeated Butler on Jan. 27, 2017. As Butler fans debate a three game losing streak that has suddenly drawn shade on the Bulldogs' sunny NCAA tournament hopes, there was no debate from the Butler locker room.
"Easy summation of it: The team that deserved to win, won," said Butler coach LaVall Jordan.
With an eight day break in the schedule and three consecutive home games to end the month of February, the Hoyas are in a better place right now than they have been all season, and have served notice that they are trending upward at the right time of the season.
The Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Mulmore 17 1-1 0-0 3-4 1 4 4 5
Johnson 25 2-2 0-1 2-2 6 3 3 6
Pickett 31 0-1 2-6 4-4 0 1 2 10
Derrickson 34 8-10 3-3 2-2 7 2 0 27
Govan 28 6-11 0-0 5-9 12 4 4 17
Reserves:
Blair 20 0-2 0-3 1-2 1 1 0 1
Mosely 19 0-1 1-2 0-0 1 2 2 3
Walker 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Dickerson 21 5-6 2-2 2-6 1 3 3 18
Team Rebounds 3
DNP: Hines, Muresan, Mourning
TOTALS 200 22-34 8-17 19-29 32 20 18 87
Just What The Doc Ordered:
Georgetown 83, Seton Hall 80
A Marcus Derrickson three with 4.5 seconds left led Georgetown to its second Big East home win of the season, an 83-80 thriller over Seton Hall at Capital One Arena. Three missed free throws by Seton Hall in the final five minutes proved the difference as the Hoyas won despite losing a 17 point second half lead.
Georgetown led throughout the first half, and sometimes with ease. Seton Hall (17-7) was flat throughout the first twenty minutes, with the Pirates shooting 2 for 10 to open the first half and failing to stop the Hoyas inside--12 of the Hoyas' first 17 points were in the paint.
Jessie Govan picked up his second foul with 6:02 to halftime and Marcus Derrickson took over inside, scoring 10 of his 14 first half points down the stretch as GU built a 13 point lead at the break, 46-33. The Hoyas shot 59 percent from the field against just four turnovers, holding Seton Hall to 34 percent and limiting SH guard Khadeen Carrington to just 2 for 10 from the field.
The Hoyas scored the first two baskets of the second half go up 17, 50-33, but got back into a familiar rut as Seton Hall battled back. The Hoyas did not pick up a single rebound for the first five minutes of the half and missed its next six attempts as Desi Rodriguez led the Pirates on a 14-1 spurt over three minutes to close to six, 51-45. A pair of threes from Derrickson and Jamarko Pickett steadied the Hoyas on offense, but turnovers continued to bedevil the Hoyas in the frontcourt. The Pirates closed to three at the midway point of the second half, 60-57, while baskets by Jahvon Blair and Jessie Govan pushed the lead back to seven at the 7:56 mark, 64-57.
Rodriguez led the hall back once again. Georgetown scored just three points over a two minute period, as Blair connected on three foul shots, but the Pirates were back in form, forcing turnovers and unsteady play on defense. A 10-0 run featuring a monster dunk by Rodriguez, a basket by Delgado, and a Myles Powell three erased the aforementioned 17 point lead and gave the Pirates a 69-67 lead at the 5:39 mark.
The Hoyas regained the lead on baskets by Pickett and Dickerson, while Myles Powell missed a pair of free throws that proved significant. The Hoyas carried a 76-72 lead into the final three minutes, but gave up Powell's fifth three, 76-65. Trey Dickerson's put back with 2:07 remaining kept the Hoyas up three, 78-75, but Carrington missed the front end of a one and one with 1:56 left.
A missed three by Pickett and resultant out of bounds went to video replay with 1:36 remaining, awarding the ball to Georgetown, where Govan sank his first basket in seven minutes to push the lead to five, 80-75.
With 1:05 to play, Powell drove the lane for the basket and foul, 80-75. Georgetown's next series ran clock, but Derrickson's long three was blocked and returned for the tying basket, 80-80. Holding for the last shot, Georgetown ran the same high-low play, with Derrickson fouled by Khadeen Carrington on a three point basket with four seconds to play, but Derrickson (an 85% free throw shooter) missed the free throw. From its last time out, Powell's three banked left, as the Pirates dropped its third straight in Big East play.
Marcus Derrickson finished the game with 22 points and a career high 18 rebounds, along with 18 from Jamarko Pickett and 11 from Jessie Govan. Myles Powell and Desi Rodriguez continued the big numbers from Big East guards on the fractured Hoya defenses, combining for 49 points.
The Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Mulmore 18 3-4 0-1 2-3 0 4 2 8
Johnson 31 3-3 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 6
Pickett 20 5-10 2-5 2-4 3 3 2 18
Derrickson 37 5-8 3-4 3-4 18 2 1 22
Govan 28 5-11 0-1 1-2 7 1 4 11
Reserves:
Blair 17 2-3 0-3 3-3 2 3 1 7
Mosely 26 1-2 0-1 0-0 0 4 3 2
Dickerson 23 2-2 1-4 2-2 2 4 2 9
Team Rebounds 2
DNP: Walker, Hines, Muresan, Mourning
TOTALS 200 26-43 6-19 13-18 35 22 17 83
Providence 73, Georgetown 69
John Thompson III wouldn't say it. Neither will Patrick Ewing. So we will: Ed Cooley has feasted on Georgetown decisions late in games, and he did it again Tuesday night.
"Providence closed down the stretch. Georgetown did not," said Bill Koch of the Providence Journal. "That's the difference between teams who play in the NCAA Tournament and teams who do not."
Despite a five point lead with 1:49 to play and a two point lead with as few as 30 seconds left, the Hoyas characteristically dropped its fourth consecutive game leading in the final minute, giving up nine straight points to the Friars in a 73-69 headscratcher at the former Providence Civic Center. For a PC program which was just 19-43 against Georgetown from 1980 to 2013, Cooley has now won seven straight.
This shouldn't have ended this way. The Hoyas roared out of the gate, with junior center Jessie Govan contributing 12 of the team's first 13 points. Georgetown led by as many as ten in the first half, 30-20, as the Hoyas enjoyed crisp passing and back to back threes by Jahvon Blair and Jamarko Pickett to quiet the home crowd. The Hoyas held the ten point lead into the final six minutes, where the team went into a predictable slumber and PC returned to form. The Hoyas failed to make a basket for nearly six minutes as Providence went on a 11-1 run to
take a 40-39 lead into the final moments, interrupted only by a Govan three to give Georgetown as 42-40 lead at the break.
Much like the Creighton game, the second half ebbed and flowed, with neither team able to build any consistent lead. Providence opened the half cold, shooting just 3 for 15, but committed only one turnover in nearly 20 minutes of play and thus was able to hang around. Down one with under eight minutes remaining, Georgetown made its move.
A Blair three put the Hoyas up 59-57 at the 7:09 mark, followed by six straight from Govan, tying his career best with 27 points with 4:11 to play. It turned out to be Govan's last points of the game, followed on the next possession by Marcus Derrickson's 5th foul in what was a lackluster effort all around for the junior forward. A pair of missed one and ones at the line spelled trouble for PC, and as pair of Pickett free throws at the 2:25 mark put the Hoyas up 67-62. what could go wrong?
A foul on Jonathan Mulmore closed the lead to four, 67-63. On the ensuing pass out of bounds, the pass went way off course, but PC was still not able to convert at the line, missing one of two and settling for a 67-64 deficit at the 2:02 mark. Free throws from Blair pushed the lead back to 69-64 with 1:52 to play. Down three, the Hoyas left reserve forward Isaiah Jackson alone on the baseline. Alone. Really alone, as in "no one within six feet of him," according to the Fox Sports 1 broadcast team. Jackson calmly hit the three to close to 69-67.
Georgetown had time and the ball, but made no progress against the shot clock and Govan launched up a bad three point attempt. Jackson missed a three pointer, but PC's Alpha Diallo got inside the GU defenses for a rebound and was fouled, hitting both free throws to tie the score, 69-69, with 29 seconds remaining.
Again, Georgetown had time and the ball, with the potential for a final possession to run out the clock and, at worst, go to overtime. Instead, Jagan Mosely drove for a layup with seven seconds remaining, missing the layup and Govan was tagged with a foul under the basket. PC's Kyron Cartwright, who struggled all evening, hit two free throws to give PC a 71-69 lead with four seconds left.
Yet again, Georgetown had time and the ball. Mosely's inbound pass was thrown to three PC defenders at mid-court, who gladly collected the bounty and was fouled with less than a second remaining.
The Hoyas shot just 33% percent after halftime and coughed up 16 turnovers which resulted in 15 PC points. GU was 6 for 11 at the free throw line after halftime, any one of which might have been the difference.
For a fourth straight game, Georgetown had no plan of what to do late. Ewing and his staff continue to see the same late game mistakes over and over and make no significant adjustments. Win the last four games, all winnable, and Georgetown is 7-5 in the Big East and making a run at the upper division. Instead, the Hoyas dropped to 3-9, having lost six of seven.
Next up, Seton Hall, aiming for an unprecedented third straight series sweep of a Georgetown team that has dropped seven of its last nine to the Pirates. If the game gets tight late, try not to be surprised at the outcome.
The Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Mulmore 20 1-1 0-0 2-2 0 2 4 4
Johnson 24 1-3 1-1 0-3 6 1 4 5
Pickett 36 1-3 1-4 2-2 7 3 1 7
Derrickson 26 2-8 1-2 2-6 9 0 5 9
Govan 37 10-16 1-2 4-4 7 2 4 27
Reserves:
Blair 27 0-1 2-6 2-2 1 2 1 8
Mosely 14 2-5 0-1 2-3 3 1 1 6
Walker 4 0-0 0-0 1-2 2 0 0 1
Dickerson 12 1-2 0-1 0-0 2 1 3 2
Team Rebounds 2
DNP: Hines, Muresan, Mourning
TOTALS 200 18-39 6-17 15-24 39 12 23 69
2018 Athletic Hall of Fame
Founded in 1953, the Georgetown University Athletic Hall of Fame is believed to be the oldest collegiate hall of fame of its kind. On Friday, two former basketball players will be honored in festivities at the Leavey Center.
Paul Tagliabue (C'62), a three year basketball letterman from 1959 through 1962, will be inducted for his efforts on behalf of Georgetown athletics during the reconstruction of the Big East Conference and his work as the former chairman of the University's Board Of Directors. Tagliabue averaged 11.3 points and 9.2 rebounds in his collegiate career, then went on to NYU Law School, an extensive legal career at Washington-based Covington & Burling, and served as the commissioner of the National Football League from 1989 through 2006.
The University is also extending a special award at Friday's event, titled the "Letterwinner of Distinction", in the memory of James Higgins (1948-2016). Higgins, a Hoya guard from 1967 through 1970, served extensively on the University's Board Of Directors and Board Of Regents, supporting and advancing the cause of athletics within the University.
Other inductees include Ebiho Ahonkhai (F'97, women's basketball), Steve Iorio (B'98, football), Janne Kouri (B'97, football), Dan Martin (C'97, men's lacrosse), Matt Rienzo (C'97, men's lacrosse), and Melissa Tytko (B'99, volleyball).
Xavier 96, Georgetown 91 (OT)
Trevon Bluiett had 31 points, including a three pointer at the buzzer to end the first half and a four point play to send the game into overtime, as Georgetown dropped its third overtime game of the season, 96-91, to #6-ranked Xavier Saturday in Cincinnati.
Georgetown (13-9) opened the game with strong play on both ends of the court, taking care to protect the ball. The Hoyas had seven assists in its first nine possessions for the game, and did not commit a turnover for the first 13 minutes of the first half in a game that saw neither team led by more than five points.
A run of three pointers began to take hold later in the half. The Hoyas led 35-30 when the musketeers answered with threes on three consecutive possessions, 39-35, before Jamarko Pickett answered with one for GU, 39-38. In a half that featured 17 first half points from center Jessie Govan, the junior scored on back to back possessions to give GU a 44-41 lead with 1:09 to the break. One the ensuing possession, Xavier's Tyreke Jones closed the gap to one, 44-43, and a long three from Dickerson was short, where Paul Scruggs found guard Trevon Bluiett for a step-back three to end the half, 46-44.
Georgetown's numbers were uniformly strong for the first half, shooting 48 percent from the field, a 22-12 advantage in the paint, and 8-0 on fast break points. The Hoyas' guards were unable to contain Bluiett, however, as the guard finished with 16 points at the half for a Xavier team which sank eight threes and 53 percent of its shots overall.
Govan, Pickett, and Marcus Derrickson accounted for 36 of Georgetown's 44 points at the break, and received additional support from freshman Jahvon Blair in the second half. Blair sank four of Georgetown's five three point field goals in the second half, each coming at key stretches of the half. Down five, Xavier's largest lead of the night, Blair's three closed the gap to two with 13 minutes to play, and kept the margin close as Jessie Govan sat for foul trouble. Blair answered just over a minute later, 63-62, and a third to tie the score at the 10:11 mark, 65-65. Blair's fourth three gave the Hoyas a 75-54 lead with 5:50 remaining, and the threat of an upset was in the air among the sold out crowd at Cincinnati's Cintas Center.
Every possession mattered. Tied at 75 with 5:26 remaining, the teams exchanged turnovers, whereupon Kaleb Johnson picked up his fifth foul on Bluiett, sinking two to give X a 77-75 lead. An exchange of threes followed, 80-78 and the Hoyas answered with a Pickett lay-up and a pair of free throws go up two, 84-82, with 1:34 remaining.
Xavier's next series was well defended by the Hoyas, and Jamarko Pickett picked up a pair of free throws off an offensive rebound with 38 seconds left, 86-82. The Musketeers had missed five of its last six attempts down the stretch but needed a big shot from Bluiett and he delivered. Down four with 24 seconds left,. Paul Scruggs found Bluiett on the baseline and behind the arc. Late to the defense, Jagan Mosely swatted at the ball and fouled Bluiett, where the resulting three point basket set up a free throw and the dreaded four point play to send the game into overtime.
Overtime has been a killer for GU--the Hoyas have won just one extra period in three seasons and such was the case Saturday. The Hoyas' case was hurt with 3:45 into overtime, where a moving screen sent Govan to the bench with his fifth foul. For its part, however, Xavier could not buy a shot in the overtime, missing on all seven attempts, but getting to the foul line with regularity. The X-men connected on six consecutive free throws to take a 92-88 lead with 1:32 left, and Georgetown was equally ineffective from the field (0-4) until Derrickson sank a three with 54 seconds left, 92-91.
Free throws from Quentin Goodin pushed the lead to 94-91 with 31 seconds to go, but an airballed three from Pickett and two more free throws from Bluiett put the game away. The Musketeers finished the overtime 0 for 7 from the field but 10 for 10 from the line to pull out the victory, its seventh of its last eight versus Georgetown dating to the 2014-15 season.
Georgetown posted four players in double figures: Govan (23), Pickett (21), Blair 919) and Derrickson (19 points, 15 rebounds). Guard play was again absent for the Hoyas, with starters Jonathan Mulmore and Kaleb Johnson finishing a combined 0-4. Turnovers were much improved for Georgetown, with just 10, but four came with the score tied, any one of which could have protected the Hoyas down the road from Bluiett's fatal strike.
Bluiett led the Musketeers with 31, and became the third guard to score 30 or more points against the Hoyas in Big East play this season.
Georgetown is improving even if the record does not suggest it. Its 3-8 mark in Big East play is its lowest win total since the 2003-04 season and further isolates GU from the top six in the Big East tournament pairings, trailing Providence by 3 1/2 games with seven to play.
Georgetown stays on the road Tuesday versus Providence, another school that has enjoyed considerable recent success against the Hoyas and it equally touch at home. But as Xavier will attest, there are no guarantees in the Big East...just that Georgetown hasn't been able to take advantage.
The Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Mulmore 17 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 2 4 0
Johnson 22 0-0 0-2 0-0 1 0 5 0
Pickett 33 5-8 3-12 2-4 9 0 3 21
Derrickson 42 4-10 2-5 5-6 15 1 4 19
Govan 34 10-15 0-1 3-3 9 2 5 23
Reserves:
Blair 24 0-1 5-10 4-4 1 2 1 19
Mosely 30 3-5 0-0 0-0 3 5 4 6
Walker 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Dickerson 23 0-2 1-1 0-0 4 6 2 3
Team Rebounds 1
DNP: Hines, Muresan, Mourning
TOTALS 200 24-42 11-32 14-17 43 22 28 91
On The Road
Recruiting is a never ending job for head coach Patrick Ewing, per a feature in this week's edition of The HOYA.
"After we lost the other day, I went out on a recruiting trip," Ewing said in the article. After Creighton, I [went] out west. It's never ending. We need pieces. I'm out there trying to fill [the class of 2019]. It's never ending.""Except for the DePaul loss, Georgetown has held steady in Big East play, garnering three wins against teams below them and seven losses against teams with better records," writes The HOYA's George Brennan. "With eight games remaining, all against teams that, according to ESPN's Joe Lunardi, are projected to make the NCAA tournament, the Hoyas have little room for further disappointing upsets but have the potential to notch the season's best victory."