One For The Books With just 14 field goals in 40 minutes, Tuesday's 75-47 loss to Villanova treaded some numbers not seen in years.The 14 field goals, seven in each half, were the fewest since February 24, 2011, a 58-46 loss to Cincinnati where the Hoyas shot 12 for 48. The game is also remembered as one where senior guard Chris Wright broke his hand, and the 11th ranked Hoyas lost five straight games to end the season.A 37-36 win over St. Joseph's on January 2, 1979 also registered 14 field goals, but this was prior to the implementation of the shot clock. Villanova 75, Georgetown 47 A tired Georgetown team offered no resistance in a 75-47 loss at Villanova, its 22nd loss to Villanova in its last 25 games and its 54th Big East loss in its last 58.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
This used to be a rivalry game. It is not anymore. A vaguely interested on-campus crowd of 6,501 (a sellout every time) had as much interest in Georgetown as it would if it were Towson or Delaware on the floor. At least Towson or Delaware would have been a more competitive foe.Rowan Brumbaugh opened the scoring with a three pointer 47 seconds into the game. It would be his only field goal for the next 35 minutes of play, and the only Georgetown field goal for over four minutes as the Hoyas missed its next five attempts and the Wildcats sank three three pointers en route to a 10-3 lead, a lead they never relinquished. A pair of Jay Heath threes closed the gap to 12-9; thereafter, Heath finished the game 1 for 7. Early foul trouble for Supreme Cook and Drew Fielder opened the interior to Villanova's Eric Dixon to dominate inside, but the Wildcats pulled away via the perimeter. Leading by nine, 22-13, with 7:36 to play, Villanova connected on three consecutive threes by forward Justin Moore over a 54 second run, all aided by assist. A 9-3 run, interrupted but not deterred by a Dontrez Styles three. pushed the lead to 31-16 with 5:42 to halftime. The Hoyas looked visibly worn out in the first half. For another four and a half minutes they did not score, with the next points coming at 1:39 in the first half, down 36-16, when Styles connected on a three point play. Villanova proceeded to add seven points in the final 99 seconds via a fast break dunk, a fourth three pointer from Moore, and free throws to lead 43-19 at the break, shooting nine threes in the first half versus a combined 3 for 24 offered against UConn last weekend. For its part, and not much of one at that, Georgetown took its break shooting 7 for 25 with four threes, with only three players scoring any points. Jayden Epps, Supreme Cook, Drew Fielder, and Ismael Massoud were a combined 0 for 8 as Villanova finished the half on an 18-3 run. The Wildcats opened the second half awkwardly, with three fouls in the first 22 seconds, but it mattered not as the Hoyas opened 1 for 5 from the field. With Justin Moore's 14 points leading all first half scorers, it was Dixon's turn to take over after the break. Dixon scored the first eight points of the second half, 51-24, en route to his game high 22 points where Cook and Fielder were ill prepared to deal with him, and defensive mismatches allowed Dixon ample opportunity to get open and convert. Defensively, Villanova was untouched for large portions of the half, but the continuing gaps in Georgetown's offense made any hopes of a comeback indefensible. Back to back three pointers by Heath and Styles closed the margin to 20 at 53-33, and upon a pair of free throws by Fielder at the 12 minute media time out, Georgetown was down 19, 57-38. The Hoyas answered by missing 10 of its next 11 shots, and by the time Brumbaugh converted on a three point play with 3:55 remaining, Georgetown trailed 70-38, the victim of four layups, two dunks, and back to back threes with relative ease. Consecutive baskets by Brumbaugh and Fielder in the final two minutes were dutifully noted by the Fox Sports 1 announce team as the first back to back scoring possessions by Georgetown for the entire game. Villanova made it look too easy, shooting 55 percent after halftime, and 7 for 9 from inside three point range and 13 overall for the game. The Cats had nine assists on 11 second half field goals, and 19 assists on 25 field goals overall. Georgetown matched its woeful 7 for 25 figure of the first half with 7 for 26 in the second, with a notable 0-fer from Jayden Epps, finishing 0 for 7, along with 0 for 2 from Supreme Cook and two brief appearances by Ismael Massoud, with one miss each over five minutes of each half, adding to a miserable seven game slump of 2 for 22 from the field (.090), a career low. When Epps is scoreless from the field, it offers GU no chance to contend. The lack of enthusiasm across the lineup, however, was troubling. The 47 points is the fewest points scored in this series since the 2003 Big East tournament and the fewest Georgetown has scored in any regular season game since 2011. "This last game, I think we're getting better," said Villanova coach Kyle Neptune in post-game remarks. "This team has done a great job of canceling the noise and focusing on the task at hand." And why not? Villanova is playing for a future in March. Georgetown is not. Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Brumbaugh 21 2-9 1-3 2-3 3 3 1 9
Epps 33 0-3 0-4 6-7 3 3 2 6
Styles 38 3-5 3-6 1-1 7 2 3 16
Bristol 27 1-2 0-0 1-1 4 1 1 3
Cook 19 0-2 0-0 0-0 2 0 3 0
Reserves:
Montgomery 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Heath 27 0-1 3-8 0-0 3 1 0 9
Bacote 5 0-0 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0
Fielder 19 1-2 0-3 2-2 4 2 4 4
Massoud 10 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0
Team Rebounds 2
DNP: Asadallah, McKenna, Mutombo, Kazor
TOTALS 200 7-25 7-26 12-14 28 12 14 47
John E. Gibbons (1944-2024) John ("Jake") Gibbons (C'66), a three year basketball letterman from 1963 through 1966, died Saturday at the age of 79.Born in Oklahoma City and growing up in the Cambria Heights neighborhood of Queens, Gibbons was a two sport athlete at St. Francis HS, where his 6-5 height was valuable in as a pitcher in baseball and as a center in basketball. He averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds on the Georgetown freshman team of 1962-63 and joined the varsity as a sophomore, where he played power forward and a backup center when the game called for it.Gibbons averaged 50.3 percent from the field over his three seasons at McDonough Gymnasium, averaging 8.6 points and 4.5 rebounds over 67 games. He led the Hoyas in scoring in six games, including a 42 point game at Canisius in December 1964 that still ranks as third all time as a single game school record. Graduating with a degree in history in 1966, Gibbons began a long career in insurance. Gibbons is fondly remembered in this release from his firm, Bradley & Parker: "John started his career in insurance at General Accident Insurance before joining B&P in 1972. When the current management structure at B&P assumed control of the company in 1983, John was named Senior Vice President. In 1988, he was promoted to Executive Vice President where he continued until he was named Chairman and President in 1991. During his tenure at B&P, mostly in a leadership role, John saw the company grow from a small traditional local agency to one of the preeminent privately held insurance and financial firms in the metro area. B&P has grown from a staff in the single digits to over 60, from a firm with three million dollars in sales to one in excess of $140,000,000....He will be deeply missed by family, our team, clients and carrier partners." A Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for March 1 in Huntington, NY. The Home Stretch With as few as 17 days remaining in the 2023-24 season, the Georgetown Hoyas have two paths ahead of them: take five more bad losses and finish 9-23, or become a spoiler to one or more Big East post-season candidates. Which one will it be?Yes, Georgetown is just five points removed from a winless Big East season, and Saturday's second half with DePaul is not bound for any end of season highlight video, the kind GU used to send to donors. The Hoyas are a crushing 0-43 since 2021 to Big East teams not named DePaul or Butler, but its remaining four opponents share a common concern that a poor game versus the Hoyas could well cost them a post-season berth:
Big East NET: |
Georgetown 77, DePaul 76
DePaul's Jaden Henley missed a layup to end the game, a 77-76 finish at Wintrust Arena that ended an 11 game Georgetown losing streak.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
Georgetown and DePaul arrived to this game a combined 1-29 in Big East play. "Both programs are struggling, let's call it exactly what it is," said Georgetown coach Ed Cooley in post-game comments. "I thought we were resilient, we didn't put our head down." Oh, for the first 20 minutes, things looked good, a little too good for a Georgetown team entering Chicago with an 11 game losing streak since its last meeting with the Blue Demons on January 6. The Hoyas opened with a three pointer from Jayden Epps en route to leads of 9-3, 14-7, and 21-11 midway in the first half, holding DePaul scoreless from three point range in its first five attempts and holding a +8 advantage on rebounds at the seven minute mark. Epps scored 18 points in the first half, and at one point had scored or assisted on eight of the Hoyas' last nine plays as Georgetown extended its lead to 31-19.
The Hoyas led by as many 14 and despite finishing the half 0 for 4, took a 41-28 lead into halftime, holding DePaul to 39 percent shooting and 20 percent (2-10) from three point range, outrebounding the Blue Demons 25 to 13. This was GU's best halftime and its largest lead in any game since Dec. 12 versus Coppin State, a team now 2-22 on the season. But in an otherwise poor season, the best of times soon became the worst of times.
Overconfidence is a word no one-win conference team should even entertain, but the Hoyas arrived back onto the Wintrust Arena floor in the second half as if the game was already in hand, proceeding to turn in the worst five minute run of its season.
Georgetown opened as Supreme Cook dribbled the ball out of bounds 16 seconds into the half: the Demons answered with a layup and a three pointer, 41-33, en route to making six of its first seven attempts, outrebounding Georgetown 8-0, forcing four GU turnovers without a single one of its own. An eight point run in 81 seconds took the lead 49-48 within five minutes of the start of the second half: a 21-7 run. So haphazard was the Hoyas in response that it committed seven fouls in just under five minutes, putting the Demons in the bonus for the remainder of the game, In hindsight, DePaul missed an opportunity here, gaining just seven free throw attempts thereafter.
"We were able to prevail. It's been a while."
--Ed Cooley
Free throws by Brumbaugh and an Epps jumper tied the score with 6:29 remaining, 63-63, but its defense failed again, leaving Terry open for a three, 66-63, part of a 14 point second half for the Oregon transfer. As Wayne Bristol picked up his fifth foul at the 4:21, Terry added two more at the line, 68-65.
In a run where the Hoyas were clearly on the ropes, the here today, gone tomorrow shooting of Jay Heath returned. A corner three, only GU's second since the 5:44 mark of the first half, tied the game and seemed to steady a Georgetown team still searching for some way, any way to control the game.
Control visibly eluded this team down the stretch. Supreme Cook, suffering through a season-worst offensive effort, was tied up in consecutive possessions under his basket, failing to score in either. Styles picked up his fifth foul at the 3:01 mark, but Henley only split his free throws, 69-68. Brumbaugh drove through the lane to give Georgetown a 70-69 lead 19 seconds later, extended to 71-69 on an Epps free throw.
Georgetown just needed a break. An inbound pass to Terry was picked off by Supreme Cook, who raced unopposed for the dunk and a 73-69 lead with 1:56 remaining. Now up four in the final two minutes, the Hoyas just needed one big stop, and just didn't get it, as Chico Carter drove past Brumbaugh for a layup, 73-71. Free throws by Epps pushed it back to four but the Blue Demons, aiming square at Brumbaugh, picked up a three point play with 56 seconds remaining, 75-74.
With Epps in tight coverage, Brumbaugh missed a short shot in the paint, but the fact that Brumbaugh did not let the clock run down allowed the Hoyas a final possession, even after Nelson answered with a short jumper, 76-75. Lining up with Epps for its final attempt, the sophomore guard picked up a foul and connected on two free throws with eight seconds remaining.
Off a time out. interim coach Matt Brady mapped out two plays and against a man to man defense wanted Henley to get the ball, and got just that. Georgetown's defense offered scant opposition as the 6-7 Henley drove the front court and set his sights on the 6-4 Brumbaugh guarding him to the paint. Henley drove to the basket but in a split second of indecision appeared to pause between taking a dunk or going for the layup, and the ball was left short to the rim. Brumbaugh alertly prevented an offensive rebound and sent the ball to a visibly trailing Cook at half court as time expired.
Foul? No Foul? ?? pic.twitter.com/6jcqJls9bP
— Alberto Lopez (@LPZTeam) February 25, 2024
And another view:
These 16 seconds perfectly define DePaul and Georgetown basketball this season pic.twitter.com/DBgDdhUexp
— Barstool Xavier (@XuBarstool) February 25, 2024
The final 20 minutes was the best second half of the season for DePaul, in no small part due to Brady refocusing the Blue Demons to attack Georgetown where it is so visibly lacking: its interior. Seven of its final nine shots were by layup or in the paint, taking just two three point attempts, each missing, in the final six minutes.
Jayden Epps' second game of 30 or more points saved the Hoyas in this one, scoring 15 of his 33 points in the second half, and five of six from the line in the final 2:12 of play and 11 for 13 overall. Rowan Brumbaugh had 14 points and Dontrez Styles had 12, but the rest of the team was simply ineffective offensively, with just three field goals between them after halftime: including Heath's three and Cook's dunk.
Four DePaul starters were in double figures, including Henley with 15; unfortunately for the representative home crowd honoring former All-American Terry Cummings at halftime, Henley ended the game missing his last three attempts: a layup down two, a three pointer down three, and the final play, down one.
"Our guys are really down," said Brady in post-game remarks. "That's a locker room that felt like they did a lot to earn a win. But we had to do more. We didn't get the win."
"One play will always stick out when you lose a heartbreaker like this. But we got down four with a minute to go on a bad turnover. The turnover hurts us as much as that last shot. "
The loss extended DePaul to a 16th consecutive loss this season and 28 consecutive regular season losses in Big East play dating to Jan. 18, 2023. This number approaches the 0-29 run set by Georgetown from 2021-22 to 2022-23, and is likely a new record to be broken given that the Blue Demons end the season with four opponents in NCAA tournament contention that have previously defeated the Demons by as many as 38 points this season. It is reflective of how weak Georgetown has been this season: DePaul has lost 14 Big East games by an average of 26.5 points, none fewer than by 13. Its two losses to Georgetown came on a missed three at the buzzer in Washington and a missed layup this evening.
The win is Georgetown's fourth Big East win in three seasons, three of which have been against DePaul.
Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Brumbaugh 31 5-10 0-1 4-5 2 2 3 14
Epps 39 5-8 4-10 11-13 4 5 0 33
Styles 21 1-2 1-3 7-8 3 0 5 12
Bristol 23 2-2 0-2 0-0 4 1 5 4
Cook 32 2-4 0-0 2-4 11 0 1 6
Reserves:
Heath 26 0-2 2-2 0-0 4 1 1 6
Fielder 8 1-2 0-0 0-0 5 0 1 2
Massoud 20 0-0 0-3 0-0 1 0 2 0
Team Rebounds 5
DNP: Asadallah, Montgomery, Bacote, McKenna,
Mutombo, Kazor 16-30 7-21 24-30 39 9 18 77
TOTALS 200
Fact Check: Misleading Video
Attendance remains poor for midweek home games, but a recent viral video takes it out of context.
A Twitter post suggests this was the crowd at Wednesday's game versus St. John's. In fact, this was the St. John's team shootaround, not the game. A total of 4,839 attended the game.Georgetown basketball may be dead
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) February 22, 2024
pic.twitter.com/tYgVhIxTV2
Here is an in-game photo from GUHoyas.com:
St. John's 90, Georgetown 85
Staking a claim as the worst defensive team in its history, the Georgetown Hoyas gave up 51 second half points in a 90-85 loss to St. John's before 4,839 at Capital One Arena.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
The score was mitigated by two runs by the Hoyas as St. John's nearly lost two leads of 17 or more points in each half but survived each thanks to a Georgetown defense that ranks among the worst in the nation. Coming off a humbling loss to Seton Hall on Sunday where St. John's coach Rick Pitino called out five players in the post-game press conference, the Redmen showed up at the start, shooting 8 for 11 to open the game behind four consecutive field goals from Penn transfer Jordan Dingle, who was 0-4 in the second half versus the Hall. With the Hoyas shooting just 3 for 11 to open the game, St. John's held a comfortable 18-7 advantage when Ed Cooley went to the timeout well in an attempt to change course.
It did not work.
St. John's responded by another effortless 8 for 11 run, completely overwhelming the Hoyas inside and outside. Four layups and back to back threes midway in the half pushed St. John's lead to 21, 35-14, with 7:14 to halftime. It's not that Georgetown couldn't shoot (at this point, the Hoyas were 7 for 15), but they had no answer defensively for a St. John's teams shooting 70 percent from the field (17 for 24) and 80 percent at close range (12 for 15).
Despite the remarkable run, there's a good reason why St. John's had lost eight of ten entering the game: an inattention to defense and careless turnovers. As Georgetown moved to a zone defense to limit St. John's from going inside, the Redmen slacked off on perimeter defense, opening a door for the shell shocked Hoyas to climb back in the game.
Baskets by Jayden Epps and Supreme Cook closed the margin to 35-18. A Joel Soriano basket inside pushed the lead back to 19, but it was St. John's only basket in a five minute run which saw the Hoyas get two threes from Rowan Brumbaugh and a three point play by Drew Fielder to close to 39-32 with 1:29 in the half. Two steals by the Hoyas netted no points, however, and Brumbaugh missed the front end of a one and one with 33 seconds left to remain down seven at the half.
St. John's did not make a field goal in the final 5:32 of the first half.
"I don't know the last time we've won a game."--Ed Cooley
With 14:38 to play, R.J. Luis split the defenses for a layup, 51-41. Supreme Cook missed a hook shot in front of his basket, with Luis picking up the rebound and racing unopposed for the layup, 53-41. On the inbound, a lazy pass from Jayden Epps was stolen by Simeon Wilcher, who deposited the layup--three layups in 29 seconds.
The Redmen led by as many as 17 when, as if a redux of the first half, the Hoyas caught fire from the three point line. Another run of threes from Fielder and Bristol brought the Hoyas to 11, but a smaller Hoya lineup left 6-8 Chris Ledlum open for a three on the next possession, 61-49. Both teams traded baskets for the next six minutes before the Hoyas exposed the Redmen from the perimeter once again.
Back to back threes by Epps and Bristol brought Georgetown to within seven, 80-73, with 2:23 remaining. Free throws from SJU's Daniss Jenkins pushed the lead back to nine, 82-73, before back to back baskets by Epps closed to 82-78 with 1:31 remaining. Despite the Hoyas shooting 8 for 10 from the field to end the half, they allowed the Redmen to finish 5 for 5, none more important than a stepback jumper from Jenkins to push the lead to six, 84-78 with 1:01 remaining, and an uncontested dunk from Luis 29 seconds later to put the game away.
St. John's did not miss a field goal in the final 5:15 of the second half.
Jayden Epps had 31 points to lead all Georgetown scorers, followed by 15 from Rowan Brumbaugh and 12 from Supreme Cook, who was visibly outplayed for most of the game and was just 2 for 11 before making his final three attempts late. Wayne Bristol had al nine points in the second half, but the other departing seniors and grad students were visible liabilities defensively and fared poorly otherwise: Ismael Massoud made his first shot of the game and finished 1 for 5, while Jay Heath was 0 for 5 and played six minutes of the second half.
There are not many teams like Georgetown that can shoot 47 percent with 10 threes and lose, but there are not many teams like Georgetown are ranked 308th nationally in scoring defense. The Hoyas allowed the Redmen to shoot 67 percent after halftime and 57 percent overall, putting five players in double figures, led by a season high of 22 from Jordan Dingle.
St. John's continues its rocky road into the NCAA at-large conversation with a make or break game Sunday at Madison Square Garden versus a #15 Creighton which upset #1-ranked UConn on Tuesday. Meanwhile, CBS Sports Network drew the short straw for may be the most unanticipated Big East game in more than a decade, as two opponents with a combined Big East record of 1-29 square off before thousands of empty seats at Wintrust Arena. DePaul was down by as many as 43 to Marquette in a 105-71 loss this evening in Milwaukee, but with the wretched state of the Hoyas' defense, it's a game the Blue Demons will be actually be favored to win, which would give a formerly proud sport at Georgetown University its 52nd Big East loss in its last 55 games.
Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Brumbaugh 37 3-7 2-2 3-5 2 7 3 15
Epps 39 10-14 2-6 5-6 3 7 2 31
Heath 14 0-5 0-0 0-0 2 0 1 0
Styles 25 1-1 1-3 2-2 4 0 2 7
Cook 37 5-14 0-0 2-4 8 0 1 12
Reserves:
Fielder 13 2-2 1-1 1-1 2 0 4 8
Massoud 21 0-3 1-2 0-0 4 0 3 3
Bristol 24 0-0 3-6 0-0 3 2 4 9
Team Rebounds 1
DNP: Asadallah, Montgomery, Bacote, McKenna,
Mutombo, Kazor
TOTALS 200 21-46 10-20 13-18 29 16 20 85
AFL-CIO Opposes Arena Project
The leadership of the Northern Virginia AFL-CIO announced it would oppose the $2 billion arena project proposed by Monumental Sports, adding pressure to votes pending in Alexandria City and the Virginia General Assembly.
At issue is the developer for the project, JBG Smith, who has not agreed to employ union labor across the entire project. At present, Monumental Sports supports union labor for the arena, but other elements of what CEO Ted Leonsis (C'77) calls the "entertainment district" may be built with non-union workers, including a proposed hotel on land managed by JBG Smith.In a statement noted by the Associated Press, Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin said that "Virginia is a right-to-work state and unreasonable demands from union leaders will not derail this project."
"It would be a shame to walk away from such a tremendous opportunity for Virginia's workers, and we remain committed to continued discussion with labor in the days ahead," read a joint statement from Monumental Sports and JBG Smith.
"If they're against it, then the arena deal is probably going to have a very difficult time," House speaker Don Scott told the Washington Post. "If it dies, it dies."
Mac: Back To Back
Former Georgetown guard Mac McClung won his second consecutive dunk contest Saturday at NBA All-Star Game festivities.
The 6-2 McClung was invited in spite of the fact that he is not a current NBA player, but a member of the Orlando Magic's developmental club in Osceola, FL, where he averages 24.6 points per game, third highest in the D-League.
McClung has played four games with three NBA teams over the past two seasons.
Georgetown Voice: Of Brumbaugh & Epps
The Georgetown Voice asks some questions about the sustainability of Georgetown's guards in its recap from Friday's game.
"Following an efficient 11-point game on 5-6 shooting in just 13 minutes versus Creighton earlier in the week, [Rowan] Brumbaugh solidified his spot not just in the rotation, but as an integral part of the Hoya offense," writes the Voice's Andrew Arnold. "He finished the Villanova game with 14 points on 6-10 shooting and 5 assists - leading the Hoyas in both categories. But it wasn't just his impressive counting numbers, it was how he was generating those looks. Brumbaugh was decisive in his movements and getting to his spots. It seemed like every time he touched the ball, he was getting down into the paint and collapsing the defense to either finish with some soft banked-shots or to kick it out to an open spot-up shooter in the corner. The offense simply seemed to flow much smoother with Brumbaugh at the helm."On the other side of the ledger is Jayden Epps.
"It's abundantly clear that Epps is a very talented player who has a knack for scoring, but too many of his shot attempts come on end-of-the-shot-clock isolations where he tries to size up his defender with a flurry of dribble moves, only to end with an overly difficult stepback that even Steph Curry or Kevin Durant would have trouble making consistently. He also most certainly has passing chops (averaging 4.3 assists per game), but too often gets tunnel vision that plays into his hero-ball tendencies...With his shooting struggles this year and the emergence of Brumbaugh, it begs the question of whether Cooley should reign in his leading scorer just a tad in the hopes of a more efficient offense."
Charles G. Driesell (1931-2024)
Charles (Lefty) Driesell, the Hall of Fame coach at the University of Maryland from 1969 through 1986, died Saturday at the age of 92.
Hired away from Davidson College at the age of 37, Driesell reinvigorated college basketball in his 17 seasons at Maryland, where his matchups with John Thompson and Georgetown were critical points in the Hoyas' road to national prominence entering the 1980s. The only Division I coach to win 100 games or more at four different schools (Davidson, Maryland, James Madison, Georgia State), Driesell retired in 2003 with a career mark of 786-394.Driesell's son Chuck, the current head coach at Washington's Maret School, was a Georgetown assistant in the 2003-04 season.
Despite a spirited rivalry with John Thompson, Driesell returned the respect to Thompson at his 2018 Hall of Fame induction, which was Thompson's last Hall of Fame appearance before his death in 2020.
"I used to be a hero around D.C. before John Thompson came there," Driesell told the audience. "He took little old Georgetown, which we used to beat easy, and then I quit playing him. I said, I don't want to play Georgetown anymore. But he has done more for basketball in the country, really, of anybody I know."
A feature on Driesell and his epic battles with the Hoyas can be found in this link to the Georgetown Basketball History Project.
Villanova 70, Georgetown 54
Georgetown dropped its 10th consecutive game in a 70-54 loss to Villanova before 9,406 at Capital One Arena.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
Some early play for the Hoyas offered faint promise, but like so many games is was fleeting and gone by halftime. For its part, Villanova (14-11) played an awful first half. The Wildcats missed its first five attempts from the floor and found themselves down 8-3 after the first four minutes of the game, but it didn't take long for the Hoyas' own worst enemy, themselves, to even the score. Georgetown missed eight of its next nine shots and gave up three turnovers, allowing the Wildcats to take control of the game by the middle of the first half. The control came not from the likes of usual Georgetown-killers like Justin Moore or even Eric Dixon, but reserve guard Brendan Hausen, who came off the bench to sink four threes in the first half in a period where the Wildcats shot just 32 percent. Hausen was 4 for 7 from behind the arc while the rest of his team was a combined 1 for 10.
THIS. IS. CINEMA. pic.twitter.com/lTTwMU2asp
— Barstool Villanova (@BarstoolNova) February 17, 2024
Were there some shred of teamwork, perhaps the Hoyas could done more to make its case. Tied at 15 with 9:49 to halftime, Georgetown made one of its next eight from the field, opening the door for Villanova to go on a 11-2 run en route to a 12 point lead at the break, 28-19. Georgetown made just one field goal in the final 5:02 of the first half, shooting 25 percent on 8 for 31 attempts and a combined 1 for 12 from the visibly declining duo of Jayden Epps and Dontrez Styles.
As if on cue, the Hoyas came out strong after halftime, starting like a lion but going out like a lamb. Georgetown made 8 of its first 13 attempts to open the second half, closing to 45-41 on a Styles three with 11:57 remaining.
Around the arc and to STYLES for another THREE!#HoyaSaxa pic.twitter.com/IM0V4VfjVk
— Georgetown Hoops (@GeorgetownHoops) February 17, 2024
Then, back to reality.
Styles then lost the ball on consecutive possessions, then missed a three and a layup during a four minute scoreless run which saw J.J. Bamba drive inside for a pair of layups before Justin Moore, who had gone 0 for 5 in the first half, sank a long three with 8:23 that put the game away for good, 54-43. A three from Jay Heath briefly closed to eight before an uncontested Eric Dixon dunk and an open three from Hakim Hart returned the margin to double digits, never to return.
Georgetown's woeful offense is the stuff of futility. Despite some attempts at effort from Supreme Cook and Rowan Brumbaugh, the rotation of Epps, Styles, Heath, Wayne Bristol, and Ismael Massoud were utterly ineffective. The Hoyas made three field goals in the final eight minutes of play, finishing one for seven to end the second half, or 5 for 17 in the final 12 minutes when they had closed to 45-41. Epps and Styles shot a combined 6 for 27 with five turnovers, part of a total of 12 turnovers which led to 12 Villanova points.
"Small mercy of the day: Nova fans are apparently not as organized as UConn, Marquette,[or] Syracuse fans, as they did not start chants at the end of yet another blowout. That's something, I guess."--Georgetown Voice
"The ball just didn't fall in. But I thought we executed what we wanted."
Rowan Brumbaugh came off the bench to lead all Georgetown scorers with 14 points, 12 after halftime. The Hoyas scored a total of just one point off seven Villanova turnovers and sent the Wildcats to the 1ine 11 times despite a Big East low of just eight fouls on the evening.
The Wildcats put four players in double figures led by Bamba with 14, while Hausen missed three attempts in five minutes after halftime and did not see meaningful time thereafter the break. Once again, Georgetown was atrocious in its defense, allowing the Wildcats to shoot 59 percent after halftime, including 8 of 13 inside the arc.
A rivalry in name only, Villanova won its 16th regular season game in its last 17 versus Georgetown dating to the 2014-15 season.
With the loss, Ed Cooley passes John Colrick (1930-31) for the most losses by any first year Georgetown coach in school history; not altogether unexpected, just not in mid-February.
Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Epps 37 2-5 1-7 2-3 3 2 1 9
Heath 29 1-2 3-8 1-2 3 1 1 12
Styles 36 1-8 2-7 0-0 5 0 1 8
Bristol 23 0-0 0-3 0-0 8 1 0 0
Cook 32 4-7 0-0 0-0 11 2 2 8
Reserves:
Brumbaugh 31 4-7 2-3 0-0 2 5 2 14
Fielder 8 0-1 0-1 0-0 1 1 0 0
Massoud 4 0-1 1-1 0-0 1 0 1 3
Team Rebounds 2
DNP: Asadallah, Montgomery, Bacote, McKenna,
Mutombo, Kazor
TOTALS 200 12-31 9-30 3-5 36 12 8 54
Arena Plans Facing Headwinds In Richmond
Following comments from Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin last week, Virginia Democrats have removed $1.35 billion in state funding for Monumental Sports' arena project in the General Assembly's "crossover" period to complete the commonwealth's 2025 budget.
"The chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations committee told the Washington Post Thursday that her committee will 'absolutely' remove language allowing the proposed $2 billion project to be financed with state-backed bonds."The move follows a Youngkin speech in Lexington last weekend, where he told students at Washington & Lee University that "Democrats today do not believe in, nor do they want, a strong America...they are content to concede, to compromise away, to abandon the very foundations that made America exceptional."
This is the speech he gives while wanting us to compromise with him and give him the Glenn Dome?!?! https://t.co/U0w8gjivdD
— L. Louise Lucas (@SenLouiseLucas) February 11, 2024
"To quote [Monty Python], it's not dead yet," Senate majority leader Scott Surovell said earlier this week. "We are always open to talking about ways to try to alleviate our concerns, but the conversations need to happen ASAP."
According to the Post, the project could continue if language creating a stadium authority is included in the final budget, to be completed March 9. Without funding, however, the $2 billion project as envisioned by Monumental Sports CEO Ted Leonsis (C'77) will be deferred to a future general session, driving delays and increasing costs.
An official from Monumental Sports declined comment on the Post story. This comes on the same day Leonsis announced a $5 million gift to Medstar Health, supporting a helipad on the new hospital pavilion Medstar completed at Georgetown University Hospital.
Creighton 94, Georgetown 72
Baylor Scheierman turned in the first triple-double of its kind in Creighton basketball history as the #17-ranked Blue Jays ran away with a 94-72 win over Georgetown before 16,768 at CHI Health Center in Omaha.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
Changes to the Georgetown starting lineup were of no effect: Wayne Bristol got the call over Ismael Massoud; both combined to go scoreless in 47 combined minutes on the court. As a team, the Hoyas went 1 for 7 to begin the game, but stayed in range only because the Bluejays missed their first four three point attempts to open the first half, a number that would change fairly quickly. An 8-6 Georgetown lead was erased with two Creighton threes in 33 seconds, and the Jays never looked back.Creighton scored on five of its next seven attempts, 23-14, going 9 for 14 from the field after starting the game 1 for 6, part of a 13-0 run which put the Bluejays up 14, 28-14 at the 7:23 mark of the first half.
Ball movement game ?? @BluejayMBB pic.twitter.com/g3UucMV7cd
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 14, 2024
As Creighton streaked, Georgetown stalled, with just three field goals in the final 6:12 of the half en route to a 9 for 30 effort by halftime, behind a combined 5 for 19 from Epps and Styles. For its part, the Bluejays ended the half with three threes in the final 3:12 and a 46-27 lead at the break, behind 10 three pointers overall and 14 assists on 18 made baskets.
5?? for 5?? from ??@TrickyTrey23 | @BluejayMBB pic.twitter.com/YMXYV6j5dw
— BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) February 14, 2024
A brief run of sloppy play by the Bluejays opened the second half but it was soon solved from the outside. Threes from Trey Alexander and Baylor Scheierman extended the lead to 56-31 just five minutes into the second half. With little else to talk about, the Fox Sports 1 announcers soon focused on Scheierman and his growing rebound and assists count, noting that no Creighton player had scored a triple double in points, rebounds, and assists before, though former center Benoit Benjamin had accomplished it through points, rebounds, and blocks in the 1984-85 season. Scheierman reached the mark at the 10:18 point of the second half, leaving the game with 6:41 to play with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.
??TRIPLE-DOUBLE @playforhim3 ??
— Creighton Men’s Basketball (@BluejayMBB) February 14, 2024
First Triple-Double 1985.
?? FS1#GoJays pic.twitter.com/684svDzDzr
The 15th three of the evening put Creighton up 27, 81-54, before coach Greg McDermott emptied the bench. For its part, the Hoyas got better second half play from Supreme Cook (13 points, 8 rebounds) and Rowan Brumbaugh (11 points, all after halftime) but little else. Georgetown allowed the Bluejays a 64 percent run after the break, including a dismal 9 of 10 inside the arc and 32 points in the paint overall. Four Creighton starters ended the game in double figures, led by Trey Alexander, who surpassed his 25 points against the Hoyas on January 2 with six threes and 26 points overall. Of Creighton's 34 total field goals, 17 came from three, 11 from layups, three from dunks, and just three from jumpers, a textbook case of attacking the Hoyas' vacant defense from inside and outside.
"We're happy to be back in the W column," said Alexander in post game comments. The same cannot be said for Georgetown, which with this loss has clinched a ninth regular season under .500 in the last ten seasons and is a cumulative 3-49 in its last three seasons of Big East play.
Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Epps 35 3-10 3-8 2-3 1 3 2 17
Heath 27 2-2 1-4 0-0 3 1 2 7
Styles 39 2-9 1-3 6-8 3 0 2 13
Bristol 25 0-2 0-0 0-0 6 4 2 0
Cook 31 8-13 0-0 3-6 11 0 4 19
Reserves:
Brumbaugh 13 4-5 1-1 0-0 1 2 2 11
Montgomery 1 0-0 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 3
Bacote 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Fielder 9 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 1 0 0
Mutombo 3 0-0 0-0 2-2 0 0 0 2
Massoud 12 0-2 0-2 0-0 1 0 2 0
Team Rebounds
DNP: Asadallah, McKenna, Kazor 3
TOTALS 200 19-42 7-19 13-19 30 11 16 72
The Defense... Rests
Saturday's game with Connecticut revisited an uncomfortable truth: Georgetown has one of the worst defenses in the nation.
Seven of the last eight games have seen Georgetown opponents average at least 50 percent from the field against the Hoyas, with UConn shooting 61.1 percent in Saturday's 89-64 game. Much of it is inside the arc, as the Huskies shot 70 percent from two point range in this game. Entering Tuesday's game at Creighton, Georgetown is 358 of 362 Division I teams in two point field goal defense.| 2023-24 | 2P% | 3P% | FT% | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PF | PTS |
| Offense | 0.471 | 0.338 | 0.718 | 34.8 | 12.4 | 5.9 | 3.5 | 16.5 | 71.6 |
| Rank | 321st | 191st | 171st | 233rd | 253rd | 266th | 168th | 215th | 247th |
| Defense | 2P% | 3P% | FT% | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PF | PTS |
| Opponent | 0.560 | 0.334 | 0.707 | 34.7 | 15.2 | 7.4 | 3.8 | 16.8 | 76.4 |
| Rank | 358th | 189th | 144th | 176th | 108th | 297th | 276th | 159th | 297th |
For its part, Georgetown isn't shooting particularly well, either, particularly from its guards. In his last five games, Jayden Epps is shooting 23 for 81 from the field (.283) and just 9 for his last 43 from three point range (.209).
As numbers go, not a lot of hopeful signs heading into Tuesday's game. The Bluejays rank 3rd in the nation in two point shooting (.601) and shot 55 percent from the field overall in its 77-60 win over the Hoyas on January 2.
Connecticut 89, Georgetown 64
In a 51 year run of 790 home games from 1972 through 2023, Georgetown suffered only nine losses of 20 or more points. In the past 18 days, they have repeated it three consecutive times.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
That Georgetown would fall to #1-ranked Connecticut was no surprise. The Huskies entered Capital One Arena winners of seven straight over Georgetown and 11 straight this season, while the Hoyas arrived having lost seven straight. The method of that loss was a surprise, perhaps, as Alex Karaban's 25 points put this game out of reach early in a 89-64 rout before 13,040 in attendance. As if the numerous pleadings by head coach Ed Cooley and staff were to no effect, the Hoyas turned in another dismal effort worthy of the worst defense in major college basketball.
Georgetown never led in this game and held a tie score for all of 37 seconds. Karaban, who scored a career high 26 in the first meeting between the schools this season on January 14, scored on his first there attempts as the Huskies built a 10-4 lead four minutes into the contest. Following a Dontrez Styles basket, the Huskies went on a 9-0 run in 96 seconds, with a pair of free throws, two Karaban layups and a three point play from Tristen Newton, 19-6.
Following a Dontrez Styles three, Georgetown missed its next six attempts from the field as UConn answered with a second 9-0 run, this time with two dunks, a layup, and a Karaban three, causing Ed Cooley to call a second time out in the first half.
DIME from DC ??????? pic.twitter.com/eBwkFyfoN6
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) February 10, 2024
Coming out of the time out, Wayne Bristol promptly airballed a three point shot and Stephon Castle dunked it in response, leading Cooley to burn a third first time out, with equal measures desperation and disgust. By the eight minute time out, UConn had nine assists on 12 made field goals and led by 16, 30-14. Three seconds after UConn Coach Dan Hurley sat four starters for his reserve team, whistled back into play, Castle found reserve center Samson Johnson for an uncontested dunk, 32-14.
"Georgetown (8-15, 1-11 Big East) has dropped eight straight games and clinched its eighth losing conference record in the past nine seasons to match its total from the Big East's first 36 years."
--Washington Post
The halftime box score looked like an autopsy. UConn shot 63 percent from the floor, 75 percent (15 of 20) inside the three point arc. Holding the Hoyas to a single offensive rebound despite its missing 20 of 31 attempts, the Huskies posted assists on 14 of 19 scoring possessions.
For its part, Georgetown had little to offer in return. Styles accounted for 17 of its 28 points at the break, with starters Jayden Epps, Jay Heath, and Ismael Massoud combining to shoot 1 for 11. Worse, perhaps, the three were ineffective defensively, forcing no steals between them amidst just two for the team. Georgetown allowed UConn 30 points in the paint.
20-piece for AK ?? pic.twitter.com/2FqzbimHgz
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) February 10, 2024
One of the criticisms of Styles this season has been an inability to play two strong halves in the game, but defense, not dereliction, shut him down after the break. Scoring two early field goals, Styles had only two attempts thereafter, finishing with six in the half en route to a GU-high 23. Despite the encouragements of UConn coach Dan Hurley to "put foot on gas" and run away with the game, the second half Huskies lacked the killer instinct of their coach, as Hurley seemed ready to spontaneously combust for, in any other game, would have been a sterling second half, as the Huskies shot 58 percent from the field after the break and made nine of its final 10 attempts of the game: a dunk, four layups, and four threes, the final three coming with 43 seconds at the hand of sophomore guard Apostolos Roumoglou, who entered Saturday's game with just eight points all season.
"We had a bunch of moments of weakness in the second half," Hurley noted in post-game comments. "If you don't keep a foot on the gas in these games, maybe not today, but we're getting to that point of the season where, on a made basket, you don't sprint back and get loaded up to the ball, your season ends. You lose, and you go home and you're disappointed with how it ends. Those are habits and behaviors that have to be entrenched, whether you're up 27 with six to go, or you're in a one-point game. Those are habits that have to be formed."
Such habits live only in the imagination of Georgetown and its fans. Despite just one three pointer after halftime, the Hoyas played the Huskies even for 20 minutes, shooting 44 percent from the field but getting 11 of 12 at the line behind 10 points and five rebounds from Supreme Cook after the break. Nonetheless, the margin barely moved in the second half, staying in a tempo between 23 and 27 points.
It never gets old ???? pic.twitter.com/2a3zWq0SJC
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) February 10, 2024
"[Coach Hurley] was mad that we weren't playing to the UConn standard," said Karaban after the game. "We built such a big lead in the first half and we kind of started playing even with them in the second half. It wasn't who we were. We let them stay in the game. We looked soft on the defensive end, we weren't sharp on the offensive end. He was just mad with how we were playing. He knew we could play much better."
The "Georgetown standard" continues to be a low one.
Supreme Cook was the only player to join Styles in double figures. Jayden Epps (2 for 8) finished with four, while Ismael Massoud (0 for 4) played six minutes after halftime without a shot attempt. The Huskies put four in double figures, including a perfect 5 for 5 effort by Samson, coming off the bench.
The Hoyas travel Tuesday to Omaha, the site of a 99-59 loss in the 2022-23 regular season finale at Creighton.
Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Epps 32 2-6 0-2 0-2 4 4 1 4
Heath 30 2-4 0-0 2-3 1 0 3 6
Styles 38 5-10 3-6 4-5 6 0 4 23
Massoud 13 0-2 0-2 0-0 1 0 3 0
Cook 26 4-10 0-0 4-5 8 0 2 12
Reserves:
Brumbaugh 27 1-4 1-2 2-2 2 4 1 7
Montgomery 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0
Bacote 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Fielder 13 2-3 0-0 1-1 0 1 5 5
Mutombo 3 1-2 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 2
Bristol 14 1-2 1-3 0-0 4 0 0 5
Team Rebounds 18-43 5-15 13-18 5 10 19 64
DNP: Asadallah, McKenna, Kazor
TOTALS 200
Arena Politics: DC Mayor Raising The Stakes
In her first extended comments in the proposed relocation of the NBA Wizards and NHL Capitals from Washington, District mayor Muriel Bowser vowed that the city would take over Capital One Arena if Monumental Sports breaks its lease on the 20,600 seat facility.
Excerpts from her 1,200 word article at the Washington Post, are below. As has been the case in previous statements from both Monumental Sports and the District government, Georgetown University is not mentioned in their respective plans.Our [$500 million] deal would mean Monumental can avoid any broken promises, breached leases or potential litigation to distract from building the most valuable regional sports company. It would mean equitable construction spending and our continued support of [union] workers who earn good pay and benefits in D.C. Truthfully, we still don't know whether the Virginia deal will cross the finish line or whether this gamble will work. Perhaps this is why Leonsis has not yet signed anything.Bowser's statement on the lease is in conflict with a reported clause that Monumental can terminate its obligations in 2027 by paying off $36 million of municipal bonds issued by the District in 2007 during renovations undertook by the former Washington Sports & Entertainment on the privately built facility.
"Throughout this process, much has been said about the challenges of city life - street artists, for example, and crime. But I don't believe for a minute that's why Monumental has struck a handshake deal with Virginia. Their decision was about money and land. Period... While we can't currently offer 12 acres of undeveloped land, we know there's great potential to grow an urban campus with Monumental and other Leonsis companies right in the core of the city. New York's Madison Square Garden is an example of an in-place renovation that provided just that.""Throughout this process, much has been said about the challenges of city life - street artists, for example, and crime. But I don't believe for a minute that's why Monumental has struck a handshake deal with Virginia. Their decision was about money and land. Period." --Muriel Bowser
"We intend to keep our end of the bargain and enforce the leases with Monumental that require the Wizards and Capitals to play at the arena through 2047 and the Mystics to play in Congress Heights through 2037. If Monumental goes ahead and breaks its leases, the short-term impact will be tough, not only on the neighborhood, but on our entire city. But let me be clear: The city owns the land under the Capital One Arena and will own the building should Monumental break its lease...I am also confident that whether we operate the current arena or build something new, we will continue to have a world-class concert venue in D.C."
Athletic Hall of Fame
Former all-American Mike Sweetney (2000-03) will be honored this evening by his induction into the Georgetown University Athletic Hall of Fame.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
A 6-8 forward from Oxon Hill, MD who played three seasons at Georgetown, Sweetney becomes the 36th men's basketball player selected since 1953 and the first player selected from the years beyond the John Thompson era.- GUHoyas.com
- Sweetney Bio: Georgetown Basketball History Project
- Hall of Fame Members: Men's Basketball
In 2003, "Sweetney led the team in scoring 25 times, never scoring below double figures. He led the team in rebounding 29 times, with 16 double figure rebound efforts. Shooting 55 percent from the floor and 74 percent from the line, he accounted for nearly a third of the team's offense that season. Sweetney opened Big East play with 35 points and 19 rebounds in an overtime win versus West Virginia and never let up. His 25.1 per game average trails only Allen Iverson for a single season average, with sterling efforts against Notre Dame (38 points, 15 rebounds), at Syracuse (32 points, 13 rebounds), Pitt (28 points, 8 rebounds), and home versus Syracuse (31 points, 19 rebounds)."
"At season's end, Sweetney had led the Hoyas to the brink of the NIT championship, leading the team in scoring in his final seven games and 13 of its last 15. Sweetney's season was nothing short of remarkable, even if the nation's press downplayed his accomplishments and offered only honorable mention All-America status. His 776 points in a season was third most in school history."
Having opted for the NBA draft in June 2003, Sweetney became only the third early entry to the draft to this point in Georgetown history. Sweetney was selected by the New York Knickerbockers with the ninth pick of the draft, and played four seasons for the Knicks and the Chicago Bulls.
Mike Sweetney joins fellow inductees Rebekkah Brunson (C'04, women's basketball), Elizabeth M. Delgado (C'01, women's soccer), Steve Dusseau (C'02, men's lacrosse), Erin Elbe (C'02, women's lacrosse), and Christopher Lengle (C'02, men's swimming) at tonight's ceremonies at Lohrfink Auditorium. The recipients will be recognized at Saturday's game versus Connecticut.
Leonsis: Monumental Will Not Return Downtown
Proclaiming that "the die is cast", Monumental Sports owner Ted Leonsis (C'77) is not planning a return to Washington, regardless of the vote in the Virginia General Assembly on $1.35 billion in state subsidies to relocate the NBA Wizards and NHL Capitals.
In his first public comment since announcing his plans in December, Leonsis spoke with WUSA-TV about the move. In an excerpt of the conversation broadcast late Wednesday evening, Leonsis said he was hurt by the public criticism over the move and seemed surprised by it."I've been hurt but that's my personality," Leonsis said. "I'm not your typical average businessperson. I care what people think."
Nonetheless, Leonsis dismissed growing neighborhood concerns that gameday traffic at the proposed 20,000 seat arena would overwhelm US Route 1. "They have every right to be [concerned], but there's traffic today. We want to be a solution to the traffic," suggesting that additional elevators at the Metro stop at Potomac Yard could alleviate demand for the 260 events planned each year under current projections.
"I disagree with claims that this project would move the teams in a way that will reduce accessibility for fans," Leonsis wrote in a January 25 letter posed to its web site, adding that the transportation options around the facility will also include "dedicated rideshare drop off, water taxi, walking, running, and bike trail[s]."
The statement, titled "A Letter From Ted Leonsis" makes no mention of the largest external tenant at Capital One Arena: Georgetown. The University has made no statement on Leonsis' plans, only saying in December it was "monitoring the situation".
When asked by WUSA reporter Eric Flack if there was any chance he would reconsider the $500 million offer by the District to renovate Capital One Arena, presumably if the funding failed in the General Assembly, Leonsis declined.
"The die is cast", he said.
Seton Hall 76, Georgetown 70
A major upset for Georgetown team was there for the taking Wednesday night, but another late game stumble awarded the Seton Hall Pirates a 76-70 win before an announced crowd of 9.422 at the Prudential Center. The loss is Georgetown's 41st road loss in its last 45 dating to the 2019-20 season.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
The Hoyas set a school record with 40 three point attempts in the game, and set another school record by missing 30 of them. Perhaps even more surprising: the Hoyas were actually in this game for 34 minutes despite some poor defensive play and an inability to step up when it counted, but could not overcome a season of late game futility.The game began strong for both teams, combining to score on its first five shot attempts of the game. The Hoyas soon reverted to its mean, missing its next six and trailing 10-5 thereafter. Three times in the first half the Hoyas closed the deficit, three times they went cold as the Pirates repelled the attacks. From 10-10 the Pirates scored six straight; with SHU leading 16-15 the Pirates went on a 10-2 run; and GU closed back to three with 6:26 only to fall behind by eight, 33-26, en route to a 38-33 deficit at halftime. A 15 point first half from Dre Davis led the Pirates, while Georgetown got 16 from Dontrez Styles, shooting 6 for 8 with four threes as the remainder of the team shot a combined 7 for 26 and 2 for 8 from outside the arc.
To its credit, the Hoyas hung around in this game; to its discredit, poor shooting decisions doomed it to failure. The Hoyas opened the second half shooting 1 for 5 but kept the Pirates within range, trailing just 43-40 on a Jay Heath three with 16:57 to play. A lack of teamwork on defense allowed the Pirates an 8-0 run on 3 for 3 shooting and a pair of free throws to extend its lead to 51-40; the Hoyas missed four straight during this run.
Offensively, the Hoyas were a mess, but some progress was evident. After allowing 13 points on five first half turnovers, Georgetown did not surrender a turnover in the second half, a useful tool to stay close when the Pirates went cold, which they did. The Hall slumped midway in the second half, shooting 1 for 11 and opened the door for the Hoyas.
A pair of baskets by Jay Heath brought the Hoyas to 53-48 with 8:48 to play, and a Supreme Cook dunk closed to 56-53 with 6:20 to play. The Pirates struggled down the stretch and made only two field goals thereafter, but it proved to be sufficient as Georgetown went into an offensive tailspin, missing ten of its next 13 attempts (six of seven from three point range) and sending Seton Hall to the foul line 16 times, with the Pirates connecting on 11 of the 16. Georgetown closed to five in the final minute, 75-70, but no closer.
Dre Davis finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds for Seton Hall, the second double-double of his career. The Pirates also got 20 points for Kadary Richmond, returning to full action following an injury suffered two games ago. The Hall shot just 39 percent for the half and 43 percent overall, but never trailed thanks to the foul line, shooting 20 for 28 while the Hoyas managed a meager 6 for 12. At one point, the Hoyas' poor free throw shooting, largely from Supreme Cook, was the margin of the game.
Georgetown continues to visibly underperform when it comes to shot selection and general teamwork. In a game where Supreme Cook had a strong presence inside, Jayden Epps continued to flail from outside, missing eight of 10 three point attempts in the second half when the Hoyas had better opportunities inside. After his own strong first half, Styles disappeared after halftime, shooting 1 for 8, while a troubling trend continues for Ismael Massoud: scoreless in four attempts and shooting 3 for 11 in his last two games. Coach Ed Cooley opted not to employ his bench after halftime, as a lineup of five starters and Wayne Bristol played all but two minutes of the half, and wore down accordingly.
Epps' shooting is visibly cratering. In his last six games, he is shooting 23 percent on 35 for 111 attempts, and 18 percent (9 for 41) from three point range over his last four. Without much help elsewhere in the scoring department, Epps is taking too many outside shots and opposing defenses will let him do so all day with those numbers, which allows teams like Seton Hall to avoid fouling Epps on drives inside--he had no free throws in tonight's game.
Prospects for Saturday's home game versus #1 Connecticut are poor. The Huskies have won all seven meetings between the schools since returning to the Big East in 2020, and have won 11 consecutive in Big East play this season. Georgetown is 3-19 all-time in games against top ranked opponents, with Saturday's game marking its first such meeting at Capital One Arena with a #1-ranked team since an 88-56 loss to Villanova on January 17, 2018.
With the win, Seton Hall has evened the all-time series with Georgetown at 60-60, having won seven straight and 20 of the last 27 in the series.
Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Epps 38 3-6 3-13 0-0 3 7 1 15
Heath 36 2-5 2-9 0-0 3 0 2 10
Styles 38 3-8 4-8 2-2 7 2 5 20
Massoud 19 0-0 0-4 0-0 1 0 5 0
Cook 35 8-13 0-0 4-10 11 3 3 20
Reserves:
Brumbaugh 7 0-1 0-1 0-0 1 1 2 0
Fielder 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0
Bristol 23 1-2 1-5 0-0 7 0 3 5
Team Rebounds 6
DNP: Asadallah, Montgomery, Bacote, McKenna, Mutombo, Kazor
TOTALS 200 17-35 10-40 6-12 40 13 22 70
ESPN, Fox, WBD Announce Streaming Platform
In a period of declining cable television viewers, an unusual alliance is preparing to offer a major all-sports package.
An unnamed network, owned by Disney (ESPN), Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery, will launch a streaming service by the end of the year which will include all its sports media properties within one platform.
One Year Ago:
"What will TV look like in three years?"
--CNBC, Feb. 7, 2023
The decision comes at a tipping point where Netflix surpassed ESPN in subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2023, as ESPN's audience has fallen from 100 million in 2019 to just over 72 million, with estimates that it is losing one million subscribers per month as cable subscriptions decline. The move comes two weeks removed from Netflix announcing a five year, $5 billion deal to acquire portions of WWE programming, signalling its move to an international streaming platform.
Media Rights
Expiration Dates:
Big East: 2025
Big Ten: 2030
Big 12: 2031
SEC: 2034
ACC: 2036
"We believe the service will provide passionate fans outside of the traditional bundle an array of amazing sports content all in one place," said Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said in a statement.
For its part, ESPN is still moving forward with a separate streaming project by August 2025, under pressure from parent company Disney.
NY Post: Same Old Hoyas
New York Post columnist Zach Braziller buries the lede with Monday's column titled "Ed Cooley's Georgetown team looks painfully familiar"
"Much more was hoped for out of Ed Cooley in his first season at Georgetown," he writes. "Really, it's hard to differentiate these defenseless Hoyas from their recent predecessors under Patrick Ewing.""The offense is significantly better, in the top 100 in terms of efficiency. It was 189th under Ewing last winter. It is a woeful defensive rebounding team, ranked 309th in the country in defensive rebounding percentage at 69.4 percent. It is 181st in KenPom. The only power-conference schools worse are Vanderbilt and, of course, DePaul."
The column then pivots to the strategy at hand:
"Upon taking the job, he opted for a traditional rebuild rather than an immediate fix, bringing in mostly younger players, whether they were transfers or high school recruits. Next year's class is ranked 17th in the country and his current team's best players are sophomore Jayden Epps, the Big East's third-leading scorer, and junior Dontrez Styles. So there is legitimate hope for the future, but it was a surprising tactic in the [NIL] and transfer portal era."
Marquette 91, Georgetown 57
A career performance from Kam Jones led the #9 Marquette Warriors to a blistering 91-57 win over Georgetown on Saturday, a margin that was not as close as the score indicated. In its worst home loss since a 107-67 loss to St. John's in 1971, only a late game run prevented the largest margin of defeat for any Georgetown team since 1913.
POST-GAME ARTICLES
That Marquette won handily was of no surprise to the late arriving crowd of 10,653, given that the Warriors had won its last seven games versus the Hoyas by double digits. None of the prior seven were as complete and as deflating to a Georgetown fan base which seems ready to pack it in entering the month of February as the Hoyas stand 1-9 at the halfway point of Big East play.The afternoon began awkwardly. An a cappella soloist who stood at halfcourt to sing the national anthem caught what appeared to be stage fright and stood speechless for nearly a minute. As recorded anthem music was being piped into the Capital One Arena audio feed, he recovered and began to sing. As for the game, at the home of a NBA franchise who once proclaimed "it ain't over till the fat lady sings", this one was over by the twilight's last gleaming.
The appearance of Kam Jones, who had injured his ankle January 24 versus DePaul and was not available at practice, was questionable at best entering the game and he made his presence felt from the start, with five of the first eight points as Marquette led 8-4 three minutes into the first half. Excepting two threes, all five of Marquette's baskets within the first nine minutes of play came from inside via layup or dunk. Five straight by Tyler Kolek pushed the lead to nine, 16-9, before the Hoyas closed to 18-14 midway in the first half.
And that was about it.
Marquette began picking away at a lax Georgetown defense and never looked back. Back to back threes by Kolek and David Joplin forced head coach Ed Cooley to a quick timeout at the 8:47 mark.
It didn't help. Off the timeout, Wayne Bristol missed a short shot and Iso Ighodaro was alone for an easy dunk, prompting Cooley to call a second time out in the matter of 47 seconds.
"Jay Heath, pay attention to the huddle! Pay attention to the huddle!" Cooley said.
Heath turned the ball over on the next play and Kam Jones sank a three, 31-14.It's been a tough week for Ed Cooley and Georgetown
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) February 3, 2024
pic.twitter.com/ha0ltwqJos
The Warriors scored 16 straight, 34-14, before an uncontested Ismael Massoud dunk, then Joplin answered with an open three, 37-16. Both teams finished sloppy to end the half, with the Hoyas missing five of its final seven shots of the half, finishing 8 for 24 with 11 turnovers, down 22 at the break, 44-22, giving up eight threes.
Aside from some defensive efforts from Wayne Bristol, the Georgetown starters were exposed up and down the court. Jayden Epps was held to two free throws and took only two shots in the entire first half, while Supreme Cook never took a single shot, thanks to Marquette's defensive priorities. Heath, who gave up three turnovers and was no match for Tyler Kolek's 15 points and five assists, did not play after halftime.
"I can feel the angst of some of our people, 'Is this the same [as before with Patrick Ewing]? What's going on here?"
-- Ed Cooley
For the next nine minutes, Marquette shot 64 percent from the field with Jones shooting 9 for 11. He opened the run with a jumper at the 13:22 mark, 61-31. On the next possession, a three. Jones made five consecutive threes over a three minute, 16 second run for the Warriors, 74-38, before his first miss at the 8:46 mark. Following consecutive Georgetown turnovers, he dropped in a perimeter jumper and a three, 79-38. Following Jayden Epps' only there pointer of the afternoon, Jones responded with a pair of baskets in the paint and retired to the Marquette bench having scored 23 of his team's last 24 points, interrupted only by an Ighodaro free throw at the 12:12 mark. Jones finished with 31 points in 21 minutes of court time.
With 4:48 to play, the modern record for largest Georgetown defeat ever (an 88-44 loss at #2-ranked Marquette in 1971) was in range.
That it didn't reach this ignominy was a reflection of some valuable in-game experience gained by first year players Rowan Brumbaugh and Drew Fielder, who combined for all of Georgetown's remaining 13 points of the game. Brumbaugh finished the game 3 for 3 after halftime with seven of his game high 12 points, while Fielder had 10 points and four rebounds after the break.
Marquette coach Shaka Smart was unusually late before emptying his bench, keeping major reserves into the game until the 1:31 mark, up 38. Cooley never emptied the bench, as Ryan Mutombo, Jon Kazor, adn Hashem Asadallah remained as "did not play" for another afternoon.
Marquette dominated on both ends of the court. The Warriors forced 19 Georgetown turnovers leading to 35 points, 19 fast break points, and held Georgetown to four threes in the game. The starting five for the Hoyas was a combined 8 for 25 for 25 points overall. The starting five for Marquette were a combined 31 for 50 from the field and 81 of its 91 points.
A number of Georgetown players were coming off flu-like symptoms during the week but that along cannot mitigate this effort. "If I could do it again, I wouldn't have played Jayden [Epps], said Cooley, but he has no choice given the lack of productivity elsewhere.
Marquette ended the first half with 21 points off 11 Georgetown turnovers. The Hoyas forced eight Marquette turnovers with a total of zero points in return. "[21-0]" in the first half in points off turnovers, those are pick-sixes," Cooley said. "You can't recover from those, especially when you're struggling to score, knowing you're not as healthy."
The six game losing streak is the longest of Cooley's coaching tenure since his days at Fairfield, and is Georgetown's 24th home loss in its last 25 Big East games. "Georgetown right now doesn't have players who say 'this has to stop,'" said reporter Marcus Washington in post game remarks. "Making it stop doesn't mean you win this game, what it does mean is you don't give up 91 points and it ends up looking like an AAU score. This team cannot have this attitude and this is body language that they have right now."
"We have ten games left," said Cooley. "We have a lot of soul searching... and make sure we stay together."
Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Heath 17 1-2 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 5
Epps 26 1-6 1-2 2-2 1 1 1 7
Styles 30 3-4 0-4 4-6 3 1 2 10
Bristol 13 0-3 0-1 1-4 6 1 1 1
Cook 20 1-1 0-0 0-1 2 1 1 2
Reserves:
Brumbaugh 25 3-5 1-1 3-4 2 3 2 12
Montgomery 5 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Bacote 13 0-0 0-1 0-0 0 2 0 0
Fielder 17 4-6 0-0 3-5 7 0 2 11
Massoud 34 2-4 1-3 2-2 4 0 1 9
Team Rebounds 1
DNP: Asadallah, McKenna, Mutombo, Kazor
TOTALS 200 15-31 4-14 15-24 26 9 10 57