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Various news items posted during November 2024.
 
 

District Approves Arena Renovations

11/27/24

By a unanimous vote, the D.C. Council has approved its share of $800 million in renovations to Capital One Arena, keeping the NBA Wizards, NHL Capitals and (presumably) the Georgetown Hoyas downtown through the 2049-50 season.

ADDITIONAL COVERAGE
The renovation, proposed after Monumental Sports' plan to move its operations to a $1.4 billion project in Alexandria fell through in the Virginia House of Delegates, will involve $515 million of local funds, inclusive of the District buying the arena from Monumental for $87.5 million and leasing it back to Monumental through 2050. In a separate vote, the Council also approved creating a fund to allow the Washington Nationals to consider upgrades to Nationals Park, built in 2008. It is currently one of just eight Major League ballparks without dedicated funding through naming rights.

Construction on Capital One Arena could begin as soon as next summer, pending construction contracts, and conclude in 2027-28 with a minimum of disruption during the winter seasons for basketball and hockey. Current plans do not involve a tear-down but selected expansion within the existing footprint.

"The arena upgrade is the main course," writes the Washington Post. "As part of the deal, Monumental plans to do a major renovation of the facade, which now is largely just a huge cube in the middle of downtown, and to reactivate [the] Gallery Place mall that became dead space during the pandemic, plus an adjacent alleyway. Monumental also plans to add seats and enhance the fan experience inside the arena."

"The arena is a pillar of downtown and will continue to be a key component of our strategy to strengthen the future of downtown and the city," said council person Brooke Pinto (L'17).

As it maintained no public statements during the prior negotiations over the potential move by Monumental Sports in 2023 and the uncertain future of Capital One Arena prior to this effort, Georgetown University issued no comment on today's vote.

 

Attendance Dips In McDonough Finale

11/26/24

With students heading home for Thanksgiving, the turnout for the second and final home game this season at McDonough Gymnasium was expected to be modest. The attendance was just 1,477.

Excepting a COVID-restricted turnout vs. St. John's in 2022, it's the smallest public turnout at a Georgetown home game since a December 20, 1997 game at McDonough vs. Division II St. Leo.

Saturday's game at Capital One Arena versus Albany, scheduled for 4:00 pm, could also see a small crowd as well.



The two games scheduled at McDonough served its purpose, however. While the terms of Georgetown's lease with Monumental Sports remain strictly confidential, the games saved GU a considerable amount of money from renting Capital One Arena for opponents (Lehigh, Wagner) with minimal attendance potential, and successfully reintroduced on-campus basketball before students in the season opener. It remains to be seen if such latitude can be exercised in the future, but select on-campus basketball games remain an opportunity for the University going forward.

Attendance through six home games currently stands at an average of 3,910 per game, ninth among 11 Big East schools.

 

Georgetown 66, Wagner 41

11/26/24

For the third time in 13 days, the Wagner College Seahawks resembled a flat tire, failing to score for 11 minutes over two halves, as the Georgetown Hoyas walked away with a 66-41 win at McDonough Gymnasium Tuesday.

POST-GAME ARTICLES
On November 13, Wagner managed just 16 field goals in a 66-45 loss at St. John's, and a mere 11 in a 54-28 loss at Seton Hall three nights later. Four field goals in the final 2:03 of tonight's game accounted for the majority of just seven baskets after halftime for the Seahawks and 14 overall, despite being competitive with the Hoyas for much of the first half.

Neither team had much in the way of offense to begin this game, with the teams combining for just nine field goals over the first seven minutes, with the Seahawks holding a 12-10 lead midway in the first half. The lead was in large part due to five Wagner offensive rebounds and a 10-4 advantage on the boards overall at this point in the first half, despite just two players taller than 6-7.

Baskets by Malik Mack and Thomas Sorber gave GU its first lead since the opening minute, 17-15, and two minutes later, the teams had traded just one field goal between them, a three pointer by Wagner's Zaire Williams a the 5:39 mark, 19-18.

Following a dunk by Georgetown's Jordan Burks, a layup by R.J. Greene closed the Seahawks to 23-20 with 3:19 to halftime, whereupon the Seahawks missed its final four attempts of the first half and the Hoyas picked up a Micah Peavy three and a Malik Mack layup to go up 28-20 at the half, shooting just 34 percent at the break.

"The energy in McDonough...is different. We love everyone coming out to Capital One Arena, but McDonough just makes me feel like I'm back at home and playing in front of my family. The energy in McDonough is very exciting in a different way."
--Thomas Sorber

The Seahawks came out of the second half with...nothing. A slow tempo and a lack of a go-to scorer put the Seahawks late into the shot clock, with a pair of shot clock violations, three turnovers, and just one offensive rebound in the first eight minutes of the second half. Four three point attempts were the only Wagner attempts over the first four minutes, and just more two shots total over the next four, giving Georgetown ample opportunity to pull away.

While Wagner was wobbling, Georgetown was scoring: a Thomas Sorber layup, back to back baskets by Peavy, a pair of baskets from Drew Fielder, a three from Jayden Epps, a free throw from Mack, and a three from Peavy, part of a run of 7 for 10 that extended the Georgetown lead to 46-20 before Wagner guard Javier Ezquerra picked up a layup with 11:58 to play. It was only the seventh shot of the half for the Seahawks, and a point of no return.

Georgetown pushed the lead to 30 at 57-27 with eight minutes remaining and 36 with 5:00 to play, 65-29. The Hoyas missed its last nine field goals of the second half, many from bench players, as Wagner outscored the Hoyas 12-1 in the final 4:42 to finish the game.

This was not a statistically strong game for the Hoyas despite the disparity. Georgetown shot just 43 percent for the game and remains spotty from outside: 7 for 22 from outside the three point arc. The Hoyas outboarded the visiting Seahawks 19-13 in the second half en route to a 36-31 advantage on rebounds overall, despite its significant size advantage. Malik Mack and Micah Peavy led the way with a combined 31 of GU's 66 points.

"We knew we had a challenge on our hands and I was really proud of our men and the way that we defended with a purpose," said Georgetown coach Ed Cooley in post-game remarks. "Hopefully we can continue to grow from there."

Georgetown's 5-1 start is its best since 2018-19, which saw the Hoyas open with seven wins in its first eight games.

Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:


            MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:    
Mack         29   2-7   2-3  6-8    3  2   2   16
Epps         29   0-1   1-4  0-0    2  2   2    3 
Peavy        34   1-4   3-5  4-7    3  3   2   15
Fielder      23   4-4   0-0  0-0    4  2   0    8
Sorber       28   3-4   1-2  0-0    7  6   2    9
Reserves:
Ca. Williams  2   0-0   0-0  0-0    0  0   0    0
McKenna       4   0-0   0-2  0-0    1  0   0    0
Cu. Williams  8   0-0   0-1  0-0    1  0   1    0   
Montgomery    2   0-1   0-0  1-2    0  0   0    1
Asadallah     2   0-1   0-0  0-0    1  0   0    0
Burks        15   4-5   0-0  2-2    3  0   1   10 
Halaifonua   13   0-1   0-2  0-0    1  0   0    0
Mulready     13   1-1   0-3  2-2    2  1   1    4
Team Rebounds                       8
DNP: Fort, Moses, Van Raaphorst, Diouf  
TOTALS      200  15-29 7-22 15-21  36 16  11   66

 

Georgetown 82, St. Francis 65

11/23/24

Micah Peavy's 24 points helped lead Georgetown to an 82-65 win over St. Francis, a more competitive game than the final score would indicate.

POST-GAME ARTICLES
The conclusion of the erstwhile Georgetown multi-team event was widely expected to be a walkover of the Red Flash, with just one Division I win to date this season following an 9-22 record the year before. It was a rough start for St francis, missing its first five and 11 of its first 13 as Georgetown cruised to a 16-4 lead behind eight early points from Peavy. The Hoyas hit five straight and led by as many as 14 before the Red Flash began to tighten the score behind forward Bobby Rosenberger.

A 6-5 sophomore, Rosenberger missed his first four attempts of the first half before leading the Red Flash on a spirited comeback, scoring 15 of its final 21 points of the half as the Red Flash shot 10 of its next 14 against a sketchy Georgetown defense. St. Francis came all the way back to take a 34-33 lead with 1:50 to halftime before a four point play by Jayden Epps gave Georgetown a 37-33 lead at the break.

A similar story opened the second half: the Red Flash missed six of its first nine attempts, the Hoyas connected on its first four, and looked to be pulling away, 44-36. Georgetown led by as many as nine midway in the half when it missed 10 of its next 11 from the field, whereupon the Red Flash put together a 10-0 run and took a 57-56 lead with 8:50 remaining.

Stability returned to the Georgetown game plan in the name of Jayden Epps. As had he done at a critical point of the first half, Epps hit a three point jumper on the next possession to return the lead, 59-57. The Flash went cold on its next three possessions, with Georgetown extending the lead at the foul line. A three point play from Malik Mack with 5:35 opened some room for the Hoyas, 65-58, part of a 12-1 run.

Late game shooting failed the Flash, missing nine of its final ten attempts of the game while the Hoyas, still running four starters into the final minute of play, added eight points in the final 1:07 with the game well in hand.

Of the 82 points scored, 47 of those points came from just two players: Peavy (24) and Epps (23), each of whom played a combined 75 of 80 minutes available on the court between them. Bench scoring was confined to seven points for Jordan Burks, platooning with Drew Fielder at the power forward position, but a combined 0 for 6 for everyone else. Georgetown shot 43 percent for the game but suffered another poor effort from the perimeter, shooting 9 for 27.

St. Francis was led by 20 points each from Bobby Rosenberger and Riley Parker.

For its part, the Red Flash hit 10 threes and held a 41-36 rebound advantage, but 20 turnovers and a 2 for 9 shooting effort from Rosenberger after halftime proved too much to overcome.

"We out-rebounded them, and we've been challenging our guys to be able to do those things over 40 minutes," said SFU coach Rob Krimmel in post-game comments. "In games like this, I always tell our guys to put us in a position at the under-four media timeout [but] give Georgetown credit. Down the stretch, they pressured us a little bit, and some turnovers led to some untimely layups, but they got some momentum rolling downhill."

The Hoyas' struggles on perimeter defense, seen last week against Notre Dame, were in evidence in this game and must be addressed further before the schedule steps up in competition two weeks hence. As a HoyaTalk poster observed in post-game comments. allowing a team like St. Francis a 10-0 run will be a 20-0 run against some Big East teams.

Attendance was 3,192 for the game, a slight improvement on Tuesday's assembly of 2,756 at Capital One Arena.

Five games through an eight game homestand, the Hoyas move on to a midweek game Tuesday at McDonough Gymnasium versus Wagner (3-3), who defeated Division II Springfield College 81-46 on Saturday.

Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:


            MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:    
Mack         33   4-9   0-0  3-4    7  4   3   11
Epps         39   3-5   4-12 5-5    6  1   1   23
Peavy        36   6-13  4-7  0-1    3  6   3   24
Fielder      20   2-4   1-3  1-2    6  3   1    8
Sorber       25   3-4   0-0  3-5    5  2   3    9
Reserves:
Ca. Williams  9   0-1   0-1  0-0    2  0   1    0
Cu. Williams  3   0-0   0-0  0-0    1  0   0    0
Burks        14   3-5   0-1  1-2    3  0   1    7
Halaifonua   12   0-1   0-0  0-0    1  2   1    0
Mulready     10   0-0   0-3  0-0    0  0   1    0
Team Rebounds                       2
DNP: Fort, McKenna, Montgomery, Asadallah,
Moses, Van Raaphorst, Diouf  
TOTALS      200  21-42 9-27 13-19  36 18  15   82

 

Cooley Apologizes For Post-Game Comment

11/23/24

Head coach Ed Cooley offered an apology following a comment directed at the University of Illinois in Saturday's St. Francis post-game press conference.

COMMENTS AND REACTION
In discussing Jayden Epps' development thus far this season, Cooley remarked that "It's almost like he's a new player. It's something I saw in him his freshman year when he played for that other bulls--- school", a reference to Epps transferring from Illinois, although Cooley not did cite Illinois by name and moved on to other topics following the 82-65 win.



When asked for comment, Illinois coach Brad Underwood remarked that "That's not even worth wasting my time on. I don't know what he's referencing that about." It is unclear if Cooley and Underwood have a history between them, or if this was simply locker room talk that slipped into a public forum.

Later that afternoon, Cooley posted a note on his personal Twitter account which read: "My comment today was said in jest with one of my players, but I admit it was a poor choice of words. I have the utmost respect for the University of Illinois, its men's basketball program, coaches and players."

For its part, it's not like Georgetown and Illinois are rivals: the schools have met only six times, the last of which was a 88-80 Georgetown win on November 13, 2018 during Patrick Ewing's inaugural season. As head coach at Providence College, Cooley met the Illini only once, a 60-59 win in 2015 that predates Underwood's arrival in Champaign by two seasons.

Wrote Illinois reporter Jason Langendorf: "Perhaps Cooley felt Epps was underappreciated in Champaign and thought he was defending his guy. Maybe he even thought he had been mistreated. But the message wasn't a response or reaction, it was delivered unprompted, without further context or explanation. It was a calculated shot wrapped in an offhanded remark inside a monumentally dumb decision. Neither Cooley nor Epps gained anything from the comment. It just came off as sour grapes."

Georgetown officials offered no further comment on the matter.

 

Editorial : The Third Founder

11/22/24

The extended Georgetown community has learned of the departure of John J. DeGioia as president of the University.

The news was unexpected, but not shocking, inasmuch as his absence over the past six months lent itself to an air of institutional apprehension. Those who saw him at Reunion Weekend in June casually fielding questions in Gaston Hall would have never imagined what awaited him three days later. Now, a new chapter in the Georgetown story is about to begin.

It will take years to fully assess DeGioia's impact upon Georgetown University, but it is not too early to say it is as prodigious as it is profound. For as the University often points to John Carroll as its first founder, or Patrick Healy S.J. as its second, Jack DeGioia's contributions to the modern Georgetown University are every bit as transformative as what Carroll or Healy ever did or hoped to do.

And it's worth talking about.

Continued at this link.

 

Bulletin: DeGioia Resigns As University President

11/21/24 2:30 pm EST

John J. DeGioia (C'79, G'95), longest serving president in Georgetown University history, has announced his resignation.

DeGioia, 67, was hospitalized on June 5 and has not returned to campus since.

The text of the letter reads as follows:

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community:

I write today to express my gratitude for the opportunity I have had to lead Georgetown over these past 23 years and to share with you the most difficult decision I have ever made: I have informed the Board of Directors that I will be stepping down from my role as the President of Georgetown. While I continue to recover from the stroke I suffered this past June, I will need to devote my energies to my ongoing recovery.

Serving as the President of Georgetown has been the privilege of my lifetime. Going forward, I will transition to serve as President Emeritus and as a member of the faculty. In these and many other ways, I look forward to continuing to advance and support Georgetown's mission and the University community that means so much to all of us. I remain deeply proud of the work we have done together to strengthen the Georgetown community, our nation, and our world.

Each of us is called to a vocation of service. I have had the privilege of holding many roles here at Georgetown and serving in a way that is authentic to my vocation. I have been shaped by the tradition of this community and the values of the Academy and we, as a University community, continue to be guided by these ideals in rich and enduring ways.

Georgetown is a place where we, continuously, rigorously, and collectively, pursue truth. We commit to the formation of our students, to the inquiry of our faculty, and to the common good of our communities. Together, we have worked to ensure Georgetown upholds these commitments and ideals which define us and distinguish universities in our society.

There is another role we play in our world- animated by our mission as a Catholic and Jesuit institution. I am grateful to many who have guided us in this work and who have enlivened our tradition in new ways so that Ignatian spirituality and our Catholic and Jesuit identity are ever more present to our University community.

In many settings over the years, I have shared with you the great hope I have for the future of this University and how we will continue to be ever more true to our mission and purpose. This responsibility is one that each of us shares by virtue of our membership in this community. All of us can find reassurance in knowing that we share in this work together and that, over many generations, we have built the type of community that will enable Georgetown to thrive for years to come.

On behalf of myself and my family, I offer our deepest appreciation for the messages and prayers of support during this time. I look forward to being with you again in the future.

With my deepest gratitude,

Jack
President, Georgetown University



A letter from the Georgetown Board of Directors followed.

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community:

On behalf of the Georgetown University Board of Directors, and the entire Georgetown University community, I want to express profound gratitude to John J. DeGioia (C'79, G'95) for his lifetime of service to our institution.

It is hard to put in words the depth of Jack's impact at Georgetown. Since first arriving on campus as an undergraduate student in 1975, Jack has spent his entire career at Georgetown and has helped shape every facet of the University. Under Jack's leadership as President over the past 23 years, Georgetown University has grown and flourished as a global leader in higher education. With a deep commitment to academic excellence, research, student formation and its Jesuit and Catholic identity, Jack has helped to position Georgetown as a force for good in the world.

As Jack shared in his letter, this was a very difficult decision for him and his family. We are grateful that Jack will transition to serve as President Emeritus and will continue as a member of our faculty. We will announce plans to celebrate his presidency at a later date and look forward to reflecting on the transformational role that Jack has played in our community over these many years.

The Board wishes to extend its deep appreciation to Jack and the DeGioia family for their legacy of excellence and their commitment to Georgetown.

Earlier today, the Board of Directors authorized a search for Georgetown's next President. I will share more information regarding this process and the formation of a search committee in the weeks ahead. In consultation with Jesuit leadership and our academic and faculty leadership, our intention is to have a new president in place by July 1, 2026.

I would also like to announce that the Board of Directors has appointed Robert M. Groves, Ph.D., to serve as Interim President of Georgetown University, while we search for a new president. Since 2012, he has served with distinction as Executive Vice President and Provost and is the Gerard J. Campbell, S.J. Professor in the Math and Statistics Department, with a secondary appointment in the Sociology Department. Bob will be working to name an Interim Provost in the days ahead.

In addition, the Board has appointed Joseph A. Ferrara (G'96), Ph.D., to serve in a new role as the Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff of Georgetown University. Joe has served as Vice President and President DeGioia's Chief of Staff since 2011, and prior to that he served as Associate Dean for the Georgetown Public Policy Institute (now the McCourt School of Public Policy) and as a member of the faculty.

I would like to thank Bob, Joe and the rest of the senior leadership team who have so ably managed University affairs since Jack's stroke on June 5. The University will continue to operate as it has been over the last five months - with the leadership team working collaboratively and effectively across the University to advance the strategic priorities of the University and to support our community.

Please join me in once again expressing the greatest appreciation to Jack and his family for their deep dedication to the Georgetown University community and to pray for Jack as he continues his recovery.

Sincerely,

Thomas A. Reynolds III (B'74)
Chair, Georgetown University Board of Directors



 

Empty Seats Everywhere

11/21/24

Wednesday's announced turnout of 2,756 was the third smallest crowd at the downtown arena in Georgetown history.

A social media post eight minutes to game time was even more dire:







Here are the 10 smallest off-campus crowds since 1981:

Date Opponent Location Attendance
11/30/2021 Longwood Capital One Arena 2,732
11/29/2023 Merrimack Capital One Arena 2,744
11/20/2024 Mount St. Mary's Capital One Arena 2,756
3/7/2005 Boston U. (NIT) MCI Center 2,797
12/12/2023 Coppin St. Capital One Arena 2,924
12/21/1983 W. Kentucky Capital Centre 2,958
12/8/2021 UMBC Capital One Arena 3,021
2/22/2023 St. John's Capital One Arena 3,076
12/5/1984 St. Leo Capital Centre 3,084
11/23/2022 American Capital One Arena 3,267
 
 

Georgetown 79, Mount St. Mary's 51

11/20/24 11:10 pm EST

A visibly poor shooting effort by Mount St. Mary's did little to prevent Georgetown from a 79-51 walkover at a near vacant Capital One Arena Wednesday.

POST-GAME ARTICLES
The Mountaineers entered the game shooting just under 47 percent this season, and a 1 for 6 start from the field was a harbinger of a long and fruitless night for its offense. The Hoyas led 11-3 at the first media time out, extended to 19-7 on a Micah Peavy three and 25-9 on back to back threes from Jayden Epps. Peavy and Epps accounted for 21 of Georgetown's first 25 points.

At this point, Mount St. Mary's was 4 for 20 from the floor, but took advantage of a five minute Georgetown drought to close to 25-17 at the 5:08 mark. The Hoyas finished 4 for 5 to end the half and carry a 35-22 lead at intermission.

Were it not for religious reprobation, the Mountaineers could have passed for Masons to open the second half, shooting 1 for 10 as the Hoyas were not challenged thereafter. Thomas Sorber scored eight of his 14 points early in the second before leaving for a cramped leg, while Drew Fielder scored all his nine points after halftime. Shooting just 2 for 11 from three point range and 9 of 20 overall, Georgetown did not have the outside shot but did not need it, getting 46 points in the paint.

Despite a 30 point lead in the final 2:52, head coach Ed Cooley did not clear the bench, giving time instead to starters and first level reserves.

Jayden Epps led all scorers with 19 points as the Hoyas put four in double figures. Mount St. Mary's finished shooting a season's low 31 percent and 26 percent from three point range.

Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:


            MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:    
Mack         34   3-9   1-5   1-2   4  5   2   10  
Epps         32   3-7   3-7   4-4   4  2   0   19
Peavy        29   2-2   2-4   2-2   4  4   1   12
Fielder      22   4-5   0-1   1-2   7  0   2    9
Sorber       23   7-10  0-0   0-1  12  5   2   14  
Reserves:
Ca. Williams 15   1-1   0-1   1-1   4  0   0    3 
Burks        14   2-2   0-0   0-0   2  0   1    4
Halaifonua   17   3-5   0-0   0-0   1  0   2    6 
Mulready     14   1-3   0-2   0-0   3  1   1    2 
Team Rebounds                       2
DNP: Fort, McKenna, Cu. Williams, Montgomery,
Asadallah, Moses, Van Raaphorst, Diouf  
TOTALS      200  26-44  9-20 9-12  43 17  11   79

 

Saturday's Gut Punch

 11/18/24

For a fan base eager to see signs of Ed Cooley's turnaround strategy for the Georgetown program, Saturday's 21 point loss to Notre Dame brought did little to wake up the echoes for the Hoyas.

Attendance was announced as 8,819, the second largest turnout since 2017 for a non-conference opponent other than Syracuse. The NBC national broadcast and streaming debut on Peacock could potentially be one of Georgetown's largest viewerships of the season, given that only one other game is presently booked on Fox broadcast. Either way, a lot of eyes were on the Hoyas, and it wasn't much to see.

Some statistical rankings for the Hoyas through Saturday's game:

  • Field goal shooting: 283rd of 355 schools (41.8%)
  • Field goal defense: 294th (46.2%)
  • Three point field goals per game: 283rd (6.3)
  • Three point field goal shooting: 333rd (25.6%)
  • Three point field goal defense: 339th (40.9%)
Five consecutive home games over the next 13 days will bring those numbers up, but after Saturday, Georgetown is out of sight and out of mind to some fans until they can prove otherwise.

 

Notre Dame 84, Georgetown 63

 11/16/24

In its first appearance on national television this season, Georgetown remains the Not Ready For Prime Time Hoyas.

POST-GAME COVERAGE
With its poorest shooting effort of the young season, Georgetown was routed by Notre Dame, 84-63, before a hopeful crowd of 8,819 at spacious Capital One Arena.

The 21 point defeat, Ed Cooley's fourth loss of 20 points or more in his 35 game tenure at the Hilltop, is the largest margin of defeat allowed by Georgetown to a non-conference opponent since 2016.

There was no magic needed for the Fighting Irish in this one. Georgetown's woes were self-inflicted, and in evidence two minutes into the game.

Early field goals from Drew Fielder and Jordan Burks gave the Hoyas a 4-0 led 59 seconds into the game. The two forwards then combined to go one for eight for the remainder of the game.

They were not alone.

With a visible lack of teamwork on both sides of the court, Georgetown's shooting was an early TKO. The Hoyas missed 15 consecutive shots in an eight minute stretch of the first half, allowing Princeton grad transfer Matt Allocco eight straight points and back to back three pointers to carry a 19-3 run. Allocco scored 15 in the first half as neither Jayden Epps nor anyone else on the Georgetown lineup could adjust to the open looks from Allocco to set the course for this game early.

"We had a whole week to prepare for them. I personally thought we were more prepared. Coach thought we were more prepared. We all did."
--Jayden Epps

Malik Mack ended the run with a three pointer at the 10:16 mark, and a 9-2 Georgetown run brought the Hoyas within four with 6:28 to play. Allocco and Mack traded three pointers over the next minute, 26-22, but the shooting dried up from outside. Georgetown finished 0 for 6 from its backcourt, with its only points down the stretch coming from Thomas Sorber. The Irish ended the half on a 18-7 run and a 15 point lead, 44-29, shooting 65 percent from the field, with seven three pointers and a sizzling 1.46 points per possession.

Georgetown's first half box score was grim: 26 percent from the field, three of 18 from outside. Beyond Sorber's 12 points inside, the remainder of the team shot 22 percent (7-31) and scored on just 13 of 30 possessions.

After his hot start, Allocco was relatively quiet after halftime, but it opened the door for ND guard Markus Burton. Following a one for five start in the first half, Burton steadied the Irish early in the second half after a 11-4 Georgetown run closed to 50-40 at the 17:25 mark. Notre Dame extended the lead with a 12-3 run over the next six minutes, a run more of Georgetown's doing than is own. The Hoyas missed 11 of its next 12 shots as the Irish increased the lead to 19 midway in the half, 62-43, then scored seven straight behind the shooting of Braeden Shrewsberry and Tae Davis to lead by 24, 69-45 as Ed Cooley's second time out in less than two minutes was of no effect. "The rout is on," said announcer John Fanta, who has added NBC/Peacock games to his existing Fox schedule.

A four point play from Mack out of the time out was a welcome if insufficient development, 69-49, as Notre Dame matched the Hoyas over the next three minutes, 76-54, with the game out of reach. Georgetown took only one jump shot in the final six minutes, relying on inefficient three point attempts and layups inside to narrow a margin that never closed within 18.

"Both year two coaches, both year two in the programs. Systematically, I thought their program was ahead of ours."
--Ed Cooley

Despite shooting just two for nine from three point range, Notre Dame was largely unchallenged inside the arc during the second half (13 for 19) and finished the game shooting 59 percent overall.

Georgetown's futility starts in its shot selection: 26 of 32 shots after halftime came from just three players: Malik Mack, Jayden Epps, and Micah Peavy, shooting a combined nine for 22 and accounting for half the total minutes played by the entire team. Thomas Sorber, who led the Hoyas in the first half, got just two shots after halftime, and none in the final 8:17, owing to foul trouble. Overall, the Hoyas shot 31 percent for the game, were outrebounded 42-33, and allowed the Fighting Irish 20 assists on 32 field goals.

"It's just one game," said Epps. "We'll bounce back."

Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:


            MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:    
Mack         36   1-7   4-8   2-3   6   5  3   16  
Epps         36   2-8   3-9   0-0   0   2  1   13
Peavy        26   4-7   0-2   0-0   2   0  4    8
Burks        18   2-5   0-3   1-1   4   1  1    5
Fielder      13   1-1   0-2   0-0   1   0  1    2 
Reserves:
Cu. Williams 14   0-1   0-0   2-2   5   2  1    2
McKenna       9   0-0   1-2   0-0   2   0  1    3
Ca. Williams  5   0-1   0-1   0-0   0   0  0    0
Montgomery    1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   0  0    0    
Halaifonua   14   1-1   0-2   0-0   3   0  1    2
Sorber       23   3-7   0-2   6-8   4   4  3   12
Mulready      5   0-0   0-1   0-2   0   1  0    0
Team Rebounds                       6              
DNP: Fort, Asadallah, Moses, Van Raaphorst, Diouf  
TOTALS      200  14-38  8-32 11-16 33  15 16   63

 

Game Highlights: Not Many

 11/17/24


 

Georgetown's Return To NBC

 11/12/24

Saturday's game versus Notre Dame marks the first nationally broadcast men's college basketball game for NBC Sports in 26 years.

The network, which held the NCAA tournament rights from 1969 through 1981, broadcast between 30-40 games each year through the 1980s, led by announcers such as Dick Enberg, Al McGuire, Marv Albert, Len Berman, and Bob Costas. Georgetown was seen on nine NBC national telecasts between 1981 and 1986.

The rise of ESPN and the consolidation by CBS of contracts with the Big East and other conferences sharply reduced NBC's supply of games, and by the early 1990s its games were largely constrained to a handful of games featuring Notre Dame, then an independent, and little else. By 1998, NBC broadcast just two games that season, a Feb. 21 game at MCI Center between Boston College and Georgetown and Feb. 28 game between Notre Dame and Providence.

NBC dropped college basketball after that season, and revives it this week as part of the upcoming Big East contract where it will broadcast 30 games in 2024-25 and 60 games annually on its streaming service, Peacock. Two of these games, Saturday's game with ND and the Providence vs Connecticut game on January 5 will be broadcast on NBC, along with five Big Ten games (three women's, two men's) later this season.

Peacock is a subscription-only streaming service starting at $7.99 per month, with discounts available for military and student users. Georgetown's games on the Peacock platform in 2024-25 are as follows:

01/14: at St. John's
02/23: at Creighton
03/01: MARQUETTE
03/04: VILLANOVA

Georgetown's first home game naionally broadcast on NBC was on January 31, 1982, three weeks ahead of its upset of #4 Missouri at McDonough Gymnasium, also on NBC. Here's the broadcast from the Hoyas' 63-46 win over St. John's before a crowd of 12,934 at Capital Centre:



 

Georgetown 69, Fairfield 57

 11/9/24

A 25 point, nine rebound effort from Thomas Sorber led Georgetown a 69-57 win over Fairfield at Capital One Arena.

Sorber is the first Georgetown freshman with 20+ points in each of his first two games since Othella Harrington did it in games versus St. Leo (20) and Southern-New Orleans (23) in 1992.

POST-GAME COVERAGE
Much like Georgetown's prior opponent in Lehigh, Fairfield arrived to Washington after a bad opening loss, a 96-58 rout at Rhode Island which saw the Stags shoot four for 29 from three point range and one of 16 by halftime of that game. And, like Lehigh, Fairfield turned those numbers around quickly, only to see it want after halftime.

Fairfield guard Braden Sparks opened the scoring with a three 31 seconds into the game. By the first media time out, the Stags had collected three three pointers and a 13-5 lead. Two more from outside extended its lead to 19-11. Georgetown tightened its perimeter defense to claw its way back to a lead, but turnovers and poor outside shooting of its own (one for seven from three to start) lengthened the comeback.

Back to back baskets from Micah Peavy and a layup for Julius Halaifonua brought GU its first lead of the game with 6:30 to halftime, 27-25. A pair of Fairfield threes and a layup tied the score at 33 with 32 seconds remaining before Jayden Epps took advantage of lost defensive coverage on the last possession to hit a three as the half expired, 36-33.

The second half belonged to Sorber and a timely one at that, as GU's backcourt struggled after halftime. Malik Mack and Micah Peavy combined for 15 points in the first half but were a combined zero for seven after it. Both teams struggled in transition after halftime, combining for 11 field goals and 14 turnovers over the first ten minutes of the second half. A better story was found inside, where Sorber scored eight of the Hoyas first 13 points of the half and helped the Hoyas to a 49-41 lead midway in the second. The Stags missed 10 consecutive attempts but the Hoyas were little better, missing seven of eight, maintaining a lead but not pulling away.

A steal and dunk by Jordan Burks put the Hoyas up nine at the six minute mark, 56-47, followed by an Epps drive 36 second later. A Sorber three at the 4:15 gave the Hoyas its first double digit lead of the game, and he scored the next nine points of the game to put it out of reach.

Sorber and Epps combined for 26 of the Hoyas' 33 points after halftime, with the remainder of the team shooting three for 12. The story, however, was defense. The Hoyas forced Fairfield to shoot just 27 percent after halftime, one of nine from three point range and without a basket for the final thee minutes of the game. Georgetown held a net +11 (15-4) in points off turnovers and a +12 (34-22) in points in the paint.

Sorber was a big reason why.

"Thomas is one of the best big men in the country as a freshman, in my opinion," said Jayden Epps. "I don't think anybody can guard him down there, especially when he does what he's supposed to do. He's unselfish and he'll pass it out if they double. So I always tell Coach [Cooley] to look down there and try to get him established to just open up the rest of the game."

"I thought once we settled in that our defense in the second half was elite," said head coach Ed Cooley in post-game remarks. "I thought our guys had a different purpose, a different edge and a different physicality."

For its part, "I thought we shot the ball fairly well and we took some positive steps defensively, but what I'm most proud of is the way that we fought," said Fairfield coach Chris Casey. "Of course, I'm disappointed that we lost, but I am happy with some of the progress that we made today, and now we need to use that as a springboard into the next [game] on Tuesday."

The teams combined for 35 turnovers, 19 in the second half.

The meeting between the schools was the first since 2006, when Ed Cooley was a first year coach at Fairfield.

Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:


            MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:    
Mack         33   2-6   1-3   0-0   5  4   0    7
Epps         32   2-4   1-4   5-6   1  4   2   12
Peavy        36   1-7   2-4   0-1   5  5   2    8
Burks        21   2-2   0-1   0-0   5  0   5    4 
Sorber       31  10-14  1-2   2-3   9  1   1   25
Reserves:
Ca. Williams  6   0-0   0-1   0-0   1  0   1    0
McKenna      11   1-1   0-1   0-0   5  0   2    2
Cu. Williams  6   1-1   0-0   0-0   1  0   0    2
Halaifonua   15   1-1   1-3   0-0   4  1   1    5
Mulready     10   1-1   0-1   2-2   0  0   1    4
Team Rebounds                       3              
DNP: Fort, Fielder, Montgomery, Asadallah, Moses,
Van Raaphorst, Diouf  
TOTALS      200  21-37 6-20  9-12  39  15  15  69

 

1983-84 Team Honored At Reception

11/9/24

Members of the 1983-84 national championship team were recognized at a dinner Friday evening at the Thompson Athletic Center.

Returning to campus were Fred Brown (C'84), Gene Smith (C'84), Reggie Williams (C'87), Bill Martin (C'85), Michael Graham and Victor Morris, along with former assistant Craig Esherick (B'78, L'82) and manager David Green (C'85, L'88). The event also formally dedicated the "David & Greaten Welch Gym" within the practice facility, per a naming gift from the former Ambassador and his wife.

The guests will also be recognized during halftime of Saturday's game versus Fairfield.



 

Georgetown 85, Lehigh 77

11/6/24

A combined 40 points from newcomers Micah Peavy and Thomas Sorber steered the Georgetown Hoyas to a 85-77 win over Lehigh in the season opener Wednesday at McDonough Gymnasium.

POST-GAME COVERAGE
Expectations were low in some quarters for Lehigh (0-2), who shot 2 for 17 from three point range following its 90-46 loss to Northwestern on Monday. Such thoughts were soon discarded as the Engineers shot five for five from outside over the first seven minutes of the first half, building an early 32-24 lead.

Guards Cam Gillus and Kevin Higgins combined for 28 first half points as Lehigh withheld a pair of Georgetown runs to lead 39-34 entering the final four minutes of the first half, whereupon Micah Peavy scored the last eight of a 10-0 run to give the Hoyas a 44-39 lead at the break.

Peavy scored 18 of his 20 points in the first half, one where Lehigh missed six of its final seven from there to end the half, but held the Hoyas to just two for nine from outside.

The game stayed close through much of the second half. Back to back baskets from Sorber pushed the Georgetown lead to 50-42 thee minutes into the second half, but the Engineers scored on three consecutive layups and a free throw to close to 50-49 with 14:37 remaining.

Following a quiet first half of his own, Jayden Epps scored the next ten points as Georgetown regained the lead a the 11:24 mark, 58-54, but Lehigh remained a worthy opponent. Following an exchange of free throws at the 6:24 mark, Georgetown's lead was only three, 70-67, before Sorber led the Hoyas on an 11-1 run to put the game out of reach, 81-68, with 1:23 remaining.

Georgetown shot only 37 percent from the field after halftime but picked up 13 second chance points, many from Sorber's defensive intensity. Lehigh stayed close with just five turnovers after halftime, but its shooting failed late, missing eight of its final 10 attempts in an otherwise solid effort, with 10 threes on the evening.

Four players accounted for 72 of Georgetown's 85 points, and 37 of its 41 points after the break. Georgetown fared poorly from the three point line, shooting 3 for 13 after the break and 5 for 22 overall.

Lehigh was led with a combined 44 points from Gillus and Higgins.

Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:


            MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:    
Mack         34   6-10  1-6   0-0   3  5   2   15
Epps         33   3-5   3-6   2-4   1  3   3   17
Peavy        32   8-10  0-3   4-4   4  2   3   20
Fielder      13   2-4   0-1   0-0   6  0   1    4  
Sorber       29   5-11  0-2  10-13 13  0   2   20
Reserves:
Ca. Williams  6   0-0   0-0   0-0   1  0   1    0
Cu. Williams 12   1-1   0-2   0-0   3  0   2    2
Burks        28   1-1   0-1   0-0   7  1   2    2   
Halaifonua   10   0-0   1-1   2-2   2  1   1    5
Mulready      2   0-0   0-0   0-0   0  0   0    0
Team Rebounds                       2              
DNP: Fort, McKenna, Montgomery, Asadallah, Moses,
Van Raaphorst, Diouf  
TOTALS      200 26-42  5-22  18-23 42  12  17  85

 

Just Like Old Times

11/6/24

Wednesday's game at McDonough Gymnasium fell short of a sellout at its downsized capacity of 2,200, but students got a taste of what the building was like a generation ago, when over 4,000 in the building made it a formidable home court advantage.

Attendance was announced at 2,008, with open seating appearing below the foul lines. The game was one of two home games moved on campus this season, with a Nov. 26 game versus Wagner being the other.

A total of 733 attended the opener of the doubleheader as the Georgetown women's team defeated a non-NCAA team, Virginia University of Lynchburg, 88-31, in Georgetown's first men's/women's doubleheader since 2004. It was the first game for the Dragons since February 2023, as that school did not field a team last season.



 

HOYA Basketball Preview

11/4/24

Continuing a tradition dating to the 1958-59 season, special coverage of the men's basketball season opener can be found in the latest issue of The HOYA.

PREVIEW COVERAGE
Regular and timely coverage of the Hoyas has proven difficult in the post-COVID world for the newspaper, as some athletic events appearing on its web site do not arrive until as many as 10 days after they were held.

The season preview does not look favorably upon the Hoyas' 2024-25 non-conference schedule.

"As for the schedule, Georgetown's nonconference slate is rather underwhelming," it writes. "The Hoyas will open their season Nov. 6 with a matchup against Lehigh University. In an exciting and unexpected turn of events, both that game and the Nov. 26 game against Wagner College will be played on campus at McDonough Arena. Georgetown will also face University of Notre Dame again after defeating them in overtime last season. They end their nonconference schedule with their Big 12-Big East Battle matchup against West Virginia University Dec. 6, then travel to Syracuse to take on the rival Orange Dec. 14, two solid tests before Big East play."

Georgetown is ninth in its Big East men's pre-season power ranking, third for the women's team.

 

Whatever Happened To...

11/4/24

As many as 18 former players from Georgetown are still active in college basketball, and some have been frequent guests in the transfer portal. Where are they now?

  • Denver Anglin (2022-23): Played one season at Georgetown, averaged 1.4 ppg. Transferred to Southern Methodist for the 2023-24 season, but was a medical redshirt. Transferred to Rice for the 2024-25 season.
  • D'Ante Bass (2022-23): Played one season at Georgetown, averaged 0.3 ppg. Transferred to Alabama State for the 2023-24 season, but was a medical redshirt last season.
  • Tyler Beard (2021-22): Played one season at Georgetown, averaged 2.9 ppg. Transferred to Pacific for the 2022-23 season, averaged 6.8 ppg. Transferred to Cal State-Northridge for the 2024-25 season.
  • T.J. Berger (2020-21): Played one season at Georgetown, averaged 1.3 ppg. Transferred to San Diego for the 2021-22 season, averaged 3.1 ppg. Transferred to Lafayette for the 2022-23 season, averaged 7.7 points per game, was a medical redshirt last season but has returned to Lafayette as a senior.
  • Jalin Billingsley (2021-22): Played one season at Georgetown, averaged 2.1 ppg. Transferred to Eastern Michigan for the 2022-23 season, averaging 6.8 ppg through two seasons.
  • Wayne Bristol (C'24) (2022-24): A transfer from Howard, he played two seasons at Georgetown, averaged 3.4 ppg. Exercising a graduate transfer option at Hampton for the 2024-25 season.
  • Rowan Brumbaugh (2023-24): Played one season at Georgetown, averaged 8.3 ppg. Transferred to Tulane for 2024-25 season.
  • Kobe Clark (2020-22): Played two seasons at Georgetown, averaged 0.8 ppg. Transferred to Southeast Missouri State for 2022-23 season, averaging 6.2 ppg through two seasons.
  • Supreme Cook (2023-24): A transfer from Fairfield, he played one season at Georgetown, averaged 10.5 ppg. Transferred to Oregon for 2024-25 season but is presently injured.
  • Bradley Ezewiro (2022-23): A transfer from LSU, he played one season at Georgetown, averaged 4.3 ppg. Transferred to Saint Louis for 2023-24 season, averaged 12.0 ppg. Transferred to Alabama-Birmingham for the 2024-25 season.
  • Dante Harris (2020-22): Played two seasons at Georgetown, averaged 10.0 ppg. Transferred to Virginia and sat out the 2022-23 season. Averaged 2.5 ppg in 2023-24, entered the transfer portal but later returned to Virginia. Reclassified as a walk-on in 2024-25 but is not on the current roster.
  • Collin Holloway (2020-22): Played two seasons at Georgetown, averaged 7.2 ppg. Transferred to Tulane for 2022-23 season, averaged 9.6 ppg over two seasons. Transferred to Samford for the 2024-25 season.
  • Brandon Murray (2022-23): A transfer from LSU, he played one season at Georgetown, averaged 13.7 ppg. Transferred to Mississippi for 2023-24 season, averaged 4.3 ppg. Transferred to McNeese State for the 2024-25 season.
  • Ryan Mutombo (C'24) (2022-24): Played three seasons at Georgetown, averaged 3.2 ppg. Exercising a graduate transfer option at Georgia Tech for the 2024-25 season, pursuing a master's degree in management.
  • Jordan Riley (2021-23): Played two seasons at Georgetown, averaged 4.2 ppg. Transferred to Temple for 2023-24 season, averaged 11.9 ppg over two seasons. Transferred to East Carolina for the 2024-25 season.
  • Jamari Sibley (2020-21): Played one season at Georgetown, averaged 1.2 ppg. Transferred to Texas-El Paso for the 2021-22 season, averaged 9.6 ppg. Transferred to Southern Utah in 2022-23, averaging 4.5 ppg through two seasons.
  • Primo Spears (2022-23): A transfer from Duquesne, he played one season at Georgetown, averaged 16.0 ppg. Transferred to Florida State for 2023-24 season, averaged 10.6 ppg. Transferred to Texas-San Antonio for the 2024-25 season.
  • Dontrez Styles (2023-24): A transfer from North Carolina, he played one season at Georgetown, averaged 12.8 ppg. Transferred to North Carolina State for the 2024-25 season.