NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
The Georgetown Hoyas entered this season picked to finish last in their conference with a head coach that some said couldn’t get it done and facing a global pandemic. Early season bumps, which included a loss to Navy, had a few fans worried that things could get ugly on the Hilltop. In a day and age where people want to see instant results, true fans took an old-school wait-and-see approach. Based on the end results, it’s paid off and more could be to come. Let’s set the scene of the season so far.
A loss to the hated Syracuse Orange on January 9 was followed by a pause due to Covid-19 related issues in the program. That time ultimately led to the cancellation of 4 games. The program used this time to become closer, define roles and hit the reset button. They came out of the pause with a renewed focus and ran off an impressive 10-4 record, including a fantastic 4 games in 4 night run which ended with the Hoyas winning the Big East Tournament. Not too bad for a team that was picked to finish last on Big East Media Day. Players like seniors Jahvon Blair and Jamorko Pickett have had great seasons and are carving out their legacy with the program. After being handed the keys to the car, freshman point guard Dante Harris has been terrific and has some people thinking back to another dazzling guard who wore the Hoyas uniform.
The success has been a complete TEAM effort. Grad transfer Chudier Bile has found a role and is excelling at it. Under the coaching of Patrick Ewing, Qudus Wahab is becoming one of the best big men in college basketball and is only starting to shine. Fresh off their first Big East title since 2007, the Hoyas have earned a spot in the big dance for the first time since 2015 and many aren’t ready to see the season end. We can’t talk enough about the job Coach Ewing and his staff have done with this squad. They didn’t allow an up and down start to derail them and have handled the challenges away from basketball.
The balance on offense and old-school in-your-face defense has been the recipe for success. The run this team has been on has energized loyal supporters, while bringing in new fans. Much needed rest after playing on the big stage at MSG should be a good thing for the Hoyas. They will prepare for a Colorado team coming off a loss in the Pac-12 Championship that should be anxious to get back on the court. Colorado lacks some size, which is something Georgetown doesn’t, so controlling the boards will be important. I can’t wait to see the guard match up. Dante Harris and Jahvon Blair will have a test against McKinley Wright IV. The Hoyas will also have to account for All-PAC-12 defender Eli Parquet.
The next phase of the Patrick Ewing era will begin on Saturday at 12:15pm. If we started from the bottom and now we’re here, why not us?
HOYA SAXA
