Returning Leading Scorers

[MCIGuy]

Weeks ago I made a point about how one thing that Gtown hadn't had the benefit of recently that other more successful Big East teams had was the return of its two leading scorers from one season to the following season. That's a type of advantage that could lead to huge dividends largely as a result of continuity and valuable experience. Well, if everything holds as expected, Georgetown will have this luxury with the return of Govan and Derrickson. Thanks to the resources of the Georgetown page at sports reference (formerly basketball reference) www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/georgetown/ I was able to figure out that the last time this program had its two top scorers carry over to a following season was in 2006-2007 when the Hoyas returned Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert. www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/georgetown/2007.html


That was a special season of course. Hoyas won/tied the BE for the regular season; won the Big East Tournament Championship and made it to the Final Four. I'm not saying those same results will occur with Govan and Derrickson coming back. But until the Hoyas can bring in top 20 elite talents on a yearly basis, having continuity, particularly with your best players, is a key to being successful in the Big East. I can imagine the Hoyas winning at least six more games this past season if LJ Peak had returned for his final year. [Of course if he had then the Hoyas would not be returning its top two leading scorers in 2018-2019 because Peak would no longer have any eligibility.]

Fascinating that in 2006-2007 Green and Hibbert averaged about 14 and 13 points respectively and that in the previous season it was roughly 12 & 11 and 1/2. What a difference in pace. www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/georgetown/2006.html

Also I should note that next season the team is set to return not only the top two scorers but the top four scorers with Pickett and Blair. Don't care what some people think of these players, returning the top four scorers of a team that was for the most part competitive with almost every every team they faced is probably not too common among teams in the P5 and Big East these days. I didn't have enough time on my hands to see when the last time that occurred for the Hoyas.

[SFHoya99]

Final Four here we come! Choo Choo!

But seriously, this is a great point. Early entries and transfers have often held this team back. Every team is hit by those in part, but we aren't a team with a couple of All-Americans on the bench, content to bide their time and step in when someone jumps. Going back even to the days of Vernon Macklin leaving or Hollis' or LJ's early entries*... if Govan and MD stay, we will have continuity we haven't had in a while.

If Ewing can pick up one or two more promising freshman, we can actually begin to build depth and prepare for the future while making Govan and MD's senior year a bit more special.



* I think we are in the tourney with Peak this year. Sigh.

[DFW HOYA]

Mar 21, 2018 11:22:09 GMT -5 SFHoya99 said:

But seriously, this is a great point. Early entries and transfers have often held this team back. Every team is hit by those in part, but we aren't a team with a couple of All-Americans on the bench, content to bide their time and step in when someone jumps.

Many, many examples. Lots of what-ifs, though.

What would 2015-16 have looked with a active lineup of DSR, Peak, Copeland, Govan, and Derrickson?

What about 2003-04 if Sweetney, Bethel and Hall (or Thomas) had stayed?

Does the 1997-98 team hasten the decline if Sheffey had stayed in school, if Brunner stayed on the rails, or if Page had made it to junior year?

Does Anthony Tucker put the 1988-89 team into the Final Four?

1985...Michael Graham.

[DallasHoya]

Mar 21, 2018 11:44:10 GMT -5 DFW HOYA said:

Mar 21, 2018 11:22:09 GMT -5 SFHoya99 said:

But seriously, this is a great point. Early entries and transfers have often held this team back. Every team is hit by those in part, but we aren't a team with a couple of All-Americans on the bench, content to bide their time and step in when someone jumps.

Many, many examples. Lots of what-ifs, though.

What would 2015-16 have looked with a active lineup of DSR, Peak, Copeland, Govan, and Derrickson?

What about 2003-04 if Sweetney, Bethel and Hall (or Thomas) had stayed?

Does the 1997-98 team hasten the decline if Sheffey had stayed in school, if Brunner stayed on the rails, or if Page had made it to junior year?

Does Anthony Tucker put the 1988-89 team into the Final Four?

1985...Michael Graham.

1985, 1986 and 1987 for that matter.

[the_way]

Green and Hibbert went to the Sweet Sixteen prior to the Final Four year.

We won 5 Big East games with Jesse and Marcus. Of those 5 games, most of them were down to the wire, correct?

I don't really see it.

3-pt scoring has been an issue at times, but what about our sieve of a defense in close games.

Where is our version PE, Jr to come off the bench next year. A freshmen like DaJuan Summers that could play the 3 (and 4 position in a pinch)? Where is the guard, like Jermiah Rivers, despite his limited scoring ability, could defend on the perimeter. Not to mention a steady, not necessarily great, solid backcourt version of Wallace and Sapp?

As DFW said, a lot of what ifs.

The reality is we aren't a good team even with the scoring strengths of Govan and Marcus.

What really need is:

1 Ewing and staff to figure out a serviceable team defensive strategy.

2. Hope McClung lives up the hype and Govan and Blair miraculously grow in scoring and ballhandling.

3. Walker, LeBlanc, Carter consistently contribute.

Bonus:

4: We add 2 additional recruits (a deft ball-handling guard and a 6'10"+ big) in this incoming 2018 recruiting class.

[Bigs"R"Us]

Not going to the Final Four without 3 future NBA players.

[jwp91]

Mar 21, 2018 11:22:09 GMT -5 SFHoya99 said:

Final Four here we come! Choo Choo!

But seriously, this is a great point. Early entries and transfers have often held this team back. Every team is hit by those in part, but we aren't a team with a couple of All-Americans on the bench, content to bide their time and step in when someone jumps. Going back even to the days of Vernon Macklin leaving or Hollis' or LJ's early entries*... if Govan and MD stay, we will have continuity we haven't had in a while.

If Ewing can pick up one or two more promising freshman, we can actually begin to build depth and prepare for the future while making Govan and MD's senior year a bit more special.



* I think we are in the tourney with Peak this year. Sigh.

Without improved decision making and play making from the guards, it won’t matter and that analysis will fall on its face. Fortunately, Mac is a great addition and should help. Another guard like Akinjo would help immensely.

[MCIGuy]

Yeah, this thread has quickly gone off track thanks to the typical negative spinning that never seems to cease. Anyway in my opinion with enough growth of this past season's freshman class (which, no, doesn't have to be miraculous), some seasoning for Ewing after a year at the helm and with recruits hopefully adding much needed ball-handling and more depth, I think this Hoya team can finish in the top half of the BE and make it to the tournament. My opinion would possibly be a lot less optimistic if the team had not bee neck-and-neck with tournament level teams for most of the BE regular season. But regardless of that my point was that it is a far less rosy view for next season if either or both Derrickson and Govan do not return.

[hoyasaxa2003]

I definitely think making the tournament next year is well within reach. I am not sure how likely an outcome that is at the moment, especially since we don't even know what additions might be made to the 2018 class. But regardless, I think it's definitely a possibility.

In my mind, making the tournament this year is key for Georgetown and Ewing. Unless Ewing lands some really high quality recruits for 2019 (very possible - just too early to tell), this team is going to take a step back once Govan/Derrickson graduate. So, I really feel like we need to make the most of what we have next year.

As this tournament highlighted, once you make the tournament anything can happen, but I think just making it would be a pretty good achievement given our record this season, and it's an achievement that is definitely within the realm of possibility.

[SFHoya99]

Mar 21, 2018 12:40:52 GMT -5 jwp91 said:

Mar 21, 2018 11:22:09 GMT -5 SFHoya99 said:

Final Four here we come! Choo Choo!

But seriously, this is a great point. Early entries and transfers have often held this team back. Every team is hit by those in part, but we aren't a team with a couple of All-Americans on the bench, content to bide their time and step in when someone jumps. Going back even to the days of Vernon Macklin leaving or Hollis' or LJ's early entries*... if Govan and MD stay, we will have continuity we haven't had in a while.

If Ewing can pick up one or two more promising freshman, we can actually begin to build depth and prepare for the future while making Govan and MD's senior year a bit more special.



* I think we are in the tourney with Peak this year. Sigh.

Without improved decision making and play making from the guards, it won’t matter and that analysis will fall on its face. Fortunately, Mac is a great addition and should help. Another guard like Akinjo would help immensely.

Yep.

The ideal recruiting class here grabs both another guard and another big to prepare for when both MD and Govan are gone. But the guard is crucial for next year. I love Mac but even if he's ready for the BE, we're very thin.

As for the rest of you, it was very obvious that no one is sending us to the Final Four next year. What a weird thing to fixate on.

[the_way]

Glad both are returning, and things would be much tougher had one of them decided not to return.

However, scoring is the least of our worries though. Other facets need work too, even with Jessie and Marcus.

So many variables need improving,plus we play in the Big East.

Need that strong supporting cast. Players that emerge out of that supporting cast will be key, particularly the backcourt and reserve big men to spell Jesse and Marcus.

[GIGAFAN99]

Mar 21, 2018 12:51:01 GMT -5 MCIGuy said:

Yeah, this thread has quickly gone off track thanks to the typical negative spinning that never seems to cease. Anyway in my opinion with enough growth of this past season's freshman class (which, no, doesn't have to be miraculous), some seasoning for Ewing after a year at the helm and with recruits hopefully adding much needed ball-handling and more depth, I think this Hoya team can finish in the top half of the BE and make it to the tournament. My opinion would possibly be a lot less optimistic if the team had not bee neck-and-neck with tournament level teams for most of the BE regular season. But regardless of that my point was that it is a far less rosy view for next season if either or both Derrickson and Govan do not return.

Huge points to DFW for turning your optimism about continuity into a trip down misery lane about lack of continuity. Takes a special kind of eeyore for that.

[jwp91]

Mar 21, 2018 17:14:16 GMT -5 GIGAFAN99 said:

Mar 21, 2018 12:51:01 GMT -5 MCIGuy said:

Yeah, this thread has quickly gone off track thanks to the typical negative spinning that never seems to cease. Anyway in my opinion with enough growth of this past season's freshman class (which, no, doesn't have to be miraculous), some seasoning for Ewing after a year at the helm and with recruits hopefully adding much needed ball-handling and more depth, I think this Hoya team can finish in the top half of the BE and make it to the tournament. My opinion would possibly be a lot less optimistic if the team had not bee neck-and-neck with tournament level teams for most of the BE regular season. But regardless of that my point was that it is a far less rosy view for next season if either or both Derrickson and Govan do not return.

Huge points to DFW for turning your optimism about continuity into a trip down misery lane about lack of continuity. Takes a special kind of eeyore for that.

You realize he is the host here?

[the_way]

Mar 21, 2018 17:54:50 GMT -5 jwp91 said:

Mar 21, 2018 17:14:16 GMT -5 GIGAFAN99 said:

Huge points to DFW for turning your optimism about continuity into a trip down misery lane about lack of continuity. Takes a special kind of eeyore for that.

You realize he is the host here?

Of course he does.