65 Teams in 65 Days: No. 17 Georgetown

Location: Washington, DC
Nickname: Hoyas
Conference: Big East
Last Year’s Record: 16-15

Key Returners: Greg Monroe (12.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg), Chris Wright (12.5 ppg), Austin Freeman (11.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg)

Top Newcomers: Vee Sanford, Hollis Thompson

Strengths

With three McDonald’s All-Americans returning, there’s no reason why the Hoyas shouldn’t be expected to have a drastic improvement over last season.

With Big East Player of the Year candidate Greg Monroe and Chris Wright having full Big East seasons under their belts, and a trimmed Austin Freeman moving back to shooting guard, coach John Thompson III seems to have his team in the image he wants.

Add in four-star prospect Hollis Thompson, who’s been on campus since last winter, and the Hoyas appear to have the talent to challenge in the Big East.

Weakness

If this team didn’t do any maturing over the offseason, then it is in big trouble again. Bouts of inconsistency marred Georgetown’s season, taking a team that, at one point, was ranked in the top 10 to a team that lost in the first round of the NIT. This team beat UConn and Villanova on the road, yet was swept by St. John’s.

If the Hoyas haven’t learned from the mistakes they made last season, they may be doomed to repeat the past.

Outlook

With seven players who saw significant minutes returning, expect the Hoyas to be able to overcome the youthful mistakes they made last season. This team belongs to the junior backcourt of Chris Wright and Austin Freeman. They’ll take ownership and get Georgetown back into the NCAA tournament.