On Friday night, the men’s basketball team participated in its first live action of the season in an exhibition game versus the Latvia Select Team at McDonough Arena. The Hoyas shrugged off some initial rust, and by ten minutes into the game they had a comfortable 44-17 lead. Judging by the amount of passes power forward Mike Sweetney was receiving, it is evident that the hopes of the Hoyas’ season lies squarely on his shoulders. For the most part, Sweetney got at least one touch on every half-court possession, and when the ball got down to him in the post, it was money in the bank. Sweetney finished with 22 points and eight rebounds on eight for 12 shooting from the field, despite sitting most of the second half. ESPN analyst Dick Vitale dubbed Sweetney a “pre-season All-American,” and if Sweetney continues to see a steady dose of touches every night, there’s no reason to think he shouldn’t finish the season as an All-American and Big East Player of the Year.
The Hoyas went into the half with a commanding 84-26 lead, largely due in part to the backcourt duo of sophomore Tony Bethel and first-year Ashanti Cook. They showed the crowd at McDonough that the post-Braswell era of Georgetown basketball is in good hands.
Bethel has quickly become the quiet leader on the court. He is an extremely smart basketball player who is always looking to make that extra pass and never takes a bad shot. A few minutes into the second half, Bethel stole the ball. But instead of taking it himself, he placed a perfect pass off the glass to a trailing Victor Samnick for a two handed slam.
Cook’s jaw-dropping arsenal of moves on Friday had the crowd begging for more. On consecutive plays in the first half, Cook mesmerized his defender with a crossover dribble before taking it to the hole for the bucket and the foul. He finished the game with 19 points, seven assists and four turnovers.
“Ashanti played extremely well, ran the offense well and made athletic plays,” said Head Coach Craig Esherick.
Still, Esherick was quick to point out that his first-year players have a lot to learn. “Ashanti and Brandon Bowman have to do a better job in the half court set,” he said. “Our freshman need to maintain a defensive mentality, as the level of play [in college] is a lot different than high school.”
Esherick plans to play his young players a lot throughout the year. “Ashanti and Brandon will see significant playing time, as will sophomore Darrell Owens,” Esherick said.
The trio will provide the Hoyas with a very talented and deep bench, which will also include senior forwards Victor Samnick and Courtland Freeman, two athletic and experienced big men.
Bowman shrugged off some early nervousness, and began to gel with his teammates as the game went on. After replacing Victor Samnick a few minutes into the game, Bowman committed a few ugly turnovers, and Georgetown was struggling offensively, trailing 14-10. Seven minutes later Bowman was making athletic moves to the basket and drawing multiple defenders, and the Hoyas were up 44-17. Ownes, a highflying swingman, will provide a great spark off the bench, a void they need to fill with the departure of transfer forward Harvey Thomas.
By the end of the first half, the game was, as Esherick described it, “getting out of hand.” In all, the Hoyas defense caused 41 turnovers. Esherick acknowledged that the Latvia Team was in over its head, and he laughed a little at some of Georgetown’s inflated statistics.
“I don’t think we’ll be shooting 66 percent from the field the rest of the year,” Esherick said. “But I did like the lay-ups that came from our full court press and we will continue to play like that.”
While it was just an exhibition game, there was definitely a buzz of excitement at McDonough. While the Hoyas may not be in any pre-season Top 25 polls, they possess all the tools needed for a very successful season.
Bethel to Sweetney, Sweetney for two points; Bethel to Sweetney, Sweetney kicks it out to Bethel for three. Get used to the way that sounds because it will lead to great things for the Hoyas this year.
