The Georgetown’s men’s basketball team is currently ranked eighth in national polls and holds the top spot in the Big East, the league judged by many as the fiercest in college basketball. In postseason projections, the Hoyas are seen as contenders for in the final rounds. These facts warrant respect, but some have argued that Georgetown’s recent games have not mirrored the play expected of a team of their status.
I’ve heard people say that the team is letting their standing get to their head, but I wouldn’t say the Georgetown men’s basketball team is overconfident. No team would dare act cocky after the last few games this team has been through. None have been blowout performances; they’ve had to pull out several last-minute comebacks, and suffered a hard-fought loss to Louisville last weekend.
Against Connecticut, senior center Roy Hibbert sank a last-second-game-winning three-pointer to break a 69-69 tie after a late comeback by the Hoyas. And while Georgetown produced a crushing win against Notre Dame, the team currently ranked second in the Big East, they slid by Syracuse in overtime and topped West Virginia by a single point.
The Hoyas received more criticism about their play against the bottom of the Big East team University of South Florida when the Hoyas found themselves in a ten-point hole during the first half. And of course we could revisit the distressing eight point defeat by Louisville last weekend, followed by the last-second foulshots in the win against ‘Nova.
The Hoyas know well enough that they have room for improvement, but the important thing is that they keep winning.
Our worries shouldn’t be about the rankings going to the players’ heads. Instead we should be more concerned about the demoralizing comments about sloppy or ugly winning sinking in. Regardless of what it might have looked like, the bottom line is that the team pulled out a win.
“No, you aren’t satisfied with it, but you are less satisfied if you walk away with a loss,” Coach John Thompson III said.
In high-pressure moments, the Hoyas get the job done. In all the close games at least one team member shows us why the Hoyas deserve their ranking, whether it’s Hibbert sinking a three, Summers shooting a career high or Wallace and his free throw perfection. These clutch performances keep Georgetown at the top.
“At the end of the day you need to win,” Thompson said. “As a coach and as a team, obviously we look in the mirror and are honest with ourselves. We’ve got to continue to get better. If we can win games while we improve that’s better than not winning games.”
It would be ideal to have the whole team competing at top intensity every game, but if one star performance per game is enough to get the win, I’ll take it.
