While Monday night’s game might be remembered as the preamble to the new Monroe Doctrine, the game ball has to go to sophomore point-guard Chris Wright. For a player with the unenviable job of replacing the steady Jonathan Wallace, Wright’s score line on Monday was almost perfect. Almost.
On a night that saw the Hoyas shoot an unimpressive 40.4 percent from the floor and a putrid 21.7 percent from behind the newly extended arc, Wright went 5-8 and 3-5 from deep for a team-high 16 points. In a game in which the Hoyas turned the ball over 11 times, Wright coughed it up just once to go along with four assists. When the scrappy Dolphins showed a three-quarter and later a full-court press-two defensive schemes that Georgetown opponents, notably Villanova, have had success with in the past-Wright tore it apart with pure speed and pin-point outlets.
Wallace won a lot of hearts over the past four years, and rightfully so. But as far as tangible attributes go, Wright is far and away the better basketball player. He’s faster, he’s more explosive, he’s a better passer, and he’s just as good a shooter. But there is one part of the floor where Wright is severely lacking his predecessor’s flair: the foul line.
Wright was 3-8 from the charity stripe Monday night, and while all judgment is premature after one game, he was only 12-23 (52 percent) during an injury-shortened season last year. Compare that to Wallace, who shot just under 80 percent from the line last year and over 87 percent the year before.
These statistics should alarm Georgetown fans for a couple reasons. First, while a high free-throw percentage is important for any point-guard, it is especially important for someone as explosive as Wright. As one of the fastest players in the country, Wright will have a lot of defenders on his heels, especially in transition, and that means a lot of contact and a lot of trips to the line. Consider UNC’s Ty Lawson and Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds, two speedy guards who shot 83.5 and 80 percent, respectively, last season. On a night when a team’s jumpers just aren’t falling-as was the case on Monday-a guard’s ability to penetrate and produce points from the foul line can be a game-saver. Wright got to the line when he wanted to, but he wasn’t able to convert, and the team suffered as a result.
Free-throw shooting woes could also haunt Georgetown in close games-something the Hoyas are likely to have a lot of this season. With a slim lead late in the game, the ball should be with the team’s best handler-in this case Wright-as much as possible. But if Wright is clanking half of his free-throws, then the best ball-handler becomes a liability once the other team starts fouling to stop the clock. With a schedule like Georgetown’s, that could be very dangerous.
Last February, a late foul put Wallace on the line with seconds left and a chance to seal a big win against Villanova. He didn’t just make them both-he made it look easy. This year, Wright is running the show. That means more running, more gunning, and more exciting basketball. But with seconds left and foul shots to win the game, that means a 50 percent chance of victory. That’s hard to stomach.
