By Kevin Joseph and Keith Levinsky
In 2011-12, sophomore guard Greg Whittington emerged as one of Georgetown’s top defenders. The 6-foot-8 versatile forward used his length to defend some of the best players in the Big East. His strong defensive play helped to ignite the comeback against Marquette, which the Hoyas went on to win 73-70. He averaged 4.3 points per game and 2.9 rebounds per game in 20.1 minutes per game, doing a great deal of his damage from behind the three-point arc.
The sophomore forward has been consistently weightlifting this off-season.
“I’ve been working hard this whole summer preparing myself for this year, getting ready for whatever the challenges that come my way,” he said.
While his overall numbers aren’t particularly impressive, Whittington appeared to become more comfortable in the final 10 games of the year, and he elevated his play. In that span, he shot 58.6 percent from the field and scored 6.8 points per game, including a career high of 15 points in a win over Notre Dame on Feb. 27. He will likely parlay that experience into a starting role this season.
Mikael Hopkins
Sophomore forward Mikael Hopkins also had underwhelming statistics (2.4 points per game, 1.1 rebounds per game) last year, but he showed flashes of brilliance. Hopkins had his best stat-line against NJIT on December 3 when he totaled 12 points, three rebounds, one assist, and two blocks. He made his biggest impact, though, in Georgetown’s overtime loss at Syracuse. The Maryland native needed to step in and play important minutes, as then-senior Henry Sims and then-sophomore forward Nate Lubick got in foul trouble. He played 19 minutes while grabbing 4 rebounds, and limited the Orange’s star center Fab Melo to 11 points. The Hoyas hope Hopkins can help Nate Lubick fill the massive void left by Sims, who graduated last spring. He certainly thinks so.
“It’s my time to shine,” Hopkins said. “I’m getting the opportunity to play so hopefully I’m going to go out here and show everybody my skills and what I can do.”
Jabril Trawick
Jabril Trawick was often overlooked for the Hoyas in the backcourt last season, shelved behind Jason Clark and Markel Starks on the bench. But when he did see the court, the tenacious Philadelphian made his presence known with gritty defensive play and a penchant for getting to the rim. He’s also got hops–during Midnight Madness, he dunked over teammate and center Tyler Adams.
Other aspects of his game needed work, but he went into the offseason cognizant of these areas. “I knew my outside shot and handle was something I needed to be more effective to stay on the court,” Trawick said. “I definitely tried to improve that.”
The sophomore guard likely won’t be a starter this season, as the Hoyas look to bother opposition with the length of Porter and Whittington. In that sense, though, Trawick will see the court at point guard more in 2012. With an improved dribble and outside shot, he should have no problem filling that role.
