He’s back.
A week ago, it seemed Georgetown would lose its leading scorer and first-team All-Big East point guard. Junior guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera had announced his intention to hire an agent and enter his name into the NBA Draft for this coming June. On Tuesday, however, fan website Casual Hoya reported that an anonymous source had confirmed Smith-Rivera’s decision to return to Georgetown for his senior season. Smith-Rivera could not be reached for comment, and a team spokesman stated that Smith-Rivera had not yet informed the university of his change of heart.
It seemed that Smith-Rivera had made this choice, and that next year he would be making money off his basketball talent in either the NBA or overseas. Hoya fans could not help but be disappointed. Smith-Rivera was the leader of this year’s team, which earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament and finished ranked No. 22 in the country.
It turns out the panic was premature. Instead of having to look for a post-graduate transfer to bolster a backcourt rendered suddenly thin by Smith-Rivera’s absence, Head Coach John Thompson III will instead have the luxury of handing the keys of the Hoya offense to his most experienced and talented player. Thompson could not be reached for comment on this story.
Without Smith-Rivera, next year’s squad would have been strikingly young, devoid of upperclassmen who have played serious minutes in the past. With seniors Jabril Trawick, Joshua Smith, Aaron Bowen and Mikael Hopkins now departing, next year’s rotation will present some new faces for Hoya fans.
But the return of Smith-Rivera makes the team’s youth much less of a question mark. The talented quartet of Tre Campbell, Isaac Copeland, L.J. Peak, and Paul White will have to step into a greater role during their sophomore season, but they will not have to replace the 16.3 points per game and 3.2 assists per game that Smith-Rivera averaged this season, leading the team in both categories.
Given the number of players lost to graduation this year, a few team members besides the rising sophomores and the returning Smith-Rivera will need to contribute for the Hoyas to find success. Junior center Bradley Hayes made the most of his opportunity against Eastern Washington (26-9, 14-4 Big Sky) during the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, scoring eight points and grabbing six rebounds to spark the Hoyas to victory. If he can maintain that level of play, he will remain in the regular rotation for a team that has few true big men. The incoming freshman class should provide some help as well, as forwards Jessie Govan, Marcus Derrickson, and Kaleb Johnson will have the chance to compete for playing time early in the season. .
Still, the players who are departing this season will be missed. Two of them, Joshua Smith and Jabril Trawick, will play in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament this week. The tournament invites 64 seniors from around the country to play in front of an audience of NBA scouts in Portsmouth, Va. Smith and Trawick were selected from Georgetown and will look to impress the NBA representatives in attendance as they explore future their professional options.
