Georgetown head coach John Thompson III’s reaction when asked what he can learn from the Hoyas’ first meeting with Vanderbilt in November speaks volumes about how much things change over the course of a five-month college basketball season.
“We can throw that game out the window,” said Thompson. “It was our second game of the year, their first game of the year, and that was so long ago.”
They may wear the same uniform, but the Hoyas are not the same team they were when the year began. Despite the current status as a clear Final Four favorite, Georgetown underwent the most dramatic midseason turnaround of any major program this season.
Lost in the haze of the Hoyas’ ever-growing dominance is the fact they were left for dead as a national title contender at midseason.
After being ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press preseason poll, Georgetown picked up two early losses and was unranked for nine weeks beginning in early December.
Of the top nine teams in the last AP poll before the NCAA Tournament — eight of which are in the Sweet 16 (Wisconsin is the other) — none were ever outside of the Top 25, except for the eighth-ranked Hoyas. Seven of those spent the majority of the season in the Top 10, with only Memphis falling as far as No. 22.
While voters who may have second-guessed Georgetown have since come around, Thompson has remained steadfast.
“It’s the growth process, the maturation process, and it’s natural,” said Thompson aboutthe Hoyas’ improved defense of late. “I said all along that we would be better at the end of the year than we were at the beginning of the year, and I think that our offense has gotten significantly better also.”
If Thompson’s way of playing college basketball is a class, the Hoyas are passing with flying colors.
“I think we’re more balanced. Guys have settled into their roles on this team as far as freshmen on up,” said junior guard Jonathan Wallace. “Roy [Hibbert] and Jeff [Green] are doing an extremely good job down low handling their offense, and the other guys are stepping to add what ever their abilities are.”
Just how dangerous Georgetown has become isn’t lost on Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings.
“Most experts agree that they’re probably one of the favorites to have a chance to win the national championship,” said Stallings. “We’re playing one of the very few dominant teams in college basketball this year, and we know it’s going to be difficult.”
