For the progeny of a former NBA player and current coach, there’s something to be said for learning how to get along without a basketball.
Georgetown freshman guard Jeremiah Rivers, son of Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, doesn’t have the ball in his hands as much as he did in high school. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
“I was fighting it at first, like, ‘This is hard. I gotta have the ball in my hands,’” said Rivers, whose efficient contributions off the bench have helped spur the Hoyas’ current three-game winning streak. “But lately, just coming off screens, backdoor cutting, just moving adds a whole different dimension to your game. At the end of the day it’s way better for you.”
The Winter Park, Fla., native’s first season at Georgetown has been one of fits and starts, much of it due to injuries. After averaging 15 minutes in the first seven games of the year, Rivers sprained an ankle at Duke, missed three games and has had to work his way back into the rotation.
He’s also receiving indoctrination into the world of the Princeton offense, where movement off the ball takes precedence over spectacular plays with it. The high school point guard who always had the ball is adjusting.
“He has gone through and is going through the process that all freshmen go through,” said Hoyas head coach John Thompson III.
“I didn’t know how to cut when I got here, and I’m still not great at it,” said Rivers. But he is improving, thanks to plenty of film study and quality minutes in relief of starting guards Jessie Sapp and Jonathan Wallace.
“With him getting more time and support and being put in different types of situations, he’s becoming more comfortable,” said Wallace. “He’s handling the ball well and getting the grasp of the offense, slowly stepping up to playing his role on the floor.”
As much as the play has improved of late among the thin ranks of Georgetown’s backcourt, the current Hoyas guards are all somewhat overshadowed in the area by highly-touted local recruits for next season: Austin Freeman (DeMatha High) and Chris Wright (St. John’s High). But that doesn’t bother Wallace or Rivers.
“I don’t think about that at all, to be honest. I just play, work every day on my game. It’s good to have guards coming in. It’s competition,”said Rivers. “Whoever’s the best player, that’s who is going to play.”
Cincinnati (10-9, 1-4 Big East) at Georgetown (14-5, 4-2)
» When: Saturday, noon
» Where: Verizon Center
» TV: MASN
