Perhaps if Jeff Green hadn’t turned pro, Georgetown’s heralded senior class — the first one recruited by head coach John ThompsonIII — might have been five players instead of four, and might have a legacy that includes not just one, but two Final Fours.
But just as many Georgetown fans are left wondering what could have been with Green still around, the Hoyas themselves can only wonder how they let a 17-point lead slip away to Davidson in the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
The loss puts on hold, at least for now, the next chapter in Thompson’s meteoric rise since taking over Georgetown four years ago, and leaves a sour taste in the mouths of four graduating Hoyas seniors — Roy Hibbert, Jonathan Wallace, Patrick Ewing Jr. and Tyler Crawford — who’ve been key to the rebirth of the program.
“This is a group, more so than any group that I’ve ever been associated with, that understands the concept of team,” said Thompson prior to the Hoyas’ final regular season game. “They understand the blood, sweat and tears that go into having a successful unit, and they understand that all the time sacrifices are needed for the sake of the group… They’ve embraced that, they’ve embraced what we have done and how we are doing it, and they’re special.”
Green’s departure didn’t prevent the Hoyas (28-6) from capturing back-to-back Big East regular season titles for the first time in program history and gaining a No. 2 seed in the NCAAs for the second straight year. Georgetown proved it was ready for the ever-growing expectations, going 6-0 in games decided by a possession or less.
“A lot of teams crack under pressure,” said Ewing Jr. “Since we’ve been through a lot of it, we’re not really going to crack.”
But even with the 7-foot-2 Hibbert as the anchor, Georgetown lacked a go-to playmaker. The efficient, balanced Hoyas had six players with eight points or more and shot 63 percent against the Wildcats — their second-best offensive game of the year — but had no answers for an on-fire Stephen Curry.
But even that won’t stop Thompson, as another stellar recruiting class next fall means another boost for a program that has become a thinking-fan’s favorite.
“You can’t just not watch the game, not having followed us, pick up our year-to-date stats, pick up a box score and start making decisions or assumptions about who’s playing well, who’s not playing well,” said Thompson.
It might be hard to tell why, but it won’t be hard to see the Hoyas as contenders again.
