There were two names synonymous with high hopes for the Georgetown men’s basketball team at the beginning of the season, Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert. At 6-foot-9 and 7-2, respectively, both juniors were preseason Wooden Award candidates.
But after seven games, guards Jonathan Wallace and Jessie Sapp, 6-1 and 6-3, are right there with the Hoyas leading big men in both scoring and minutes played.
Sapp (10.0 points per game) had a team-high 13 points in last weekend’s loss to Duke and Wallace (11.4 ppg) had a season-high 17 in the defeat to Oregon.
Both played good minutes last season — Wallace was fifth on the team in scoring and the leader in assists — and both need to continue improving as the Hoyas (4-3) aim to shake off a two-game losing streak tonight against James Madison (2-4).
“For us to be successful this year, John is going to have to grow,” said Hoyas head coach John Thompson III. “Everyone likes to talk about, ‘Hey, look at Roy’s improvement,’ but I think that we’re going to have to see John be a much different person. … At key points, his ability to get by his man and create his own shots and create opportunities for others is something that he has not had to do the past couple of years that he’s capable of doing. We need him to do that this year.”
Hoyas partner with MASN
The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network added its biggest Washington property aside from the Nationals on Monday, announcing that it will be the official regional sports network for Georgetown.
The three-year partnership between MASN and Georgetown will be highlighted by coverage of the Hoyas men’s basketball team and its highly-ranked lacrosse team this spring.
“Georgetown is a hugely successful and storied team in the Washington area and the country, and MASN is delighted to be partnering with them,” said network spokesman Todd Webster.
MASN will televise at least 10 men’s basketball games — seven are currently on the team’s schedule. The network will also carry the Georgetown women’s game Thursday against national powerhouse and Big East foe Connecticut.
On air
Upcoming Georgetown men’s basketball games scheduled to be on MASN.
» Winston-Salem State, Sat. Dec. 16, 7:30 p.m.
» Notre Dame, Sat., Jan. 6, noon
» at Rutgers, Wed., Jan. 17, 7:30
» at Seton Hall, Fri., Jan. 19, 7:30
» Cincinnati, Sat., Jan. 27, noon
» West Virginia, Mon., Feb. 12, 8
» at Cincinnati, Wed., Feb. 21, 7
