Georgetown shows a complete effort in decisive win
No gimmicks. No Jokes. No preamble. Your Georgetown Hoyas just beat down Providence in an emotional game. Congratulations to Coach Cooley on getting his first (of many) wins against Providence on a night that I am sure was difficult for him.
This was a fun game to be at and a fun game to write about.
Let’s dive in…
Malik Mack – B
7pts, 2-5 40% FG, 1-3 33% 3PT, 2-2 FT, 3 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO, 33 MIN
The scoring wasn’t there for Malik but I thought he was solid in this game. The confidence he’s playing with on defense is special. Providence was attacking him early with their bigger guards, as they did in the first meeting. They were able to shoot over him but could not get by him. And as the game went on, Malik just kept battling defensively. He was great on that end. Despite not shooting much, he hit a couple of really big shots, including a dagger transition pull-up three and a crafty lefty finish among the trees (a great sign for him). He probably could have taken more than five shots but didn’t need to. Other guys had it going, and he was able to pick his spots. That’s probably when Georgetown is at its best.
Micah Peavy – A+
30pts, 11-22 50% FG, 4-6 66% 3PT, 7 REB, 7 AST, 6 STL, 2 TO, 40 MIN
We’re watching something special from this guy. In the month of February (4 games), he’s averaging 25 points on 50% shooting, 45% from three (on five attempts), six boards, six assists and 3.5 steals. He’s a monster. If this is his closing argument to NBA scouts, he’s making a hell of a case. It’s simple – If he shoots with this efficiency, particularly from three, he’s not just going to get a look at the next level, he has a shot to be a real NBA player for a long time. He scored from everywhere against Providence. He just completely dominated them on the offensive end. It was a masterclass. Oh, and he may have been even better on the defensive end. Perhaps most impressive to me has been his ability to produce like this offensively while keeping (if not raising) his incredibly high standard of defensive play.
The numbers speak for themselves: 6 steals. He had Providence in hell all night. But he does so much on the defensive end that can’t be captured in numbers. He is quite literally every where on the floor. On countless possessions, he would shut off a drive, switch onto a big and push them out of the lane, switch back to a guard and hassle them into help defense, a turnover or a bad shot, and then grab a tough rebound just for fun. He’s a joy to watch. Hoya for a year, Hoya for life.
And I am a Peavy fan for life, too. He’s starting to creep into draft talk (as a second-round flyer). If he keeps this up, that will continue. There have been a lot of comparisons thrown around. A bigger Josh Hart is an interesting one. For the old heads, I see Bobby Jones, who George Karl once called the best defensive prospect coming out of college that he’d ever seen. He moves defensively a bit like Bobby Jones and has a knack for being in the right spot to make an athletically dominant-looking steal or block. I am positive Micah is that good defensively. And right now, he looks just as special on the offensive end.
Drew Fielder – A
17pts, 4-11 36% FG, 2-4 50% 3PT, 7-7 FT, 9 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO, 27 MIN
Whenever I bring a non-Georgetown watcher to a game, the first person they point out tends to be Fielder. This has happened on several occasions and again for this one. My companion for the game, a true ball-knower despite being a Blue Devil, pointed him out immediately. Even before he got it going offensively, he noted he was just in the right spots and had a good feel for the game. Then Drew started to get it going on both ends, and Cooper Flagg comparisons got thrown around. Drew is not Flagg. He’s not nearly the dynamic athlete Flagg is, among other things, but he can do some of the things Flagg does when his role is expanded, which is why I have been so high on Drew this year. I think he has done a great job just doing what the team needs.
When Sorber has been out, he’s stepped up as a scorer. He did that again in this one. Despite his low FG percentage – the result of some hard fouls – he was excellent on the offensive end. He had a few post-finishes we’d not seen from him before (even last season). He was a monster on the boards, finishing one shy of a double-double. Despite all of that, perhaps most impressive was his defense. He’s come a long way defensively since last season when he showed flashes but was overall a below-average defender. This season, he grades out in the 90th percentile in defensive efficiency. He was great against Providence. The defense didn’t lose a step without Thomas and Caleb, and a lot of that credit goes to Drew.
Oh, and how about the edge he played with? This didn’t look like just another game for Drew. He played with a palpable intensity. A “we’re not losing this game” sort of energy, capped off by refusing to let go of a tie-up, even after the whistle. He just kept shouting “My Ball” as two pouty Friars incredulously appealed to the referees for respite. Hell yeah, Drew.
Jordan Burks – A+
13pts, 5-8 62% FG, 1-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, 4 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 0 TO, 25 MIN
I was skeptical about giving Jordan the start in Caleb’s absence ahead of Curtis (who’s gotten the nod in previous opportunities). And that is why I am writing this while Cooley is making the big money. Jordan looked like a completely different player with a serious dose of confidence from his coach and team. He was electric. It took about 10 minutes for him to settle into the game. A solid defense play on one end (resulting in a travel against Providence), followed by a great drive and finish, got him going. He finished the first half and the Hoyas’ 19-3 run with the two best offensive plays of his season: a great drive and a tough left-handed finish while getting mauled (he made the free throw to complete the three-point play) and then a buzzer beater corner three.
He didn’t have time to think about the three; he just let it fly. I think that’s the key for him, in addition to playing inside out and getting going to the rim first, when he has time to think about the shot, he can over-shoot. If he just steps into it, he’s got a nice stroke. His second half was just as good as the first. On top of his offensive contributions, his defense was dominant. He used his length well and was great on the boards. He only grabbed four, officially, but he was boxing out all night, creating easier opportunities for his teammates. This was a different Jordan Burks than we’ve seen this year. He was phenomenal.
Jayden Epps – A
18pts, 5-9 55% FG, 2-5 40% 3PT, 6-6 FT, 3 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL, 3 TO, 39 MIN
This was as quiet 18pts and 40% from three gets. Jayden looked as healthy as he has all year, and I thought this was maybe his best game as a Hoya. He’s scored more, of course, and done the flamethrower thing, but he fit into the offense well in this game while still getting his points. He had a good mix of drives and jumpers and didn’t take a bad shot. He was also very good defensively, including in the zone, where he’s been at his shakiest this season. He played winning basketball.
Curtis Williams – C+
2pts, 1-1 FG, 0-1 FT, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 TO, 13 MIN
Curtis had a nice cut and finish in the first half. He got fouled but missed the and-one free throw. Other than that, he didn’t stand out too much. He was solid defensively. He and Jordan play a similar role on this team, so it’s not a surprise that when one of them has it going, the other fades a bit. I fully expect we’ll get another Curtis game here before the end of the year.
Drew McKenna – B+
6pts, 2-3 66% FG, 2-3 FT, 5 REB, 2 AST, 0 TO, 22 MIN
With Sorber out, someone else was going to need to step in and contribute. Drew has gotten a few, though not many, chances this year to do that, and it largely hasn’t worked out for him. It did in this one. He was really solid, particularly offensively, where his ability to create a shot for himself helped on a couple of possessions. Those are the types of possessions we’ve seen end in turnovers or heaves previously due to the Hoya’s lack of shot creation. Despite being a clear deficiency of this Hoya team, Drew hasn’t gotten many chances because he hasn’t always done the other basic things. He did in this game. There were a few awkward possessions offensively where the spacing got messed up (a feature of his not having played a lot), but he was excellent stepping into the typical Drew Fielder role as Fielder took the Sorber role. I was particularly impressed with his rebounding on both ends of this game. Defensively, his foot speed is a little slow, but he did a nice job positionally. He struggled a little to stay in front on switches but recovered well and was positionally sound. This was probably an A effort based on what he’s done so far this year, but I think he has more to give if given the opportunity. We’ll see if this continues if/when Sorber is back, but he made a great case for himself in this one.
Offense – A+ Currently ranked 163 in Off. efficiency per KenPom (previously 183)
126.7 Off. Rating, 59% eFG, 43% 3PT (10-23), 50 AST Rate
Easily Georgetown’s best offensive game of the season. The stats really speak for themselves in this one. Dare I say, even the most basic stat: 93 points. The second-highest point total of the season, and their 126.7 is also the second-highest offensive efficiency of the year (behind the production against Albany). Georgetown was rolling. Some of that is because Providence is just a bad team …I mean “defensive,” Providence is a bad defensive team… Providence is 127th in defensive efficiency, which I guess is at least average, but they were bad in this game. Providence and Hoya-Lover Kim English didn’t have an answer to Georgetown’s drives all game. And that is the key for this offense, I think. Their offense opens up dramatically when Georgetown is playing inside out and getting to the rim. Their 10 3pt makes tied for the most on the year (with the Creighton smackdown), and in both those games, the formula was the same. They generated open looks from paint touches and ball reversals, giving their shooters confidence. This is just not a team that is going to make a lot of tough pull-up threes consistently, but they’ve shown that when they get paint threes (threes that come after the ball gets into the key), they can knock down some shots.
Defense – A Currently ranked 37 in Def. efficiency per KenPom (previously 37)
98.1 Def. Rating, 45% eFG, 15.4 TO Rate, 68.6% DRB Rate
After giving up 97 to Butler, it was reasonable to ask if the defense was backsliding a bit. The answer: nope. Despite being a bad team…I mean a bad defensive team. Gosh, I don’t know why I keep doing that… Despite being a bad defensive team, Providence has been pretty good offensively. At least they have shot the ball well, particularly from three. And you saw some of that in this game. They have guys who can make tough shots from deep. After the initial flurry in the first half, it was clear that Providence was overwhelmed by Georgetown’s solid Defense. And that’s what I have loved most about the defensive renaissance this year. Yes, Georgetown forces a lot of turnovers, but they don’t play the hyperactive, constant-pressure, pants-on-fire style that some of the other top turnover teams do (think St. Johns, Marquette, etc.). No, Georgetown beats you with unwavering, solid team defense. They overwhelmed Providence by simply being in the right spot, moving their feet and not giving up anything easy. The live-ball turnovers and flashy blocks and steals are fun, but there is something deeper about the overwhelming competence the Hoyas play with, particularly when compared to whatever that was (*waves arms) the past few years. It starts with Micah, but it filters to everyone. Even Jayden and Malik are just solid about where they need to be. It is a joy to watch, and it gives me hope that this will be sustainable over multiple years (though we won’t see another cornerstone defensive piece like Micah again, maybe ever). If all this season amounts to is a resetting of Georgetown’s defensive identity into a perennial top-30 version that plays like this, this season will be a success in my eyes.
Next Up
The Hoyas walk into a tough spot against a Creighton team that has lost two in a row after winning nine straight. And if they needed any additional motivation, Creighton is likely looking to get Georgetown back for handing them their worst loss of the season (by far) in the 24-point smackdown the Hoyas put on them earlier this year. All signs would point to this being a comfortable win for the Bluejays at home in their cozy big east city of…Omaha, Nebraska (will never not be weird to me). But this version of the Hoyas and Micah Peavy can compete if it does not beat anyone. Maybe not in a series, but on one occasion, absolutely. I guess we will see…