Peavy, Epps, and more at the head of the class
This is a good basketball team. I don’t know what the rest of the season will hold for the Hoyas. But for the first time in a very long time, I can say this is a good basketball team. What’s more? It might be a GREAT defensive basketball team.
Your Georgetown Hoyas had their best week in a while, and certainly the Cooley era, with two big wins. This includes a road win at Syracuse and a beatdown of Creighton. The team is starting to display a clear identity, purpose and cohesion. If you’re not on board, you better hurry up. The train is leaving the station.
Malik Mack – INC
Cuse: 9pts, 3-8 37% FG, 1-4 25% 3PT, 2-4 FT, 6 REB, 8 AST, 3 STL, 0 TOV, 40 MIN
Creighton: DNP (Lower Body)
Malik was very good against Syracuse before missing the Creighton game with a lower-body injury. Hopefully, it’s nothing too serious. Despite the convincing win against Creighton, Georgetown needs Mack, particularly on offense. He’s not been as consistent a shooter as I would like, but he has a knack for hitting big shots. I think that speaks to his feel for the game. He knows when the team needs a bucket, and he stepped up and hit a big three against Syracuse when Georgetown needed it. He seems to wait until later in the game to get his own shot. He’s deferential early on – a great trait for a lead guard. But I think he could look for his shot a bit more. Or, at least, he could attack the rim earlier on. Despite his size, he gets to the basket well. The more pressure he puts on the defense, the more he’ll open up the game for others.
Jayden Epps – A
Cuse: 27pts, 11-15 73% FG, 4-6 66% 3PT, 1-1 FT, 2 REB, 4 AST, 3 TOV, 36 MIN
Creighton: 21pts, 7-12 58% FG, 5-6 83% 3PT, 2-4 FT, 3 REB, 2 AST, 3 STL, 4 TOV, 32 MIN
Jayden’s best two-game stretch as a Hoya is not particularly close. He was outstanding in both games. There were one or two possessions of over-dribbling, but they were the outliers. He put together a run they desperately needed in the second half of the Syracuse game. He just couldn’t miss. Against Creighton, he showed great offensive discipline despite the Hoyas being down a shooter. He didn’t try and do too much, and almost all of his threes came in rhythm within the offense. I think six threes a game is right around where he should be. Any more is an indication of him doing too much off the dribble. He has embraced the off-ball role, and if he continues to play like he has in these last two games, this team will have a tremendous upside. His offense was stellar in both of these games, but it’s his defense that continues to impress me. He’s limited, yes, but he has completely bought in. His effort to chase around screens and stay in front of guys has been great. Having Micah Peavy on the team helps a lot, but he deserves a ton of credit for his defense.
Micah Peavy – A
Cuse: 12pts, 5-14 35% FG, 0-3 3PT, 2-2 FT, 9 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 3 TOV, 40 MIN
Creighton: 20pts, 9-16 56% FG, 1-3 33% 3PT, 8 REB, 8 AST, 7 STL, 1 BLK, 4 TOV, 35 MIN
I thought Micah had an OK game against Syracuse. I saw some of the same attention-to-detail mistakes he made against WVU. He picked it up in the second half against Syracuse, but his A for the week is a testament to just how good he was against Creighton. You could completely disregard his offense, and he would still deserve an A+ against Creighton. He was a monster. He had Steven Ashworth in a torture chamber. Poor kid looked like he wanted to cry. He led a defensive stretch in the second half that effectively put this game away, including three run-out dunks off steals. But it’s his versatility on the defensive end that is most impressive. In the single-best individual defensive performance of the last five years (at least), he completely locked down 6’0 Steven Ashworth and also recorded a steal in several possessions of lockdown defense against 7’1 Ryan Kalkbrenner. Oh, and he managed that all while serving as the lead guard and ball-handler on the offensive end. Look, I don’t know if he has the skills to play at the next level, but his defense alone will get him a very serious look. I also think it’s smart (for him and the Hoyas) to showcase him at the guard spot. Despite his 6’8 size, he has a real shot if he can handle the ball AND lock up guards. This is a good defensive team (!!! see more below), and a primary reason for that is Peavy. He makes everything work, and I think his play rubs off on everyone else.
Drew Fielder – B+
Cuse: 8pts, 4-8 50% FG, 0-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, 5 REB, 2 AST, 1 TOV, 29 MIN
Creighton: 7pts, 3-4 75% FG, 1-1 3PT, 2 REB, 0 AST, 1 TOV, 25 MIN
He had a great sequence in the second half against Creighton to push the lead to nine. He grabbed a big offensive rebound and scored a strong two before immediately knocking down a confident pick-and-pop three. He was not as active on the glass this past week, but I remain very impressed with how he’s made these pieces fit together. He was asked to play backup center against Kalkbrenner, something he’s struggled to do in his career. I thought he was very good in those minutes at the 5. He’s definitely a power forward, but he looked more comfortable at the Center position than before. That could be huge for the Hoyas, who are missing their backup center in Julius.
Thomas Sorber – A-
Cuse: 16pts, 7-16 43% FG, 0-5 3PT, 2-4 FT, 7 REB, 3 AST, 2 BLK, 0 TOV, 31 MIN
Creighton: 8pts, 4-14 28% FG, 0-3 3PT, 6 REB, 3 AST, 3 BLK, 2 TOV, 32 MIN
He had a tough night offensively against Creighton, but that’s not all that surprising against 7’1 Kalkbrenner. He also hasn’t shot the three yet this year, but he had a number of good looks in both games. That’s about it for the negatives, though. His shooting stroke looks good, and he’s taking them confidently. Look out if he starts to make threes at even a 30% clip. He made a couple of nice pull-up midrangers, including a very loud one in the face of a clapping 38-year-old, Eddie Lampkin, against Syracuse. He still has room to improve his body position around the basket, but his touch is excellent. He has been outstanding defensively. He was great against Syracuse and even better against Creighton, with a very tough matchup. Kalkbrenner is big, 7’1 275, and Sorber was up to the challenge. He didn’t get bullied and had a couple of huge blocks. He’s just defensively very sound. I continue to love everything he does.
Jordan Burks – A
Cuse: 3pts, 1-2 50% FG, 1-2 50% 3PT, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 TOV, 8 MIN
Creighton: 7pts, 3-3 FG, 1-1 3PT, 5 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 TOV, 22 MIN
Jordan had a sneaky, great week. He hit a huge three against Syracuse when no one else could. His length really bothers opponents. Paire with Peavy, they just look so difficult to play against. He hasn’t forced anything offensively but has managed to make shots. I think he’ll have a game here where he knocks down three plus from deep and puts up 12 or more. I like his fit a lot.
Caleb Williams – A+
Cuse: 0pts, 0-1 FG, 0-1 3PT, 0 REB, 0 AST, 1 TOV, 8 MIN
Creighton: 6pts, 3-5 60% FG, 0-0 3PT, 8 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 1 TOV, 34 MIN
Caleb is so good, man. He’s just so solid. He got his first start in place of the injured Mack against Creighton, but Cooley couldn’t take him off the floor. He just does everything. His ability to stay in front of guys defensively is incredibly high for a freshman. His confidence is growing on the offensive end, and I think it’s only a matter of time before he shoots at a high percentage. When Creighton went to a zone in the second half, Cooley had Caleb in the playmaking spot at the free-throw line for several possessions. That’s a testament to his confidence in Caleb’s ability to read the game and make the right play. Which he did consistently. He made an outstanding pass to Drew Fielder against the zone that should have ended in a baseline jam by Fielder (and effectively ended the game), but Drew bobbled it. And perhaps my favorite play from a Freshman in a very long time: he boxed out Kalkbrenner in the first half to secure a big rebound. It was a fairly routine play. But he just out-muscled the way bigger Kalkbrenner with textbook rebounding position and form. It’s just not something you see many Freshmen doing. That would be on a loop for me in film study. He finished this game with a monster steal and run-out dunk. I’m excited that he’s on this team with Micah Peavy because that should be his model – and he can do it.
Curtis Williams – A
Cuse: 0pts, 0-1 3PT, 1 REB, 1 TOV, 5 MIN
Creighton: 12pts, 4-6 66% FG, 2-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, 2 REB, 0 TOV, 12 MIN
Curtis was fantastic against Creighton. His offensive output was massive. He made some huge threes, including one right in front of the Creighton bench that was definitely chirping. His shooting stroke looked very smooth. If he can start to do that consistently, his minutes will increase. Like all of the Hoyas, though, he was excellent all-around against Creighton.
Drew McKenna – A
Cuse: 0pts, 1 REB, 1 STL, 0 TOV, 4 MIN
Creighton: 0pts, 3 REB, 12 MIN
Drew had some big minutes in the first half against Creighton. He defended Kalkbrenner well and was solid on the glass. I think he can continue to push for minutes on a team that is now a little thin up front.
Offense – B+ Currently ranked 98th in Off. efficiency per KenPom (previously 123rd)
Cuse: 104.9 Off. Rating, 52% eFG, 24% 3PT (25 att.), 64% AST Rate
Creighton: 118.6 Off. Rating, 63% eFG, 62% 3PT (16 att.), 51.5% AST Rate
It’s going to come down to shooting for this team. They’re obviously not going to continue to shoot 62% from three, but if they can raise their percentage, look out. Cooley has been running a lot more Flex, and we saw a lot of it against Creighton. Look, I don’t like the Flex offense (these are sets with two bigs on the low blocks and, usually, two guards screening down from the free throw line). I think it crunches up the spacing on the floor and can be easy to stop if you identify it. It was Cooley’s signature for years at Providence before he started opening things up more, which he needed to do. He clearly still likes the Flex, but it definitely has limitations. However, this team looks really comfortable running it. And with a group that is a little shaky shooting from deep but fairly good in the mid-range, I think it has its place. I think it has been a smart move from Cooley to use it as he has. It looks like it calms guys down. And they have players who can make shots and plays out of that set. I am interested to see if the outside shooting improves over the next few weeks, as a couple of guys seem to be shooting with more confidence.
Defense – A Currently ranked 51st in Def. efficiency per KenPom (previously 75th)
Cuse: 99.3 Def Rating, 46% eFG, 12.9% TOV Rate, 82.1% DRB Rate
Creighton: 83.5 Def Rating, 50% eFG, 21.8 TOV Rate, 85.3 DRB Rate
The defense. My God, the defense. This is definitively a good defensive team. And potentially a great one, with how they generate steals. It starts with Peavy, who, as previously noted, is a monster. I think the decision to have him start on the opposing lead ball handler has been really smart. He is their best perimeter defender, stops guards from getting into the paint, and puts the Hoyas into help situations and rotations. That allows everyone else to do their job and not worry about too much else. That, even aside from all of the great individual defensive plays Peavy makes, is why this team has made such a big leap defensively. But the rest of the team deserves a ton of credit for just doing their jobs. Every guy who steps on the floor knows their defensive assignment and is executing. Sorber has been a great rim protector. Caleb is a mini-Micah with how he stays in front of his man and reads the game. Epps and Mack have been outstanding chasing around screens, Curtis and Jordan have used their length exceptionally well, and Drew Fielder has been very good in help defense and on the glass. Both Syracuse and Creighton went through stretches where they looked genuinely distraught by the Hoyas’ defense. They were thrown out of their rhythm by not just the athleticism and physicality but just how solid these guys were playing. It has been a joy to watch. This was the defense I was hoping to see under Cooley, and somehow, it was even better than I had imagined. More of the same, please.
Next Week
Georgetown closes out the pre-Christmas schedule with their first conference road test against a struggling Seton Hall. The Pirates are in a bad way. They are just not good, but they can absolutely beat Georgetown if the Hoyas are not locked in. If Georgetown plays like they have this past week, they will likely be looking at a 2-0 start in conference play. If they don’t bring energy and focus, they could undo much of the momentum of the last week with a rough loss. Just keep it going.