The 2018–19 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team represented Georgetown University in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hoyas, led by second-year head coach Patrick Ewing, played their home games at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., as members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 19–14, 9–9 in Big East play to finish in a four-way tie for third place. As the No. 6 seed in the Big East tournament, they lost to Seton Hall in the quarterfinals. They received a bid to the National Invitation Tournament as the No. 3 seed in the UNC Greensboro bracket where they lost in the first round to Harvard.
Previous season The Hoyas finished the 2017–18 season at 15–15, 5–13 in Big East play, to finish in eighth place in the conference. As the No. 8 seed in the Big East tournament, they lost in the first round to St. John's. Georgetown finished the season without a winning record for the third straight year, the first time that had happened since the 1971–72, 1972–73, and 1973–74 seasons, and without participating in a postseason tournament in three consecutive years for the first time since 1972, 1973, and 1974.
Offseason
Departures Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason Jonathan Mulmore 2 G 6'4" 185 Senior New Orleans, LA Graduated Ra'Mond Hines 10 G 6'4" 175 Senior Washington, D.C. Graduated Chris Sodom 12 C 7'3" 220 Freshman Kaduna, Nigeria Dismissed from team; transferred to George Washington Trey Dickerson 13 G 6'0" 185 Senior Queens, NY Graduated Marcus Derrickson 24 F 6'7" 250 Junior Bowie, MD Declared for 2018 NBA draft
Incoming transfers Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Previous school Ömer Yurtseven 44 C 7'0" 240 Junior Istanbul, Turkey North Carolina State
2018 recruiting class
Season recap
In addition to center Chris Sodom – dismissed from the team at midseason, he had transferred to George Washington – Georgetown had lost four players since the conclusion of the previous season: guards Trey Dickerson, Jonathan Mulmore, and three-season walk-on Ra'Mond Hines had graduated, and, most notably, the team's second-leading scorer, forward Marcus Derrickson, had foregone his senior year of college to enter the 2018 National Basketball Association draft. However, a core of veteran players – junior Jagan Mosely and sophomore Jahvon Blair at guard, sophomores Jamorko Pickett and Antwan Walker at forward, and senior guard/forward Kaleb Johnson – returned. Junior forward George Muresan, the son of former NBA player Gheorghe Muresan, made the team as a walk-on for the third straight season. Forward Trey Mourning, who had missed the entire 2017–2018 season due to injury, also returned to action in 2018–2019 as a redshirt senior, and the team hoped his perimeter shooting talents would pay dividends on offense. Most significantly, center Jessie Govan, the team's top scorer, who initially had indicated after the end of the previous season that he, like Derrickson, would leave school to enter the 2018 NBA draft, had changed his mind and decided to play his senior year at Georgetown in 2018–2019.
A number of new players joined the team for the season. After sitting out the 2017–2018 season in accordance with NCAA transfer rules, forward Greg Malinowksi, a good perimeter shooter who previously had played for three seasons for William & Mary – where he had shot 40 percent in three-pointers during the 2016–2017 season – became eligible to play for the Hoyas as a redshirt senior, and it was hoped that he would fill the gap left by Derrickson's early departure for the NBA.Hewitt, Kayla, "Meet the New Guys," georgetownvoice.com, November 6, 2018 Retrieved April 1, 2019 Freshman forward Grayson Carter also joined the team, and freshman forward Jaden Robinson made the team as a walk-on. Also new to the team was junior center Ömer Yurtseven, who transferred from North Carolina State; under NCAA transfer rules, he had to sit out the season, but he was expected to begin play with the Hoyas in the 2019–2020 season.
The arrival of three freshman – guards Mac McClung and James Akinjo and forward Josh LeBlanc – generated optimism in the basketball program and among its fans. LeBlanc was a versatile forward, Akinjo was a skilled and high-scoring point guard, and McClung had risen to national attention in high school; he had set a Virginia state record for points scored in high school a single season with 1,153, beating the old record of 948 set by Allen Iverson.Baldwin, Dan, "High School Stars McClung, Akinjo Represent Georgetown’s Future," thehoya.com, undated Retrieved April 1, 2019
On October 11, 2018, Georgetown issued a press release announcing that Antwan Walker had been dismissed from the team that day.Anonymous, "Antwan Walker Dismissed from Program," casualhoya.com, October 11, 2018, 4:15 p.m. EDT Retrieved March 31, 2019 After Walker had begun to emerge as an important contributor to Georgetown's frontcourt late the previous season and followed that up with a successful summer in Kenner League play in 2018, observers had speculated that he might start for the Hoyas in 2018–2019. His departure suggested greater playing time for Josh LeBlanc, Trey Mourning, Kaleb Johnson, and Greg Malinowski in the 2018–2019 season.
A preseason poll of Big East Conference coaches picked Georgetown to finish seventh in the Big East in 2018–2019.Wallace, Ava, "Patrick Ewing is keeping expectations for his second season at Georgetown all to himself," washingtonpost.com, October 25, 2018, 6:16 p.m. EDT Retrieved October 27, 2018 At the Big East's media day at Madison Square Garden in New York City on October 25, head coach Patrick Ewing dodged reporters′ questions about his expectations for the 2018–2019 squad, saying only that he was hoping for "a much better year" than in 2017–2018 and offering that "everything" about the team would have to get better for it to finish with more than the five conference wins it had the previous season. Ewing and Georgetown athletic director Lee Reed both believed that a good program had to be built slowly, and Ewing added, "Last year, I said we were building a foundation...Now we’re starting to put the building up." He indicated that in 2018–2019 he would place an emphasis on getting the Hoyas to play together well as a team.
Nonconference schedule
With Trey Mourning making the first start of his college career,Anonymous, "Georgetown beats Maryland Eastern Shore 68-53," Associated Press, November 7, 2018 Retrieved March 17, 2019 the Hoyas began their season on November 6 with a victory at Capital One Arena against Maryland Eastern Shore, improving their all-time record against the Hawks to 9–0. Jessie Govan led the team with 13 points, while Josh LeBlanc had a double-double (11 points and 11 rebounds) in the first college game of his career. Jamorko Picket also scored 11 points, including three 3-pointers.
Four days later, the Hoyas began competition in the 2018 Jamaica Classic, the Hoyas′ first appearance in an in-season tournament or showcase event of Patrick Ewing's tenure as head coach. The Classic was an unbracketed, four-game showcase event, and under its format the Hoyas started by playing a game at Capital One Arena against Central Connecticut State. The Blue Devils kept the game close, trailing by only three points with four minutes remaining, but Jamorko Pickett sank two three-pointers as part of a 9–0 Georgetown run that clinched the Hoya win.ncaa.com Central Conn. St. vs. Georgetown Game Summary, November 10th, 2018, NCAA: "Georgetown holds off Central Connecticut State 85-78" Jessie Govan scored 26 points,Central Connecticut vs. Georgetown – Box Score – November 10, 2018 – ESPN Retrieved March 17, 2019 James Akinjo contributed 13, and Pickett and Trey Mourning added 12 each.
Before continuing play in the Jamaica Classic, Georgetown took part in the Gavitt Tipoff Games, an annual competition played between the Big East Conference and the Big Ten Conference which matched eight Big East teams against eight Big Ten teams. Georgetown had played in the Gavitt Tipoff Games during the first two seasons of the competition, losing to Maryland in both 2015 and 2016, but had not participated in 2017. This season, the Hoyas went on the road to face Illinois on November 13 in the most hostile environment the team had yet faced with Patrick Ewing as head coach.Anonymous, "Freshman Akinjo leads Georgetown past Illinois 88-80," Associated Press, November 14, 2018 Retrieved March 18, 2019 Georgetown's freshmen were particularly effective, scoring 61.3 percent of Georgetown's points and making key plays, including 12 points by Mac McClungGeorgetown vs. Illinois – Box Score – November 13, 2018 – ESPN Retrieved March 17, 2019 that included a steal and breakaway reverse dunk to complete a 9–2 Georgetown run and give the Hoyas a 75–72 lead with just under five minutes remaining, a 19-point, seven-assist game by James Akinjo that included a floater and ensuing free throw to give the Hoyas an 84–80 lead with 39 seconds left, and 14 points and seven rebounds by Josh LeBlanc. Jessie Govan and Jamorko Pickett blocked back-to-back shots in the final seconds and Govan and Jagan Mosely sank key free throws as time wound down to give Georgetown an 88–80 victory. Govan and Jahvon Blair each finished with 11 points. The Hoyas improved their all-time record against the Fighting Illini to 2–4, their all-time record in the Gavitt Tipoff Games to 1–2, and their season record to 3–0.