Center of Attention: Progress Made This Year For Georgetown, But Colorado Exposed Flaw in Program That Needs Fixing

Colorado's freshman backup center, Jabari Walker, exploded for 24 points on Saturday against Georgetown. It was indicative of a larger problem for the Hoyas in how they use their big men on defense.

If you were told in October of 2020 that Georgetown - the same Georgetown that was picked to finish last in the Big East preseason coaches’ poll - would make the NCAA Tournament, every single Hoya fan would sign up for that in a heartbeat, no matter the result of the game.

And that’s not to mention the fact that in addition to said NCAA berth, this same Hoyas team team won the Big East Tournament in an improbable run, capped off by a 73-48 destruction of the Creighton Bluejays in the championship game.

So, it was a bit perplexing to see more than a few Georgetown fans complaining about the Hoyas’ performance on Saturday afternoon, after all the progress this team has made to even get to this point.

(Note: “Georgetown fans” does not include ESPN’s Dan Graziano, who can’t call himself a fan after the manner in which he unfairly put his alma mater on blast after Saturday’s loss.)

Saturday’s 96-73 loss to Colorado was bad. There’s no debating that. The Hoyas were ill prepared for that matchup, and looked half-interested, at best, from start to finish.

On a national scale, that blowout loss will only serve as further fodder for the narrative that Georgetown consistently chokes in the postseason.

Georgetown seemed more interested in taking a victory lap in the media this past week, and less focused on figuring out how to stop a Buffs offense that torched them for 96 points. That’s a tough look.

But it doesn’t erase the reality that this team:

a.) is Big East champions

and

b.) is bringing in a top-10 recruiting class next season

Imagine being able to say either of those things when this season started? Hoyas fans were just closing their eyes and praying to the gods that be that their team would avoid a last-place finish in the Big East, when this season started.

Things are still looking up for Georgetown. They finished this season in a much better position than anyone expected them too. And they should have the talent to get back here next season too.

But while Saturday’s loss doesn’t change the fact that this season was an outstanding success for Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown Hoyas, it would be silly to disregard it as a mere blip on the radar. Because for Georgetown to continue its upward trajectory as a program, it is going to need to eventually win the kinds of games that it found itself on the wrong side of on Saturday. That is the next step of this rebuild for Georgetown.

The lack of energy from both players and coaches was alarming, but that’s something that can be corrected in short order. But Colorado’s beatdown of Georgetown exposed a systemic flaw in Patrick Ewing’s team-building philosophy that Ewing is eventually going to have to address, and that’s keeping a traditional center out on the floor at all times.

The Hoyas have faced this issue during Ewing’s tenure already, but it came to a head on Saturday when Colorado freshman backup center Jabari Walker exploded for a career-high 24 points on 9-of-10 shooting, including going 5-for-5 from the three-point line.

Image Credit: Marc Lebryk/USA Today Sports Images

Before Saturday, Walker had only reached double digits in scoring in five games this season. He was averaging barely over one three-point attempt per game.

But Walker killed Georgetown on Saturday, and that’s because Qudus Wahab and Timothy Ighoefe, Georgetown’s traditional bigs, couldn’t step out with Walker to the perimeter, especially on pick-and-pops.

Colorado picked on Wahab and Ighoefe all game long, and it completely wrecked Georgetown on defense. The Hoyas adjusted by putting Pickett on Walker, but that meant sticking Wahab/Ighoefe on Evan Battey, who can also play in the high post and bring his defender away from the basket.

That’s what he did here. When Battey rolls on the pick, Bile has to tag him instead of chasing his own man, Schwartz, out to the three-point line, which gives Schwartz enough time to get off an open 3.

Ewing refused to go small in this game, like he has done mostly all year against opponents with centers who can stretch the floor, and it cost Georgetown the game on Saturday.

For the Hoyas to take the next step under Ewing, there has to be a philosophical shift in how Ewing deploys his centers, especially in a modern college game where the smaller center who can stretch the floor is becoming much more common, and traditional centers like Wahab and Ighoefe are becoming harder to justify leaving out there on the floor, because of how they can be picked on defensively by teams with stretch fives.

But will Ewing adjust?

The legendary big man has shown no inclination to shift his philosophy about the type of center he wants on his team. And to be clear, a player like Qudus Wahab still has a lot of value for any team. Wahab will be one of the best centers in the country when his junior season kicks off next season, and rightfully so. He is a great shot blocker and an effective post-up option on offense.

However, Ewing needs to add another card up his sleeve. He either needs to embrace small-ball lineups (e.g. playing Chudier Bile at the 5 as opposed to Wahab) against five-out lineups, or he simply needs to recruit better talent at the center position.

This is not advocating for Georgetown to stop recruiting traditional bigs. Against Villanova for example, Wahab and Ighoefe both gave the Wildcats a lot of trouble with their size. That is a game where those bigs can thrive in. But Georgetown does need to add another tool on their tool belt to be able to handle teams like Colorado in the future who have better three-point shooters in the frontcourt at the center position.

It is possible to recruit players who can play the role of a traditional center and also be able to defend out on the perimeter against smaller centers. Wahab and Ighoefe have their limitations there, and that is the reality of where Georgetown is right now.

Georgetown is going to face teams like Colorado again, and with increasing frequency as college teams prioritize centers who can stretch the floor with their shooting. If Patrick Ewing doesn’t change how he uses his centers, Georgetown’s ceiling as a program will be limited, because performances like Jabari Walker’s on Saturday will become the norm against Georgetown and their heavy-footed centers, especially in the postseason.

There are ton of reasons to like where Georgetown is headed as a program. Simply playing in the NCAA Tournament this year is evidence enough. But that doesn’t mean that Georgetown should be satisfied with where they are. Tweaks can, and should, be made, and it starts with how Patrick Ewing approaches the center position. We will see what happens next season.