Previewing Georgetown: Eight Topics of Interest as Ed Cooley and the Hoyas Make Their Way to the AMP
1. So much of the drama and intrigue between Providence, Georgetown, and Ed Cooley over the past year will be highlighted this weekend, but there have been a few more recent quotes from the new Hoya staff pertaining to PC that have gone somewhat overlooked.
For instance, in a Washington Post feature in December, Ed Cooley stated, “It definitely is my dream job to be there (Providence)… and I did it. Higher, better than anybody in the history of that school.”
Cooley can get caught up in bravado and hyperbole when speaking to the media at times, but this quote in particular felt like quite the departure from the reverence he showed to the coaches that came before him at Providence.
After Cooley became the third coach in Providence history to win 200 games, he teared up when reflecting upon what it meant to be in the same company as greats like Joe Mullaney and Dave Gavitt.
“Wow, wow. I didn’t know that,” Cooley said when asked about his 200th win in the fall of 2021. “They told me that walking off the court. I coach because I love it. I’m honored to be the coach at Providence College, and as I have tears in my eyes, I couldn’t believe it. Whoever saw that coming?”
He paused.
“When you have the family atmosphere we have here at Providence College — and I told this to the people at Fox — it’s not the coach’s credit, it’s the administration. They’ve given you the resources. They’ve given you the opportunity to stay here, so those wins are their wins. I’ll take all the losses, but to be in that company, it’s amazing.”
From that to “higher, better than anyone in the history of that school”?
Where had that deference gone just two years later?
2. Entering Saturday with a 1-7 conference mark, the Hoyas are certainly down, but they had been more competitive of late before being blown out at home, 90-66, by Butler on Tuesday night.
Prior to that game, the Georgetown had the lead with under three minutes to go against Seton Hall, before falling in the final minute. They also hung relatively tough at UConn (Supreme Cook had 18/13) before narrowly losing in a shootout at Xavier (92-91). Georgetown shot 11-23 (47.8%) from deep and 20-21 (95.2%) from the free throw line at Xavier, and had an 11-point lead in the second half. They were up three with 1:20 left, but couldn’t close.
Cooley calls this group the best 3-point shooting team he’s ever coached. Jayden Epps is one of the league’s top scorers at 18.8 points per game. The one-time Providence commit turned Illinois freshman transferred to Georgetown for his sophomore year and went for 32 points against Xavier (to go along with 11 assists) and 30 versus Seton Hall. Epps is also a good finisher going to his right, and when he breaks down defenses and misses it often opens up opportunities for center Supreme Cook, who leads the Big East in offensive rebounding (4.8 in Big East games).
Devin Carter versus Epps should be a really fun matchup — and key to this game.
North Carolina transfer Dontrez Styles is a solid secondary scorer (13.4 points per game, 36% from 3) who can hit from beyond the arc, the mid-range, and gets buckets off the offensive glass. He’s a very solid piece, but his scoring has dipped in conference play (10.9 ppg).
The Hoyas also have perimeter threats in Kansas State transfer Ismael Massoud (33.9% from 3, 94.4% at the free throw line), freshman big Drew Fielder (39% from 3), and Jay Heath. Heath is a DC native who has come alive of late, hitting 11-26 (42%) from beyond the arc the last four games.
Cooley and his staff have seemingly cooled on redshirt freshman Rowan Brumbaugh. A starter for much of the season, he has gone scoreless over the past four games and played less than ten minutes in the last three contests. Brumbaugh was a Texas transfer who came in with high expectations.
3. Cooley has generally been given a mulligan this year after the mess Patrick Ewing left behind, but the Hoyas were picked to finish eighth in the Big East by the league’s coaches in the preseason. They were slotted ahead of both Seton Hall (currently 6-3) and Butler (4-5).
4. Key to slowing Georgetown on Saturday will be keeping the Hoyas off the offensive glass. They rank in the 90th percentile in the country in offensive rebound rate at 34.4%. That trails just Seton Hall, St. John’s and Connecticut in the conference.
Defensively, Georgetown has had significant challenges this year. Their 111.5 Defensive Rating ranks in the 23rd percentile nationally, and ahead of only DePaul in the Big East. They are giving up 79.1 points per game in conference play and allowing teams to shoot 51% from the field.
Friar fans should expect to see Georgetown play zone. Cooley has been mixing and matching defenses to try to find something that clicks on the defensive end. The Hoyas played 37 possessions of zone defense against Seton Hall (versus 29 on man) and went zone on 17 possessions at Connecticut, 14 times at Xavier, and on eight possessions in their most recent game against Butler. They haven’t been an overly effective zone team (opponents are shooting 54% against them), but the Friars have struggled at times when facing a zone defense this year (35% shooting).
5. The Hoyas’ fanbase has been slow to return to Capital One Arena. In four Big East games, Georgetown is averaging 4,986 fans a night at their home games. That figure edges out DePaul’s at 4,131 per game.
In Big East games last season they averaged 5,956 fans.
6. It’s gone somewhat forgotten, but Georgetown was ranked in the top ten of the AP top 25 in seven consecutive seasons under John Thompson III (2006-07 through 2012-13).
7. After Ticket Gaines hit five 3-pointers for the third time in conference play this season, he upped his percentage beyond the arc to 42.3% in Big East games. Jayden Pierre is hitting threes at a 43.8% clip as well.
8. Saturday marks the first of three games Providence will play on Fox this season — all three are at home. The Friars will also play on Fox on March 2 versus Villanova, and when they close out the regular season against UConn on March 9.
PC went 3-2 on Fox last season.
For a look back on all that transpired regarding Ed Cooley’s departure, here was our recap of it all:
I, for one, will be standing and clapping upon his introduction, for all Powerball Eddie has done for PC, all the excitement he brought to the Dunk, and all the success they achieved. Unfortunately, I think ill be in the minority.....