Georgetown Basketball

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Year two of the Ed Cooley era comes with as many questions, perhaps, as the first season did. Opening its season on-campus against an undersized Lehigh team will tell a few things, but not very much.

In a week of close calls for a number of Big East openers, such was not the case in the Big Ten, as Northwestern routed Lehigh in its opener, 90-46, at Evanston, IL. The Wildcats led 9-0, 27-7 and 51-15 by halftime, forcing their opponents to shoot 2 for 17 from three point range and allowing Northwestern up 23 points off 12 Lehigh turnovers.

With a season opener at McDonough Gymnasium for the first time in 23 years, this game was scheduled less as a test for the 2024-25 Hoyas, and more as a pass-fail quiz. Another new-look Georgetown team has the talent to pass, but still needs experience to excel.

Lehigh enters the game expecting more from its two returning starters from 2023-24. Junior guard Tyler Whitney-Sidney and junior forward Keith Higgins averaged almost 28 points per game last season but were held in check in the game at Northwestern, combining to shoot just 8 for 19 from the field and zero for five from three point range. The Engineers also had a rough start to Washington native Cam Gillus, who was one for six from the field with one assist. The 5-11 sophomore must be more aggressive to the basket in order to open options on the perimeter for Lehigh, who led the Patriot League in overall scoring but fared poorly in three point shooting (32.2%) and three point defense (34.5%).

The Engineers go with just one starter over 6-5, although they have seven on the roster over 6-8. Senior Ben Knostman (0.9 ppg in 2023-24) is the most experienced of Lehigh's front line with appearances in 31 games last season but at 6-5 he figures to have trouble with the Hoyas inside. Freshman Hank Alvey draws the assignment as the starting center, but played only 19 minutes in the Northwestern game.

Lehigh lost two seniors to the transfer portal but a large scale backfill was not in its plans. Four freshmen, four sophomores, four juniors, and three seniors provide its staff a balanced roster to build with, and likely one consistent for a team picked to finish in the middle of a one-bid league such as the Patriot. To alter this trajectory will take a more consistent offensive effort and nothing was shown in its opener that they are ready to take that step at the start.

As for the Hoyas? We just don't know, and those that do know haven't said much. Like the election, we'll have to wait and watch it develop in real time.

Keys to the game for the Hoyas:

1. Defensive Teamwork: Georgetown was among the worst major college teams in defensive efficiency last season: some movement to show sustained progress defensively is a watch phrase throughout the non-conference schedule.

2. Post Play: Georgetown has a major advantage here for this game and needs to take advantage appropriately. There will be other games to fire artillery from deep, but this isn't it.

3. Open The Bench: A 32 game schedule wears on player, yet, coaches seem to want to run starters 43, 33 or more minutes every game. Maybe you can't play 17 players in a game like this, but there needs to be some rotation for players that will be in need come January.

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