The Hoya: Basketball Issue: November 1, 2019

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

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THE HOYA

men’s feature

ready to take over MATT SACHS Hoya Staff Writer

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mer Yurtseven’s journey to Georgetown University has been long and at times winding, but the 7-foot senior center stands tall, ready to lead the Hoyas back to the NCAA tournament as one of the most skilled and experienced players on a team that relies heavily on sophomores.

PRODUCTION STAFF ISSUE EDITOR jakewexelblatt EDITOR-IN-CHIEF mayagandhi EXECUTIVE EDITORS madeleinecharbonneau kierageraghty MANAGING EDITOR ambergillette DEPUTY SPORTS EDITOR joannalacoppola COPY CHIEF katherinedematteo DESIGN EDITOR samuelnelson PHOTO EDITOR subulmalik maggiefouberg CONTRIBUTING EDITORS juliaalvey natalieisé minalee jasonomori eloiseowen stephanieparmiter

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

AMBER GILLETTE/THE HOYA

Senior center Omer Yurtseven is ready to bring the Hoyas back to March Madness, where he played as a member of the NC State Wolfpack in 2018.

men’s feature Yurtseven transferred to Georgetown from North Carolina State University after the 2017-18 season, a consensus five-star prospect by 247Sports, a leading college basketball recruiting website, who had played on multiple Turkish national teams before joining the Wolfpack.

Having played semiprofessionally in Turkey as a high school student, Yurtseven has found himself in the spotlight for quite some time.

In 2015, he averaged 9.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game for the U-18 national team in an international competition for people under age 18, helping the squad finish as runnerup at the International Basketball Federation European championship.

In May 2016, the 17-year-old center also made international sports news by scoring 91 points in a U-18 basketball game.

Later that year, Yurtseven was named to the All-Star Five at the FIBA U-20 European championship, another major international basketball tournament with many of the world’s top players under 20 years old, and was the leading scorer on the bronzemedalist team. With the talent to turn pro in Turkey after high school, Yurtseven instead chose to play college basketball in the United States and was ranked as the No. 3 center prospect in the 2016 recruiting class

by Scout, a major college athletics recruit tracking website.

Taking his talents to NC State in the fall of 2016, Yurtseven played 22 games as a freshman and saw a breakout sophomore season. In the 2017-18 season, Yurtseven averaged 13.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while starting 32 of 33 games for the Wolfpack. His efforts landed him on the All-Atlantic Coast Conference Third Team.

But after a hugely successful sophomore season, Yurtseven, a practicing Muslim, felt the need to change schools, partially because of religious intolerance in the area, as The Georgetown Voice reported last year.

In 2013, North Carolina passed a law to prevent Islamic law from being imposed in its courts, which critics labeled unnecessary and Islamophobic.

Two years later, three Muslim University of North Carolina students were murdered in their Chapel Hill, N.C. apartment, exacerbating concerns about Islamophobia.

Yurtseven declined to comment on this facet of his decision, but acknowledged his appreciation for the inclusivity of Washington, D.C. “D.C. is a really diverse place … [and] being more diverse, I definitely feel more comfortable here,” Yurtseven said in an interview with The Hoya.

“It makes me in a more optimal situation to just focus on my game and do what I do.”

Before coming to the Hilltop, however, Yurtseven first considered leaving college altogether to go pro: Yurtseven had first-round NBA draft

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talent according to many NBA draft “He’s an unbelievable big man. experts, including consultants at He has great post moves — he can NBC Sports. Yurtseven entered the kind of do a little bit of everything,” draft pool after his freshman sea- Allen said in an interview with The son but later withdrew to return Hoya. “We’ll be looking for him a lot to college basketball. this year and put a lot of weight on In the end, Yurtseven felt he need- his shoulders this year, but I feel like ed more training before turning pro, he’s ready for the task to be put upon and he found the perfect fit at George- him.” town. Head Coach Patrick Ewing (CAS Yurtseven is joined by three fresh’85) entered his second season back at men centers in the frontcourt, with Georgetown the same year Yurtseven four-star Qudus Wahab chief among had to sit out a season. them, as well as Malcolm Wilson and “After going through the ‘should Timothy Ighoefe. Yurtseven has enI try, should I not,’ it wasn’t really a joyed battling with the three in practough decision because [Ewing] re- tice and looks forward to contributally checked all the boxes I needed,” ing alongside them this season.

Yurtseven said. “Once he talked to “The freshmen have been better me and once I expressed my concerns than I expected. I saw the freshmen of staying in college for four years — play against other freshmen, and it’s a long time period, but just know- they’re tougher. Especially Qudus,” ing that he’s going to see the game Yurtseven said. “It’s fun playing from my perspective as a big man against him and playing with him. I who’s played there and also coached really like all they bring.” in the NBA, his experience on and As he takes to the court for Georgeoff as a player and a coach is what town this season, Yurtseven has redrew me here.” mained in the spotlight: He was seBecause of NCAA transfer rules, lected to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Yurtseven was forced to sit out for all Center of the Year Award Preseason of the 2018-19 season.

Watch List earlier in But that time on the October, an honor bench only gave EwGovan also received ing more time to delast year. This award velop Yurtseven into names the best cena formidable player, ter in NCAA Divione he sees a lot of posion I basketball on tential in. the year, with a Pre“I expect a lot out season Watch List of [Yurtseven],” Ewing selection declaring said in an interview that members of the with The Hoya. “I’m media see him as a leexpecting him to congitimate contender. tinue what he did at Yurtseven was also NC State in the same named to the watchstyle but better here. list in 2016 and 2017 I expect him to be a at NC State, but he leader not only on the sees this moment as floor, but off the floor his time to take over PATRICK EWING (CAS ’85) Head Coach, Men’s Basketball and to continue his as a center and win high level of play.” the coveted seasonYurtseven serves an important role end award. in the frontcourt for the Hoyas, par“It’s been a goal of mine,” Yurtsevticularly after the graduation of cen- en said. “And this is my last year so it ter Jessie Govan (COL ’19) this year, will be great to go out and get it.” who averaged 17.9 points per game Yurtseven has heard discussions in 2018 and 17.5 points per game in about the difference between ACC 2019. Still, Yurtseven does not feel and Big East basketball, though he the need to replace Govan; rather, he believes the difference is overplayed. wants his game to do the talking.

“I heard ACC Basketball is faster, “I will be making my own pres- which is weird because I don’t think ence,” Yurtseven said. that way. After I watched 32 games Ewing appreciated Govan’s offen- last year, I was like, ‘Oh, it is fast.’ It’s sive talents, but sees Yurtseven as a not as slow as mentioned, and I don’t more well-rounded big man. think one conference is better than “Omer, he also can shoot the three, the other.” Yurtseven said. “But the but they’re different,” Ewing said. Big East might be tougher in terms of “He can post up, pick and roll, stretch teams that bring toughness.” the floor; he can rebound — he’s Still, during his year on the bench, physical. All of those things really this fierce competitor wanted nothadd to his game.” ing but to get on the court for GeorgeYurtseven’s teammates also have town: Going into the team’s first high praise for his leadership and game, a home game against Mount St. playing ability. Terrell Allen, a gradu- Mary’s University on Nov. 6, Yurtsevate transfer guard from the University en is excited for the opportunity. of Central Florida, sees him as more “The opposing team doesn’t matthan ready to step into his leadership ter at this point,” Yurtseven said. “It’s role this season along with fellow se- the first game at Capital One [Arena]. nior guard Jagan Mosely.

I wore a suit before. Now I’m ready.”

“I expect a lot out of [Yurtseven].

I’m expecting him to continue what he did at NC State in the same style but better here.”

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oming off a strong 2018-19 campaign that took it to the Big East tournament semifinals and the Women’s National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals, the Georgetown University women’s basketball team looks to build on last year’s postseason success despite the departure of three key locker room leaders. But the exit of these three women has created an opportunity for other players to rise to the challenge and lead the Hoyas into another fierce postseason run.

Head Coach James Howard completed his third season at the helm of the Hoyas last year, a role to which he ascended after working as associate head coach to former Head Coach Natasha Adair since 2014. Howard oversaw a .500 program in his first season, with big wins over Big East powerhouses. Year one, however, ultimately ended without a postseason berth.

The Hoyas built upon that foundation with a spot in the conference semifinal last year. A loss to top-seeded Marquette University on March 11 derailed their chances at an NCAA tournament bid but did not deter the momentum that propelled them to win five of their final six games before Selection Monday. The Hoyas also saw a home game against Sacred Heart University in the WNIT tournament, winning three games in the tournament before falling at James Madison University in the quarterfinals.

women’s feature

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

replacinggeorgetownlegends BRENDAN DOLAN Hoya Staff Writer

BIDDING FAREWELL

While the team’s late season success offers reason for optimism, the task of replacing three key players, including its two leading scorers, still looms large: guard Dionna White, who posted an average 17 points per game last year; forward Dorothy Adomako, with 16.5 average points per game; and guard Mikayla Venson, with 10.6 average points per game, all graduated from the team.

White departs with an impressive career for the Hoyas: The four-year starter finished her career at Georgetown as the program’s second-leading scorer of all time, behind current WNBA player Sugar Rodgers. She also earned the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award as a junior, as well as First Team AllBig East in her junior and senior seasons. Adomako, who led the team with nine double doubles, joined her in the All-Big East Second Team in 2015-16 as a sophomore.

Rising to the season’s greatest challenges, White and Adomako both contributed 27 point outings in the Big East tournament — White in a game against Villanova University and Adomako in a game against Marquette.

These three women also supplied the necessary veteran leadership at key junctures last season, creating a noticeable absence as the team looks to pursue another strong season and postseason campaign.

Howard acknowledged the difficulty of replacing three high-caliber players so quickly and emphasized the importance of developing younger

players’ experience on the court.

“These kids don’t have the experience. We want to try to piece together a solid season,” Howard said in an interview with The Hoya. “When you lose so much power and experience — that’s the key, experience — you don’t have those expectations.”

Sophomore guard Cassandra Gordon reiterated the impact of Adomako’s and White’s departures but said their absence has led to a more communal scoring effort.

“It’s definitely going to be hard for teams to scout us because last year Dionna and Dorothy had 20-plus-point games, but now we don’t know who’s going to score because we’re all scoring together,” Gordon said in an interview with The Hoya.

STEPPING UP

Nevertheless, the departure of these three women paves the way for new players to assume their roles as leaders.

“That’s probably our biggest concern right now. We lost three double-figure scorers — they combined for almost four to five thousand points during their college career — and trying to find someone to put their feet in those shoes is going to be hard,” Howard said. “We’re going to have to do it through some upperclassmen leadership of Brianna Jones and fifth year transfer Taylor Barnes.”

Players like graduate guard Brianna Jones, who was a strong rebounder in her freshman year despite limited playing time, and senior forward Anita Kelava, who was a reliable off-ball presence offensively while playing a key role in the

team’s defensive schemes, return with a veteran mindset and the potential to step up as team leaders.

Kelava was named team captain last year, having sat out the 2017-18 season after transferring from The University of Maine, per NCAA rules. She led the team in blocks last season, imparting a palpable effect on the defensive end.

In her 35 games last season, Jones’ average of four points per game put her fourth, behind White, Adomako and Venson. Like Kelava, the graduate student was forced to sit out the 2017-18 season after transferring from the University of Louisville but was granted another year of eligibility.

Junior center Breonna Mayfield also returns after appearing in 20 games, and sophomore guard Nikola Kovacikova

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Senior forward Anita Kelava, right, is among the players poised to fill the void left by last year’s graduating class.

AMBER GILLETTE/THE HOYA

follows up a season in which she ap“Jill [Archer], having that experience peared in 35 games and made eight starts. from USC brings a lot to the table — Freshman forward Graceann Bennett she’s an athletic freak, honestly, on the and freshman guard Olivia Snyder also boards, and I think they’re going to bring bring a new excitement and energy to the a lot to the table for Georgetown,” Jones team, according to Jones. said. “Taylor [Barnes] also has a lot of “They’re some special players,” Jones experience. She’s also a fifth year from said in an interview with The Hoya, Memphis and just having her on the before summarizing their attitude this court — it kind of brings a calming efsummer. fect. She kind of calms everybody down, “They’re not scared — they want to and she can get a bucket whenever you learn.” Jones said. want.”

Transfer students Barnes — who joined The transfer players bring a new level the Hoyas from the University of Mem- of experience to the team, and their year phis, where she averaged eight points per on the bench allows an opportunity for game — and Jillian Archer, who trans- even further development, according to ferredAMBER from the University of Southern Howard.

GILETTE/THE HOYA Senior center Yurtseven is ready to bring the “I think when you bring transfers in, California, also Omer represent vital contribuHoyas back to March where he played tors to the team’s plansMadness, for the upcoming what you’re looking and hoping for, it as aaccording member of the NC State Wolfpack in 2017. gives them that year to set, wait and deseason, to Jones.

velop.” Howard said. “We try to find that right transfer that’s going to fit what we need — an experience factor moreso than anything — and hope that they’re ready to get us up going faster.”

Though Adomako’s and White’s departures leave a void in leadership, Howard’s teams have overcome this issue before. In 2017-18, the women’s team lost forward Cynthia Petke, who averaged 14.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, as well as a four-year starter in Didi Burton.

Howard was hopeful about finding new leaders to step up to the plate as Adomako, White and Venson leave, citing Jones as a potential strong leader.

“Brianna Jones. Yes, I think being her fifth year of college basketball — with that experience setting out, being here for two years and going into her third

now — we’re looking for her to step up our offense and hopefully give us some scoring,” Howard said.

Overall, Jones remains optimistic about the team’s potential, particularly in finding new leaders to replace Adomako and White.

“It’s really hard to replace players like Dorothy and Dionna, as far as scoring, but I think from a leadership standpoint we’ve had some seniors step up, and especially some returners step up and let the freshmen know how things are done here,” Jones said. “We kind of had this vision in our mind about how we want to play this year. It’s hard to replace that scoring, but I think it’s going to be more of a collective group that you’re going to see this year, which we will be exciting.”

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men’s season recap

THE HOYA

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

2019-20 MEN’S BASKETBALL ROSTER No. 5 | Timothy Ighoefe 6’11” Freshman Center

No. 22 | Jaden Robinson 6’3” Sophomore Guard

No. 1 | Jamorko Pickett 6’8” Junior Guard/Forward

No. 10 | Chuma Azinge 6’3” Freshman Guard

No. 23 | Josh LeBlanc 6’7” Sophomore Forward

No. 2 | Mac McClung 6’2” Sophomore Guard

No. 11 | Galen Alexander 6’6” Junior Forward

No. 32 | Malcolm Wilson 6’11” Freshman Center

No. 3 | James Akinjo 6’1” Sophomore Guard

No. 12 | Terrell Allen 6’3” Graduate Guard

No. 34 | Qudus Wahab 6’11” Freshman Center

No. 15 | Myron Gardner 6’6” Freshman Forward

No. 44 | Omer Yurtseven 7’0” Senior Center

FILE PHOTO: KIRK ZIESER/THE HOYA

No. 0 | Jahvon Blair 6’4” Junior Guard

No. 4 | Jagan Mosely 6’3” Senior Guard

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No. 20 | George Muresan 6’9” Senior Forward

backinpostseason IYANAH LANGA Hoya Staff Writer

he 2018-19 men’s basketball season was a mixed bag. With an overall record of 19-14, the Hoyas ended the season with two first-round tournament eliminations in the Big East tournament and the National Invitation Tournament.

The Hoyas opened their season at home at Capital One Arena against the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Georgetown came out on top with a 68-53 victory over the Hawks after performing well on both the offensive and defensive ends.

Freshman forward Josh LeBlanc made his Georgetown debut with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

The Blue and Gray followed up this victory with two more, one against Central Connecticut State University and the next against the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. Its game against Illinois was the team’s first on the road and featured a clutch jump shot made by freshman guard James Akinjo with just 39 seconds left in the game. The Hoyas were up by just one point and Akinjo’s performance solidified the victory.

Following this victory, the Hoyas traveled to Montego Bay to compete in the Jamaica Classic. They lost their first game against Loyola Marymount University, but came out on top with the victory against the University of South Florida. With just 4.9 seconds left, Akinjo came up big for the Hoyas once again with a clutch three-pointer to tie the game. Strong performances by Akinjo and senior center Jessie Govan in overtime led the team to a 76-73 victory.

The Hoyas returned home from Jamaica to play three consecutive non-conference games at Capital One, all of which they won. Following these uplifting victories, Georgetown traveled to New York to face its historical rival Syracuse University. After

an intense game filled with remarkable performances by Govan and freshman guard Mac McClung, the Hoyas lost in the last 2.8 seconds because of a jump shot landed

by Syracuse junior guard Tyus Battle. The heartbreaking loss sent the Hoyas home with a record of 7-2.

Following an uneventful conclusion to nonconference play, the Hoyas opened conference play in Indianapolis, Ind., with an 84-76 victory over Butler University as senior guard Greg Malinowski made a name for himself with 26 points and seven rebounds on 10-12 shooting including 6-7 from deep — probably the best single game performance by a Hoya at any point in the season.

After a heartbreaking overtime home loss to St. John’s University and a road loss at Xavier University during which the Hoyas blew an early 17 point lead, Georgetown had its first conference game with students back from break as the Hoyas played host to Providence College on Jan. 12. After the Hoyas fell behind by a 36-34 score at halftime, McClung led a comeback that culminated in his hitting a buzzer beater from nearly half court to force overtime. In overtime, Akinjo hit a three-pointer from well beyond the NBA three-point line to force a second overtime period, one which ended in the Hoyas sealing a 96-90 victory over the Friars.

The Hoyas continued their stretch of intensely close games with consecutive losses at home, as the Marquette University Golden Eagles defeated the Hoyas 74-71 after losing proficient scoring junior Markus Howard to an injury three minutes into the game and Creighton took down the Hoyas in a highscoring 91-87 affair at Capital One Arena.

Strong second-half performances from McClung and LeBlanc led to a 89-78 victory on the road against St. John’s on national

2019-20 MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE Home Away

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television, before the Hoyas returned home for a clean 80-73 victory over Xavier.

The Hoyas then entered a tough part of their schedule, which left them with little hope of making it to March Madness. A 12-point road loss to perennial Big East contender Villanova University was followed by the Hoyas’ second victory over Providence, this one decided by a final score of 76-67 in Providence, R.I. After this win, however, the Hoyas lost a home heartbreaker to the Butler Bulldogs 73-69 before traveling to Newark, N.J., where they lost to the Seton Hall University Pirates by 15.

The Hoyas then celebrated a Feb. 20 snow day by getting their first victory over a Top-25 team of the season, taking down the Villanova Wildcats 85-73 in front of a crowd packed with students as Govan and McClung provided strong offensive performances. After a tough road loss at Creighton, the Hoyas returned home to defeat DePaul University 82-73, led by strong performances from freshmen.

Spring break started with an exciting double overtime home victory over Seton Hall before an embarrassing 32-point loss at DePaul. The regular season ended with a strong victory at powerhouse Marquette, led by the late clutch plays from Akinjo and sophomore guard Jamorko Pickett.

The Hoyas, as happened regularly throughout the year, were unable to carry over any momentum from the huge win at Marquette, as a blowout loss to Seton Hall in the Big East tournament sealed the Hoyas’ fate to play in the NIT. In the first round of the NIT, Georgetown played host to the Harvard University Crimson, where late turnovers in the second half led to the Hoyas ending their season with an upset 71-68 loss.

It seemed as though the Hoyas paired

Mount St. Mary’s Central Arkansas Penn State Georgia State Texas Duke/ California UNC Greensboro Oklahoma State SMU Syracuse UMBC Samford American Providence Seton Hall St. John’s Villanova Creighton Marquette Xavier Butler St. John’s Seton Hall DePaul Butler Providence DePaul Marquette Xavier Creighton Villanova

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every high of a great win with the low of a disappointing loss. Despite this, the Hoyas did better in their 2018-19 season than they had in the previous 2017-18 season, their first season with Head Coach Patrick Ewing (CAS ’85).

Govan enjoyed his second year as the team’s high scorer, with 579 points, averaging 17.5 points per game and starting all 33 games of the season. Govan and three fellow seniors, guard Malinowski, forward and guard Kaleb Johnson and forward Trey Mourning, all graduated from the program in 2019. Malinowski scored a total of 188 points, averaging 5.7 per game; Johnson scored 135 points with an average of 4.4 per game; and Mourning scored 164 points with an average of 6.3 per game.

Freshman forward Grayson Carter transferred to the University of Texas at Arlington in search of more playing time after playing in 14 games for the Hoyas last season. The decision will keep him ineligible to play until the 2020-2021 season.

Freshman guards McClung and Akinjo as well as freshman forward LeBlanc became campuswide names as the three became the top three scorers after Govan, with Akinjo scoring 442, McClung scoring 380 and LeBlanc scoring 299.

However, these impressive stats could not keep the Hoyas afloat. While they were able to defeat high-ranking rival teams, they also stumbled, losing to teams they should have easily beaten. The inexperience of the backcourt, mainly freshmen, paired with the occasional unreliability of their veteran players, made it hard for the Hoyas to secure any substantial wins or build up a winning streak.

Hoya staff writers Jake Wexelblatt and Joanna LaCoppola contributed reporting.

women’s season recap

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

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to eventually cruise to victory.

After three more nonconference matchups, the Hoyas finally opened Big East play with a home game against Xavier. After a tough battle, the Blue and Gray came out on top with a 68-61 victory. Senior guard Dionna White recorded 24 points and 12 rebounds, her 12th career double-double. The squad was losing 35-27 at the half but came out charged and eager to score at the start of the third quarter. The Georgetown defense forced 16 turnovers from Xavier, and aggressive offensive runs by key players such as White, Adomako and senior guard Brianna Jones led to this huge victory for the Hoyas after a competitive, back-and-forth matchup.

Jones proved to be an essential player for the Hoyas as the season went on, finishing as the team’s fourth-leading scorer. She played in all 35 games and created scoring opportunities for her teammates throughout the season, finishing with 19 assists and 15 steals.

After their uplifting victory against Xavier, the Hoyas suffered a tough 5950 loss to Butler at home in their second conference matchup after the offense fell flat in the final quarter. The Hoyas then enjoyed a 68-52 conference victory against Providence before suffering three consecutive Big East losses against Creighton, DePaul and Marquette. They would go on to beat Creighton on Feb. 1 before losing to both DePaul and Marquette again in their second matchups.

The Hoyas went on to compete in 12 more Big East matchups before the Big East tournament. Out of those 12, the Hoyas

No. 0 | Brianna Jones 5’9” Graduate Guard

No. 13 | Anita Kelava 6’3” Senior Forward

No. 23 | Tayanna Jones 6’2” Sophomore Guard

No. 1 | Tatiana Thompson 6’0” Junior Forward

No. 14 | Jillian Archer 6’2” Sophomore Forward

No. 24 | Taylor Barnes 5’8” Graduate Guard

No. 2 | Cassandra Gordon 5’10” Sophomore Guard

No. 15 | Nikola Kovacikova 5’11” Sophomore Guard

No. 25 | Sari Cureton 6’1” Junior Forward

No. 21 | Breonna Mayfield 6’5” Junior Center

No. 30 | Olivia Snyder 6’0” Freshman Guard

No. 22 | Shanniah Wright 6’1” Sophomore Forward/Center

No. 33 | Graceann Bennett 6’3” Freshman Forward

No. 10 | Lexi Kimball 5’10” Junior Guard No. 12 | Marvellous Osagie-Erese 5’4” Senior Guard

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JOANNA LACOPPOLA Hoya Staff Writer

he Georgetown women’s basketball team finished its 2018-19 season with an overall record of 19-16 after going 9-9 throughout Big East play. The season was marked by several accomplishments, such as making history by reaching the Big East tournament semifinals for the second year in a row. The team also advanced to the Women’s National Invitation tournament quarterfinals, which had not happened for the Hoyas since 2009.

Georgetown started the season strongly with three straight wins against the University of Richmond, University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Loyola University Maryland. The team’s season opener against Richmond featured graduate student guard Dorothy Adomako leading the team in scoring points in her first game back after missing the previous season because of an injury. The Hoyas outrebounded the Spiders and forced several turnovers that eventually helped lead to their 73-53 victory.

The season opener was the first game that junior forward Anita Kelava played for Georgetown after transferring to the Hilltop. Over the course of the season, Kelava led the team in blocks and recorded the third-most rebounds as she played in all 35 games, starting 31 of them.

After the team’s first three consecutive wins, the Hoyas took their first loss to James Madison University, 57-69. The Hoyas faced the Dukes away in a crowded Convocation Center, preventing Georgetown from getting into any sort of rhythm.

The Blue and Gray went on to beat the University of Pittsburgh before traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada for the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout. Georgetown fell to both the University at Buffalo and Baylor University during the shootout before traveling back home to beat Fordham University by 20 points. The Rams gave the Hoyas a run for their money in the third quarter, cutting the Hoyas’ lead to only three at a score of 34-31. The Blue and Gray built momentum, however, in the fourth

No. 3 | Morgan Smith 6’0” Senior Guard

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2019-20 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ROSTER

won seven and lost five, beating Villanova in their first matchup, but losing in their second. Afterward, they lost to St. John’s the first time they met them away, but won their second matchup at home. This victory was because of the clutch performance of graduate student guard Mikayla Venson, who hit three free throws in the last 31 seconds of the game to keep the Hoyas in the lead. Venson played a critical role throughout the entire season for the Blue and Gray as one of the conference’s elite shooters.

This win came on Senior Day, where White, Adomako and Venson, all of whom stepped up and scored a combined 77 of the Hoyas’ 82 points, were honored.

Adomako scored a careerhigh of 29, while White gained t h e second highe s t spot o n

Home Away Nov. 5 Davidson Nov. 12 Richmond Nov. 16 Pittsburgh Nov. 21 JMU Nov. 24 GWU Nov. 29 Loyola Marymount Nov. 30 Fresno State Dec. 6 Columbia Dec. 8 Fordham Dec. 14 Rider Dec. 21 UMES Dec. 29 Creighton Dec. 31 Providence Jan. 3 St. John’s Jan. 5 Seton Hall

Georgetown’s all-time scoring list. This victory over the Red Storm was especially sweet for the Hoyas, with this win being the first occasion since the 2013-14 season that they had beaten their New York rivals.

After closing out the regular season with an intense 67-64 victory over Xavier, the Hoyas traveled to Chicago to compete in the Big East tournament in Wintrust Arena.

The No. 4 ranked Georgetown team defeated No. 5 Villanova in the first round, 76-67, thanks to the veteran leadership of mature seniors White and Adomako on the court.

The team recorded its best field goal and three-point percentages in a Big East tournament game, with 52.7% and 57.1%.

The Hoyas then advanced to the semifinals, where they faced No.1 Marquette.

Despite trailing by only six points going into the half, the Hoyas fell to the Golden Eagles 62-75. Runs by both teams kept the game going back and forth, but Marquette gained too much of a lead for a comeback to be possible for Georgetown.

After this disappointing Big East experience, the Hoyas traveled back home to play in the WNIT opener against Sacred Heart.

The Blue and Gray won handily, with a final score of 90-59. White became the second Hoya to ever score 2,000 points. The Hoyas advanced to the second round against Harvard and earned a 70-65 win after an intense matchup that went down to the wire. They then faced Providence in the third round for the third time this season. Just like the first two matchups, the Hoyas came out on top, with a final score of 53-46.

The Hoyas faced JMU in the quarterfinals, who they had lost to earlier in the season. The outcome was the same, however, with the Hoyas losing 54-44 after the Dukes gained momentum at the start of the fourth. This road loss marked the end of the 2018-19 season for the Hoyas but was by no means an accurate representation of the season overall.

The season consisted of several nail-biters and intense play, setting the Hoyas up for another great season to come.

2019-20 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

7 P.M. 7 P.M. 1 P.M. 7 P.M. 2 P.M. 3:30 P.M. 1 P.M. 11 A.M. 2 P.M. 2 P.M. 2 P.M. 2 P.M. 1 P.M. 7 P.M. 1 P.M.

Jan. 10 Jan. 12 Jan. 18 Jan. 24 Jan. 26 Jan. 31 Feb. 2 Feb. 7 Feb. 9 Feb. 16 Feb. 21 Feb. 23 Feb. 28 Mar. 1

Xavier Butler Villanova Marquette DePaul Seton Hall St. John’s Butler Xavier Villanova DePaul Marquette Providence Creighton

6:30 P.M. 2 P.M. 6 P.M. 12:30 P.M. 3 P.M. 7 P.M. 2 P.M. 7 P.M. 2 P.M. 2 P.M. 7 P.M. 2 P.M. 7 P.M. 2 P.M.

PHOTO BY: KIRK ZIESER/THE HOYA

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men’s season preview

THE HOYA

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

ewinglookstoreturntomarchmadness JAKE WEXELBLATT Hoya Staff Writer The Georgetown University men’s basketball team looks to build upon the strides made across the program last season, the team’s first playoff appearance under Head Coach Patrick Ewing (CAS ’85). The team brings back a solid core as well as a host of new faces looking to integrate themselves into the roster as the Hoyas look to improve upon a fifth-place conference finish last season.

Ewing said his offseason preparations to incorporate the newest players in the system this summer mirrored previous summers, despite the new transfers.

“My approach wasn’t any different: trying to get them back in the gym more to try to develop their skill set and improve on what they have learned from previous years. And hopefully that will help them to get a jump,” Ewing said.

Ewing continued to single out individual players who he expects to improve significantly upon their 2018-19 performances.

“I expect for Jahvon to make a jump. I expect for Jamorko Pickett to make a jump.

I expect both James, Mac and Josh to make a jump from what they accomplished last year,” Ewing said.

The Hoyas boast a returning core of sophomores, as three freshmen started the majority the Hoyas’ games. Sophomore guard Mac McClung returns this season after spending time this offseason with high-profile trainer Drew Hanlen and looks to improve his game on both sides of the ball. McClung finished last season with a strong 13.1 points per game, but should improve his assist total of 2.0 per game and his rebound total of 2.6 per game.

McClung’s partner in crime in the starting backcourt for this season is reigning Big East Freshman of the Year James Akinjo, who was second on the team with 13.4 points per game and among the conference’s leading passers in terms of volume, boasting 5.2 assists per game. He has to cut back on his 3.0 turnovers per game and improve his 34.9% shooting on 2-point field goals to become a more effective playmaker this season.

The third sophomore projected to be an opening-night starter is forward Josh LeBlanc, who returns to the Hilltop after an efficient freshman season. He finished last season shooting 63% from the field and racked up 7.3 rebounds per game despite his 6’7” frame, making him a double-double threat.

The team’s highest-profile newcomer is Turkish seven-footer, junior center Omer Yurtseven, who sat out last season because of the NCAA’s eligibility rules after transferring after his sophomore season at North Carolina State University. Against the stiffest competition in the country, the ACC, Yurtseven averaged 13.5 points and 6.7 rebounds to go with 1.8 blocks per game.

The fifth spot of the starting lineup is less clear than the other four, with nearly every-

one else in the playing rotation likely to start at some point in the season.

One candidate is the team’s lone senior in the rotation: guard Jagan Mosely, who finished last season with 3.1 points per game in an average of 18 minutes as a high-energy player with sound defensive decision making.

Another candidate is three-point specialist and junior guard Jahvon Blair, who began to develop a stronger court vision and passing ability last season. He should see more than the 12.5 minutes per game of action he saw last year. His game has undergone a makeover entering his junior season, according to Blair.

“Everything. I mean, shooting, communicating, leadership, defense. Everything just to be a better and more complete player,” Blair said in an interview with The Hoya. He continued to emphasize the need for him to make winning plays more frequently than last season as one of the veteran leaders.

Another key player in the Hoyas’ rotation this season is junior guard Jamorko Pickett, who made 23 starts last season, making contributions defensively with his long wingspan.

The next key player for the Hoyas will be junior Galen Alexander, a 6-foot-6-inch forward, who returns to Division 1 basketball after starting his career at Louisiana State University before playing a season at Jones County Junior College.

Qudus Wahab, a 6-foot-11-inch Nigerian center who played his high school basketball in Flint Hill, Va., is the freshman in the best position to make a major impact this year. He has a set of passing and scoring skills that are deep and complex for an 18-year-old center.

Terrell Allen, a 6-foot-3-inch graduate student who averaged 6.7 points at the University of Central Florida and has 96 Division 1 games under his belt, has the most Division 1 experience. Allen was confident in his leadership role for this season as a newcomer to the Hilltop but the player on the team with the most NCAA basketball experience.

“I just try to share the ball with everybody, just try to use my leadership. Like I said, this is my fifth year,” Allen said in an interview with The Hoya. “We have a great group of guys here; we have a great leader in coach Pat [Ewing], who teaches the right things in practice, so we just want to go out there and execute what he shows us in practice.”

The Hoyas will face real tests early on as the large roster turnover leaves many question marks as to the Hoyas’ ability. On Thursday, Nov. 14, as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games, the Hoyas will play host to the Penn State Nittany Lions, who finished last season 14-18 overall and 7-13 in the Big Ten, a conference with even more high-powered teams than those in the Big East.

The Hoyas’ next big matchups will take place at the 2k Empire Classic at Madison FILE PHOTO: KIRK ZIESER/THE HOYA

Head Coach Patrick Ewing (CAS ’85) pulls now sophomore guard Mac McClung aside during a home game last season.

Square Garden on Nov. 21 and 22. On the 21st, the Hoyas’ take on the reigning NIT champion Texas Longhorns. If the Hoyas win, they will play the winner of the University of California Bears and the Duke Blue Devils, with the losers squaring off on the 22nd.

The final key matchup of nonconference play will be the annual rivalry against Jim Boeheim and the Syracuse Orange. The rivalry game takes place at home this year Dec. 14, which serves as a great break from finals studying for students. After a lastsecond loss in the Carrier Dome last season after the Hoyas blew a 15 point lead, Georgetown seeks revenge in this ancient Big East rivalry.

While Georgetown’s first home matchup of conference play is always a big deal, especially against a rival such as St. John’s, the weak forecast for the Red Storm sets the Martin Luther King weekend matchup with the Marquette Golden Eagles on Jan. 18 as the first highprofile game of conference play. Marquette, a team who, despite the shocking transfers of Sam and Joey Hauser, looks to compete for a March Madness bid led by senior point guard Markus Howard, the conference’s all-around best player who averaged 25 points per game last season.

The Hoyas’ will play two of the Big East’s elites in their final home games.

On Sunday, March 1, Georgetown welcomes Xavier TERRELL ALLEN to the Hilltop. The Graduate Student Guard Musketeers, who finished No. 5 in the Big East with 9-9 conference record, will return all of their prominent scorers this season. Senior Night, Saturday, March 7, will see the Hoyas take on the Villanova Wildcats, who had an extremely deep team last season.

With the Hoyas bringing back a strong core from the Class of 2022, upperclassmen leadership and a strong slate of transfers, the team’s likely improvement from last season will bring plenty of excitement to the Hilltop as fans await a potential return to March Madness. The Hoyas’ home games against Penn State, Syracuse, Marquette, Xavier and Villanova will make key differences to the Hoyas’ postseason chances, setting those matchups as the must-see home games of the 2019-20 season.

“We have a great

group of guys here; we have a great leader in coach Pat [Ewing], who teaches the right things in practice, so we just want to go out there and execute what he shows us in practice.”

women’s season preview

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

THE HOYA

dawn ofanewera TIAN SHI Hoya Staff Writer

T

he end of the last women’s basketball season brought a 19-16 record, the best recorded by the Hoyas since 2011. With Hoya Madness long past, the team has its sights set on the season opener, happening just next week.

The Hoyas lost four starters from last season, so it looks like it will be a season of rebuilding for Georgetown.

Leaving the starting lineup from last season were graduate guards Dorothy Adomako, Dionna White and Mikayla Venson, who together accounted for more than 70% of the Hoyas’ departures on the season. The departure of this triumvirate leaves the Hoyas scrambling to find more scoring from further down the roster. The loss of these three players stands as the main reason for low expectations for the Hoyas across the media.

Senior guard Morgan Smith will be redshirting this upcoming season, meaning she is ineligible for play this season but will return with another year of experience on the Hilltop as a graduate student in the 2020-21 season. Smith started 20 of the 28 games she played in last season. The Hoyas will have to find someone to fill her role as a dominant player on the court and the team’s most reliable source of energy.

Senior forward Anita Kelava will also return to the court for the Hoyas. During her time as team captain last year, Kelava led the team in blocks, which will surely continue as she uses her height to dominate on the court.

Sophomore guard Nikola Kovacikova will look to be another strong competitor for Georgetown. Kovacikova will likely start more games, as she played in all 35 games last year, although only started eight, and performed well throughout the season.

Graduate guard Brianna Jones will return as a strong, versatile guard for the Hoyas. After finishing last season as the team’s fourth-leading scorer, Jones will look to improve her points average this upcoming year, along with her average number of assists and steals.

The first game is set to be at Davidson College in Davidson, N.C., at 7 p.m. on Nov. 5. This matchup sees the Hoyas face a team perennially among the top mid-majors, as well as an unfamiliar opponent for Georgetown.

The first home game in McDonough Arena will be against the Richmond Spiders at 7 p.m on Nov. 12. Their most recent encounter was last year, with the Hoyas taking the home win 73-53.

The Blue and Gray will travel the following weekend to play the Pittsburgh Panthers at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16. In the showdown last year between the Panthers and the Hoyas, the Hoyas took the lead early on in the game and FILE PHOTO: ROCHELLE VAYNTRUB fOR THE HOYA

Sophomore guard Cassandra Gordon is among the returners from last season’s rotation, and her experience will be valuable throughout this year.

finished with a big lead of 70-41. The Hoyas will return home to play the James Madison Dukes at 7 p.m. on Nov. 21 in McDonough Arena.

Georgetown will then travel west to Los Angeles, Calif., to play in the Loyola Marymount University Thanksgiving Classic. The two-day tournament will yield two games for the Hoyas. The first one will be against LMU at 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 29, and the second one will be against Fresno State University at 1 p.m. on Nov. 30.

The Hoyas will travel again to New York City to play Columbia University at 11 a.m. on Dec. 6 and Fordham University at 2 p.m. on Dec. 8. Georgetown takes on Rider University the following weekend at McDonough Arena at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14. Last season, the Hoyas defeated the Rider Broncs 7949 in the nonconference final. The last nonconference game will be at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore at 2 p.m. on Dec. 21.

The Blue and Gray will remain on campus for winter break to begin playing Big East Conference games. The conference opener will be in McDonough Arena against Creighton University at 2 p.m. on Dec. 29. Last season brought two showdowns between the Hoyas and the Bluejays, with Georgetown losing the first game 38-65 but taking the win in the second game 62-53. Georgetown will play Creighton once more March 1 to close the conference season.

On New Year’s Eve, the women will take on Providence College at McDonough Arena. Georgetown won both games against Providence last season, 68-52 in the away game and 61-56 at home. The following weekend, the Hoyas travel to St. John’s in New York.

The past season brought two close games, with Georgetown falling 51-59 at St. John’s for the first matchup before securing the home win in McDonough Arena 82-80.

The Blue and Gray will then travel to the Midwest to play Butler University at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7 in Indianapolis, Ind., and Xavier University at 2 p.m. on Feb. 9 in Cincinnati.

Then, Georgetown returns home to play three Big East games against Villanova University, DePaul University and Marquette University in McDonough Arena. Georgetown will finish the regular season with two away games against Providence and Creighton.

The Hoyas will compete in the first round of the Big East tournament in Chicago on March 6.

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

THE HOYA

1. Villanova After winning the Big East regular season and tournament championships, it would be hard to place any team above the Wildcats, given what they have achieved in recent seasons with multiple March Madness runs and winning the National Championship in 2018. Even though they lost two leaders in recent graduates Phil Booth and Eric Paschall, the Wildcats had one of their best recruiting classes in recent memory, landing two five-star recruits, Bryan Antoine and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. With two freshmen joining the starting lineup, Villanova must rely on its veterans to step into larger leadership roles. In the frontcourt, sophomore Saddiq Bey looks to become a bigger threat in pick-and-roll situations after a turnover-prone freshman season, while junior Collin Gillespie will be asked to fill the role of starting point guard. Although they lack reliable experience, the Wildcats will still be the team to beat in the conference and a strong opponent down the stretch in March.

FILE PHOTO: AMY LI/THE HOYA

2. Seton Hall With Myles Powell forgoing the NBA draft to play his final season with the Pirates and Kevin Willard returning to Trenton, Seton Hall is looking to have one of its best finishes in program history. Powell returns as one of the best scorers in college basketball and a contender for the Naismith Trophy. He has the demonstrated ability to score from anywhere on the court and carry the Pirates on offense at all times. Look for Powell and the rest of the Seton Hall squad to improve upon their 20-14 record from last season. Eight out of the nine leading scorers for Seton Hall from last season will return to fill out the roster, providing great continuity after a strong conclusion to last season, during which it qualified for March Madness as a No. 7 seed before being upset by the Wofford Terriers.

3. Creighton After a tough loss to Xavier in the Big East tournament and missing out on the tournament, despite a 20-15 record, the Bluejays will be playing with extra motivation this upcoming season. Junior guard Ty-Shon Alexander and 2019 Big East All-Freshman Team selection Marcus Zegarowski will lead a star-studded offensive cast aided by upperclassmen scorers Davion Mintz and Mitch Ballock. While the Bluejays are wellequipped on offense, they may struggle on the defensive side of the ball. With the graduation of big man Martin Krampelj, the Bluejays will have an increasingly thin frontcourt and a decrease in shot blocking ability. Despite these limitations, this Creighton team will be among the favorites in the conference this season and enters the season as a strong contender for March Madness.

4. Xavier FILE PHOTO: KIRK ZIESER/THE HOYA

Providence College finished in sixth place in the Big After a strong push for the tournament at the end of last year, winning six of their final seven Big East regular season matchups, the Xavier Musketeers will be well-equipped to build off of their momentum heading into the 2019-20 season. Xavier will be led by potential All-Big East selections Naji Marshall and Paul Scruggs in the backcourt, along with the opportunity for highly ranked freshman KyKy Tandy to become an immediate impact performer. Like Creighton, however, the Musketeers will struggle to replace the loss of Zach Hankins, who graduated last spring, in the frontcourt. Xavier will need to find a way to compensate for his presence on the floor while simultaneously giving its stars space to work.

5. Georgetown The Hoyas are ready to make a big jump in their play this season on the backs of sophomore standouts James Akinjo, Josh LeBlanc and Mac McClung. Akinjo and McClung proved to be a more-than-capable backcourt duo last season, leading the Hoyas to their first postseason birth since 2015, and LeBlanc stood out as an energizer for the team with impressive shot blocking ability and finishing touch. For these sophomores to take the next step, they all must become more efficient shooting the ball, and the guards must improve their play on the defense. With the departure of Jessie Govan, the fate of the Hoyas’ season lies in the hands of NC State transfer Omer Yurtseven. A former All-ACC selection, Yurtseven must match the play of Govan for Georgetown to reach its ceiling. This team has the potential to exceed expectations and make the tournament for the first time since 2015.

men’s bigeastpreview BEN GAVER Hoya Staff Writer

6. Marquette After the departure of the Hauser brothers to Virginia and Michigan State, Marquette will struggle to replace the brothers’ average 24.6 points per game. Reigning Big East Player of the Year Markus Howard remains on the roster, however, for his senior season and will serve as the go-to threat on offense. The Golden Eagles will look to underclassman and Utah State transfer Koby McEwen to fill in the gaps offensively. On defense, the Golden Eagles will be anchored by 6-foot-9 forward Theo John and his 2.1 blocks per game. Marquette must search for additional scoring to replace the Hausers, but it still has a balanced roster that can perform on the national stage.

7. Providence Last season was a disappointing season for the Friars despite the offensive prowess of junior guard Alpha Diallo. With such consistent talent across the conference, the Providence Friars are another team that will look to move inside the bubble in March. The Friars return scorers with Diallo in the backcourt and with junior center Nate Watson in the frontcourt. Providence will also need transfer Luwane Pipkins to become an immediate impact player after averaging more than 15 points per game with UMass.

Like Georgetown and Marquette, Providence’s play this season will be determined by new and young talent supporting it well-defined leaders.

8. Butler After losing five of their last six games last season, the Butler Bulldogs will look to be more competitive down the stretch this year. With the return of Kamar Baldwin, an All-Big East selection who averaged 17 points last season, the Bulldogs will have a leader on the offensive side of the ball. The Bulldogs also added a Top 100 recruit in Khalif Battle, who looks to provide length at the wing. Defensively, Butler will rely on unproven transfers to solidify a defense that consistently let it down in close games throughout the 2018 season.

If Butler can solve its problems on defense, it will be a tough opponent in conference play.

9. St. John’s After the resignation of Chris Mullin and standout leading scorer Shamorie Ponds entering the NBA draft, the Red Storm will undergo a rebuilding process this coming season.

Junior guard LJ Figueroa is a potential All-Big East performer that could make up for the absence of Ponds. The Red Storm had one of the weakest recruiting classes in the conference this season, providing them with minimal reason for optimism, as Figueroa is the only reliable player on the roster. Under the tutelage of new Head Coach Mike Anderson, the Red Storm will likely struggle this year despite having received an NCAA tournament bid this past March.

10. DePaul After finishing in a tie for last place in conference play last year, DePaul will lose three players that accounted for the bulk of its scoring. However, the team has already made progress in replacing its strong graduates, with the Blue Demons landing power forward Romeo Weems, a Top 100 recruit, and returning junior forward Paul Reed to create a dangerous frontcourt pair. Despite the talent up front, the Blue Demons lack star power in the backcourt and have failed to perform consistently in the Big East since joining the conference in 2013.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019

THE HOYA

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women’sbigeastpreview AUSTIN BARISH Hoya Staff Writer

FILE PHOTO: KIRK ZIESER/THE HOYA

DePaul University has been a dominant force in the Big East for the last couple of years, winning the conference championship in four of the last six seasons, including each of the past two. The Blue Demons were just one game away from first place in the Big East last year, finishing with a record of 14-4. DePaul is bringing back its best player, forward Chante Stonewall, who was the Big East Tournament MVP last year and averaged 14.3 points per game. DePaul was unanimously voted in a Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll as the favorite to win the conference this year. It will be a tough challenge for the rest of the conference to stop them from winning a third consecutive conference championship.

2. St. John’s

After qualifying for the national tournament five years in a row, St. John’s University had a down year last season. The Red Storm finished in second-to-last place in the Big East in 2018-19 with a record of 7-11. St. John’s is returning three of its starters, including star point guard Tiana England. England led the Big East in assists last year and was featured on the Nancy Lieberman Award Preseason Watch List for the best point guard in the country. England could lead the Red Storm back into the competition for the top spot in the Big East.

3. Seton Hall

Seton Hall University rounds out a projected top-heavy conference, with the Pirates joining the Red Storm and Blue Demons with substantial playoff aspirations given their performance last year, returning core and incoming players who should make an immediate impact.

The Pirates are led by the Big East Preseason Player of the Year, forward Shadeen Samuels. Samuels was the Big East scoring champion last year with 18.3 ppg. Seton Hall is also returning seven letter winners and will lean on their experience this season.

4. Providence

Providence College finished in sixth place in the Big East last year but showed a lot of promise by staying in close games against stronger and more experienced teams. The Friars earned their first postseason bid since 2010, making it all the way to the Round of 16 in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament last March.

Forward Mary Baskerville should be a difference-maker, with these expectations deriving from her freshman year in which she won Big East Freshman of the Year.

Providence will be returning four starters from last year; this continuity should result in a better season this year.

5. Villanova

Finishing in fourth place in the Big East last year, Villanova University is returning two of its starters and five lettermen this year. Villanova shot the ball incredibly well from long range last year, converting three pointers at a strong 35% clip as a team. Forward Mary Gedaka led the way for the Wildcats last season and should continue to do so this year, after leading the team in scoring with 14.4 ppg at an incredible 66.1% shooting. Without the star power of the top three teams whose leading scorers shot with higher volume on their way to more points per game, it will be tough for Villanova to move any further up in the standings despite their veteran leadership.

6. Butler

Butler University has seen a lot of turnover from last year, losing three of its starters but retaining last year’s Big East Coach of the Year, Kurt Godlevske. Looking at the roster, Godlevske brings back his second-highest scorer in guard Kristen Spolyar. The Bulldogs will try to emulate their strong start from last year when they began the season 15-1. Butler repeating their third-place performance in the Big East seems unlikely, but good coaching should keep them afloat.

7. Creighton

Tying with Providence for sixth place in the Big East last year, Creighton University will look to move up in the standings. However, the Bluejays will have a tough time replacing forward Audrey Faber, who graduated last spring; Faber earned All-Big East First Team honors last season, averaging 16.4 ppg. There are few ways for Creighton to improve in the standings after losing such a key player, as well as two other reliable contributors from the starting lineup.

8. Xavier

Xavier University finished at the bottom of the Big East last year with a record of 2-16. This mark fell significantly below the ninth-place teams, Seton Hall and St. John’s, which both finished 7-11. Xavier has made some changes since last season, starting by hiring Coach Melanie Moore to strive to make the Musketeers competitive again. Forward A’riana Gray will try to lead Xavier forward, as she was named to the Preseason AllBig East team after leading the Big East in rebounding last season. While the rest of the conference’s coaches see potential in Gray after that nomination, there is minimal optimism for the rest of the team.

9. Georgetown

The Hoyas lost four starters this summer, including guard Dionna White, who finished her college career third all-time in the Big East for steals. Last year, Georgetown University tied Villanova for fourth place in the standings with a record of 9-9. After losing its best players, Georgetown is unlikely to maintain a similar level of success this year. Expectations are low for the Hoyas, who were picked to finish in tenth place in the coaches’ preseason poll. With the leadership of Head Coach James Howard, however, the Hoyas will work to silence their doubters.

10. Marquette

Since finishing in first place in the Big East last year with a record of 15-3, Marquette University has seen a lot of turnover. Starting at the top, Coach Carolyn Kieger left for Penn State University, but newly hired Coach Megan Duffy will try to have similar success. A repeat performance will be a Herculean task for Duffy, as Marquette has lost all five of its starters, including two All-Americans. This year looks like it will be a season of rebuilding for Marquette without an impressive recruiting class, giving the team few reasons for optimism at a second-straight year of Big East contention.

FILE PHOTO: KIRK ZIESER/THE HOYA

1. DePaul