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The 2010–11 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team represented
Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
in the 2010–2011
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...
basketball season. In November, the team played in and won the
Charleston Classic The Charleston Classic is a three-day invitational college basketball season-opening tournament held in Charleston, South Carolina. An ESPN-owned and operated event, it is contested at TD Arena, home of the College of Charleston Cougars. Each t ...
tournament. During the February 23 game against the
Cincinnati Bearcats The Cincinnati Bearcats are the athletic teams that represent the University of Cincinnati. Though they will move to the Big 12 Conference (XII) the teams are currently a part of the American Athletic Conference (The American), which from 1979 ...
, senior Chris Wright injured his hand, and later had surgery that kept him out of the final conference games. Without him, the Hoyas lost in their first game in the
2011 Big East men's basketball tournament The 2011 Big East men's basketball tournament, a part of the 2010-11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, took place from March 8–12, 2011 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This was the third Big East tournament to include all 16 ...
. The team ultimately received an at-large invitation as a 6 seed in the
2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was a single-elimination tournament involving 68 teams to determine the national champion of the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The 73rd edition of the NCAA tournament beg ...
, where they lost in the second round to VCU. They finished the season 21–11, 10–8 in Big East play.


Previous season

In their previous season, the team finished the season 23–11, and 10–8 in Big East play, and advanced to the championship game of the
2010 Big East men's basketball tournament The 2010 Big East men's basketball tournament, a part of the 2009-10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, took place in March 2010 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The West Virginia Mountaineers defeated the Georgetown Hoyas 60–5 ...
. Sophomore
Greg Monroe Gregory Keith Monroe Jr. (born June 4, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Shanxi Loongs of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 2010 NBA draft with the seventh overall pic ...
declined to return, and entered the NBA draft where he was selected by the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...
.


Season recap

Although star
center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
Greg Monroe Gregory Keith Monroe Jr. (born June 4, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Shanxi Loongs of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 2010 NBA draft with the seventh overall pic ...
had opted to forego his senior year of college and enter the 2010 National Basketball Association draft after the end of the previous season and reserve
guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...
Stephan Stepka had transferred to
James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...
, the Hoyas returned the rest of the core and reserve players of their 2009–10 team. Senior
Julian Vaughn Julian Vaughn (born December 16, 1988) is an American professional basketball player who last played for Indios de San Francisco de Macorís of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto. He is a 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) tall power forward-center. College ...
and sophomore
Hollis Thompson Keith Hollis Thompson II (born April 3, 1991) is an American professional basketball who last played for the Sacramento Kings of the NBA. He played college basketball for Georgetown University. He also played for the Philadelphia 76ers and New Orl ...
at
forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...
and seniors
Austin Freeman Austin Mambu Freeman, Jr. (born May 6, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for San Carlos of the Dominican Torneo de Baloncesto Superior (TBS). He played college basketball at Georgetown University. High school & college career F ...
and Chris Wright and sophomore Jason Clark at
guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...
all returned as starters or major contributors off the bench. Sophomore
Vee Sanford Vincent Laron "Vee" Sanford II (born December 5, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for Victoria Libertas Pesaro of the Lega Basket Serie A. He played college basketball for Georgetown and Dayton. He began his pr ...
also returned as a reserve guard, sophomore
Jerrelle Benimon Jerrelle Benimon (born August 1, 1991) is an American former professional basketball player. In college, he was the 2012–13 Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year as a redshirt junior after leading the Towson Tigers to the greatest si ...
as a reserve forward, and junior
Henry Sims Henry Sims (born March 27, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus of the Korean Basketball League (KBL). He played college basketball for Georgetown University. High school career Sims played for Mt. ...
as a reserve
center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
. Freshmen joining the Hoyas for the season included guard
Markel Starks Markel Starks (born February 21, 1991) is an American professional basketball for Darüşşafaka of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL). Born in Accokeek, Maryland, he played for Georgetown Prep before enrolling at Georgetown University and ...
, who later would emerge as their
point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...
, forwards Nate Lubick and Aaron Bowen, and center Moses Ayegba. Freshman guard John Caprio also made the team as a
walk-on Walk On may refer to: Music * ''Walk On'', a 1994 album by Boston, and its title song Albums * ''Walk On'' (Boston album), 1994 * ''Walk On'' (John Hiatt album), 1995 * ''Walk On'' (Randy Johnston album), 1992 *''Walk On'', a 2007 album by ...
. Ranked No. 20 in the
Associated Press Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broadca ...
to start the season, Georgetown hoped for another successful campaign in 2010–2011, and to return to the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in six seasons. The Hoyas also hoped for a deeper run in the tournament, which they had exited in the first weekend of play in their last two appearances in
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
and
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
.


Non-conference schedule

Georgetown began the season with six straight wins over unranked opponents. In their season opener, at
Old Dominion Old Dominion most commonly refers to: *The Old Dominion, a nickname for the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia ** Colony of Virginia *Old Dominion University, a public university in Norfolk, Virginia **Old Dominion Monarchs, the athletic teams represe ...
, they broke the Monarchs′ 23-game home winning streak – the fourth-longest active streak in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, dating back to January 2009 – behind 19 points by Chris Wright, 18 by Jason Clark, and 17 by Austin Freeman. Following a win in their home opener over
Tulane Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...
in which Freeman scored 23 points, Jason Clark had a
double-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...
with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Vee Sanford contributed 10 points off the bench, the Hoyas traveled to
Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
,
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
, to take part in the
Charleston Classic The Charleston Classic is a three-day invitational college basketball season-opening tournament held in Charleston, South Carolina. An ESPN-owned and operated event, it is contested at TD Arena, home of the College of Charleston Cougars. Each t ...
as its only ranked team. As
NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
driver and former Hoya player
Brendan Gaughan William Brendan Gaughan (born July 10, 1975) is an American professional racing driver who has competed in off-road and stock cars. He is the grandson of Vegas gaming pioneer Jackie Gaughan and son of Michael Gaughan, a hotel and casino magnate. ...
looked on from the stands, they won the opener against
Coastal Carolina Coastal Carolina University (CCU or Coastal) is a public university in Conway, South Carolina. Founded in 1954 as Coastal Carolina Junior College, and later joining the University of South Carolina System as USC Coastal Carolina, it became an in ...
, with Clark scoring 22 points, Freeman scoring 20, and Chris Wright getting a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. They followed this with a semifinal win over
Wofford Wofford may refer to: People with the surname *Toni Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford, 1931–2019), American writer *Dan Wofford, American politician *Harris Wofford (1926–2019), U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, 1991-1995 *James C. Woffor ...
in which Julian Vaughn had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, Chris Wright had a game-high 18 points, and Austin Freeman scored 14, and a victory in the final game over
North Carolina State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
to win the tournament. In the championship game, the Hoya starters had a balanced attack against the Wolfpack, with Hollis Thompson scoring a game-high 18 points, Wright 17, Freeman 15, and Clark 14. Ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll, the Hoyas then returned to the Verizon Center, where Freeman tied a school record shared by Mark Tillmon and Darrel Owens by hitting seven three-pointers, going 7-for-9 (77.7%) from three-point range, and scored 32 points in a win over UNC Asheville. Julian Vaughn scored 16 points against the Bulldogs, and Jason Clark had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. With a record of 6–0, Georgetown next faced its first ranked opponent of the season, unbeaten No. 9
Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
, in a game at the
Sprint Center T-Mobile Center (formerly Sprint Center) is a multi-purpose arena in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. It is located at the intersection of 14th Street and Grand Boulevard on the east side of the Power & Light District. It has effectively becom ...
in
Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
,
Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
. The Hoyas started strong, hitting seven of their first eight shots to take a 14–9 lead with 16:24 left in the first half. They then went on a 14–4 run to pull out to a 23–13 lead with 11:33 left in the half, and followed with a 9–0 run to stretch their lead to 35–17 with 8:53 left. Missouri followed with an 8–2 run of its own, but at the end of it Georgetown still led 38–25, having shot 15-for-19 (79.0%) from the field. At the half, Georgetown had shot 20-for-28 (71.4%) from the field and still led 54–47, but the Tigers were in the midst of a comeback that continued into the second half and, with 8:25 to left to play in regulation, took their first lead of the game, 77–75, on a three-pointer by junior guard
Marcus Denmon Marcus Edward Denmon II (born March 20, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for Peristeri of the Greek Basket League. He played for the University of Missouri. He was taken 59th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2012 NBA dr ...
. Vee Sanford responded with a three-pointer of his own that put the Hoyas back in front, 78–77, with 7:49 left. Sophomore point guard Michael Dixon scored on a layup to take the lead back for Missouri, and the Tigers moved out to an 85–80 advantage with 4:21 to play. After a Georgetown timeout, Austin Freeman scored five consecutive points on a free throw and two layups to tie the game at 85–85 with 3:35 to go. The teams continued to trade baskets until Dixon sank two free throws with 26 seconds left to give Missouri a 93–89 lead. After Chris Wright also sank two free throws to close to 93–91, Dixon hit the first of two free throws to give Missouri a 94–91 lead with 14.1 seconds remaining in regulation, but missed the second, and Wright responded with a three-pointer with one second left that tied the game at 94–94 and forced overtime. In overtime, the score stood at 98–98 when Georgetown went on a 9–2 run thanks to Jason Clark – who until then had gone 1-for-6 from beyond the three-point line – hitting three straight three-pointers, giving the Hoyas a 107–100 lead with 1:22 remaining, and Georgetown hung on to secure a 111–102 upset overtime win and a 7–0 start for the second consecutive season. Austin Freeman scored 31 points, his second straight game with more than 30 points, while Jason Clark had 26, Chris Wright had a double-double with 21 points and 10 assists, and Henry Sims came off the bench to score 10 points. The Hoyas shot 18-for-18 from the free throw line and hit 15 three-pointers, and their 111 points were the most Missouri had allowed since a 111–56 defeat at the hands of
Kansas State Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...
on January 3, 1998. The Hoyas returned to the Verizon Center for a win over
Utah State Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah's ...
in which Chris Wright finished with a game-high 21 points and four steals, and Georgetown improved to 8–0 for the second straight season. By the time they visited
Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
five days later, the Hoyas had risen to No. 9 in the AP Poll, but behind a 30-point performance by junior guard
Ramone Moore Ramone Edward Moore Jr. (born May 27, 1989) is an American professional basketball player who plays for CSM Oradea of the Romanian Liga Națională (LNBM). He attended South Philadelphia High School, where he was coached by George Anderson. Moor ...
Temple upset Georgetown to give Owls head coach
Fran Dunphy Francis Joseph Dunphy (born October 5, 1948) is an American college basketball coach, who is the head coach of the La Salle Explorers of the Atlantic 10 Conference. He is the former men's basketball coach at Temple University and the University o ...
his 400th career victory and end the Hoyas′ winning streak despite 15 points by Jason Clark, 14 each by Austin Freeman and Julian Vaughn, and 10 by Chris Wright. Back at the Verizon Center, Georgetown had two easy wins, defeating first
Appalachian State Appalachian State University (; Appalachian, App State, App, or ASU) is a public university in Boone, North Carolina. It was founded as a teachers college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and the latter's wife, Lillie Shull Dough ...
and then Loyola of Maryland. Jason Clark finished with 15 points and Austin Freeman with 14 against Appalachian States, while Nate Lubick and Hollis Thompson each scored 11 points and Chris Wright had 12 assists in the game. As two Georgetown students wearing biblical clothing and long false beards held up a "Free Moses" sign, freshman center Moses Ayegba – ruled ineligible for Georgetown's first nine games because he had received an airline ticket to the United States from his native
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
from a non-family member – made his collegiate debut in the Appalachian State game, scoring two points. Against Loyola six days later, Austin Freeman and Hollis Thompson each scored 14 points, Henry Sims contributed 12, and Chris Wright added 11. Falling to No. 15 in the AP Poll by the time of the Loyola game, Georgetown rose again to No. 10 by the time it rounded out its non-conference schedule with a visit to No. 16
Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...
, its second ranked opponent of the season. From the field, the Hoyas shot 52 percent in the first half, 63 percent in the second half, and 57 percent for the game, committing only six turnovers, and emerged as the second-best shooting team in the United States in field goal percentage for the season at 52.5 percent. Georgetown held an early lead, but the game remained close, and Memphis took the lead at 15–14 with 13:30 remaining in the first half. The Tigers extended this to their largest lead of the game, 22–18, with 10:00 until halftime, but the Hoyas regained the advantage at 24–22 with 8:41 to play in the half and never trailed again. Leading 40–36 at halftime, the Hoyas pulled away in the second half, leading 76–59 with 3:37 left in the game and winning 89–69. Austin Freeman led the team with a game-high 24 points, while Chris Wright added 19 and Julian Vaughn had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.


Conference schedule

The 11–1 Hoyas were back to No. 9 in the AP Poll when they began their Big East season on December 29 with their second straight road game against a ranked opponent, facing No. 15 Notre Dame at
South Bend South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...
,
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
. The Hoyas entered the game as the fourth-best three-point-shooting team in the United States, but a strong defensive effort by the underdog Fighting Irish held Georgetown to only 4-for-22 (18.2%) from three-point range and also limited the offensive output of Chris Wright (3 points) and Jason Clark (8 points); Austin Freeman had a 21-point game, but as a team Georgetown shot only 42.6 percent from the field. The Fighting Irish also enjoyed a big advantage from the free-throw line, going 22-for-27 to the Hoyas′ 5-for-9. The game was close for about the first 10 minutes, but then the Fighting Irish went on an 8–0 run that gave them the lead for good at 23–15 with 7:35 left until halftime. In the second half, a 14–2 Fighting Irish run gave Notre Dame a 48–32 lead with 11:55 left in the game. The Hoyas responded with a 9–0 run of their own that closed the gap to 48–41 with 8:16 left, but two Fighting Irish three-pointers followed that pushed their lead to 56–43. A layup and two free throws by Freeman got the Hoyas′ deficit to single digits at 56–47 with 3:53 to play, but Notre Dame then extended its lead again and upset the Hoyas, winning 69–55. It was the first time that Georgetown had lost its Big East opener during John Thompson III's tenure, breaking a 7–0 Georgetown winning streak in conference openers since Thompson's first season with the team 2004–05. Returning to Washington to play their first
New Year's Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...
game since
1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 – ...
, the Hoyas defeated the Big East's weakest team, DePaul, in DePaul's first New Year's Day game since at least 1945 and dealt the Blue Demons their 10th consecutive loss to Georgetown, 15th consecutive loss to a Big East opponent, and 25th consecutive road loss, with Austin Freeman and Jason Clark each scoring 21 points, Chris Wright emerging in the second half from a shooting slump to contribute 17, and Julian Vaughn pulling down 10 rebounds and adding nine points. The season then took its first real downturn. Falling to No. 13 in the AP Poll after the win over DePaul, the Hoyas lost first at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
to St. John's in the last few seconds of a close game in which Hollis Thompson scored 16 points but Clark, Freeman, and Wright combined for only 20, and then at the Verizon Center to
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
, with Clark scoring 16 and Freeman 11 but the Mountaineers making up for poor shooting by dominating in offensive rebounds (15–4) and free throw attempts (24–11) and forcing the Hoyas into 18 turnovers. Dropping to No. 22 in the AP Poll and, at 1–3 in conference play, off to its worst start in the Big East since the 2003–04 season
Craig Esherick Craig Robert Esherick (born November 1, 1956) is an American academic, lawyer, and former basketball coach who is currently an assistant professor of sport management for George Mason University and color commentator for college basketball games ...
′s last as head coach – Georgetown next hosted No. 5
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, the winners of five straight games. The Hoyas never led in the game, and their slumping backcourt of Clark, Freeman, and Wright could not compete with the perimeter shooters of the Panthers. The Hoyas also slumped at the free-throw line, making only 4 of 14 foul shots (28.6%) in the first half – to the boos of the crowd – and 14 of 25 (56.0%) in the game. Freeman and Wright got in early foul trouble, and Pittsburgh jumped out to a 19–9 advantage with 10:54 remaining in the first half and led by double digits for the rest of the game. Wright and Freeman finally began to score in the second half, and Wright led the Hoyas with 14 points, while Julian Vaughn had 13 and Freeman scored 12. Georgetown never went on a run greater than 4–0 until late in the second half, when they scored seven unanswered points to cut Pittsburgh's lead from 18 to 11 points with 5:32 to play, but the Panthers pulled away again and cruised to a 72–57 victory. Although the Hoyas ended the game leading the Big East in field-goal percentage at 50.9%,Anonymous, "Austin Freeman's 25 help send Georgetown past Rutgers, end skid at 3," Associated Press, January 15, 2011.
/ref> the loss was Georgetown's third in a row, and left them with a 1–4 Big East record, their worst start in the conference since 1998–99, the season in which
John Thompson Jr. John Robert Thompson Jr. (September 2, 1941August 30, 2020) was an American college basketball coach for the Georgetown Hoyas men's team. He became the first African-American head coach to win a major collegiate championship in basketball when ...
had resigned as head coach. After the Pittsburgh game, the Hoya backcourt pulled out of its slump, and a new winning streak began with victories at
Rutgers Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was a ...
– the Scarlet Knights' ninth loss in their previous 10 games against Georgetown – and
Seton Hall Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan u ...
and in a rematch with St. John's at the Verizon Center, dealing each opponent its fifth loss in six games and, in the case of St. John's, extending the Red Storm's string of consecutive road losses against ranked teams to 32, dating back to 2002. Austin Freeman had 25 points and a career-high nine rebounds against Rutgers, 28 points at Seton Hall, and 14 points in the one-sided win over St. John's, while Chris Wright finished with 15 points at Rutgers and 17 at Seton Hall. Jason Clark scored 13 points at Rutgers and 16 against St. John's, while Hollis Thompson contributed 14 points at Seton Hall and 15 against St. John's. Julian Vaughn scored 11 at Seton Hall, and Nate Lubick made his first collegiate start in the St. John's game, committing four turnovers but scoring six points.Anonymous, "Hoyas shake off spirited Pirates run for second straight win," Associated Press, January 19, 2011.
/ref> Georgetown entered the Seton Hall game with the third-highest team field-goal percentage in the United States, at 50.7 percent. The Hoyas dropped to No. 23 in the AP Poll before the Seton Hall game, but climbed to No. 21 in time for the game against St. John's, and the three wins evened their Big East record at 4–4. Second in the United States in team field-goal percentage at 50.8 percent, the Hoyas next traveled to
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, to face No. 8 Villanova at the
Wells Fargo Center Wells Fargo Center may refer to: *Wells Fargo Center (Los Angeles), California *Wells Fargo Center (Sacramento), California * Wells Fargo Center (San Francisco), California * Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, California * Wells Fargo Cen ...
. Georgetown fell behind the Wildcats early, trailing 10–5 with 16:24 to play in the first half, but then came back to post a 32–26 lead at halftime. The Hoyas more or less held that lead until the Wildcats began a surge with 2:53 to play and closed to only a 61–60 deficit with 2:08 left. The Hoyas then got the ball to Austin Freeman repeatedly; he made a two-point layup to increase Georgetown's lead to 63–60 with 1:39 left, then, after Villanova sophomore guard
Maalik Wayns Maalik Benjamin Wayns (born May 2, 1991) is an American-Belarusian former basketball player and coach. He played high school basketball for Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia, where he was a ''Parade'' All-American as well as a McDonald's ...
made two free throws, hit a two-point jumper to extend Georgetown's lead to 65–62. After two more Wayns free throws, a dunk by Nate Lubick, and a layup by Wayns made the score Georgetown 67 Villanova 66, Freeman sank two free throws to secure a 69–66 upset victory for the Hoyas. Freeman went 8-for-8 in free throws and scored 10 of Georgetown's last 12 points on the way to a 30-point game, while Jason Clark scored 10 points, and Julian Vaughn went 7-for-7 from the free-throw line in a 9-point performance. With a winning conference record (5–4) for the first time in the season, Georgetown rose to No. 13 in the AP Poll and returned home to face No. 15
Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
, the Hoyas′ second ranked conference opponent in two days. Both teams had a lackluster first half; the Hoyas shot 31 percent from the field, the Cardinals shot 26 percent, the teams had a combined 12 turnovers before they scored a combined 12 points (on the way to having 16 turnovers each before the game was over) and at the half the score was Georgetown 22 Louisville 18. In the second half, however, the Georgetown offense came alive; the Hoyas went on a 10–2 run to take a 34–25 lead with 16:31 left to play, but the Cardinals went on a 15–4 run of their own to tie the game at 47–47 with 7:56 remaining. After that, the game remained tight, but the Hoyas shot 13-for-17 (76%) from the field in the second half and hung on to win 72–69, extending their winning streak to five games. Chris Wright, who had not scored a single point in the Villanova game, went 8-for-8 from in free throws and scored a game-high 24 against Louisville, including two free throws with five seconds left to help clinch the victory. Austin Freeman saw his streak of 23 consecutive free throws end but nonetheless had 13 points, and Julian Vaughn added 10. Five days later, the Hoyas stretched their winning streak to six, holding off
Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
despite a 43-point game – fifth-highest ever in a Big East game at the time – by Providence senior guard-forward
Marshon Brooks MarShon Scitif Brooks (born January 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Standing at , he plays at shooting guard and small forward positions. Origi ...
. Freeman scored 23 points against the Friars, while Jason Clark contributed 18, Chris Wright added 16, and Julian Vaughn had a double-double with 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Georgetown was No. 11 in the AP Poll and ranked second in the United States in team field goal percentage at 50.5 percent when it went on the road for a game at No. 12
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
, its third ranked conference opponent in four games. The Hoyas got out to a 16–10 lead halfway through the first half, but Syracuse responded with a 13–2 run, and at halftime the Orange led 31–29. Syracuse extended the lead to 37–31, but the Hoyas rallied to pull ahead 39–38. Then a key Syracuse player, senior forward
Rick Jackson Rick may refer to: People *Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name *Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality *Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...
, went to the bench with four fouls with 14:40 left to play, and the Orange had to play with three freshmen on the court. Georgetown extended its lead to 44–40, but Syracuse overcame Jackson's absence to battle its way back into the lead, and the Orange were ahead 51–47 with 9:00 left in the game. Syracuse clung to its lead until 3:50 was left, when Hollis Thompson sank a three-pointer to tie the game at 55–55 and begin what turned out to be a decisive 9–0 Georgetown run that put the Hoyas ahead 61–55 with 2:08 remaining. Georgetown went on to win 64–56, having held the Orange to 39.6 shooting from the field and 4-for-16 (25%) in three-pointers. It was John Thompson III's first win at the
Carrier Dome The JMA Wireless Dome, originally the Carrier Dome (1980–2022) and colloquially called "The Dome," or more recently "The JMA Dome," is a domed sports stadium in Syracuse, New York. Located on the campus of Syracuse University in the University ...
in six tries, and the Orange's third straight home less, only the third time that had happened in
Jim Boeheim James Arthur Boeheim Jr. ( ; born November 17, 1944) is an American college basketball coach who is the head coach of the Syracuse Orange men's team of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Boeheim has guided the Orange to ten Big East Conference ...
′s 35-year tenure as Syracuse's head coach. Four days later, Georgetown extended its winning streak to eight – the Hoyas's longest conference winning streak since the 2006–07 season – and won its 20th game of the season, coming from behind to defeat Marquette at the Verizon Center in a match-up of the two top-shooting teams in the Big East. Austin Freeman injured his ankle with 1:13 left in the first half of the game against the Golden Eagles, but returned in the second half and played through pain to finish with 17 points. Chris Wright had 20 points, and Hollis Thompson pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds. In third place in the Big East and rising to No. 9 in the AP Poll, the Hoyas went on the road to play another ranked team, No. 12
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
, three days later. The Hoyas led 37–36 at the half and 70–69 with 4:01 left in the game, but did not score again as Connecticut finished the game with nine unanswered points, and the Huskies upset the Hoyas 78–70. Chris Wright led the Hoyas with 19 points, while Jason Clark had 13 and Austin Freeman 12, and Hollis Thompson came off the bench to score 10. With their eight-game winning streak broken, the Hoyas visited
South Florida South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...
and beat the Bulls behind Chris Wright's season-high 26 points, including 8-for-8 from the free-throw line and six free throws in the final 29.7 seconds of play, and 10 points by Jason Clark. It turned out to be Georgetown's last victory of the season. Georgetown had fallen to No. 11 in the AP Poll when its season-ending losing streak began at the Verizon Center with an upset loss to
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
, breaking the Bearcats′ 20-game losing streak on the road to ranked teams that dated back to January 14, 2004. Although Austin Freeman scored 19 points, the Hoyas shot 25 percent from the field as a team, their worst shooting performance since at least the 1996–97 season. Bigger than the loss of the game was the loss of Chris Wright, who left the game with a broken hand with 15:53 left to play. Wright was unable to play – breaking his 93-game collegiate starting streak – when Georgetown hosted No. 17 Syracuse in a rematch with former
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
, former Georgetown and
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
star
Alonzo Mourning Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. (born February 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who has served as vice president of player programs and development for the Miami Heat since June 2009. Mourning played most of his 15-year ...
, and
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and
Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...
owner
Ted Leonsis Theodore John Leonsis (born January 8, 1957) is an American businessman, investor, filmmaker, author, philanthropist, and former politician. He is a former senior executive with America Online (AOL), and the founder, chairman, and CEO of Monumen ...
looking on. Syracuse was ahead for almost the entire first half, finishing with a 9–2 run that gave the Orange a 33–23 lead at halftime. Georgetown battled back in the second half to take a 45–43 lead with 10:00 left to play, but from there Syracuse outscored the Hoyas 15–6 for a 58–51 upset win. Austin Freeman had 16 points and Jason Clark scored 11.Anonymous, "Hoyas fall without Chris Wright as Orange win 4th straight," Associated Press, February 27, 2011.
/ref> With Wright – who had undergone surgery on his hand – still out and the Hoyas falling to No. 17 in the AP Poll, the season ended with a loss at Cincinnati, in which Freeman alone provided most of Georgetown's offense, playing 37 minutes and scoring 21 points. Both teams were shooting only 33 percent from the floor with 10 minutes left to play, and Georgetown, although leading the Big East with a team field goal percentage of 48.5, shot only 32 percent from the field against Cincinnati. Hollis Thompson had 12 points.Anonymous, "Cincinnati pads March resume by rolling No. 17 Georgetown," Associated Press, March 5, 2011.
/ref>


Big East tournament

Georgetown finished the regular season in eighth place in the Big East with a 10–8 conference record. As the number eight seed in the 2011 Big East tournament, the Hoyas earned a bye in the first round. In the second round – now ranked No. 22 in the AP Poll after their season-ending losing streak – they faced the ninth seed, No. 21 Connecticut. Like Georgetown, the Huskies had struggled late in the regular season, losing four of their final five games, but they had defeated 16th-seed DePaul the previous day in the first round of the tournament to advance to face the Hoyas. Chris Wright's injured hand forced him to sit out again. The game was tied at 15–15 halfway through the first half, but with Georgetown in early foul trouble, Connecticut embarked on a 22–7 run to take a 37–22 advantage with 3:36 left in the first half, and the Huskies led 42–30 at halftime. With the Georgetown backcourt shooting a combined 2-for-13 (15.4%), Julian Vaugh held scoreless, and Connecticut junior guard
Kemba Walker Kemba Hudley Walker (born May 8, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Walker was picked ninth overall by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2011 NBA draft. After gra ...
scoring 28 points, the Huskies cruised through the second half to knock Georgetown out of the tournament with a 79–62 win. Jason Clark led the Hoyas with 23 points, Austin Freeman had 20, and Hollis Thompson scored 10.Anonymous, "Huskies roll past Hoyas to stay alive in Big East tourney," Associated Press, March 10, 2011.
/ref>


NCAA tournament

Losers of four straight, No. 22 Georgetown nonetheless had a 21–10 record that was good enough to earn the Hoyas a bid in the 2011 NCAA tournament, their second consecutive appearance in the tournament and fifth in six seasons. Seeded sixth in the Southwest Region, in the Round of 64 – termed the "Second Round" of the tournament that year – they met 11th-seeded VCU, which had lost five of its last eight games prior to the tournament but had defeated
USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...
in the "First Four" round to advance to play the Hoyas. Chris Wright finally returned to play, raising hopes that the Hoyas could pull out of their slump and make a run in the tournament, but Wright shot 3-for-13 and finished with only six points. The Hoyas led 19–18 with 7:48 left in the first half, but the Rams then went on a 9–0 run to take a lead they never relinquished. VCU led 35–24 at halftime, and in the second half continued to extend their lead, beginning with a 14–4 run that put them ahead 49–28 with about 15 minutes left to play. Georgetown closed to 49–34 with 13:51 remaining, but never threatened the Rams′ lead. The Hoyas committed 17 turnovers against only six for the Rams, and shot only 5-for-26 (19.2%) from three-point range — with Freeman, Wright, and Clark combining for 0-for-16 in three-point attempts – while VCU made 12 of 25 attempted three-pointers (48.0%). Despite 26 points off the bench by Hollis Thompson and 10 points by Austin Freeman, VCU went on to win 74–56 in a shocking upset, dealing the Hoyas their most lopsided NCAA tournament defeat since an 86–62 loss to
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
in
1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
. It was the first time VCU had ever won more than one game in an NCAA tournament, and the Rams went all the way to the Final Four before they were eliminated. For the Hoyas, it was their third straight NCAA tournament elimination in the tournament's first weekend, and the second consecutive year that they had been knocked out in their first game.Anonymous, "Sharpshooting VCU shocks Georgetown for second win of tournament," Associated Press, March 19, 2011.
/ref>


Wrap-up

Starting all 32 games, Austin Freeman finished the season with a team-leading 17.6 points per game, having shot 47.6 percent from the field and a team-best 87.0 percent from the free-throw line. Chris Wright, who missed three late games because of his hand injury, started in all 29 of his appearances and scored 12.9 points per game – second best on the team – on 41.4 percent shooting from the field and 78.3 percent in free throws. Jason Clark, starting every game, finished with a field-goal percentage of 48.3, a free-throw percentage of 77.0, and 12.0 points per game. Shooting 51.9 percent from three-point range – best on the team – Hollis Thompson appeared in all 32 games, starting 22 of them, and also had a team-best 51.9 percent average in field goals overall and averaged 8.6 points per game. Julian Vaughn, who missed one game but started the other 31, was second-best for the season in field goal percentage at 49.4 and averaged 7.8 points, and he led the Hyas with 6.1 rebounds per game. Other players seeing significant playing time were Jerrelle Benimon, Nate Lubick, and Henry Sims, all of whom played in every game, and Markel Starks, who saw action in 30 games. Lubick started in 13 of his appearances, while Sims started one game. After the season, a major turnover occurred on Georgetown's roster. Mainstays Austin Freeman, Julian Vaughn, and Chris Wright all graduated in 2011, as did reserve guard Ryan Dougherty. Freeman left after a 129-game collegiate career in which he had started 117 times, shot 49.8 percent from the field, and averaged 13.7 points per game. In his 110 games, 94 of them starts, Wright had averaged 12.4 points per game on 45.9 percent shooting from the field, while Vaughn completed his career after a freshman year at
Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
and three years at Georgetown with a combined 126 games played (95 at Georgetown), 72 starts (65 at Georgetown), and 5.1 points per game with a 52.5 percent field-goal percentage, although during his three years at Georgetown he averaged 5.8 points per game on 52.7 percent shooting. Freeman, Vaughn, and Wright all went undrafted in the
2011 NBA draft The 2011 NBA draft was held on June 23, 2011, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (23:00 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. Kia Motors was the presenting sponsor ...
; all three played professional basketball overseas and, during a three-day stint with the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
in March 2013, Wright became the first person to play in the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
after being diagnosed with
multiple sclerosis Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...
. On May 19, 2011, sophomore guard Vee Sanford announced that he was transferring to
Dayton Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...
, where, after fulfilling a requirement to sit out the 2011–12 season, he could begin play with the Flyers in
2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
with two years of college eligibility remaining. Sanford became the eleventh Hoya player in six seasons to leave Georgetown prior to the expiration of his college eligibility. Hollis Thompson initially declared for the
2011 NBA draft The 2011 NBA draft was held on June 23, 2011, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (23:00 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. Kia Motors was the presenting sponsor ...
, indicating that he planned to forego his final two years of college eligibility, but he never hired an agent and instead returned to school to play for Georgetown the following season. Although among the top-shooting teams in the United States during the season, the Hoyas had finished the year with a five-game losing streak. They clearly missed the injured Chris Wright during that stretch, but their backcourt also slumped in the final games of the year, especially from three-point range, and that had torpedoed their hopes of advancing in both the Big East tournament and the NCAA tournament. The season also ended in a sloppy, off-target performance against VCU, a loss which left Georgetown with no NCAA tournament victories since the first game of the 2008 tournament despite three appearances in four years over that stretch. It continued a troubling pattern established since their Final Four appearance in
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
of early upsets in the NCAA tournament at the hands of decided underdogs. That pattern would continue the following season. The 2010–11 Hoyas finished with a record of 21–11. In the Top 25 of the AP Poll all season, they finished the year ranked No. 22 – their lowest rank of the year – in a final poll taken on March 7, before their losses in the Big East and NCAA tournaments. Although they had also been in the
Coaches Poll The Coaches Poll is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football, Division I college basketball, and Division I college baseball teams. The football version of the poll has been known officially ...
Top 25 for almost the entire season, they finished the year unranked in that poll's postseason voting on March 29, which followed the two tournament losses.


Roster


Rankings


Schedule

Source2012-2013 Georgetown Men's Basketball Media Guide, p. 67.
/ref> , - !colspan=9 style="background:#002147; color:#8D817B;", Regular season , - !colspan=9 style="background:#002147; color:#8D817B;", Big East tournament , - !colspan=9 style="background:#002147; color:#8D817B;", NCAA tournament


Notes


References


External links


Georgetown Hoyas Basketball
{{DEFAULTSORT:2010-11 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball seasons Georgetown Hoyas Men's Basketball Team, 2010-11 Georgetown
Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team The Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball program represents Georgetown University in NCAA Division I men's intercollegiate basketball and the Big East Conference. Georgetown has competed in men's college basketball since 1907. The current head co ...
Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team The Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball program represents Georgetown University in NCAA Division I men's intercollegiate basketball and the Big East Conference. Georgetown has competed in men's college basketball since 1907. The current head co ...