Big East Conference report

SportsLine Report
April 5, 2000

A Glance at 2001

The Hoyas look a lot like an NCAA Tournament team.

Besides senior role players Rhese Gibson and Jameel Watkins, the entire roster returns intact.

Georgetown returns Kevin Braswell and Demetrius Hunter in the backcourt, Nat Burton and pleasant surprise Lee Scruggs at forward, and third-team All-Big East center Ruben Boumtje Boumtje.

After a disappointing season, guard Anthony Perry may be the Hoyas' sixth man -- or start if he regains his stroke. First-year players such as forwards Courtland Freeman and Victor Samnick will play prominent roles off the pine.

The key for coach Craig Esherick's squad is to get solid guard play, because the frontcourt is always a constant with this program.

A quality recruiting class should fortify things up front. If all goes well, this team could make the jump from the NIT to the NCAA Tournament.

The Coach

Although the Hoyas reached the Big East Tournament semifinals and advanced a round in the NIT, Esherick's team underachieved compared to preseason predictions.

He is becoming more comfortable running this team, though the shadow of John Thompson will loom large until he gets the Hoyas back to the NCAAs.

Who'll Be Back

If guard Kevin Braswell's improvement toward the end of the season is any indication, he should be one of the Big East's best floor generals next season.

Either Hunter or Perry will play alongside him. Burton is a solid player capable of big nights, while Scruggs and Boumtje Boumtje are as talented a frontcourt tandem as you'll find in the conference.

And if either of them get in trouble, Freeman and Samnick will be among those waiting in the wings.

Who's Gone

The losses are minimal. Watkins saw some quality time toward the end of the season, but neither he nor Gibson gave Georgetown much statistically. With the recruits coming in, they are replacable parts.

Key Newcomers

Next autumn, Esherick will again bring in a much-ballyhooed recruiting class. Most, if not all, of the incoming players should see playing time.

• C Wesley Wilson (6-10, 200, Soph.): A highly-rated recruit out of Maine Central Institute who sat out last season because of academics, but could see plenty of time if he gains his eligibility for next season.
• PF Michael Sweetney (6-9, 275, Fr.): Big body out of nearby Oxon Hill, Md., who can score around the basket. Averaged 19 points per game as a senior. The Insiders Report Web site has him rated as its No. 6 center prospect in the nation.
• SF Omari Faulkner (6-9, 210, Fr.): This prospect from Memphis, Tenn., might need work on his perimeter game, but he proved he could slash, score and rebound on the high-school level (15 points, 12 rebounds). A nice athlete who could make an impact.
• SF Gerald Riley (6-6, 200, Fr.): He would give Georgetown a long-range gunner -- if he can get himself eligible. Ranked as the country's No. 17 senior small forward by the Insiders Report, he hit 42 percent of his 3-pointers as a senior in Milledgeville (Ga.) High School while averaging 24 points and 11 rebounds.