A fresh start. That’s what’s ahead for Georgetown.

After a tumultuous four years that all seemed to have the same disappointing ending, this year’s team looks to improve that record with quiet players who have a lot to prove. With 10 underclassmen, the Hoyas have more question marks than certainties this season.

One thing is clear, however: This team is much, much bigger than last year’s. The Hoyas lost 6-foot-1 guard Chris Wright, 6-foot-3.5 guard Austin Freeman, 6-foot-9 forward Julian Vaughn and 6-foot guard Ryan Dougherty to graduation, and 6-foot-3 junior guard Vee Sanford and 6-foot-7 junior forward Jerelle Benimon transferred. Replacing them will be 6-foot-5 freshman guard Jabril Trawick, 6-foot-6 redshirt freshman forward Aaron Bowen, 6-foot-9 freshman center Tyler Adams and three freshman forwards all at least 6-foot-8: Otto Porter, Mikael Hopkins and Greg Whittington.

With their size, the freshmen could make an impact. Head Coach John Thompson III showed off his recruiting skills yet again with the Class of 2011, cracking the top 20 in ESPN’s rankings.

“I anticipate that we may be a little bit — across the board — deeper than last year’s team,” Thompson III said. “It’s just a function of guys being ready to get out there.”

Thompson III managed to lure Adams away from Duke, and the big man looks like an impact player. Adams hurt his ankle during the Kenner League, which could be a potential long-term issue, but it’s the Mississippi native’s build that makes him invaluable. He’s not tall enough to be a pure center at 6-foot-9, but he’s got the muscle to be a forceful inside presence — something the Hoyas sorely lacked last season.

Bowen, who missed last season due to shoulder surgery, is an athletic redshirt freshman. Sophomore center Moses Ayegba is out indefinitely with an ACL injury after not logging many minutes last year.

“That was part of the reason for taking the summer trip. We had such an infusion of new faces,” Thompson III said. “This group is in many ways [a] polar opposite of the group we had last year.”

That leaves the Hoyas with five players who have spent some legitimate time on the floor, all of whom have question marks.

“Inasmuch as we have inexperienced guys, we have guys that are ready to step up. Each person can fill a little piece of what we’ve lost and hopefully go beyond where we were last year,” Thompson III said.

The two leaders will be senior guard Jason Clark and junior forward Hollis Thompson.

Clark is a seasoned vet but had a down shooting year in 2011, and the Hoyas will need much more consistency from him. Clark shot just 22-of-74 from three-point range in Big East play, barely good enough for 30 percent, while averaging just 11 points per game.

“I kind of went through a little slump last year, and that can’t happen for good shooters,” Clark said.

Thompson also struggled in his starting role as a forward early in the season. Initially one of the five starters, the 6-foot-7 Thompson couldn’t provide the Hoyas with a natural inside presence and was eventually substituted for sophomore forward Nate Lubick around the start of Big East play.

Thompson flourished off the bench, providing the Hoyas with a spark, and demonstrated his all-around play. Thompson was second on the team in rebounds with 4.4 boards per game and shot 52 percent from the field, including a 46 percent clip from beyond the arc.

Both Thompson and Clark should be able to pass off some of their rebounding duties this year. The two combined to grab 8.5 rebounds per game last season, but with a more experienced Lubick in the post and four freshmen that each stand 6-foot-8 or taller, Thompson and Clark will be able to focus more on playing around the three-point line.

Senior center Henry Sims is the most interesting returning player. A highly touted recruit when he entered Georgetown, the 6-foot-10 center failed to log significant minutes for two years. Last season, he showed a nice turnaround jump shot and some decent passing ability but again averaged just 14 minutes per game. Sims needs to become a rebounding and defensive presence as the only true center on the Hoyas’ roster, with the offensive skills that make him a natural fit for the Princeton offense. Sims added some muscle for this season — he’s benching 220 pounds — which he’ll need in the rough Big East.

“That’s been my focus this summer, to make sure my inside game is where it needs to be and take it even further. … I’ll take that on my shoulders. … Me and Nate play well together. I enjoy playing with Nate and vice versa, so I feel like the chemistry is definitely there.”

Lubick fared well his freshman season, playing 20 minutes per game and averaging 3.5 rebounds per game. Despite a few ill-advised three-point shots, he proved to be a solid scorer and excellent passer in the post. Nevertheless, he’ll have to improve both his rebounding and scoring for the Hoyas to have a shot.

“I came from what I’d like to think is a pretty good conference in high school, but there’s nothing you can to do get ready for being in the frontcourt of the Big East,” Lubick said. “You got to be ready to throw some out there.”

Sophomore point guard Markel Starks has been described by Lubick and Sims as a vocal leader on the floor but also needs to improve offensively, having shot less than 30 percent in limited time last year.

“I’m starting to see a great point guard in him. He can pass the ball well. He shoots the ball well. At times he’s timid about shooting the ball. There’ve been plenty of times where I’ve had to yell at him to shoot the ball,” Clark said.

“As a point guard you want to get others involved. … I was a little hesitant to shoot because I wasn’t making shots,” Starks said.

Ultimately, outside of Clark and Thompson, none of the players on this team have seen much playing time. All will be tested by the rigors of the league. In the best case scenario, this season will help build toward the future, especially with so many young players.

“Our expectations don’t change,” Thompson III said. “The reality of it is, we are young. Now you say that, you forget about it, and your expectations are still the same. Our youth will not determine success or failure this year. It’s a group that’s ready. They will be ready.”

Ready or not, the Hoyas have nothing to lose this year. But they have everything to prove.