Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Historic Seasons for Hardcourt Stars

Otto Porter Jr.

This winter, mild-mannered sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr. transformed from a reluctant scorer to a national superstar and likely lottery pick in the NBA Draft.

Kenner League fans and summer camp scouts caught glimpses of his improved game over the summer and adjusted their expectations accordingly. But most people didn’t see the new Porter Jr. until academic eligibility sidelined Greg Whittington in January.

Porter Jr. stepped up magnificently. He led the team in scoring and rebounding in nearly every Big East game. His 33-point evisceration of Syracuse at the Carrier Dome was one of the best performances in the nation this season. His coast-to-coast layup with seconds remaining in the second overtime gave Georgetown its first ever win over UConn at Gampel Pavilion.

After winning the Big East player of the year award, the star forward struggled in both the conference tournament and the national tournament. When Porter Jr. announced that he would forgo his final two years of college eligibility and declare for the draft, few begrudged him the chance to earn a multimillion-dollar contract, and most are grateful for his two years of excellent play.

– Pat Curran

Sugar Rodgers

On Dec. 4 against Monmouth, Ta’Shauna “Sugar” Rodgers became the first Georgetown women’s basketball player to score 2,000 points.

But she didn’t stop there: By season’s end, Rodgers had become Georgetown’s all-time leading scorer — among both male and female players  — with 2,518 points over four years on the Hilltop.

As a result of her on-court dominance, Rodgers now owns almost all of the school’s women’s basketball records. This past season, she led the Hoyas with 22.9 points per game and 105 steals; with 127 assists and 89 three-pointers, too, it’s hard to describe her value to the Blue and Gray.

Rodgers’ phenomenal individual play paid off; on April 15, she was taken 14th (her jersey number, coincidentally) overall in the 2013 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx, becoming only the third Georgetown player ever to be selected.

With what looks to be a promising future playing professionally, Rodgers has certainly gained a great deal from Georgetown. All that she has given, however — to the university, the students, the basketball team and its fans — is impossible to measure.

– Laura Wagner

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