In their toughest preseason test yet, the Georgetown University men’s basketball team passed by all measures as they look to kick off year three of the Ed Cooley era.
The Hoyas took crucial developmental strides in a decisive 84-70 victory over the No. 9 University of Kentucky Wildcats. Powered by a much-improved paint presence and an opportunistic defense hungry to force turnovers, Georgetown came out of halftime with a comfortable lead and never looked back.
Coming off a gutsy win over the George Washington University Revolutionaries two weeks ago, Head Coach Ed Cooley continued to experiment with different lineup combinations, using 11 total players in the team’s final tune-up game before opening the regular season Nov. 3.
Sophomore forward Isaiah Abraham notched his first collegiate start, while sophomore Julius Halaifonua began the game over senior Vince Iwuchukwu at center. Graduate guard Langston Love, who will be a key offensive weapon this season, returned from a hamstring injury for his first game action since the GLOBL JAM tournament this summer.
The Hoyas saw steady contributions on offense from the whole lineup to start the game, but the Wildcats were hot from beyond the arc and kept pace early. On multiple occasions, Georgetown gave up pressure in their own paint and allowed Kentucky to kick the ball out to star guard Otega Oweh and ascending forward Mouhamed Dioubate.
The game slowed down for both teams around the midpoint of the first half, but it was the Hoyas who made the necessary adjustments first. Junior guard Malik Mack, who must step up as a veteran anchor of the team this season, caught fire as he kept finding his way to the rim on well-timed cuts. Mack also pushed the team’s overall pace of play, finding multiple fast-break opportunities to prevent the Wildcats’ defense from settling down.
Ultimately, Mack’s 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting in the first half gave Georgetown a 46-39 lead heading into the break. Even with their early lapses on interior defense, the Hoyas had double the Wildcats’ paint points at 24, while Kentucky struggled to convert enough 3-point attempts to keep up. Still, Georgetown needed to contest Kentucky far more aggressively to keep their shooters cold.
If Mack was the story of Georgetown’s first half, Lewis stole the spotlight in the second on both ends of the court. After a heads-up interception on a pass, Lewis drained three consecutive tough shots to extend the Hoyas’ lead into double digits. Still, his greatest contribution may be his pesky on-ball defense, as he constantly forced the Wildcats into bad passes for transition opportunities.
The rest of the Hoya squad similarly stepped up their defensive play to keep forcing turnovers. Iwuchukwu was a major nuisance as he added a physical edge to Georgetown’s defense, routinely swatting away passes and tipping shot attempts. Graduate guard Jeremiah Williams was all over the court bullying Kentucky’s shooters, notching 16 consecutive minutes of consistent play.
Cooley said he was proud of the way his team stepped up to protect their lead.
“I thought our ball pressure really got to them, and I thought the physicality of the game played into what I call Big East Basketball,” Cooley said at the post-game press conference.
Georgetown will need to find a balance between physical defense and foul trouble, as their 25 fouls will not be sustainable moving forward. Still, the Hoyas mustered enough points to stay ahead before officially snapping the Wildcats’ 34-game exhibition game winning streak at the final whistle.
Mack and Lewis led the team with 22 and 19 points respectively, while Iwuchukwu notched 14 points behind a solid 8-for-9 free-throw shooting line. The team combined to generate 13 turnovers throughout the night but still has significant room to improve on defense after allowing 16 offensive rebounds to the Wildcats. Still, that Georgetown managed such a clear win over a championship-contending team is an incredibly encouraging sign.
The Hoyas came in with two major question marks: whether the team can find enough consistency at the center position, and if the duo of Mack and Lewis offers enough upside to keep dancing in March. Exhibition games always come with a caveat, but this victory may be a turning point for a program that has long sought a return to postseason glory.
Georgetown faces a quick turnaround before its season opener at home against the Morgan State Bears Nov. 3, looking to prove that the good vibes are here to stay.
