INSIDE THE NUMBERS

2000-01 record: 19-11; 9-7 in Big East (Tied 3rd/West) Postseason: None. Last NCAA appearance was in 2001. RETURNING LEADERS Points: Sweetney 19.0 Rebs: Sweetney 10.0 Assists: Bethel 2.4 FG: Sweetney 56.7% 3pt: Hall 38.3% FT: Riley 81.3% 01-02 Stats: Georgetown | Big East KEY LOSSES Kevin Braswell | 14.4 ppg PROJECTED STARTERS G | Tony Bethel | Soph G | Drew Hall | Soph F | Gerald Riley | Junior F | M. Sweetney | Junior C | Wesley Wilson | Senior Player to Watch Michael Sweetney Junior Forward Expect him to put up numbers equal to those big Hoyas before him. DATE TO REMEMBER Feb. 8 UCLA comes to town in a game that ought to draw the attention of the NCAA Tournament selection committee.

 

GEORGETOWN HOYAS

The Hoyas felt insulted last season by their NCAA Tournament snub, so they insulted the NIT by snubbing that tournament -- citing a conflict with schoolwork. Education is a fine thing, but so is honesty, and honestly, Georgetown coach Craig Esherick ought to have enough to get over that NCAA Tournament hump this season. Only one truly key player from last season's 19-11 team is gone, and while replacing a scoring point guard like Kevin Braswell won't be easy, 6-2 sophomore Tony Bethel (10.1 ppg) should make the transition as seamless as possible. Bethel has plenty of frontcourt scoring options, though his favorite ought to be 6-8, 260-pound junior Michael Sweetney (19 ppg, 10 rpg), who surprised a lot of people by returning for his junior season instead of entering the NBA draft. Sweetney again will be complemented by 6-11 center Wesley Wilson (12.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and 6-6 wing Gerald Riley (10.3 ppg).

TOUGH ENOUGH..............................
Sweetney could become the Big East Player of the Year this season, and certainly he stands to be the league's dominant big man from a scoring-rebounding perspective. He made the All-Big East first team last season, and with an improved Wilson also back to take some heat off inside, he should be a cinch to repeat that honor this season.

TOUGH ENOUGH?..............................
The Hoyas need to find some perimeter scoring to keep defenses from sagging on Sweetney and Wilson. That was a problem last season, and Braswell is gone after leading the team with 51 three-pointers. Riley and Bethel hit about 38 percent from 3-point range, but from inside the arc they were a meager 40 percent. Backup guard Drew Hall was even less successful.

BOTTOM LINE..............................
Just like last season, if the Hoyas can produce offense from outside the paint -- Riley? Bethel? Hall? -- they have the talent and depth to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. If everyone but Sweetney and Wilson shoots as poorly as they did last season, though, there might be another NIT invitation to ponder.