2018-19 Men’s Basketball Season Preview
We’re ramping up for the 2018-19 season, and hope that you’re getting excited for what will be a great year ahead.
For the Hoya fans planning to attend a few games, check out our 2018-19 season preview below.
The Hoyas have three starters returning for the 2018-19 season. Last year’s leading scorer Jessie Govan and Kaleb Johnson are ready to get their senior campaign going. Additional seniors Trey Mourning and Greg Malinowski have recovered from their respective injuries and are expected to contribute substantially this year. Juniors Jagan Mosely and George Muresan have another year under their belts with Coach Ewing and are willing and able to contribute. Two sophomores, Jamorko Pickett and Jahvon Blair, received 2017-18 BIG EAST All-Freshmen honors for their strong performances last season, and we hope that they continue where they left off. Antwan Walker is also returning for his sophomore year. The addition of a strong and talented recruiting class rounds out the roster, with the new faces of James Akinjo, Mac McClung, Grayson Carter, Josh LeBlanc and Jaden Robinson.
Also returning for his second season back on the Hilltop is Head Coach Patrick Ewing. Ewing built a solid foundation in his first season as head coach of the Hoyas, going 10-1 in non-conference play and 15-15 overall. Coach Ewing and the Hoyas will look to improve on last year’s performance; with another year of experience, we’re hopeful that close games, like the six conference matchups the Hoyas lost by five points or fewer last season, can swing in the Hoyas’ favor.
This year’s lineup of opponents promises some great basketball, as well, with all nine conference teams in a strong BIG EAST on the schedule. This winter, the Hoyas will take on two NCAA 1-seeds from last year’s tournament in Villanova and Xavier, and four of the Hoyas’ other conference opponents are also coming off NCAA tournament years. This season’s non-conference schedule poses some interesting matchups, as well, with games at Illinois and Syracuse and a game at home against SMU. This will be the first time since the 1984 championship season that Georgetown plays the SMU Mustangs – the game will be played at Capital One Arena in a Saturday afternoon matchup this December. The Mustangs, who went 17-16 last season, will be a good test for the Hoyas heading into conference play just a few weeks later.
All in all, we’re looking at a fun year for the Hoyas. The team should make a strong showing in non-conference play against some new and interesting opponents, which we hope will lead them confidently into the difficult competition they’ll face in their peers in the BIG EAST. With a solid performance in January and February, we’ll hope to see the Hoyas return to postseason play.
If you’re looking to play a part in the Hoyas’ story this season and want to cheer on the Hoyas from the sidelines, we encourage you to view the ticket information on this website.
We look forward to seeing you at Capital One Arena this season!
