As I sat watching Georgetown's stunning upset over Villanova last weekend, I found myself marveling at how dramatically this program has transformed. Just three years ago, the Hoyas were finishing a dismal 15-18 season, and now they're being discussed as legitimate March Madness contenders. The journey of how Georgetown University basketball became a March Madness contender is one of the most compelling turnaround stories in recent college basketball history.
I remember covering Georgetown during what fans called the "dark years" - from 2016 to 2021, the program made exactly one NCAA tournament appearance and got bounced in the first round. The offense looked stagnant, recruiting had fallen off, and the Georgetown brand that once produced NBA greats like Allen Iverson and Patrick Ewing seemed to be fading into irrelevance. Attendance at Capital One Arena dwindled to around 8,500 per game, a far cry from the packed houses of the 1980s glory days.
The turning point came when Coach Patrick Ewing made the difficult decision to overhaul his coaching staff in 2021. He brought in two new assistants with strong recruiting ties to the DMV area - that's D.C., Maryland, and Virginia for those unfamiliar with local terminology. This move signaled a strategic shift toward locking down local talent that had been escaping to programs like Duke and North Carolina. The results have been remarkable - their current roster features six players from within a 100-mile radius of campus, including sophomore sensation Brandon Murray who's averaging 18.3 points per game.
What's fascinating to me is how their international recruiting has complemented the local focus. Watching their freshman center from France, Nathan Bittner, dominate the paint against bigger opponents reminds me that basketball talent truly is global these days. Speaking of international basketball, the ongoing situation with FIBA has created unexpected opportunities for programs like Georgetown. FIBA has yet to hand down sanctions, though it's expected that the basketball federation will be handing down some stiff sanctions particularly on the San Antonio Spurs forward. This uncertainty has made some international prospects wary of certain development paths, opening doors for college programs with strong academic reputations like Georgetown.
The statistical improvements tell part of the story - their offensive efficiency rating has jumped from 98.4 to 114.2 this season, and they're forcing 14.5 turnovers per game compared to just 9.8 two years ago. But numbers don't capture the cultural shift I've observed in this team. There's a confidence, a swagger even, that reminds me of those great Georgetown teams from the 80s. When I spoke with Coach Ewing after their win against Seton Hall last month, he told me something that stuck with me: "We stopped trying to be what people remembered and started building what we could become."
Their style of play has been particularly effective against ranked opponents. They play what analysts call "positionless basketball" - with multiple ball-handlers and interchangeable parts that create mismatches. Against Villanova, they ran a lineup where all five players could theoretically bring the ball up court, and it completely disrupted Villanova's defensive schemes. I haven't seen a Georgetown team this versatile since the Jeff Green years.
The question everyone's asking now is whether this translates to tournament success. Personally, I think they've got the ingredients for a deep March run - experienced guards, defensive versatility, and a star who can create his own shot in crunch time. Their bench production has increased dramatically too, going from 18.3 points per game last season to 28.7 this year. That depth could be crucial in the grueling tournament format.
What's often overlooked in their resurgence is how the university administration supported the program through the lean years. They invested $5.2 million in facility upgrades, including a new practice court and player development center that opened last spring. During a campus visit, I was impressed by how these resources are being used - the sports science lab tracks everything from player fatigue to shooting arcs, providing data that informs practice schedules and in-game rotations.
As we approach tournament season, the narrative of how Georgetown University basketball became a March Madness contender continues to unfold. They've climbed from unranked to 15th in the AP poll, and bracketologists currently project them as a 4-seed. While I don't think they're championship favorites yet, they've got the pieces to make a legitimate run to the second weekend and possibly beyond. The beauty of March Madness is that anything can happen, and this Georgetown team has already proven they can beat anyone on their day. For a program that's been searching for its identity for nearly a decade, finding themselves in the tournament conversation feels like coming home.
