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With Bradley Hayes injured, path gets even rougher for Georgetown With Bradley Hayes injured, path gets even rougher for Georgetown
(about 1 hour later)
Georgetown basketball player Bradley Hayes was in a defensive stance during practice Thursday evening, when he raised his left arm in an attempt to block a shot. The senior center wound up colliding with a teammate, and Hayes’s hand got tangled in an awkward position. An examination revealed a break that required surgery. The road for struggling Georgetown grew steeper when it learned last week that senior center Bradley Hayes would be out indefinitely after requiring surgery on his left hand. The injury, which came Thursday when Hayes collided with a teammate while attempting to block a shot, leaves the Hoyas further shorthanded entering the final weeks of the regular season, with their NCAA tournament hopes more or less resting upon a run in the Big East tournament.
The news came two days before the Hoyas were to face No. 23 Providence and left them further shorthanded entering the final weeks of the regular season with their NCAA tournament hopes fading. Georgetown then fell 26 points behind the Friars in the first half before a spirited rally ended in in a 76-72 loss. Hayes had the procedure on his hand Saturday morning and did not travel with his teammates to Providence, where Georgetown (14-12, 7-6 Big East) fell 26 points down to the No. 23 Friars in the first half before a spirited rally came up short in a 76-72 loss . The fifth-place Hoyas next face well-rested Seton Hall (17-7, 7-5) on Wednesday night, but they will have to do so without their primary interior presence.
Hayes was not with his teammates Saturday at Dunkin’ Donuts Center, where the Hoyas (14-12, 7-6) fell into a tie for fifth place in the Big East. He instead stayed back to have a procedure performed on his hand that morning and remains out indefinitely with Georgetown set to face well-rested Seton Hall (17-7, 7-5) on Wednesday night. “I don’t know, to be honest,” Coach John Thompson III said Tuesday afternoon when asked about the outlook for Hayes. “I honestly don’t know the answer. In my head, it’s not like I’m planning, ‘Oh, we’re going to get [Hayes] back.’ We might. We might not. Prepare for the worst.”
“I don’t know, to be honest,” Coach John Thompson III said Tuesday afternoon regarding Hayes’s prognosis. “I honestly don’t know the answer. In my head, it’s not like I’m planning, ‘Oh, we’re going to get [Hayes] back.’ We might. We might not. Prepare for the worst.”
[D.C. Sports Bog: Lefty Driesell takes partial blame for Terps’ loss][D.C. Sports Bog: Lefty Driesell takes partial blame for Terps’ loss]
Hayes is the second Georgetown player with a significant injury following Paul White. The sophomore forward underwent a season-ending lower pelvic procedure last month after dealing with an unrelated hip ailment beginning in November. Hayes is the second Georgetown player with a significant injury this season, following sophomore forward Paul White. White, whose playing time dropped by nearly half (18.4 minutes per game to 9.6) from his freshman year, underwent a season-ending lower-pelvic procedure last month after having started the season sidelined by an unrelated hip ailment.
The Hoyas remain in dire need of wins with five regular-season games to play. Not only are their rickety NCAA tournament hopes hanging in the balance, but the Hoyas also are seeking to avoid having to play on the first day of the Big East tournament. With five regular season games to play, the Hoyas remain in dire need of wins, seeking to avoid playing on the first day of the Big East tournament. The top six regular-season finishers in the conference earn byes into the tournament quarterfinals; any other team must win four games in as many days to claim the Big East’s automatic NCAA berth.
The top six regular-season finishers in the conference earn byes into the tournament quarterfinals; any other team must win four games in as many days to claim the Big East’s automatic NCAA berth. Georgetown has not advanced beyond the Big East tournament semifinals since the 2009-10 season. Last year it lost in the semifinals to Xavier, 65-63, their third loss of the season to the Musketeers. The year before that, the Hoyas fell in the first round to No. 10 seed DePaul, 60-56.
Georgetown has not advanced beyond the Big East tournament semifinals since the 2009-10 season. Last season it lost in the semifinals to Xavier, 65-63, their third loss of the season to the Musketeers. The year before that, the Hoyas fell in the first round to No. 10 seed DePaul, 60-56.
The upside for the Hoyas is they have multiple chances down the stretch to collect quality wins with respect to the NCAA.com Ratings Percentage Index, which the NCAA tournament selection committee considers in determining the field of 68. Georgetown is rated No. 79 in RPI, with its one victory over the RPI top 50 coming against No. 8 Xavier, 81-72, on Jan. 19.The upside for the Hoyas is they have multiple chances down the stretch to collect quality wins with respect to the NCAA.com Ratings Percentage Index, which the NCAA tournament selection committee considers in determining the field of 68. Georgetown is rated No. 79 in RPI, with its one victory over the RPI top 50 coming against No. 8 Xavier, 81-72, on Jan. 19.
“We still have opportunities,” Thompson said. “Most of the time, most people who’ve had the year we’ve had, you get to this point, you don’t have opportunities, but we still have opportunities, and we have to capitalize on it.”“We still have opportunities,” Thompson said. “Most of the time, most people who’ve had the year we’ve had, you get to this point, you don’t have opportunities, but we still have opportunities, and we have to capitalize on it.”
[The best team in men’s college basketball is nobody][The best team in men’s college basketball is nobody]
The Hoyas face Xavier (No. 7 in RPI) again Saturday in the game immediately following the Pirates, who are ranked 49th in RPI. Georgetown’s regular-season finale is on the road against Villanova. The Wildcats, No. 1 in the Associated Press poll for the first time in program history, are third in RPI and beat Georgetown, 55-50, in the first meeting at Verizon Center.The Hoyas face Xavier (No. 7 in RPI) again Saturday in the game immediately following the Pirates, who are ranked 49th in RPI. Georgetown’s regular-season finale is on the road against Villanova. The Wildcats, No. 1 in the Associated Press poll for the first time in program history, are third in RPI and beat Georgetown, 55-50, in the first meeting at Verizon Center.
Seton Hall, meantime, is coming off an 81-75 loss to Butler last Wednesday. The Pirates had been on a four-game winning streak, including 69-61 over Georgetown in which the Hoyas committed 15 turnovers, shot 34 percent from the field and finished 68 percent (17 of 24) from the free throw line. The Hoyas also had two players foul out, including Hayes for the second time this season.Seton Hall, meantime, is coming off an 81-75 loss to Butler last Wednesday. The Pirates had been on a four-game winning streak, including 69-61 over Georgetown in which the Hoyas committed 15 turnovers, shot 34 percent from the field and finished 68 percent (17 of 24) from the free throw line. The Hoyas also had two players foul out, including Hayes for the second time this season.
The absence of Hayes means freshman Jessie Govan will start at center. At 6 feet 10, Govan does not provide the physical presence inside of the 7-foot Hayes, who leads Georgetown in rebounding (6.6) and is fourth in scoring (8.5). In addition, the depleted front court compelled Thompson to play seldom-used reserve forward Trey Mourning a career-high 19 minutes against Providence.The absence of Hayes means freshman Jessie Govan will start at center. At 6 feet 10, Govan does not provide the physical presence inside of the 7-foot Hayes, who leads Georgetown in rebounding (6.6) and is fourth in scoring (8.5). In addition, the depleted front court compelled Thompson to play seldom-used reserve forward Trey Mourning a career-high 19 minutes against Providence.
“I just had to be ready,” Govan said. “Everybody has to be ready. Everybody has to because Brad was such an important part to this team, so we’ve just got to step it up until he gets back. I’ve been playing a good amount of minutes to where I’m comfortable on the court with these guys. I’m just ready to step in there and make an impact.”“I just had to be ready,” Govan said. “Everybody has to be ready. Everybody has to because Brad was such an important part to this team, so we’ve just got to step it up until he gets back. I’ve been playing a good amount of minutes to where I’m comfortable on the court with these guys. I’m just ready to step in there and make an impact.”