The return of Chris Wright will boost their confidence, perhaps calm them down a bit and could put the Georgetown Hoyas on a deep run in the tournament. But to win their first game, they may not need Wright’s return; they just need a long memory.
To recap: 14th-seeded Ohio University stunned the third-seeded Hoyas last year in the first round.
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“Last year was tough because we were on a roll at that time,” Austin Freeman said. “Everything looked like it was going our way, and we came out slow, and Ohio just beat us. That’s the way it goes sometimes. Now we just want to learn that we can’t really overlook the opponent in the tournament because every team is good.”
OK, that should make a difference for the Hoyas when they play VCU on Friday. However, the only way Georgetown will keep advancing is if Wright is, well, right after returning from his broken hand. The Hoyas aren’t the only ones whose fate could hinge on a player coming back. Duke elevates from a soft No. 1 seed to a tournament favorite if guard Kyrie Irving is healthy. Heck, he doesn’t even have to be that way for the first few rounds, either. Florida State also is a dangerous team if Chris Singleton returns.
But both players are coming back from foot injuries. How will that impact their explosiveness? Wright, meanwhile, had an injury to his nonshooting hand. However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be an adjustment. One of Wright’s strengths is playing the passing lanes; will he be as aggressive this weekend? If he plays without fear, the defense will instantly improve.
And Jason Clark‘s game should be helped, too. The junior guard was 6-for-24 combined in the game in which Wright got hurt and the following two (compared to 21-for-43 in the previous five games). Wright excels at setting up Clark for shots.
But Wright’s return does not guarantee a long run. The Hoyas still would have to get past Purdue in the second round and probably Notre Dame in the Sweet 16. Their run could end there; without Wright, it will end much earlier.
