2000–01 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team

American college basketball season March 2026 August 2023 Basketball 2000–01 Georgetown Hoyas Georgetown Hoyas logo.svg Big East West Division Big East 17 21 25–8 10–6 Craig Esherick 3rd Mike Riley 19th Ronny Thompson 3rd Chip Simms 2nd Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje Kevin Braswell MCI Center Hawaii-Pacific Classic Champions NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen The 2000–01 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team represented Georgetown University in the 2000–01 NCAA Division I college basketball season. The Hoyas were coached by Craig Esherick and played most of their home games at the MCI Center in Washington, DC, although they played some home games early in the season at McDonough Gymnasium on the Georgetown campus. The Hoyas were members of the West Division of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 25–8, 10–6 in Big East play. Their record earned them a bye in the first round of the 2001 Big East men's basketball tournament, but they lost to Seton Hall in the quarterfinals. The first Georgetown men's basketball team to appear in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament since the 1996–97 season and the last one to do so until the 2005–06 season, they reached the West Region semifinals of the 2001 NCAA tournament before losing to Maryland. Season recap Beginning this season, the Big East organized its teams into divisions for the second timeThe first time the Big East had organized itself into divisions was from the 1995-96 through 1997–98 seasons, when its teams had been assigned to a Big East 6 Division and a Big East 7 Division. in its history; this time, the two divisions were the East and West divisions. Georgetown would play as a member of the West Division for three seasons before the conference again scrapped its divisional structure after the end of the 2002–03 season. Freshman forward Mike Sweetney joined the team this season and quickly established himself as a dominating power forward. He started all 33 games during the season and got off to a strong start, scoring 19 points in each of his first three games. In Big East play, he had 14 points and 14 rebounds in a big upset win over 18th-ranked Seton Hall in early January 2001, had another double-double ten days later against Nevada-Las Vegas, scored 14 points and pulled down 13 rebounds against Syracuse, and scored a season-high 24 points against Pittsburgh. During the season, he led the Hoyas in scoring 11 times and in rebounding 13 times, and he finished the season averaging 12.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.http://www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/m_sweetney.htm The Georgetown Basketball History Project: The Top 100: 10. Mike Sweetney 2014-04-09 2015-03-23 https://web.archive.org/web/20150323005714/http://www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/m_sweetney.htm dead Sweetney's arrival meant that junior guard and team co-captain Kevin Braswell took fewer shots than he had in his first two seasons, but his shooting average from the field improved from 33.5 percent in his freshman year and 36.8 percent in his sophomore year to 37.8 percent this season and his play was more even, with fewer of the deep slumps he had suffered through previously. He started all 33 games; he started all 128 games of his collegiate career. In the early-January upset of Seton Hall, he scored a career-high 26 points, and he scored in double figures in nine games over a ten-game stretch late in the season.http://www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/k_braswell.htm The Georgetown Basketball History Project: The Top 100: 28. Kevin Braswell 2014-04-09 2012-11-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20121130142838/http://www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/k_braswell.htm dead Senior center and team co-captain Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje started all 33 games, but no longer was a primary scoring option as Georgetown's frontcourt offensive focus shifted to Sweetney and center-forward Lee Scruggs. Nonetheless, he scored in double figures 12 times, and over a four-game stretch late in the season scored a combined 55 points and pulled down a combined 37 rebounds as the Hoyas pushed for an invitation to the NCAA tournament.http://www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/r_boumtje.htm The Georgetown Basketball History Project: The Top 100: 52. Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje April 9, 2014 September 24, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150924031600/http://www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/r_boumtje.htm dead Sophomore guard Demetrius Hunter replaced senior guard Anthony Perry in the starting lineup this season, but Perry remained active in a "sixth man" role and appeared in all 33 games. Although he averaged only 17 minutes and six field goal attempts per game, he scored 16 points twice, at Houston on New Year's Eve and again three days later at West Virginia, and had a 15-point game at Rutgers in which he stole the ball at the end of the game to preserve a Georgetown victory. He finished the season averaging 6.7 points per game for the year and 9.5 points per game for his career.The Georgetown Basketball History Project: The Top 100: 67. Anthony Perry Senior guard Nat Burton had dropped into a reserve role the previous season, reducing his offensive statistics, and his offensive production dropped further this season. However, he played a key role in some important games. He scored 11 points in a win at Louisville, had eight rebounds at Houston, and scored 16 points against Virginia Tech. His playing time diminished as the year wore on, and he scored only a combined 30 points in the final 13 games of the regular season.The Georgetown Basketball History Project: The Top 100: 72. Nat Burton Freshman forward Gerald Riley joined the team, and started all 33 games – as he would all 125 games of his collegiate career – and showed promise as the team's fifth scoring option, playing small forward and averaging 6.7 points per game. He would emerge as a star in later seasons.http://www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/g_riley.htm The Georgetown Basketball History Project: The Top 100: 39. Gerald Riley 2014-04-09 2015-09-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20150924031516/http://www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/g_riley.htm dead The team opened the season 16–0, the best start by a Georgetown team since the 1984–85 season, with four of the wins against Big East opponents. After that, the Hoyas lost six of their next ten games, all in the conference, often thanks to poor starts. They fell to 20–6 overall and 7–6 in the Big East, and with only three games left in the regular season and 17th-ranked Syracuse coming to the MCI Center on February 24, 2001, the Hoyas' hopes of making the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament were in doubt. Against Syracuse, Georgetown scored the first seven points of the game, but the Orangemen responded with a 9–3 run to close to 10–9. Despite suffering from an Achilles tendon injury, Demetrius Hunter scored a three-pointer to open Georgetown's lead to 13–9. After Syracuse took a 15–14 lead, Scruggs hit a three-pointer to give the Hoyas a 17–15 advantage, and the teams traded leads for the rest of the first half, with Georgetown leading 36–33 at halftime. The Hoyas shot poorly from the free-throw line during the first half, and, in the second half, while Syracuse was scoring on 90 percent of its free throws, the Hoyas shot only 3-for-9 (33%) from the free-throw line in one stretch and only 12-for-28 (42.9%) for the game. Syracuse was leading when Hunter scored back-to-back three-pointers to put the Hoyas ahead with 11:10 left in the game. With Syracuse in foul trouble inside, Georgetown's lead varied between six and eight points. Syracuse senior forward Damone Brown's field goal with 5:04 left cut Georgetown's lead to 63–57, but it was the Orangemen's last field goal of the game. Playing tough defense, grabbing three straight offensive rebounds, and using the clock well, the Hoyas built their lead to 12 points with 2:39 remaining. Hunter, who had a 21-point game, scored on a slam dunk with 38 seconds remaining, after which Braswell dribbled out the clock to seal a 72–61 Hoya win. After the game, Hoya fans flooded onto the court, the first time that had ever happened at a Big East home game for Georgetown.http://www.hoyabasketball.com/history/classic.htm The Georgetown Basketball History Project: Classic Games 2014-04-09 https://web.archive.org/web/20150924041705/http://www.hoyabasketball.com/history/classic.htm 2015-09-24 dead Georgetown won its final two regular-season games to give it a record of 23–6 overall, 10–6 in the Big East, and a second-place finish in the conference's West Division. The Hoyas received a bye in the first round of the 2001 Big East tournament and in the quarterfinals met Seton Hall, a team they had beaten twice during the regular season. Braswell shot 0-for-6 from the field and failed to score – the only game in his collegiate career in which he did not score – and the underdog Pirates handed Georgetown a 58–40 loss. Despite their early exit from the Big East tournament, the Hoyas had a 23–7 record overall and received an invitation to the 2001 NCAA tournament. Making their first appearance in the tournament since 1997, they were seeded No. 10 in the West Region and met the No. 7 seed, Arkansas, in the first round. Pregame press coverage billed the game as a struggle between Arkansas's press defense and Georgetown's height inside, but the Razorbacks' press was not especially effective and the Hoyas' frontcourt of Boumtje-Boumtje, Sweetney, and sophomore forward Wesley Wilson shot a combined 0-for-4 from the field in the first half amidst bad passing and bad shot selection. Guards Braswell and Perry – with Perry hitting two big three-point shots during the game – kept the Hoyas close as the teams traded leads, but Arkansas took a 31–30 advantage into the locker room at halftime. Toward the end of the intermission, arena personnel were forced to dismantle a malfunctioning horn and light above one of the baskets, delaying the start of the second half for ten minutes; after the second half finally began, Georgetown's inside game improved, but Arkansas also began to score inside consistently, and the Razorbacks led 47–43 with about 10 minutes left to play. They soon extended their lead to 52–45, but Georgetown then went on a 12–5 run to tie the game at 57–57 with just over five minutes remaining. Arkansas retook the lead and held it until Braswell took the ball all the way from one end of the court to the other and scored to give the Hoyas a 61–59 lead with 1:43 remaining. Arkansas sophomore Joe Johnson scored to tie the game at 61–61 with 35.8 seconds left to play. After a time-out, Georgetown sophomore forward Victor Samnick passed the ball to Burton, who held the ball, intending to get it to Braswell for a last-second game-winning shot. Unable to get the ball to Braswell, Burton instead drove to the basket himself and rolled in a shot at the buzzer. With the horn and light dismantled, it was not immediately obvious that Burton's shot had been in time, and Arkansas officials complained that the shot had been too late. A two-minute review by game officials ensued, and after they ruled that Burton's shot indeed had beaten the buzzer, Georgetown had a 63–61 upset victory. It was Georgetown's first NCAA Tournament win since 1996 and its first NCAA Tournament win at the buzzer since 1988. It was only the third time in 22 NCAA Tournament appearances that Georgetown had defeated a higher-seeded opponent. In the second round, Georgetown faced the region's No. 15 seed, Hampton. Braswell scored 17 points despite shooting only 6-for-14 (42.9%) from the field, and the Hoyas defeated the Pirates, 76–57. Boumtje-Boumtje had a combined 15 points and 18 rebounds against Arkansas and Hampton. In the West Region semifinals, Georgetown met the region's No. 3 seed, 11th-ranked Maryland. The Hoyas played well in the first half, leading by as many as five points on more than one occasion and forcing Maryland to commit nine turnovers. Georgetown only scored off two of those turnovers, however, and late in the half was stymied by a Maryland zone defense. After a frustrated Sweetney was called for an intentional foul, allowing the Terrapins to score four points and causing a six-point turnaround in the game, the Hoyas lost the lead. Demetrius Hunter missed a dunk and Maryland began to collect a number of offensive rebounds, off one of which they scored at the buzzer to take a 38–36 halftime lead. Early in the second half, Maryland extended its lead to nine points, with center Lonnie Baxter scoring six of them on his way to a 26-point, 14-rebound performance for the Terrapins. Boumtje-Boumtje played tentatively and fouled out after playing only 19 minutes, with three rebounds, one blocked shot, and no points scored. Although Braswell shot only 3-for-22 (13.6%) from the field, he and Scruggs led the Hoyas to a comeback that allowed them to close to 59–56 with under five minutes to play and a 67–62 deficit with 3:17 remaining. After that, however, Maryland extended its lead with good free-throw shooting. The Hoyas were forced to attempt three-pointers to try to catch up, but shot only 1-for-6 (16.7%) from three-point range late in the game and the Terrapins prevailed 76–66. Sweetney averaged 10 rebounds a game during the NCAA Tournament, while Boumtje-Boumtje completed his Georgetown career as the school's fourth all-time shot blocker, behind only Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, and Dikembe Mutombo. The 2000-01 team's 25–8 finish was the best season for an Esherick-coached team and it was the only time during Esherick's 5 1 2-year tenure that Georgetown appeared in the NCAA Tournament. Although during the next four years Georgetown would appear in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) twice and turn down an NIT invitation on a third occasion, the Hoyas would not return to the NCAA Tournament until 2006. Roster Sourcesports-reference.com 2000-01 Georgetown Hoyas Roster and Statshttp://hoyasaxanation.com/georgetown-basketball/roster/2000-2001 hoyasaxanation.com 2000-2001 Georgetown Basketball Roster 2013-11-21 https://archive.today/20131121014231/http://hoyasaxanation.com/georgetown-basketball/roster/2000-2001 2013-11-21 dead The Georgetown Basketball History Project: Player Directory: Jersey NumbersThe Georgetown Basketball History Project: All-Time Player Directory #NameHeightWeight (lbs.)PositionClassHometownPrevious Team(s)1Demetrius Hunter6'2"205GSo.Las Vegas, NV, U.S.Cheyenne HS2Courtland Freeman6'9"228F/CSo.Myrtle Beach, SC, U.S.Socastee HS3Omari Faulkner6'6"205FFr.Memphis, TN, U.S.Hamilton HS4David Paulus6'4"195GSo.Syracuse, NY, U.S.Christian Brothers Academy5Anthony Perry6'3"186GJr.Jersey City, NJ, U.S.St. Anthony HS10RaMell Ross6'6"205G/FFr.Fairfax, VA, U.S.Lake Braddock Secondary11Trenton Hillier5'9"165GSo.Chagrin Falls, OH, U.S.Kenston HS12Kevin Braswell6'2"190GJr.Baltimore, MD, U.S.Lake Clifton HS13Victor Samnick6'8"208FSo.Douala, CameroonNewport Prep (Md)20Gharun Hester6'4"205FJr.Fort Washington, MD, U.S.Friendly HS22Glennard Johnson6'4"220FFr.Washington, DC, U.S.St. Albans School;University of Virginia25Nat Burton6'4"218G/FSr.Washington, DC, U.S.Winchendon Prep (Winchendon, MA)32Gerald Riley6'6"217GFr.Milledgeville, GA, U.S.Baldwin HS34Mike Sweetney6'8"260F/CFr.Oxon Hill, MD, U.S.Oxon Hill HS44Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje7'0"257CSr.Yaounde, CameroonArchbishop Carroll HS (Washington, DC)45Lee Scruggs6'11"216CSo.Franklinton, NC, U.S.Franklinton HS; Daytona Beach Community College50Wesley Wilson6'11"235CSo.Vallejo, CA, U.S.Maine Central Institute Rankings 2000–01 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings Source2000-01 Big East Conference Season Summarysports-reference.com 2000-01 Polls + Ranking movementLegend: ██ Improvement in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. ██ Not ranked the previous week. RV=Others receiving votes. Poll Pre Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Wk 9 Wk 10 Wk 11 Wk 12 Wk 13 Wk 14 Wk 15 Wk 16 WK 17 Final Post AP 24 23 21 19 12 9 10 14 15 18 21 21 18 21 –No Associated Press Poll this week. Coaches N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 20 17 2000–01 Schedule and results Source http://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/bb-2000s.htm The Georgetown Basketball History Projects: 2000s Schedules 2013-11-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20131112045914/http://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/bb-2000s.htm 2013-11-12 dead http://www.guhoyas.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/090601aaa.html guhoyas.com "Hoyas Announce 2001-2002 Schedule," September 6, 2001 November 21, 2013 December 3, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131203002758/http://www.guhoyas.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/090601aaa.html dead statsheet.com/mcb/teams/georgetown/schedule?season=2000-2001STATSHEET NCAA Basketball: Georgetown, 2000-2001 Seasonhttp://www.guhoyas.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/110600aaa.html guhoyas.com "Hoyas Defeat All-Army Team from Ft. Hood" 2013-11-24 2013-12-03 https://web.archive.org/web/20131203005644/http://www.guhoyas.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/110600aaa.html dead Denlinger Ken Hoyas Freshmen Take the Lead; Georgetown 71, U.S. Army-Fort Hood 66 The Washington Post November 4, 2000 http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-548517.html https://web.archive.org/web/20140610054051/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-548517.html June 10, 2014 HighBeam Research subscription usurped2012-2013 Georgetown Men's Basketball Media Guide, p. 66.Official Basketball Box Score Georgetown vs Syracuse 1/29/01 7:05 p.m. at The Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NYhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/college/men/boxscores/2001/01/29/sci_gae/ cnnsi.com NCAA Basketball Scoreboard: Box Score: Syracuse 70, Georgetown 63 March 28, 2014 April 5, 2003 https://web.archive.org/web/20030405163938/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/college/men/boxscores/2001/01/29/sci_gae/ dead Official Basketball Box Score Syracuse vs Georgetown 2/24/01 12:05 p.m. at MCI Center, Washington, D.C. All times are Eastern yes |- !colspan=9 style="background:#002147; color:#8D817B;"| Preseason Fri., Nov. 3, 2000 7:00 p.m.GU Athletics Calendar Fort Hood Tankers(All-Army Team) McDonough Gymnasium Washington, DC 71–66 exhibition N/A Fri., Nov. 10, 2000 7:00 p.m.GU Athletics Calendar Latvia Select McDonough Gymnasium Washington, DC 87–72http://www.guhoyas.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/111000aaa.html guhoyas.com "Hoyas Defeat Latvia Select Team in Final Exhibition Game," November 10, 2000. March 28, 2014 March 28, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140328041131/http://www.guhoyas.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/111000aaa.html dead exhibition N/A |- !colspan=9 style="background:#002147; color:#8D817B;"| Regular season Fri., Nov. 17, 2000 8:00 p.m. yes Bethune-Cookman McDonough Gymnasium Washington, DC 85–75 1–0 1,863 Fri., Nov. 24, 2000 5:00 p.m. yes yes Central Florida Neal Blaisdell Center Honolulu, HI Hawaii Pacific Classic Quarterfinal 77–65 2–0 1,119 Sat., Nov. 25, 2000 7:00pm yes yes College of Charleston Neal Blaisdell Center Honolulu, HI Hawaii Pacific Classic Semifinal 79–68 3–0 795 Sun., Nov. 26, 2000 10:30pm yes yes Minnesota Neal Blaisdell Center Honolulu, HI Hawaii Pacific Classic Final 76–60 4–0 750 Sat., Dec. 2, 2000 2:00pm yes Nicholls State McDonough Gymnasium Washington, DC 90–48 5–0 2,176 Tue., Dec. 5, 2000 7:30pm yes yes Louisville Freedom Hall Louisville, KY 70–63 6–0 18,586 Sat., Dec. 9, 2000 7:00pm yes Grambling State McDonough Gymnasium Washington, DC 88–51 7–0 1,931 Tue., Dec. 12, 2000 7:00pm yes 24 Coastal Carolina McDonough Gymnasium Washington, DC 78–60 8–0 1,665 Sat., Dec. 16, 2000 2:00pm yes 24 Howard MCI Center Washington, DC 123–90 9–0 7,135 Fri., Dec. 22, 2000 7:00pm yes 23 Maryland Eastern Shore MCI Center Washington, DC 75–51 10–0 5,256 Sun., Dec. 31, 2000 3:00pm yes yes 21 Houston Hofheinz Pavilion Houston, TX 79–63 11–0 3,931 Wed., Jan. 3, 2001 7:00pm yes 19 West Virginia WVU Coliseum Morgantown, WV 90–66 12–0 (1–0) 5,100 Sat., Jan. 6, 2001 12:00 noon 19 Seton Hall 11 MCI Center Washington, DC 78–66 13–0 (2–0) 11,187 Wed., Jan. 10, 2001 7:00pm yes 12 Morgan State McDonough Gymnasium Washington, DC 86–68 14–0 1,873 Sat., Jan. 13, 2001 2:00pm 12 Virginia Tech MCI Center Washington, DC 96–68 15–0 (3–0) 12,011 Mon., Jan. 15, 2001 7:00pm yes 12 Seton Hall 15 Continental Airlines Arena East Rutherford, NJ 99–91 16–0 (4–0) 11,878 Sat., Jan. 20, 2001 7:00pm 9 Pittsburgh MCI Center Washington, DC 66–70 16–1 (4–1) 12,109 Thu., Jan. 25, 2001 7:30pm yes 10 Nevada-Las Vegas MCI Center Washington, DC 79–62 17–1 11,891cnnsi.com NCAA Basketball Scoreboard: Box Score: Georgetown 79, UNLV 62 Sat., Jan. 27, 2001 12:00 noon 10 Notre Dame MCI Center Washington, DC 71–78 17−2 (4–2) 18,853 Mon., Jan. 29, 2001 7:05pm yes 10 Syracuse 11 Carrier Dome Syracuse, NY Rivalry 63–70 17–3 (4–3) 21,054 Sat., Feb. 3, 2001 12:00 noon 14 West Virginia MCI Center Washington, DC 94–77 18–3 (5–3) 11,891 Mon., Feb. 5, 2001 7:30pm yes 14 Pittsburgh Fitzgerald Field House Pittsburgh, PA 81–67 19–3 (6–3) 6,511 Sat., Feb. 10, 2001 7:00pm 15 Providence MCI Center Washington, DC 79–103 19–4 (6–4) 12,993 Mon., Feb. 12, 2001 7:00pm 15 Villanova MCI Center Washington, DC 56–59 19–5 (6–5) 11,173 Sat., Feb. 17, 2001 2:00pm yes 18 Rutgers Louis Brown Athletic Center Piscataway, NJ 76–73 20–5 (7–5) 7,203 Wed., Feb. 21, 2001 9:00pm yes 21 St. John's Madison Square Garden New York, NY 70–73 20–6 (7–6) 14,168 Sat., Feb. 24, 2001 12:05 noon 21 Syracuse 17 MCI Center Washington, DC Rivalry 72–61 21–6 (8–6) 18,189 Wed., Feb. 28, 2001 12:00 noon 21 Rutgers MCI Center Washington, DC 74–58 22–6 (9–6) 9,918 Sun., Mar. 4, 2001 2:00pm yes 21 Notre Dame 13 Edmund P. Joyce Center Notre Dame, IN CBS 79–72 23–6 (10–6) 11,418 |- !colspan=9 style="background:#002147; color:#8D817B;"| Big East tournament Thu., Mar. 8, 2001 2:30pm yes 18 Seton Hall Madison Square Garden New York, NY Quarterfinal 40–58 23–7 19,295 |- !colspan=9 style="background:#002147; color:#8D817B;"| NCAA tournament Thu., Mar. 15, 2001 7:40pm yes 21 Arkansas BSU Pavilion Boise, ID First Round CBS 63–61 24–7 11,085 Sat., Mar. 17, 2001 5:20pm yes 21 Hampton BSU Pavilion Boise, ID Second Round CBS 76–57 25–7 11,669 Thu., Mar. 22, 2001 7:55pm yes 21 Maryland 11 Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim Anaheim, CA Sweet Sixteen CBS 66–76 25–8 18,008 Notes note References Category:Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball seasons Georgetown Hoyas Georgetown Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team