1997–98 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team

American college basketball season March 2026 August 2023 Basketball 1997–98 Georgetown Hoyas Georgetown Hoyas logo.svg Big East Conference Big East 7 Division Big East 16–15 6–12 John Thompson 26th Craig Esherick 16th Mike Riley 16th Boubacar Aw US Airways Arena;MCI Center National Invitation Tournament second round The 1997–98 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team represented Georgetown University in the 1997–98 NCAA Division I college basketball season. John Thompson, coached them in his 26th season as head coach. They began the season in November 1997 playing their home games at US Airways Arena in Landover, Maryland, but in December 1997 moved to their new home court, the MCI Center in Washington, D.C.; they also played two home games early in the season at McDonough Gymnasium on the Georgetown campus. They were members of the Big East 7 Division of the Big East Conference and finished the season 16–15, 6–12 in Big East play. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the 1998 Big East men's basketball tournament before losing to Rutgers. Not invited to the NCAA tournament after playing in it during 18 of the previous 19 seasons, they instead appeared in the 1998 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) – the first of three consecutive Georgetown NIT appearances – advancing to the second round before losing to Georgia Tech. Season recap The 1997–98 season began after a difficult offseason for the Georgetown men's basketball program. Like guard Allen Iverson in 1996, standout point guard Victor Page had broken with the Georgetown tradition of playing a full four years, leaving school after his sophomore season to enter the NBA draft.http://www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/v_page.htm The Georgetown Basketball History Project: The Top 100: 21. Victor Page 2014-04-05 https://web.archive.org/web/20130428165244/http://www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/v_page.htm 2013-04-28 dead During the summer of 1997, forward Shamel Jones and guard-forward Jerry Nichols had transferred to MemphisThe Georgetown Basketball History Project: Players: Shamel Jones and Mississippi Valley State,http://www.hoyabasketball.com/players/alltime-n.htm#jerrynichols The Georgetown Basketball History Project: Players: Jerry Nichols 2014-04-05 2013-12-04 https://web.archive.org/web/20131204043121/http://www.hoyabasketball.com/players/alltime-n.htm#jerrynichols dead respectively, and in August 1997 guard Ed Sheffey had been dismissed from the team before beginning his sophomore season and had transferred to New Mexico State.http://www.hoyabasketball.com/players/alltime-s.htm#edsheffey The Georgetown Basketball History Project: Players: Ed Sheffey 2014-04-05 2014-04-07 https://web.archive.org/web/20140407081717/http://www.hoyabasketball.com/players/alltime-s.htm#edsheffey dead These losses meant that the Hoyas would have a depleted roster for 1997–98.http://www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/b_aw.htm The Georgetown Basketball History Project: The Top 100: 70. Boubacar Aw 2014-04-05 2015-02-01 https://web.archive.org/web/20150201150454/http://www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/b_aw.htm dead Making matters worse, one of Georgetowns more promising recruits, freshman center Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje, played only six games before suffering a season-ending wrist injury, followed by knee surgery.http://www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/r_boumtje.htm The Georgetown Basketball History Project: The Top 100: 52. Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje April 5, 2014 September 24, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150924031600/http://www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/r_boumtje.htm dead Senior center Jahidi White started the season showing signs that he would have his best season ever, averaging in double figures in scoring and posting five of his eight career double-doubles in the first 10 games of the season, but he lasted little longer than Boumtje-Boumtje; after scoring 10 points and grabbing eight rebounds against West Virginia, he, too, suffered a season-ending wrist injury that brought his college career to an end after the tenth game of the year. And freshman guard Kenny Brunner played in 19 games, starting all of them and averaging 11.2 points per game, but left the team at midseason and transferred to Fresno State.The Georgetown Basketball History Project: Players: Kenny Brunner The loss of players meant that Georgetowns roster was reduced to as few as seven players at times. Freshman guard Nat Burton, destined to become one of Georgetowns top players of the era, was thrust into a starting role in only his second collegiate game; he started 17 of the teams 31 games and scored in double figures five times, averaging 5.1 points per game for the year.The Georgetown Basketball History Project: The Top 100: 72. Nat Burton Sophomore guard-forward Shernard Long finished the year as the Hoyas leading scorer, but senior forward and team captain Boubacar Aw sometimes was the Hoyas only effective offensive player. Although Aw was a poor free-throw shooter, averaging only 53.2 percent from the free-throw line, he shot 52.1 percent from the field for the season and scored in double figures 13 times in his last 18 games, including a 21-point, 18-rebound performance against Seton Hall, and he led Georgetown in scoring in six consecutive games. Aw finished the season behind only Long in scoring, but his 211 points in the regular seasons 18 Big East games was the highest among Georgetown players against conference opponents. Staggered by the attrition among its players, the team struggled during the season and often was unable to hold leads.http://www.hoyabasketball.com/history/classic.htm The Georgetown Basketball History Project: Classic Games 2014-04-05 https://web.archive.org/web/20150924041705/http://www.hoyabasketball.com/history/classic.htm 2015-09-24 dead Georgetown had an overall record of only 13–10 and was only 5–9 in Big East play, when Pittsburgh came to the MCI Center on the evening of February 17, 1998. Aw scored a career-high 24 points in the game, but the Hoyas as a team shot only 34 percent from the field and scored a season-low 19 field goals. However, Georgetown kept the game close with an outstanding free-throw shooting performance; averaging only 60 percent from the free throw line as a team entering the game, the Hoyas shot 24-for-28 (85.7%) in free throws in the first half and 14-for-17 (82.4%) during the first 19 minutes 58 seconds of the second half. On the final play of the game, Pittsburgh fouled Aw – who shot a career-best 7-for-8 (87.5%) from the free-throw line during the game – with two seconds left to play and Georgetown trailing 80–78. Aw made the first free throw but missed the second, and the Hoyas lost 80–79. The remarkable team free-throw effort (39-for-46, 84.8%) had fallen one shot short of forcing overtime. Following the loss to Pittsburgh, the Hoyas dropped two of their final three regular-season games to fall to 14–13 overall and 6–12 in Big East play, leaving them in a three-way tie for last place in the Big East 7 Division. Seeded 13th in the 1998 Big East tournament, they upset No. 4 seed Miami in the first round, but lost in the quarterfinals to No. 12 seed Rutgers. Their 15–14 record after the loss precluded them from receiving an invitation to the 1998 NCAA tournament, and they became only the second Georgetown team to miss the tournament since the 1978–79 season. The Hoyas instead accepted an invitation to the 1998 National Invitation Tournament (NIT), the second Georgetown team to appear in the NIT since the 1992–93 season. In the first round, they met Florida. Although the Gators were a good three-point-shooting team, Georgetowns strong defensive performance allowed the Hoyas to hold a lead for much of the game, and Georgetown led 69–62 with 2:15 remaining in the game. But the Hoyas again could not hold on to a lead; they failed to score on three straight possessions, while Florida scored seven points in the next 1:10, tying the game at 69–69 with a three-pointer with 1:05 left to play. With the score still tied 69–69, Georgetown lost the ball and Florida called a timeout with 22 seconds left to set up a game-winning shot. When play resumed, Floridas Kenyon Weeks drove toward the basket to make the shot, but Georgetown sophomore center Jameel Watkins stole the ball from him and passed it to sophomore guard Damien Bolden, who dribbled across halfcourt. Bolden passed the ball to Aw, who drove toward the basket before dishing the ball off to Shernard Long. Long scored to give Georgetown a dramatic last-second 71–69 win. Georgetown advanced to the second round of the NIT to face Georgia Tech. The game went into overtime, but Georgia Tech ultimately prevailed 80–79 to knock the Hoyas out of the tournament. The 1997–98 Hoyas finished the season with an overall 16–15 (.516) record, the poorest Georgetown record since the 1973–74 teams 13–13 (.500) finish. This was the last of Georgetowns three seasons as a member of the Big East 7 Division. For the following season, the Big East scrapped its Big East 6 and Big East 7 divisional structure and returned to play as a unified conference. Roster Sourcesports-reference.com 1997-98 Georgetown Hoyas Roster and Statshttp://hoyasaxanation.com/georgetown-basketball/roster/1997-1998 hoyasaxanation.com 1997-1998 Georgetown Basketball Roster 2013-11-23 https://archive.today/20131123225142/http://hoyasaxanation.com/georgetown-basketball/roster/1997-1998 2013-11-23 dead The Georgetown Basketball History Project: Player Directory: Jersey NumbersThe Georgetown Basketball History Project: All-Time Player Directory #NameHeightWeight (lbs.)PositionClassHometownPrevious Team(s)0Trez Kilpatrick6'7"219FSo.Hallandale, FloridaHallandale HS; Neosho County Community College (Kansas)3Kenny Brunner5'11"185GFr.Compton, CaliforniaManuel Domniguez HS4Joseph Touomou6'2"195GJr.Yaoundé, CameroonWilliamston HS (Williamston, North Carolina)11Daymond Jackson6'4"205G/FJr.Alexandria, VirginiaT. C. Williams HS12Dean Berry5'10"168GJr.Brooklyn, New YorkEpiscopal HS15Shernard Long6'5"190G/FSo.Tucker, GeorgiaTucker HS20Damien Bolden6'3"180GSo.Portland, OregonLincoln HS22Boubacar Aw6'7"228FSr.Thiès, SenegalEast Columbus HS (Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina)25Nat Burton6'4"218G/FSo.Washington, D.C.Winchendon Prep (Winchendon, Massachusetts)32Rhese Gibson6'8"230FSo.New York City, New YorkAll Hallows HS40Jameel Watkins6'10"244CSo.Brooklyn, New YorkPaul Robeson HS44Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje7'0"257CFr.Yaoundé, CameroonArchbishop Carroll HS (Washington, D.C.)55Jahidi White6'9"290CSr.St. Louis, MissouriCardinal Ritter College Prep HS Rankings 1997–98 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings The team was not ranked in the Top 25 in the AP Poll at any time.sports-reference.com 1997-98 Big East Conference Season Summary It also was not ranked in the Top 25 of the final or postseason Coaches' Poll; its Coaches' Poll rankings during the rest of the season are not available.sports-reference.com 1997-98 Polls 1997–98 Schedule and results Sourceshttp://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/bb-1990.htm The Georgetown Basketball History Project: 1990s Seasons November 23, 2013 November 12, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131112045956/http://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/bb-1990.htm dead http://www.hoyabasketball.com/opponents.htm The Georgetown Basketball History Project: Records vs. All Opponents 2013-11-23 2013-11-03 https://web.archive.org/web/20131103211101/http://www.hoyabasketball.com/opponents.htm dead 2012-2013 Georgetown Men's Basketball Media Guide, p. 65.Official Basketball Box Score Syracuse University vs Georgetown University 1/26/98 7:30 p.m. at MCI CenterOfficial Basketball Box Score Georgetown vs Syracuse University 3/1/98 12:00 p.m. at Carrier Dome All times are Eastern yes |- !colspan=9 style="background:#002147; color:#8D817B;"| Regular Season Sat., Nov. 15, 1997 yes Georgia State US Airways Arena Landover, Maryland 89−72 1–0 6,827 Mon., Nov. 17, 1997 yes Morgan State US Airways Arena Landover, Maryland 98−51 2–0 4,718 Fri., Nov. 21, 1997 yes yes Wake Forest Springfield Civic Center Springfield, Massachusetts Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic 54−56 2–1 8,820 Tue., Nov. 25, 1997 yes Cleveland State US Airways Arena Landover, Maryland 78−56 3–1 6,483 Wed., Dec. 3, 1997 Villanova MCI Center Washington, D.C. 69−73 3–2 (0–1) 13,181 Sat., Dec. 6, 1997 yes Miami Miami Arena Miami, Florida 56−66 3–3 (0–2) 8,031 Thu., Dec. 18, 1997 yes Bethune–Cookman McDonough Gymnasium Washington, D.C. 85–41 4–3 1,388 Sat., Dec. 20, 1997 yes Saint Leo McDonough Gymnasium Washington, D.C. 101–47 5–3 N/A Mon., Dec. 29, 1997 yes Southern-New Orleans MCI Center Washington, D.C. 85−48 6–3 11,124 Wed., Dec. 31, 1997 West Virginia 22 MCI Center Washington, D.C. 74–65 7–3 (1–2) 12,031 Sat., Jan. 3, 1998 Providence MCI Center Washington, D.C. 58−56 8–3 (2–2) 11,658 Mon., Jan. 5, 1998 yes West Virginia 25 WVU Coliseum Morgantown, West Virginia 70−81 8–4 (2–3) 10,091 Sat., Jan. 10, 1998 St. John's MCI Center Washington, D.C. 60–66 8–5 (2–4) 14,238 Mon., Jan. 12, 1998 yes Villanova CoreStates Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 67–61 9–5 (3–4) 11,870 Sat., Jan. 17, 1998 away Connecticut 10 Hartford Civic Center Hartford, Connecticut Rivalry 72–86 9–6 (3–5) 16,294 Tue., Jan. 20, 1998 Seton Hall MCI Center Washington, D.C. 68–66 10–6 (4–5) 8,176 Sat., Jan. 24, 1998 yes Memphis MCI Center Washington, D.C. 73–69 11–6 14,849 Mon., Jan. 26, 1998 7:30 p.m. Syracuse 20 MCI Center Washington, D.C. Rivalry 66–84 11–7 (4–6) 14,408 Sun., Feb. 1, 1998 yes Boston College Silvio O. Conte Forum Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 63–74 11−8 (4–7) 6,718 Tue., Feb. 3, 1998 yes Seton Hall Continental Airlines Arena East Rutherford, New Jersey 57–68 11−9 (4–8) 8,210 Sat., Feb. 7, 1998 Notre Dame MCI Center Washington, D.C. 76–56 12–9 (5–8) 16,609 Wed., Feb. 11, 1998 yes Rutgers Louis Brown Athletic Center Piscataway, New Jersey 63–83 12–10 (5–9) 6,719 Sat., Feb. 14, 1998 yes yes DePaul United Center Chicago, Illinois 65–59 13–10 N/A Tue., Feb. 17, 1998 Pittsburgh MCI Center Washington, D.C. 79–80 13–11 (5–10) 8,634 Sat., Feb. 21, 1998 Boston College MCI Center Washington, D.C. 84–67 14–11 (6–10) 14,964 Wed., Feb. 25, 1998 yes Notre Dame Edmund P. Joyce Center Notre Dame, Indiana 69–79 14–12 (6–11) 10,124 Sun., Mar. 1, 1998 12:00 noon yes Syracuse 22 Carrier Dome Syracuse, New York Rivalry 72–77 OT 14–13 (6–12) 27,726 |- !colspan=9 style="background:#002147; color:#8D817B;"| Big East tournament Wed., Mar. 4, 1998 yes Miami Madison Square Garden New York City, New York First Round 62–56 15–13 15,377 Thu., Mar. 5, 1998 yes Rutgers Madison Square Garden New York City, New York Quarterfinal 60–61 15–14 14,844 |- !colspan=9 style="background:#002147; color:#8D817B;"| National Invitation Tournament Wed., Mar. 11, 1998 yes Florida O'Connell Center Gainesville, Florida First Round 71–69 16–14 4,319 Mon., Mar. 16, 1998 yes Georgia Tech Alexander Memorial Coliseum Atlanta, Georgia Second Round 79–80 OT 16–15 8,566 References Category:Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball seasons Georgetown Hoyas Georgetown Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team