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After a Tough Loss, Hoyas Must Regroup Quickly
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In Georgetown's case, Summers single-handedly kept the Hoyas in the game through the first half, and he hit the three-pointer that knotted the score at 40 in the second half.
But that's when the game got out of hand, with Pitt surging to a 17-4 run. The Hoyas forced several missed shots in that stretch but many were negated by Pittsburgh's offensive rebounds. The relentless nature of the Panthers' attack -- with not every shot falling, but nearly every possession resulting in a basket -- had a demoralizing effect.
The Pittsburgh loss underscores another issue that's likely to represent a challenge for the Hoyas going forward: Their reliance on their starters for offensive production.
Thompson has put enormous faith in his young starting lineup, which features one freshman (Monroe), two sophomores (guards Chris Wright and Austin Freeman), one junior (Summers) and one senior (guard Jessie Sapp).
And by nearly every measure they have exceeded expectations.
But when one or more are struggling from the floor, Thompson's options are limited.
The Hoyas' bench was outscored 14-2 by Pittsburgh's. In the victory over Connecticut, which sent fresh legs onto the floor in waves, Georgetown's bench was outscored 20-6. That brings the tally, though two Big East games, to 34-8, in favor of opponents' reserves.
And until Thompson develops a bit more depth, it leaves the Hoyas with scant margin for error. Asked whether he was concerned about the heavy reliance on his starters, Thompson conceded that it was important to develop a deeper bench.
"But we have approached this year with the mindset that our [starting] guys are in pretty good shape," Thompson said. "As long as the guys on the court are doing what they should do, we'll be fine."
