Summer School: Three Juniors and a Freshman

One weekend of Kenner League is in the books, with several more weeks of play to follow. Even after the summer lights dim, there will be several months for next year's Hoyas to improve on their own or in small groups before next season begins. Those hard hours hitting the weights, refining form on a jumper, running the Exorcist stairs all are critical to next season's success. We've already looked at the off-season prospects for the Hoyas who saw very little time last year and those who got on the floor a bit more but whose future contributions remain mysterious. Today, we'll take a look at the three remaining players from the five-member recruiting class of 2011. With Tyler Adams probably sidelined permanently, and Otto Porter moving on to the NBA, how does this core contribute next season, and beyond? Fully riding the delusion train from the first weekend of Kenner League, we'll also take a look at the Hoyas' lone freshman.

Jabril Trawick

• What he did last season. Became a contributor, then started. After earning decent minutes as a freshman behind a somewhat deeper guard/wing rotation, Trawick began last season as Georgetown's sixth man. Once Greg Whittington became ineligible, Trawick slid into the starting lineup, becoming the defensive heart of the team as it went on an 11-game winning streak. 'Bril was a classic member of the supporting cast, grabbing a couple of rebounds here, handing out an assist or two there, and giving maximum effort throughout.
  
• How he'll fit in next season. Presumably, he'll remain the team's starting two-guard; although JTIII recently suggested that he won't lean heavily on three-guard rotations featuring Markel Starks, Trawick, and D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, DSR would seem to be the natural offensive spark-plug off the bench.
  
• What he needs to do in the off-season. Shoot, keep attacking, and run the point. Trawick's jumper improved a bit in his sophomore year, as he progressed from 24 percent from three-point range to just shy of 30 percent. A bit more improvement, to say 33-34 percent, would force opponents to respect the junior's outside threat. Trawick also needs to continue to attack the rim; one somewhat disconcerting trend of his sophomore year was that he got to the line far less often than in his freshman year. Those free throws, earned by slashing into the paint, are an essential source of easy points for a team that may need them. The remaining concerning element is Trawick's turnover percentage, which spiked from an acceptable 17.6 percent of his possessions as a freshman to a Hopkinsian 25.4 percent. Running the point in scrimmages and whatever game settings he can find (which he has been doing in Kenner League), will give Trawick the reps he needs in decision-making.

Mikael Hopkins

• What he did last season. Almost melted the Global Phenomenon, HoyaTalk, and the statistical databases of the Wizards at Hoya Prospectus at once. Early in the season, Hopkins was miscast as Henry Sims's replacement, a high-post hub of the Georgetown offense that could distribute to the wings or attack the basket. The problem was, he turned the ball over far too often and showed little ability to finish near the basket, particularly against larger opponents. Some feeble rebounding totals and a non-existent jumper didn't help. In the season's second half Otto Porter took on more possessions and Moses Ayegba and DSR played more minutes, all at the expense of Hopkins. His more limited role offered some glimmers of hope, but overall Hopkins endured a very mixed sophomore season.
  
• How he'll fit in next season. Perhaps more than any other Hoya, Hopkins's role depends on the eligibility of Josh Smith. While Smith is a natural center, Hopkins moonlighted there because, against most opponents, neither Ayegba nor Bradley Hayes was a better alternative. An eligible and in-shape enough Smith could benefit Hopkins, who could be freed to play some power forward, a place where he fits more naturally and can enjoy a size advantage against most opponents. However, if Hopkins has not cleaned up the problems (turnovers, finishing, rebounding) that plagued him last year, he may find his minutes squeezed by, at power forward, Nate Lubick and freshman Reggie Cameron and, at center, Smith, Ayegba, and Hayes.
  
• What he needs to do in the off-season. Hit the weights, and hit some jumpers. Hopkins struggled to rebound last season, often seeming to get forced off of his spot and lose 50-50 battles. He also struggled to finish around the rim, proving particularly vulnerable to blocked shots, and shooting the lowest percentage on lay-ups of any Hoya who took 15 or more all season. Now an upperclassman, Hopkins needs to be able to hold his own on the boards and in the post. And, when playing with almost any other big, Hopkins will need to be able to sink the occasional mid-range jumper to avoid clogging the lane, a persistent problem when Hopkins and Lubick shared the floor last year. He needs to improve on his 32 percent two-point jumper figure, the second-worst among Hoya regulars.

Greg Whittington

• What he did last season. Took a big step from promise toward production before missing the last two-thirds of the season as academically ineligible.
  
• How he'll fit in next season. Sadly, still on the bench, perhaps sporting the same blue dress shirt and tie as last year.
  
• What he needs to do in the off-season. Get healthy, big fella.

Reggie Cameron

• What he did last season. Dominated New Jersey Catholic high school competition.
  
• How he'll fit in next season. With Whittington's injury, Cameron seems like a candidate to assume the minutes Cool Whit would have played as a small-ball power forward, although with a very different skill set. Cameron's elite outside shooting and just-adequate size make him an interesting scoring threat off the bench. He certainly won't replace Whittington's menacing defense or high-level rebounding, but Cameron should be able to stretch the floor in ways the Hoya offense needed badly last season.
  
• What he needs to do in the off-season. Get in game shape. Early on, Cameron probably will be a minus defender and not much better on the boards. Still, Cameron needs to be at least serviceable in one of those departments, particularly without Whittington around to lock down the opponent's best forward and clean the glass. If Cameron can't hold his own in those departments, he may yield points to his opponents as quickly as he pours them in from the perimeter.