Help Is On The Way: Georgetown's Class of 2014 Could Be Special

Georgetown's 2013-14 season is behind us, and though it ended on a sour note there is reason to be optimistic heading into next season and beyond. That reason is in the form of Georgetown's Class of 2014 recruits: Isaac Copeland, Paul White, L.J. Peak and Tre Campbell. Below is an analysis of what each of these recruits can bring to the table and how they each address a couple of Georgetown's glaring weaknesses.

Glaring Weakness #1: Lack of Frontcourt Depth/Skill
The Georgetown frontcourt this season was, to put it nicely, terrible, and I'm sure there's some statistical wizardry that can be done to back that up. I'm too lazy to perform such wizardy, but the good news is that Isaac Copeland and Paul White are headed to the Hilltop and should be able to turn things around pretty quickly. We know that JT3's offense is built on players that possess a variety of skillsets on the court and can play a number of positions. Good news! Both Isaac Copeland and Paul White fit the mold!

Copeland, a 6'9" forward who can play both the 4 and create matchup nightmares as a 3, has soared in the Class of 2014 rankings up to number 26 overall on the heels of an excellent senior season. You can't help but watch him and think, "Wow, this kid is a more athletic version of Otto Porter." But don't take my word for it, check him out for yourself:

Paul White brings many of the same skills that Copeland does to the table. A 6'9" "point forward, White can do damage from all over the floor and was often the go-to guy in crunch time on a Whitney Young team that featured the number 1 overall Class of '14 recruit and Duke-bound center Jahlil Okafor. After breaking his hand last summer, White rebounded with a strong senior season that elevated his ranking to #34 overall.

Glaring Weakness #2: Lack of Guard Depth/Scoring

Foul trouble hurt the Hoyas this season and especially in the backcourt. Given their usage rates, it's a miracle Markel Starks and D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera managed to avoid foul trouble as much as they did, but Jabril Trawick was a foul machine and the Hoyas struggled with him on the bench. The solution? Meet L.J. Peak and Tre Campbell!

Peak, a 6'5" shooting guard/wing is one of the bigger risers in the Class of 2014 rankings, jumping all the way up to #35 after a senior season during which he put up monster numbers, averaging more than 30 points per game and scoring from all over the floor. Peak will provide much-needed scoring punch off the bench next season and already might be Georgetown's best pure scorer other than D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera. Check him out below and in a number of other highlight videos here.




Tre Campbell will head to the Hilltop as the least-heralded recruit among the four, but perhaps the most important. With Starks graduating and barring any immediately-eligible transfer, Campbell will be the only pure point guard on the roster. That's a scary thought, but Campbell won't be immediately thrust into the starting lineup and will have time to develop behind projected starters DSR and Trawick. Though I don't expect Campbell to see much more than perhaps 10 minutes a game next season, the local 3-star product (St. Johns, Washington DC) has matured in his senior season and will be counted on to take over the reins at the point guard spot as a sophomore. The video below is long but worth a watch, as it provides good insight into Campbell with highlights from games and testimonials from his teammates and coaches as to how good a leader he is. And, like Markel Starks, Campbell grew up wanting to go to Georgetown.

Glaring Weakness #3: Lack of Big Man/Center

Dammit.