Marcus Derrickson, Jamorko Pickett and Jahvon Blair Earn All-Conference Honors

The BIG EAST announced its annual All-Conference accolades this afternoon and your Georgetown Hoyas were well represented. Marcus Derrickson was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team while Jamorko Pickett got the nod for the BIG EAST All-Freshman squad.

Marcus Derrickson has responded strongly to Patrick Ewing’s coaching style in their first year together, with the junior foward turning in clutch performances and averaging nearly 16 points/8 rebounds in 32 minutes per game. The most memorable moment of the season may have been his beast-like performance against Seton Hall, were a 22/18 night was capped off with a three-pointer that gave Georgetown the lead with only 4 seconds remaining. His post game has grown to rival his shooting touch as he has taken on more of a leadership role, so let’s all get quietly excited about the damage he and Govan could do down low next season. (Maybe he’ll even keeping working on that step-back, one-legged jumper that got so much attention.)

Jamorko Pickett has his coach’s confidence, included as a part of the Hoyas’ starting lineup from the beginning of the season, and while there were adjustments to be made as he acclimated to college basketball, his improvement has been noticeable and steady. As Pickett’s confidence grew, his scoring contributions jumped from 8.5ppg in during the non-conference slate to 10.7ppg in BIG EAST play, and the raw numbers were accompanied by an increase in shooting percentage. Going 6/7 from long range against #4 Xavier as he matched a career-high 21 points felt like an affirmation. If he continues this trajectory, the combination of skill and length could mean that we will be seeing his name more often on these other lists over the next three years.

Jahvon Blair shoots the ball as if he does not possibly believe he could miss, the type of assertive play matched with consistency that the Hoyas backcourt has been missing during recent seasons. In his role as sixth man, he has earned near-starter minutes and provides a boost to the offense. Averaging nearly 10 points per game, the freshman has also grown in his role as a distributor as part of the Hoyas’ backcourt-by-committee, increasing his awareness of teammates’ positions and dishing out assists.

The full press release from the BIG EAST can be viewed here. Congratulations, guys!