The Casual Awards: Let’s Go and Get It

GORED TO DEATH!

Georgetown Puts Together Its Best Half of the Season, Downs the Horns by 16

Oh, hi guys. Welcome to the epic 2019-20 season. Because after your Hoyas’ stunning performance at the World’s Most Famous Arena, we can all now agree that the season has finally...blissfully...begun. With less than 24 hours before a showdown against the #1 team in the country, we have just enough time to give away some hardware to those most deserving. Without further ado, away we go, fools….

The Chris Wright Heart of a Champion Award:

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

Jamorko Pickett.

We could’ve gone in a bunch of different directions here, but we figured it was worth rewarding the lanky junior for his all-around impressive performance. After a sophomore slump, Pickett needed to turn things around this season and he has not disappointed. When he dribbles too much or plays hero ball, he flounders; but when he plays within himself, he is a thing of beauty to watch. James Akinjo agrees:

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

Against Texas and in front of former Longhorn and [kinda sorta if you squint really hard] aspirational analog Kevin Durant, Jamorko chipped in with a KD-esque efficient 15 points (6-10 shooting) and five rebounds, with a couple of threes. This might have been Jamorko’s best all-around game as a Hoya. We know he’s scored a lot of points before, but he was just so POISED in this game. Solid defense, good shot selection, and even a big two handed block during garbage time when there was no need to hustle except for the fact that the Georgetown team we saw in the second half never gives up easy buckets.

Big game for Pickett. A deserving award.

The William Forrester Award for Reminding People How Famous and Awesome You Are:

Patrick Ewing.

Just as William Forrester pointed up to his portrait and said “I’m that one” before reading Jamal Wallace’s lovely short story in the underappreciated movie “Finding Forrester”, so too did Ewing basically just point to the rafters and remind everyone of the legend he’s always been.

We’ll be the first to acknowledge that we’ve been down -- way down -- on the Hoyas after the first four games. Our offense has looked like a glorified pick-up game, our rotations have been erratic and questionable, and our defense has been non-existent. But after some tune-ups and hard work, it looks like Ewing is finally starting to right the ship. We still have a long way to go, but kudos to Coach Pat for ignoring the naysayers and just taking care of business.

By the way, did y’all see Ewing motion to the crowd to stand up with a few minutes left in the game?

Madison Square Garden was, is, and forever will be Patrick Ewing’s court. And on Thursday night, he reminded us why.

And at center, at seven feet from Georgetown, #33….

The Jerome Williams Award for Being a Junkyard Dog

Josh LeBlanc.

Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

We all love LeBlanc. Obviously. Love the rebounding, the hustle, the defense, the blocks, the attitude. All of it. After a bumpy start to the season, in part due to his suspension for disciplinary reasons, he’s played with his usual heart, swagger and ferocity.

Against the Longhorns, Josh had nine points, four rebounds, a three-pointer, and a whole lot of defense in just 21 minutes.

The Mark Morrison Award for Returning of the Mack:

Mac McClung.

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

There’s our guy. After a rough start to the season (he was something like 2-17 from the floor), Mac turned on the burners against Georgia State and continued his hot streak against Texas. On Thursday night, Mac scored 19 points (7-14 from the floor) and kept us competitive in the first half at McClung Square Garden.

There’s no doubt that Mac sometimes plays a bit too much hero ball, but there’s also no doubt that he’s probably the best pure scorer on the squad. We need Mac to hit shots and we need Mac to play under control. When those things occur, good things happen.

The COSTCO Award for Giving Away Delightful Free Stuff:

Every one of Georgetown’s opponents.

Keep fouling us. Keeping sending us to the line. Please and thank you. Against Georgia State, we shot 51 throws. Against Texas, the free throw disparity was 28-10. Your Hoyas aren’t the best perimeter shooting team, so they will take those freebies from the line all day and night.

PLEASE KEEP FOULING US. H/T to James Akinjo for just knowing how to get to the line like a boss. This feels like every game we played in JTIII’s last season. Except the exact opposite, because we’re actually the ones getting fouled.

The 2010-11 Georgetown Hoyas Award for Giving Shaka Smart the Finger:

Your 2019-20 Georgetown Hoyas.

We all remember that terrible loss in 2011 to VCU. Shaka and his team ran us out of the gym. We couldn’t handle the press. We couldn’t make shots. We just looked...awful. Fast forward to a few years ago and many were calling on Georgetown’s brass to bring that young upstart man named Smart to the Hilltop to succeed JTIII.

And now, well, just…eat it, Shaka. This one’s for Chris Wright and his broken hand.

The Moses Ayegba Award for Providing Awesome Big Man Nigerian Minutes in Reserve:

Qudus Wahab.

Welcome to the show, Q! On a night in which Omer Yurtseven struggled with fouls, freshman big man Wahab provided an efficient nine points on two field goal attempts and three boards in 22 minutes. The young fella played within himself, fought for boards, played defense, and hit most of his free throws. It was a trial by fire and Qudus was pretty darn good.

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

Like Moses Ayegba, he gave us solid reserve minutes in the paint and helped us stay afloat during key stretches of the game. And his name is awesome for Scrabble purposes.

Another Nigerian prince! Long live Q

The 2005-06 Georgetown Hoyas Award for Beating the #1 Team in the Country Award:

Some of us remember January 21, 2006, like it was yesterday, a day in which a group of proud and hungry young Hoyas announced to the world that our program was f*cking back.

On Friday evening, at the Garden, a new edition of the Hoyas has a chance to make a similar statement. But this time the game won’t be played in our nation’s capital. Instead, it’ll be under the bright lights of the World’s Most Famous Arena, and your Hoyas’ second home. Let’s go and get it.

Let’s go Hoyas. Beat Duke.