NCAA Scholarship Changes Could Affect Georgetown A reported change to NCAA scholarship limits could have an impact on men's basketball and a number of Georgetown sports.As reported at Yahoo Sports, the NCAA is planning to increase the number of athletic scholarships available by team. Men's basketball would increase its limit from 13 to 15 scholarships in 2025-26, the number it had from the 1950's through 1991. The men's basketball budget can account for two additional grants without much effort, or stay at 13, but a competitive imbalance looms for most of Georgetown's other teams.According to its campaign web site, Georgetown funds just 128 scholarships across 733 student athletes. Its four most prominent sports (men's and women's basketball, lacrosse, soccer, and track), which are assumed to be fully funded, would account for as much as 83 percent of this total, leaving a small number of scholarships across the remaining 22 teams, some of which have none (football, field hockey, sailing, rowing, squash) and others with a handful, relying on need based financial aid to stay competitive in the Big East. Here are the proposed NCAA changes for sports sponsored by Georgetown:
The increase in scholarships limits would open the opportunity for immediate disparity between Georgetown and other schools. Some examples:
Georgetown lists just five endowed men's basketball scholarships. By contrast, Duke University has endowed all 13 men's basketball scholarships and each of its basketball coaching positions, including a $5 million endowment for its head coach. Georgetown Signs Forward Prospect With three open scholarships remaining in the 2023-24 recruiting cycle, Georgetown has added a 6-8 center with an eye to the future.For reasons unknown, the basketball office no longer announces its recruits, but Joe Tipton at On3.com once again had the scoop on 6-8 Seal Diouf, a native of the Netherlands who prepped at the Dunn School in Santa Barbara, CA. Diouf averaged 23 points and 11 rebounds at Dunn (16-10 in 2023-24), which competes at the smaller Division IV level of California high school play. A three-star recruit ranked #254 nationally, he played alongside his brother, Latif, who signed with Tennessee-Chattanooga.In comments, Diouf said that "Coach Cooley and his staff provided a sense of genuine care and commitment, not just to the game but to the players overall growth. From our first meeting, they were open about their vision for the program and how I fit into that plan. I felt an immediate connection with their approach and philosophy." "The school's academic reputation and its rich basketball history are its own thing. Georgetown has a legacy of developing top-tier talent and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to be part of something great. Additionally, the location in Washington D.C. offers a unique experience both on and off the court. I'm blessed with the chance to be part of such a vibrant and diverse community." Per reports, Diouf chose Georgetown over offers from San Francisco, UC-Santa Barbara, Colorado, and Washington. He is Georgetown's first prep signing from California since James Akinjo in 2018. Given Georgetown's current lack of depth up front, there was speculation whether Diouf, a rising senior at Dunn, will seek to reclassify to this year's freshman class or pursue a greenshirt year in January, similar to what Drew McKenna did last season. (McKenna arrived in January, practiced with the team, but did not see any in-game action.) On August 6, he told reporter Adam Zagoria that he would enroll this fall. 1983-84 Team Honored By DC Hall of FameMembers of the 1983-84 Georgetown men's basketball team were among the honorees Sunday in the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024, per a pre-game ceremony at Nationals Park.Formerly known as the "Washington Hall of Stars", the Hall of Fame maintains signage at Nationals Park recognizing over 200 former athletes, coaches and teams. The ceremony prior to the Nationals-Cincinnati Reds game also honored Ryan Zimmerman (Washington Nationals), Charley Casserly (former Washington Redskins general manager), Vicky Bullett (Maryland women's basketball) Chamique Holdsclaw (Washington Mystics), Eddie Pope (DC United), Dave Johnson (play by play, Washington Wizards), Bruce Bradford (former coach, H.D. Woodson HS); and posthumous honors to Washington Senators pitcher Emil ("Dutch") Leonard (1909-1983) and local basketball pioneer E.B. Henderson (1883-1977).Former team co-captain Fred Brown (C'84) accepted the award on behalf of the team. For reasons undisclosed, the event was not promoted in Georgetown's social media channels.
Cooley: It's The Talent An interview this week with head coach Ed Cooley brought back some uncomfortable quotes from his predecessor.Speaking with college basketball reporter Jon Rothstein, Cooley remarked on what he saw as the cause of the Hoyas' 9-24 season."We had some really good players, but it didn't work out well. I think you've got to flush that," he said. "You've got to get not just players who want to come to Georgetown, but players that can play for me in the style that we want to play. I think that was the biggest deficiency last year. We just didn't have the personalities that matched. We had to upgrade our personnel." Eight of last season's 11 scholarship players were recruited by Cooley and his staff. Only three players in 2023-24 (Jay Heath, Wayne Bristol, and Ryan Mutombo) were holdovers from Patrick Ewing, who echoed a similar refrain in 2022. "My goal is to get it back to the level that coach Thompson had it when we were here, and you can't do it without talent," Ewing said in a 2022 interview conducted with John Fanta. "Most of the games we were right there in them to have opportunities to win, but we just didn't have enough to get over the hump...I told [assistant coach Kevin Nickelberry] when he got here, we need better talent." As for this upcoming season, Cooley remarked that "we've had a year to recruit, both through freshmen and the transfer portal, to try and find out what's a fit and what's not a fit. I think we've added some significant pieces that are high caliber players, high character players, and they all possess a high intellect for the game. They're multidimensional players. Now, do we have to get out there and prove it? Yes. But I do like the energy I'm seeing at this point in the summer." Kenner League On The MoveAfter ending its 42 year relationship with Georgetown University last month, the Kenner League is relocating to Bowie, MD, according to a report.The venerable summer league did not hold games this weekend for a second consecutive week following reports that it was unable to secure space at Howard University and the University of DC for weekend games. Last week, a Twitter post from local basketball site Finest Magazine reported it will start the league July 19 at the A.C. Jordan Arena on the campus of Bowie State University, approximately 29 miles northeast of Georgetown.Per a Twitter message Tuesday evening from Kenner director Van Johnson, a schedule is now available for games at the Bowie State facility, also known as the Leonidas S. James Physical Education Complex.
Non-Conference Schedule Imminent?If recent past is prologue, the 2024-25 non-conference schedule should be arriving soon.Last season's announcement was made on July 13, and has already been announced at Marquette, St. John's, and Xavier. To date, a return game with Notre Dame (13-20 in 2023-24) appears to the the brightest of what could be a low-wattage collection of opponents for spacious Capital One Arena.A report from recruiting analyst Rocco Miller that Georgetown will add UMBC (11-21) to its slate remains pending, but may not draw more fans early in the season--the Retrievers have averaged 3,747 per game in three prior appearances downtown. For a second consecutive season, Georgetown has not been announced for any in-season intersectional tournament. Big East: Hurley Cashes InFour weeks after he turned down an offer to coach the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, the University of Connecticut announced a six year, $50 million extension to Dan Hurley's existing contract."It's an honor to coach basketball at UConn and to represent this world class institution and the great state of Connecticut," Hurley said in a press statement. "We are extremely proud of the championship program that we have rebuilt for our supporters and fans. We will continue to obsessively pursue championships and historic success, while continuing to develop great young men."According to the Hartford Courant, the buyout owed UConn if Hurley leaves for an NBA job was reduced from his earlier contract, now with no buyout after the 2026-27 season if Hurley left for the pros. Hurley will receive an additional $1 million every November 15 as a retention bonus. Hurley's three assistant coaches will receive salary increases ranging from $375,000 to $400,000 annually. Hurley also has a $500,000 discretionary fund available for assistant coaching bonuses. The contract does not include specific commitments but the state speaker of the House previously told the Courant that "the XL Center will be renovated north of $115, $120 million, and Gampel will see a $100 million renovation as well." Way Too Early: Big East Predictions The first of many pre-season predictions for the 2024-25 season places Georgetown much as it ended the season before.The Bart Torvik web site, which is a statistical analysis of college basketball, has published its projections for all 362 Division I teams. Here's the rundown for Big East teams:
Last season's pre-season projection for the Hoyas was much the same: 12-19 for the season, 5-15 in the conference. Kenner League Still MIA Following reports that the Kenner summer basketball league left Georgetown after 42 years, no games were held last weekend.A story last week from Hoya Report noted that the sponsor group was having trouble securing a replacement site, and has not announced a site entering the second week of the schedule, which was originally proposed from July 6 through August 11.One of the veteran sponsors of Kenner teams announced on social media Tuesday that "Given the current status of the Kenner League, Team Quashie Family Dental will not be participating in Kenner this year. This was not an easy decision but a necessary one." No update has been posted to any of the league's social media sites. Ronald D. Helmer (1947-2024) Ron Helmer, a prolific college track coach at Georgetown and Indiana, died Thursday at the age of 77.Helmer was a high school coach at Woodbridge (VA) when he joined the Georgetown program in 1987 as a volunteer assistant under Frank Gagliano. Rising to assistant coach and later as head coach, Helmer helped produce 213 Big East individual champions and 15 combined Big East titles in a golden age for the combined cross country and track programs at Georgetown.That Georgetown competed at such a high level at all did not go unnoticed on Helmer, who once remarked at an athletic banquet that if the teams weren't so good, maybe the University would pay more attention. Having lost its track in 1996 to the deteriorating condition of Kehoe Field, Georgetown's men's and women's teams lacked any practice or game day facilities, and would often prep for meets at local high schools in Virginia if the facilities was available. Such was not a problem at Indiana, which hired away Helmer in 2007 to lead its program, which featured both a dedicated indoor facility and a 3,200 seat outdoor track stadium that was among the best in the Big Ten. In sixteen years at IU he coached 52 individual Big Ten champions and five Big Ten team champions. Helmer retied from Indiana in 2023. In a valedictory release, he noted that "The curse that goes with coaching to win is enough is never enough. While I've been fortunate to enjoy many successes at all levels, it is what I didn't do, goals I didn't accomplish, wins that narrowly escaped us, that will haunt me for some time. I'm incredibly thankful that I was wired in a way that allowed for this "never be satisfied" mindset because it is that which I found necessary to create the ability to move beyond the difficult times, always in search of the next win, the next great experience, and there were many." Ron Helmer was named to the Georgetown University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2020. Funeral services are scheduled for July 10 in Bloomington, IN. Helmer is survived by his wife, six children, and seven grandchildren. Kenner League Leaves Georgetown The Kenner summer basketball league has left Georgetown after 42 years, with its future in some question, reports Ron Bailey at Rivals.com.Founded in 1982 as a more structured opportunity for college athletes to compete than the free-wheeling Urban Coalition, the league enters its traditional opening weekend tomorrow without a schedule and with more questions than answers.Its web site, which has not been updated in a year, changed its address last month to 2400 6th St. N.W., the home of Howard University, as a visible sign it was leaving Georgetown, where it has been hosted since its founding. However, official word as to why has been nonexistent--two attempts from this site to Kenner officials to inquire about its present and future were not returned. Bailey's article suggests the current management is not prepared for the current five week season. "Based on conversation with multiple sources, blame touches upon money primarily, as in charged and paid, along with frayed relationships and possibly unreasonable expectations," he wrote. "From multiple sources with knowledge, money/fees precluded Kenner domiciling at Howard and Burr [Gymnasium]...Afterward, again per sources, some of who contacted this writer with questions, a return to UDC was explored, only to discover the facilities were unavailable. A DC public high school could have been garnered, but much more lead time would be necessary, with sticker shock also likely witnessed if approved." Facility rental is likely only one piece of the puzzle, as event insurance is an increasing cost to summer leagues. It is also not clear that players are fully aware of what lies ahead. In a quote from event director Van Johnson to Rivals.com, "An announcement and plans for the league will be announced soon." None has been forthcoming. More On Big East Media Contract Official word remains sparse for details on the Big East Conference's multi-network media rights deal but the Marquette web site known as Paint Touches has been crunching the numbers.In articles from June 28 and July 1, author Andrei Greska has peeled back some of the assumptions on what the media rights could mean relative to other major conference deals, which are priced as 80 percent of the average annual value (AAV) for football content, 20 percent for basketball. By this metric, the Big East is well positioned as a comparison across other conferences: "No, that won't make UConn fans any happier about the dollar amount that still keeps them in no-man's land for their football, but it's undeniable that Big East content was valued in the same breath, if not a tad more positively, than a like-for-like comparison of Big 12 basketball, signed just one year prior, even if you want to keep [an] 80/20 split," he writes. "And then there's the ACC...if you ever want to make someone mad, just tell them DePaul and Butler will be doubling what Duke and North Carolina are getting directly from TV revenue for their basketball. No, that doesn't mean DePaul and Butler are twice as valuable, just driving home how poorly the ACC did in TV negotiations, locking in to an eternal under-market deal." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||