2009–10 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team

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2009–10 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball

The 2009–10 Georgetown Hoyas represented Georgetown University in the 2009–10 NCAA season. They were led by head coach John Thompson III (his sixth season) and played their home games at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., as members of the Big East Conference. The Hoyas finished 23–11 overall, 10–8 in the Big East.

In the Big East tournament, Georgetown reached the championship game but lost to West Virginia. They earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as a No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region, but were upset in the first round by 14-seed Ohio, 97–83.

Coming off a 16–15 season the year before, Georgetown had no seniors and relied on a mix of returning players and newcomers. Key players included Greg Monroe (starting center, started all 34 games), Austin Freeman, Chris Wright, Jason Clark, Hollis Thompson, and Julian Vaughn. After the season Monroe left Georgetown to enter the NBA draft.

Georgetown opened the season ranked No. 20 in the preseason AP poll. The team posted several notable wins, including early success against ranked teams and a strong midseason stretch that helped them climb the rankings. They defeated teams like Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Villanova, and Duke at various points, highlighting their solid play and depth.

However, the Hoyas also faced tough stretches. They dropped important Big East games and dealt with Freeman’s illness and a shallow bench. Several players left the program during the year, contributing to roster challenges.

Georgetown finished the regular season 20–9, 10–8 in the Big East, and then beat South Florida in the conference tournament before losing to West Virginia in the final. They entered the NCAA tournament as a No. 3 seed, but Ohio’s upset ended their season in the first round.

Austin Freeman led the team in scoring at 16.5 points per game, followed by Greg Monroe at 16.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, and Chris Wright at 15.1 points. Jason Clark averaged 10.5 points per game. After the season, Monroe declared for the NBA draft, and guard Stephan Stepka transferred to James Madison.

The 2009–10 Hoyas finished 23–11 and No. 12 in the final AP Poll. The season showed a strong comeback, but Georgetown again fell in the NCAA tournament to a double-digit seed, a pattern that would influence the program in the years that followed.