As far as Georgetown coach John Thompson III is concerned, the college basketball season is a page-a-day calendar: focus completely on one game, rip it off, and move on to the next one.
It may seem like a boring mantra, but looking ahead is a luxury the Hoyas can’t afford.
“Next game, next game, next game, next game, next possession,” Thompson said Monday. “That’s how we approach it. I think the whole program sets that tone.”
Sometimes, maintaining that mentality can be a challenge. As February turns to March and phrases like “bracketology” and “on the bubble” re-enter our daily vocabulary, it becomes ever easier to think big. It becomes increasingly tempting for teams to look ahead to an upcoming conference tournament, or glimpse at the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and ponder NCAA tournament seedings.
Some teams have that problem. Georgetown does not believe it is one of them.
“It hasn’t really been too hard [to not look ahead],” freshman Isaac Copeland said. “We know that every game really counts, for the rest of the season. So we just focus on that one game. When the time comes, we’ll worry about the postseason, NCAAs, the Big East tournament. But we really just need to take care of every game before that.”
For Georgetown, that means keeping a strict focus on Tuesday’s opponent: No. 21 Butler. Though the Hoyas have all but secured a return to the NCAA tournament with their strength of schedule and conference record, they appreciate the value of momentum entering the postseason. They recognize that every win has value, whether that value comes in confidence, tournament seeding or some other form.
Tuesday’s visit to Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis will be Georgetown’s last road game before the Big East tournament begins March 11. The Hoyas will face a ranked team, Butler, that usually plays them close. In the past four meetings between the two teams, the average margin of victory has been five points.
Altogether, this game could serve as a measuring stick for Georgetown entering the postseason, even though its coach doesn’t look at it that way.
“I’m not sure about that,” Thompson cautioned. “Is this a big road game? Yes. But I’m not sure if this game gives us a sense of where we are. It’s a big game that we want to go and win.”
The Hoyas are tied with Providence for third place in the Big East standings but could move up to second with a win over the Bulldogs, who currently occupy that spot. Regardless of their regular-season finish, they will be a high seed in the conference tournament and a near-lock to return to the NCAA tournament after a one-year hiatus. Their strength of schedule (No. 4) and RPI (No. 24) should ensure that.
That postseason security will not alter how Georgetown faces the remainder of its regular season, however. If anything, Copeland said, the energy in these final games will only intensify.
“I can definitely tell towards the end of the season, teams are fighting for wins,” Copeland said. “Games are a lot more scrappy. You don’t get as many calls as you used to get. I love the atmosphere.”
Though Thompson stresses a short-sighted view of the season, the Hoyas will soon have to confront their postseason reputation. In Thompson’s first decade as coach, they have only won eight games in seven NCAA tournament appearances. In recent years, they’ve become known for making early exits, posting a 1-4 tournament record over the past five years. Each of those losses came against a double-digit seed.
Bracket projections have Georgetown listed as a No. 6 or No. 7 seed this year, but those projections are for another day. Tuesday is about Butler. Saturday is about Seton Hall. Next week is about the Big East tournament. Anything beyond that is exciting for only one reason.
“We get to play basketball longer,” senior Mikael Hopkins said. “So that’s a blessing for all of us.”
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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