#9 Georgetown Women's Basketball Preview


Georgetown Hoyas

Overall rank: #9
Conference rank: Big East #4
Georgetown Women's College Basketball Logo
Georgetown Team Page


The NCAA Final Four last year will be remembered as the year Connecticut got taken down by Notre Dame in the national semifinals. Look closer and you’ll realize Georgetown came within six points of knocking off the vaunted Huskies two rounds earlier. Georgetown may be on the verge of joining those elite teams if everything works out. The Hoyas only lost one double-digit scorer and an infusion of new talent might mean brighter days ahead in the Big East Conference and in the Big Dance.

2010-11: 24-11, 9-7
2010-11 Postseason: NCAA (lost to Connecticut in regional semifinals, 68-63)
Coach: Terri Williams-Flournoy, 120-95 overall

Who’s Out:
The Hoyas lost only one senior to graduation, 6-0 guard Monica McNutt. McNutt was voted second-team All-Big East after she ranked second in scoring at 11.2 points per game and led the team in steals (73). She also shot 66 3-pointers, so the team will need to replace some of its perimeter scoring. Otherwise, it was a very uneventful offseason for the Hoyas, with no transfers or dismissals.

Who’s In:
Only one person exited, but there are three freshman newcomers to talk about making their way to Washington, D.C. Taylor Brown, a 5-7 guard  who played her high school ball at Bishop McNamara in Bowie, Maryland, ended her career with over 1,500 points and averaged 20 points and five assists as a senior. Bowie is in the Washington area, so followers of girl’s basketball in the nation’s capital will be familiar with Brown’s exploits.  Jasmine Jackson, a 5-9 guard, comes to Georgetown from Old Bridge High School in Old Bridge, New Jersey, where she averaged 30.2 points per game as a senior and finished with 1,845 points. Finally, 6-1 forward Brittany Horne was a first-team all-state selection at Carmel (New York) High School, and she finished with over 1,200 points.  

Who to Watch:
Georgetown followers are used to a little Sugar with their scoring, and this year is no exception. Keep an eye on Sugar Rodgers, a 5-11 guard who led the team in scoring and steals and is also its most prolific 3-point shooter (96-for-246, 34.8 percent). Tia Magee, a 6-2 forward, was the team’s third-leading scorer (8.2 points per game) and the leading rebounder. Rubylee Wright, a pesky 5-3 guard whose short height hides strong play, averaged 7.7 points per game but was far and away the team leader in assists. At 6-1 forward Adria Crawford averages 6.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

Final Projection:
The scoring drops off fairly fast after Rodgers so the team may have a bit of trouble finding the basket at times, but the incoming freshmen should balance things quickly if all three find their footing on the college court. Georgetown can take its game to another level if even one of these girls steps in and fills the void left by McNutt’s graduation.

The preseason schedule includes six home games and two close-by contests (in College Park and Baltimore, Maryland) and a couple of bigger contests against LSU and Georgia, but the Big East is where the Hoyas will find their toughest tests once again.

Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:
Sugar Rodgers, Guard, Junior, team leader in scoring (18.7) and steals (90)
Tia Magee, Forward, Senior, 5.2 rebounds per game
Rubylee Wright, Guard, Senior, led team with 169 assists
Adria Crawford, Forward, Senior, team leader in offensive rebounds (81)
Jasmine Jackson, Guard, Freshman, DNP last season

Madness 2011 Women's Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#84 Taylor Brown