Georgetown

It took just three years for John Thompson III to restore the Georgetown basketball program to the place of prominence it enjoyed when his father prowled the sidelines. A trendy Final Four pick at the beginning of the 2006-07 season, the Hoyas rewarded that faith by making it to Atlanta before losing in the national semifinals to Ohio State. Now the task becomes maintaining that level of performance.

Given Thompson's success and the program's pedigree, its long-term future seems solid. In the short-term, however, the Hoyas' fate will depend largely on what a couple of its juniors decide to do this offseason. In theory, Georgetown is in much better shape now than it was a year ago, when the Hoyas were replacing key seniors Ashanti Cook, Brandon Bowman, and Darrel Owens.

It took the team a few weeks to find its rotation without the departed, and to work newcomers DaJuan Summers, Patrick Ewing Jr., Jeremiah Rivers and Vernon Macklin into the rotation. But the squad, without a senior who earned meaningful playing time, jelled in time to win the Big East regular season and tournament crowns before making its NCAA run.

If everyone returns next season, the Hoyas will likely be the preseason No. 1 team, and certainly a top-five squad. But Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert had tough decisions to make.

Both would be first-round picks if they turned professional, but neither is a lock as a top-10 draft pick. Hibbert announced in late May that he'd be back with the Hoyas but, on the same day, Green made it known he was going pro. The Hoyas will have two senior starters in a veteran lineup augmented by a strong incoming freshman class.

Still, Green was considered a "glue" player, and Thompson will need to make the new chemistry work in the early weeks in 2007-08. Then again, that worked pretty well in 2006-07. Jeff Green will not return to Georgetown, announcing on May 23 that he was in the NBA draft player pool to stay.

Teammate Roy Hibbert, who had also declared for the draft, plans to return to the Hoyas. The Hoyas' improvement in learning the intricacies of the Princeton-style offense showed in the team's shooting percentage. Georgetown made 50.

6 percent of its shots for the season, tops in the Big East. Georgetown was thought of as a frontcourt-centric team because of the stardom of Green and Hibbert, but the guards took full advantage of their open looks to shoot 37 percent as a team from 3-point range. Jonathan Wallace, a three-year starter who had to walk on as a freshman two years ago, shot 49 percent from beyond the arc.

THE RECORDS: 30-7, 13-3 in the Big East, first place HOW THE SEASON ENDED: Georgetown made it to the Final Four before falling to Ohio State, 67-60, in the national semifinals. QUOTE TO NOTE: "Do I want to go eight through 14, or do I want to go top three next year?" Roy Hibbert, as told to the Washington Post, regarding his NBA draft options.

THE GOOD NEWS: If everyone comes back, the Hoyas are arguably the most talented team heading into 2007-08, or at least right there with North Carolina, UCLA, Texas and Ohio State, the latter two with major defections likely. Georgetown is disciplined, familiar with the Princeton-style offense, and seems to always get a good shot. Roy Hibbert is the rare true center to play in college.

THE BAD NEWS: Hibbert is a lock to be back next season, but Green chose to take his game to the NBA. Without him, the team will lack scoring punch and miss his versatility on both ends of the court. There's always the risk of a post-Final Four hangover, though coach John Thompson III runs a tight enough ship that it's unlikely.

KEY RETURNEES: Guard Jessie Sapp took over at the point as a sophomore, and did a solid job. When he was out of the game, the team often struggled, and he's one of the team's underrated stars. DaJuan Summers averaged more than nine points per game as the fourth option on offense, and the forward should be even better as a sophomore.

Jonathan Wallace is poised to break out as a senior with increased point production. It took just three years for John Thompson III to restore the Georgetown basketball program to the place of prominence it enjoyed when his father prowled the sidelines.