Note: This is part of an ongoing series of player previews of the 2009-10 Hoyas.
Much like last year, junior Chris Wright will be counted on to be both the workhorse and a star of the 2009-10 Hoyas.
Georgetown fans had a taste of Wright’s potential going into last season. The three-time All-Met product of D.C.’s St. John’s Catholic, Wright bookended an injury-plagued freshman season by playing 16 games in which he notched 5.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 17.3 minutes of play. His assertive style was an often-welcome distinction from stalwart guard Jonathan Wallace, whom Wright was frequently replacing. Despite standing just 6’1″, Wright was able to penetrate and either finish or feed a teammate seemingly at will. His spark provided a refreshing break from the lapses of passivity and monotony in the Georgetown offense. Wright played well in the Hoyas’ two NCAA tournament games, although a crucial turnover near the end of Georgetown’s soul-crushing second-round collapse against Davidson may have sealed the Hoyas’ fate.
Last season, Wright was emblematic of the Hoyas’ talent, but also of its widely documented chemistry issues. Wright proved that the flashes in his freshman year were no fluke. In 32.9 minutes action, he averaged 12.5 points, a team-best 3.8 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game. He, Austin Freeman, and Greg Monroe were the three most efficient Hoyas on offense, with Wright in particular posting the team’s highest assist rate. However, he shot a less impressive 32.3% from three-point range, was a mediocre free-throw shooter, and, like most of his teammates, turned the ball over far too frequently. He struggled against more experienced point guards, like Jonny Flynn, Dominique James, and Levance Fields, but generally improved throughout the season. Most importantly, the Hoyas were better when he was on the floor than when not.
As impressive as Wright was statistically, he seemed to contribute to the Hoyas’ downfall. Like the rest of the team, he showed little fight when the opposing squad went on a run, as it did all too often. Rather than dictating a sense of urgency, Wright, like others, often looked for his own, sometimes ill-advised, shot. In free-throw huddles, Wright could often be seen bickering at teammates — a habit that tends either to be praised or punished, depending on the outcome of the game. (See, e.g., Bryant, Kobe.)
Wright was also at the center of the rumored halftime fight that, Lehman Brothers-like, accelerated the Hoyas’ demise. In the January 17 game at Duke, Wright and Jessie Sapp shot a combined 0-for-6 in the first half, and the Hoyas melted down before the half, trailing 40-29 at the break. Next thing we saw, Wright and Sapp were replaced in the starting lineup by Jason Clark and Omar Wattad to start the second half. The Hoyas proceeded to collapse in the second half, with Monroe picking up a technical foul and the Cameron Crazies getting the best of Georgetown. Post-game rumors spread that Wright and Sapp took out their frustration by swinging on each other, which they both later, sort-of, denied. (Less popular were rumors that Sapp fought old-timey style.) Whatever happened in the locker room, the Hoyas’ collapse was on.
Thankfully, this season presents a new opportunity for the Hoyas, and for Wright. Sapp and DaJuan Summers have departed, leaving Wright, Freeman, and Monroe to take leadership of this once-again young squad. This season, Wright must provide scoring punch and deft distribution. He, like the other Hoyas, must cut down on the turnovers, and must improve his shot selection and long-range accuracy. But he also must make timely plays, particularly when the tide turns, must incorporate newcomers and lesser lights into the offense, and must provide a steady hand on the rudder, knowing when to push and when to hod back. Wright’s ability to run JTIII’s offense, and to make the transition from starter to leader, will largely determine the Hoyas’ fate.
