Photo by Marquette Athletics
Everything.
That was the first word out of Marquette head coach Shaka Smart’s mouth in response to being asked what he thought was different about Georgetown this season compared to previous years.
“I mean, everything’s different,” Smart continued. “They have better players; they are playing to coach Cooley’s personality, which is as important as anything.”
The Georgetown Hoyas — a once proud program that boasted yearly tournament appearances and 20-win seasons under John Thompson — had become a yearly bottom feeder in the Big East ever since the end of Thompson’s tenure in 2017.