He's Back

Back in March, Georgetown fans could not have felt good when they opened the papers and saw that their point guard and leading scorer, D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, had declared for the NBA Draft.

Those feelings changed a few days later when, after reflection, Smith-Rivera decided to return to the Hoyas for his senior season.

“I think it was emotional for D’Vauntes when he made the initial decision because we had a difficult loss in the tournament to Utah and the season came to an end,” Hoyas’ head coach John Thompson III told Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com. “When he was able to take some time and get some information, he then made an accurate decision – an informed decision. I think that’s what it’s all about. He made the right decision to come back and get his degree and be a part of a team that I think is going to be pretty good next year.”

A Big-East all-rookie selection as a freshman, a second-team all-league pick as a sophomore, and first-team all-Big East choice as a junior, Smith-Rivera will enter his senior season having started 64 of the last 66 games played by the Hoyas. As a junior, he tallied 16.3 points per game while handing out 101 assists – both tops at Georgetown, as were his 51 steals – as he helped lead the Hoyas to a 22-11 mark and the third round of the NCAA Tournament. The stability and leadership he provides can go a long way toward making this a special season on the Hilltop.

“I think we have a great group of guys coming back,” Smith-Rivera told Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post. “We had a great freshman class. I feel we have a good core.”

“I really like the group we’re going to have next year,” Thompson told Rothstein. “Because of what we went through this past year, we have experienced, quality players. They all can do things. We’ve got D’Vauntes coming back as a senior and he’s going to be one of the better guards in the country. We’ve also got big Jessie Govan coming in as a freshman and he’s going to add a different element. Offensively, he can do a lot of different things. He’s big, he’s physical, but at the same time he’s really skilled. He’s got a great feel for the game.”

Should be fun to watch.

Georgetown will face Wisconsin in the semifinals of the 2K Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 20. The game will be followed by Duke-VCU with the championship and consolation games being played on Nov. 22. Tickets are available at: http://bit.ly/1T10Bfn