1982–83 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team

The 1982–83 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team represented Georgetown University in the 1982–83 NCAA Division I basketball season. John Thompson, coached them in his 11th season as head coach. They played their home games at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. They were members of the Big East Conference and finished the season with a record of 22-10 overall, 11-5 in Big East play. They lost to Syracuse in the quarterfinals of the 1983 Big East Tournament and advanced to the second round of the 1983 NCAA Tournament before losing to Memphis State.

1982–83 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball
NCAA Tournament, Second Round
ConferenceBig East
Ranking
CoachesNo. 20
APNo. 20
1982–83 record22-10 (11-5 Big East)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
CaptainGene Smith (1st year)
Home arenaCapital Centre
1982–83 Big East men's basketball standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L PCT  W L PCT
No. 11 Boston College124 .750  257  .781
No. 13 Villanova124 .750  248  .750
No. 3 St. John's124 .750  285  .848
No. 20 Georgetown115 .688  2210  .688
Syracuse97 .563  2110  .677
Pittsburgh610 .375  1315  .464
Connecticut511 .313  1216  .429
Providence412 .250  1219  .387
Seton Hall115 .063  623  .207
1983 Big East Tournament winner
As of April 4, 1983[1]; Rankings from AP Poll

Season recap

The season saw the arrival of former Georgetown players Craig Esherick and Mike Riley as assistant coaches. Esherick would serve as an assistant coach for 17½ seasons before himself becoming head coach during the 1998–99 season, while Riley would be an assistant coach for 22 seasons before leaving after the 2003–04 season.

Georgetown had lost five players to graduation after the team's NCAA national runner-up performance the previous season and played a junior, three sophomores, and two freshmen most of the season, but center Patrick Ewing was returning for his sophomore year, and the team was ranked No. 2 as the season began. Pressure grew during the summer of 1982 for a game with No. 1 Virginia in the upcoming season, with arenas nationwide jockeying to host it; Georgetown insisted on hosting it at the Capital Centre. Three television networks bid on it, and Superstation TBS won the rights to it with a $550,000 bid; billed as the "Game of the Decade", it thus became the first major college sports event telecast exclusively on cable television. In the game, held on December 11, 1982, Virginia's veteran team won, 68–63, but Ewing at one point slam-dunked right over highly regarded Virginia center Ralph Sampson, a play which established Ewing as a dominating "big man".[2][3]

Georgetown opened Big East play for the season on January 8, 1983, with a game against St. John's at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In both this and the second St. John's game of the season, 6-foot-3 Redmen guard Kevin Williams was given the task of harassing Ewing and goading him into retaliating, but Ewing nonetheless averaged 17 points and 13.5 rebounds in the two games combined. Harassment from the stands was a bigger problem. Ever since Ewing had committed to play at Georgetown in 1981, rumors and accusations had circulated among fans of other teams and sportswriters that Ewing was academically unworthy of Georgetown University and unable to pass his classes, and he endured cruel taunts about his intelligence and his race during Big East road games this season; opposing fans carried signs reading "EWING CAN'T READ THIS", "THINK EWING THINK", and "EWING IS AN APE", and some threw things such as banana peels at him on the court. During the game at Syracuse before a sold-out crowd in the Carrier Dome on January 10, 1983, a fan threw an orange at Ewing while he was attempting a free throw, narrowly missing him and prompting Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim to grab a microphone and tell the crowd that he would pull his team off the court and forfeit the game to Georgetown if such behavior continued; he did not have to, but Georgetown won the game, 97–92. Through it all, Ewing kept his own counsel and continued to play, with a double-double in each of his first five Big East games, 25 points and 17 rebounds against Connecticut on January 15, 1983, 19 games in which he scored in double figures, and 10 games in which he scored 20 or more points and pulled down 10 or more rebounds. For the season, he led the team in scoring, averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds per game.[2][4]

Freshman guard Michael Jackson joined the team this season. A starter from the first game, he quickly became an offensive standout who showed an ability to play both point guard and shooting guard. In the game at Syracuse in which someone threw an orange at Ewing, Jackson shot 9-for-13 from the field and 13-for-15 from the free-throw line to score 31 points and lead the Hoyas to the win. Against Boston College, he scored 21 points. Over the course of the season, he shot 46% from the field and 82% from the free-throw line, led the team in scoring in five games, averaged 14.1 points per game in Big East conference play, and finished behind only Ewing as the team's second-highest scorer.[4]

Another newcomer was freshman guard-forward David Wingate, who displayed a defensive ability that allowed him to shut down many opponents. He played in all 32 games, shot 44% from the field, and scored in double figures 24 times, including a season-high 24-point performance against American.[5]

Sophomore forward Bill Martin had been a reserve the previous season, but he became a starter this year, playing in all 32 games. He had 30 points and seven rebounds against Alabama State and 24 points and seven rebounds against Alabama. In Big East play, he reliably scored 10 points a game and shot 37-for-43 (86%) from the free-throw line. He finished the season averaging 6.3 rebounds per game, second only to Ewing.[6]

Junior guard-forward Fred Brown had undergone knee surgery before the season began and recovering from it limited his playing time. He came off the bench to play in one game in December 1982, started 14 games in mid-season, then played in only two more games, both as a reserve, after the February 9, 1983, game against St. John's.[7]

Junior guard and team captain Gene Smith, a defensive specialist, played a critical role in leading the young team, especially with Fred Brown limited for much of the year. He led the Hoyas in steals and assists and finished the season with nearly a two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio.[8]

The Hoyas finished in fourth place in the Big East, their 11-5 conference record earning them a bye in the first round of the 1983 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament, but they lost their first game of the tournament to Syracuse in the quarterfinals. They were the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region of the 1983 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament the fifth of 14 consecutive Georgetown NCAA Tournament appearances and advanced to the second round before losing to the Midwest Region's No. 4 seed, 17th-ranked Memphis State.

The least successful of the four teams of the Ewing era and the only one not to reach the NCAA national championship game, the 1982–83 Hoyas nonetheless had performed well, especially given their youth and inexperience. They were ranked No. 20 in the season's final Associated Press Poll and Coaches' Poll, and the average attendance at their home games for the season was 14th-highest in the country.[2]

Roster

1982–83 Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
F 42 David Blue 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
SrProspect Hall Frederick, MD
G 32 Horace Broadnax 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)190 lb (86 kg) FrPlant City Plant City, FL
G 20 Fred Brown 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)190 lb (86 kg) JrAdlai E. Stevenson Bronx, NY
C 52 Ralph Dalton 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
SoFishburne Military School Suitland, MD
F 25 David Dunn 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
FrPebblebrook Mableton, GA
C 33 Patrick Ewing 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)240 lb (109 kg) SoCambridge Rindge and Latin Cambridge, MA
G 30 Michael Jackson 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)175 lb (79 kg) FrSouth Lakes Reston, VA
F 11 Anthony Jones 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
SoDunbar Washington, D.C.
G 10 Kurt Kaull 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
SrWheaton Warrenville South Wheaton, IL
F 24 Bill Martin 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)215 lb (98 kg) SoMcKinley Tech Washington, D.C.
F 55 Victor Morris 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
FrKashmere Houston, TX
G 12 Elvado Smith 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
SoSouth River Harwood, MD
G 22 Gene Smith (C) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)170 lb (77 kg) JrMcKinley Tech Washington, D.C.
F 40 David Wingate 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)185 lb (84 kg) FrDunbar Baltimore, MD
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Rankings

Source[9][10]

Ranking Movement
Legend: ██ Improvement in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. ██ Not ranked the previous week. RV=Others receiving votes.
PollPreWk 1Wk 2Wk 3Wk 4Wk 5Wk 6Wk 7Wk 8Wk 9Wk 10Wk 11Wk 12Wk 13Wk 14Wk 15Final
AP 2 2 3 5 11 10 17 19 15 14 14 14 18 16 15 20
Coaches 3 [note 1] 3 7 12 13 17 16 15 16 13 14 18 16 14 20

1982–83 Schedule and results

Sources[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Regular Season
Fri., Nov. 26, 1982*
No. 2 at Brigham Young-Hawaii W 72-52  1–0
George Q. Cannon Activities Center (2,690)
Laie, HI
Sat., Nov. 27, 1982*
No. 2 at Hawaii-Hilo W 67-37  2–0
Civic Auditorium (3,000)
Hilo, HI
Tue., Nov. 30, 1982*
No. 2 Morgan State W 91-58  3–0
Capital Centre (9,226)
Landover, MD
Fri., Dec. 3, 1982*
No. 2 vs. Saint Francis
Wendy's Classic
W 75-40  4–0
E. A. Diddle Arena (8,300)
Bowling Green, KY
Sat., Dec. 4, 1982*
No. 2 at Western Kentucky
Wendy's Classic
W 70–66 OT 5–0
E. A. Diddle Arena (10,400)
Bowling Green, KY
Wed., Dec. 8, 1982*
No. 3 Alabama State W 99–76  6–0
Capital Centre (9,666)
Landover, MD
Sat., Dec. 11, 1982*
 TBS
No. 3 No. 1 Virginia L 63–68  6–1
Capital Centre (19,035)
Landover, MD
Wed., Dec. 15, 1982*
No. 5 American L 61-62  6–2
Capital Centre (9,902)
Landover, MD
Wed., Dec. 22, 1982*
No. 11 Southern W 80–65  7–2
Capital Centre (8,280)
Landover, MD
Tue., Dec. 28, 1982*
No. 11 vs. Wisconsin
Winston Tire Classic
W 71-43  8–2
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (9,161)
Los Angeles, CA
Wed., Dec. 29, 1982*
No. 10 vs. No. 6 Alabama
Winston Tire Classic
L 73-94  8–3
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (10,940)
Los Angeles, CA
Wed., Jan. 5, 1983*
No. 10 Monmouth W 82–59  9-3
Capital Centre (8,868)
Landover, MD
Sat., Jan. 8, 1983
No. 17 at No. 7 St. John's L 67–76  9–4 (0–1)
Madison Square Garden (19,591)
New York, NY
Mon., Jan. 10, 1983
No. 17 at No. 9 Syracuse W 97–92  10–4 (1–1)
Carrier Dome (31,327)
Syracuse, NY
Sat., Jan. 15, 1983
Connecticut
Rivalry
W 74–53  11–4 (2–1)
Capital Centre (8,665)
Landover, MD
Wed., Jan. 19, 1983
No. 19 Pittsburgh W 62–54  12–4 (3–1)
Capital Centre (9,955)
Landover, MD
Sat., Jan. 22, 1983
No. 15 at Providence W 78–70  13–4 (4–1)
Providence Civic Center (12,247)
Providence, RI
Wed., Jan. 26, 1983
No. 15 Seton Hall W 71–48  14–4 (5–1)
Capital Centre (10,316)
Landover, MD
Sat., Jan. 29, 1983
No. 15 Boston College W 69–67  15–4 (6–1)
Capital Centre (13,872)
Landover, MD
Mon., Jan 31, 1983
No. 15 at No. 11 Villanova L 67–68  15–5 (6–2)
Palestra (9,208)
Philadelphia, PA
Sun., Feb. 6, 1983*
No. 14 DePaul W 71–65  16–5
Capital Centre (N/A)
Landover, MD
Wed., Feb. 9, 1983
No. 14 No. 7 St. John's L 69–75  16-6 (6–3)
Capital Centre (17,166)
Landover, MD
Mon., Feb. 14, 1983
No. 14 at Connecticut
Rivalry
W 77–60  17–6 (7–3)
Hartford Civic Center (14,454)
Hartford, CT
Sat., Feb. 19, 1983
No. 14 at Pittsburgh L 63–65  17–7 (7–4)
Fitzgerald Field House (6,180)
Pittsburgh, PA
Wed., Feb 23, 1983
No. 18 Providence W 86–62  18–7 (8–4)
Capital Centre (9,749)
Landover, MD
Sat., Feb. 26, 1983
No. 18 at Seton Hall W 71–60  19–7 (9–4)
Brendan Byrne Arena (7,818)
East Rutherford, NJ
Wed., Mar. 2, 1983
No. 16 at No. 15 Boston College L 85–87 OT 19–8 (9–5)
Roberts Center (14,141)
Chestnut Hill, MA
Sat., Mar. 5, 1983
No. 16 No. 4 Villanova W 87–51  20–8 (10–5)
Capital Centre (16,770)
Landover, MD
Mon., Mar. 7, 1983
No. 16 No. 18 Syracuse W 80–75  21–8 (11–5)
Capital Centre (13,162)
Landover, MD
Big East Tournament
Thu., Mar. 10, 1983
No. 15 vs. No. 18 Syracuse
Quarterfinal
L 72–79  21–9
Madison Square Garden (19,591)
New York, NY
NCAA Tournament
Thu., Mar. 17, 1983
No. 20 vs. Alcorn State
Midwest Region First Round
W 68–63  22–9
Freedom Hall (12,745)
Louisville, KY
Sat., Mar. 19, 1983
No. 20 vs. No. 17 Memphis State
Midwest Region Second Round
L 57–66  22–10
Freedom Hall (16,105)
Louisville, KY
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.

Notes

  1. No Coaches' Poll this week.

References

  1. sports-reference.com 1982-83 Big East Conference Season Summary
  2. "The Georgetown Basketball History Project: The Top 100: 1. Patrick Ewing". Archived from the original on 2018-07-23. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  3. "The Georgetown Basketball History Project: Classic Games". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  4. "The Georgetown Basketball History Project: The Top 100: 14. Michael Jackson". Archived from the original on 2012-02-13. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  5. The Georgetown Basketball History Project: The Top 100: 11. David Wingate
  6. "The Georgetown Basketball History Project: The Top 100: 19. Bill Martin". Archived from the original on 2010-10-22. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  7. The Georgetown Basketball History Project: The Top 100: 48. Fred Brown
  8. The Georgetown Basketball History Project: The Top 100: 68. Gene Smith
  9. 1982-83 Big East Conference Season Summary
  10. sports-reference.com 1982-83 Polls
  11. The Georgetown Basketball History Project: 1980s Seasons
  12. The Georgetown Basketball History Project: Records vs. All Opponents
  13. sports-reference.com 1982-83 Big East Conference Schedule and Results
  14. 2012-2013 Georgetown Men's Basketball Media Guide, p. 63.
  15. Waters, Mike, "A look back at the 13 times Syracuse basketball has set the attendance record at the Carrier Dome," syracuse.com, 31 January 2014, 12:30 p.m. EST
  16. Georgetown vs. Syracuse Official Scorer's Report Date: 1/10/83
  17. Syracuse vs. Georgetown Official Scorer's Report Date: 3/7/83
  18. Syracuse vs. Georgetown Official Scorer's Report Date: 3/10/83
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.