By Cardell Dudley
With the 2014-2015 college season upon us, it's only right to give our two cents on who you should keep an eye on throughout the college hoops landscape in the DMV. With the rise of so many local programs such as Towson and George Washington to go along with traditional powers like Georgetown and Maryland, college basketball throughout the DMV may be the deepest its ever been. Let us begin........
D'Vauntes Smith- Rivera
Georgetown
Junior 6'3 Guard
Adversity hits every basketball team regardless of the level, the difference between the teams who overcome and continue to win and those teams that follow the losing path is simply in the way you deal with that adversity. Last season, Georgetown endured more than its share of adversity, which is nothing new. How they dealt with it can be summed up in their record of 18-15 overall 8-10 in Big East conference play. The Hoyas failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years after finishing seventh place in the Big East conference, losing to last place DePaul in the first game of the Big East Tournament and allowing 101 points to Florida State in the NIT. To say it wasn't the greatest of seasons for the Hoyas is stating the obvious. However, that should change immediately. Georgetown Head Coach John Thompson III brings in a heralded versatile freshman class full of promise and as he has said previously, they will be thrown into the fire. Athletic 6-9 forward Isaac Copeland, do everything 6-8 wing Paul White, 6-9 forward Tre Mourning the son of former Hoya great and NBA Hall of Famer Alonzo Mourning, explosive 6-5 guard LJ Peak and the steady 6-2 point guard Tre Campbell will be looked upon to make an immediate impact if the Hoyas are to get back to dancing in March. With that renown freshman class joining key upperclassmen Josh Smith, Jabril Trawick, Mikael Hopkins and Aaron Bowen, the Hoyas are looking to become a force in the Big East once again. Getting back to being a force again is one thing, becoming a National Championship contender, well that will take players on the Hoyas team to raise their games to elite levels, and that level of play will start and end with Hoyas star guard D'Vauntes Smith - Rivera. Smith- Rivera is coming off a season where as a sophomore, he averaged 17.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 assist per game while shooting 39.3 percent from the three-point line and 87.3 percent from the stripe. Simply he is arguably the best player in the Big East and a definite favorite for Big East Player of the Year. When you are trying to rebound as a program, having one of the top players in the league is always a great place to start. With Smith - Rivera leading the way, expect the Hoyas to return to Big East prominence once again.