John Thompson III has been a model of consistency. The veteran coach has averaged 22 wins during his 11-year stint at Georgetown and the Hoyas should challenge Villanova for the Big East title in 2015-16. CBS Sports Network’s and CBSSports.com’s Jon Rothstein sat down with Thompson in Washington D.C. to discuss Georgetown’s sophomore class, Jessie Govan, and how often Thompson thinks about taking the Hoyas on another deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Jon Rothstein, CBSSports.com: You told me prior to last season that your goal was for Georgetown to again be regularly mentioned as one of the best teams in college basketball. As you’ve had some time to reflect on things, how will you remember last year as a whole?
John Thompson III: I haven’t had time to reflect on it. I’m not sure. It’s over and we had a good year. We finished second in the Big East. We did well, but I’m more excited about this group than about last year’s group. We’re much deeper. We’re much more versatile. We literally have three guys -- Jessie (Govan), Bradley (Hayes), and Tre (Campbell) -- that can only play one position and literally everyone else can play multiple positions offensively and defensively. They can play multiple positions and guard multiple positions effectively. So we can be one of those teams where on any given night depending on the scouting report, a different guy can emerge depending on who is going to be out of the floor.
CBSSports.com: I asked you last fall where you felt last year’s freshman class -- Isaac Copeland, Paul White, L.J. Peak, and Tre Campbell -- ranked among the best that you ever had and you said you needed to see them play first. Now that you have, where do you think that quartet will wind up among the best groups that you’ve had here at Georgetown?
Thompson: One of the strongest. Obviously it’s easy to go to the favorite class -- Jeff Green, Roy Hibbert, Jonathan Wallace, Tyler Crawford, and Patrick Ewing Jr. -- who joined that class. It’s easy to go to that one. But I think last year’s group will be right up there and even though it’s only a three-man class I think this year’s group has a chance to do the same thing.
CBSSports.com: There were moments of brilliance last year from Copeland and we’ve had many discussions about how he’s cut from the same cloth as guys like Jeff Green and Otto Porter. What’s going to be the biggest difference in Isaac this year versus last?
Thompson: I think to a certain extent he’s going to have an X on his back a bit. I’m not saying people didn’t know who he was last year, but as the year went on he got better and better. Heading into this year, he’s going to be one of the first guys people worry about when the other team is doing their scouting report. He’s going to have to fight through that.
CBSSports.com: In addition to Isaac, who do you think is one other returning player that could have a breakthrough season that maybe nobody is really talking about?
Thompson: It’s hard to say with this group. It really is because there’s multiple people that can step up. I wouldn’t be surprised if at the end of the year there’s multiple people who fall into that category. Tre (Campbell) could be that person. Any of the three freshmen could be that person. Once Akoy (Agau) is able to go during the second semester, he could be that person. So I think we have multiple people that can emerge and as long as we stay unselfish -- and that’s not imply that we were selfish -- it’s just to reiterate how important it is to stay unselfish, we’ll have a chance to have different guys who step up.
CBSSports.com: Now every time somebody has asked you questions about a freshman, you usually respond with “yeah remember -- he’s a freshman.” But you don’t have that response when someone brings up Jessie Govan. What do you think is going to allow him to contribute right away at a high level for Georgetown?
Thompson: Well, Bradley Hayes is playing really well too at that same spot so we have two guys who can play at that spot. But to answer your question, Jessie has a presence about him and a poise about him. Physically he’s ready to compete at this level and have success. Mentally he’s ready to compete at this level and have success. He’s going to have a good year. There’s no doubt about that. You can look at all the big men in this freshman class -- when everything is said and done -- you’re going to be talking about him.
CBSSports.com: D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera initially opted to put his name into the NBA Draft, but wisely returned to college for his final season. What specifically have you verbalized to him about what’s at stake for him during the upcoming year?
Thompson: Getting his degree and having the opportunity to do that is first and foremost. He has a chance to be one of the top five scorers in the history of Georgetown basketball. I think that him coming back is good for his development both on and off the court. I think eventually he came to that realization. Honestly, I don’t think about legacy and things like that. We go out there and if we do the things we’re supposed to do we’re going to win and then the legacy part is going to take care of itself. And I think this team can do that. I think this team is positioned to have success.
CBSSports.com: You and your staff are in the middle of recruiting, but you’re also preparing for a foreign tour in Italy. What are the benefits of that -- especially for a team like this?
Thompson: I think it gives them a chance to compete early. I think it gives us a taste of how this group is going to respond to different bodies. I think it gives the coaching staff a chance to change or adapt as we sort of experience different things. The experience, exposure, and the actual game time will be extremely beneficial for all of us.
CBSSports.com: We’ve now seen this new version of the Big East Conference in tow for two full seasons. How would you describe where you feel the league is at from a national perspective?
Thompson: I said this last year and my tune isn’t going to change: the Big East is as good as any league out there. I think if you look at overall conference RPI, we showed last year that you have some of the best talent in this country as well as some terrific coaches. Big East basketball is not going away. We’re going to be at the front and we’re going to be at the pinnacle of things perennially.
CBSSports.com: You’ve had tremendous success here at Georgetown, but your team hasn’t advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament since you went to the Final Four in 2007. How often -- whether it’s on a drive to work or during a walk in Martha’s Vineyard on vacation -- would you say that thought enters your mind?
Thompson: Being able to hang another banner in this gym is always at the forefront of my mind. That’s what most of the thoughts that I have are about. That’s the goal here. That’s what we want to do. We want to go to the Final Four and we want to win a national championship. That’s never going to change.
