13 GEORGETOWN

Georgetown's School of Foreign Service is nationally renowned,
and five Hoyas did their part this summer to uphold its
reputation: Allen Iverson and Othella Harrington represented the
Stars and Stripes at the World University Games in Japan;
forwards Boubacar Aw and Cheikh Ya-Ya Dia rocked rims for their
native Senegal in a regional tournament in Mali, and center
Jahidi White ventured to Greece with the U.S. World Junior Team.

If Georgetown professors are looking for a duo to extol the
virtues of the overseas experience, they should contact Iverson
and Harrington. Those two left Japan with an appreciation not of
sushi but of each other. "I see them now, and they're kidding
and fussing and laughing together," coach John Thompson says.
"Othella's quietness never lent itself to that before."

Their personalities didn't always mesh on the court, either. At
times last season the two looked as comfortable together as Dan
Rather and Connie Chung. Iverson was a high-flying freshman
guard trying to give fans something to remember him by, other
than a 1993 conviction for his part in a bowling-alley brawl.
Harrington was an accomplished but timid junior center, trying
to hold his ground as both the emotional leader and the scoring
leader of the Hoyas.

Iverson created an immediate stir. In the first four games, he
averaged 24.5 points--more than Harrington scored in those games
combined. For the season Iverson averaged 20.4 points;
Harrington dipped to 12.2. That was in no small part because
the 6'1" freshman took 520 shots and the 6'10" junior took 236.

Thompson expects more evenness this year, for two reasons. One
is the newfound camaraderie the two players brought back from
Japan. The second is the Virginia Court of Appeals decision in
June to overturn Iverson's conviction on three felony counts.
"With all this behind Allen, Othella won't be as sympathetic to
him anymore," Thompson says. "Now he'll just say, 'Listen, fool,
give me the ball.'"

One guy Iverson won't have to worry about is Jerome Williams, a
6'9" forward who is the best rebounder in the bruising Big East.
Last season he averaged 10 rebounds a game, four more than the
taller Harrington. "Most people talk about how well a guy goes
north-south," Thompson says. "Jerome goes east-west better than
anyone. And he's persistent."

Thompson likes that. After one season at Montgomery (Junior)
College, in Rockville, Md., Williams signed a letter of intent
with American University--then decided to return to Montgomery,
where he averaged 27 points and 18 rebounds. During that year,
his letter of intent expired and Williams sprouted five inches.
All those enlarged numbers attracted Georgetown, which
outmuscled its Washington, D.C., neighbor for Williams.

"I'm happy with my decision," Williams says. Georgetown's foes in
the Big East are not.

--T.G.

COLOR PHOTO: BOB ROSATO Iverson launches early and often. [Allen Iverson]

THE DATA BOX

Coach: John Thompson
Career record: 524-200 (23 seasons)
Record at Georgetown: 524-200 (23 seasons)
1994-95 record: 21-10 (final ranking: 16th)
Big East record: 11-7 (fourth)

PROJECTED STARTERS

SF Boubacar Aw, 6'7", Soph.
Shot 52.2% from the field

PF *Jerome Williams, 6'9", Sr.
Led Big East with 10.0 rpg

C *Othella Harrington, 6'10", Sr.
Yet to become Hoyas' next great center

SG Eric Myles, 5'10", Soph.
Hit 40% of his three-pointers

PG *Allen Iverson, 6'1", Soph.
Scored 20.4 ppg, led league in steals

*returning starter

KEY GAMES

Nov. 16 vs. Colgate
Adonal Foyle tries to spoil opener

Jan. 3 at DePaul
Iverson had high of 31 vs. Demons last year

Feb. 10 at Syracuse
In '94-95, beat Orangemen on road, lost at home

Feb. 17 vs. Memphis
Harrington vs. Tiger center Lorenzen Wright

Feb. 19 vs. Connecticut
Only regular-season meeting