"Stevie Wonder is guarding Ray Charles out there": Ed Cooley drops hilarious take on Georgetown's defense vs Washington State
Georgetown coach Ed Cooley had a rather colorful way of describing his team's defense against Washington State. On Monday, Georgetown beat the Cougars 85-82 in the first round of the College Basketball Crown.
Speaking with FS1's broadcast team, Cooley offered a humorous assessment of the Hoyas' defensive performance.
"I'm really proud of our group. Neither team is defending, right?" Cooley said.
"It looks like Stevie Wonder's guarding Ray Charles out there. Neither the team has defended; we got to do a better job. We're not getting any 50-50 balls. They went in the fifty-fifty battle, but I'm really proud of our guys on their effort."
Cooley's analogy, while lighthearted, underscores the critical need for defensive improvement. Although Georgetown secured the win, the team allowed Washington State to shoot 50% from the field. The combined 167 points in the game are a clear sign that neither team prioritized defense.
Sophomore guard Malik Mack was instrumental in Georgetown's victory, contributing a career-high 37 points on 13-for-24 shooting, despite not being 100% fit.
Ed Cooley addressed Mack's health, saying that he wasn't feeling well.
"He wasn’t supposed to play today," the coach said (via Fox College Hoops). "When you show that type of character, that type of fight, you show everybody who is watching and listening, anything’s possible. I’m really proud of him."
Ed Cooley and Georgetown's season ends in loss to Nebraska
Georgetown's defense was once again an issue as its season came to an end on Wednesday with an 81-69 loss to Nebraska in the second round of the College Basketball Crown.
Ed Cooley, who addressed the team's poor defense in the win against Washington State on Monday, could only watch as the Cornhuskers shot 47.5% and scored 34 points in the paint.
While Malik Mack once again led the Hoyas in scoring with 25 points, they had no answer to the Nebraska duo of Brice Williams and Juwan Gary, who combined for 45 points and 13 rebounds.
Georgetown was down from the tip, going 12-5 in the first four minutes and was down 34-24 at halftime. The Hoyas never led in the game and were down by as many as 19 points in the second half.
Despite the loss, the season marks a significant improvement for Georgetown compared to Ed Cooley's first season last year, when the Hoyas finished 9-23.