When then Harvard freshman Malik Mack decided to join Georgetown last spring, his 17.2 points per game average was celebrated, as was an academic predigree sufficient for Georgetown's academic workload. Observers felt HC Ed Cooley landed his lead guard. Mack's addition was a source of hope and excitement.

Was the support, warranted? It looks like things are headed in that direction.

Initially, it was apparent Mack could score, dropping double figures in eight of ten games, with 16 points being achieved three times, for a present average of 12.3 ppg. It's been clear the 6'1" DMV native, a graduate of St. John's College HS (DC) and Team Takeover (Nike) alum can put the ball in the cup at all three levels.

What was also obvious, is Mack was largely looking to score the ball, get buckets, rack up numbers. Not to say he didn't pass, just that dropping shots was a priority. Kind of illustrating this point is absent the very last game, a win over rivalry Syracuse on the road, his assist/turnover ratio of 35:22, or 1.59 assists to 1 turnover. Pedestrian numbers at best.

Prior to the Syracuse tilt, Mack revealed this made sense.

"At Harvard i was more so, a scoring guard" shared Mack during a media availability. "Had the ball in my hands, a ton. I have the ball in my hands here as well, but I had it a bit more at Harvard. i was asked to kind of score the ball or get the assist almost every possession.

"I think here, it's different" continued Mack, who cited "guys around me" as being significant. Specifically he has "a couple more ball handlers around me, a post presence", with the effect being "now it's more being a point guard, being able to find my guys , facilitate, lead and score when I have to".

Assistant coach Jeff Battle, during the same media session, called Mack becoming a floor general type "a process", one existing in the context of "People have to understand, it's his fist year with us, and on top of that he's young, he's just a sophomore". Battle, who literally has coached multiple professional guards over a career spanning around 30 years is unpaused Mack will make the transformation, saying "I think he's trying to become a better point guard, a better leader, and that's something we'll continue to develop moving forward".

Well, it looks like the coaching is landing and Mack's executing the plan. He logged nine points, six rebounds, eight game tops assists and zero assists in the win over Syracuse. For those interested, an 8:0 assist to turnover ratio is gold standard stuff.

"We watched the film from the West Virgnia game" recalled Mack of preparation, while meeting with media prior to Wednesday's BIG EAST opener vs Creighton. "It showed late in the game with our shot selection.".

Were these and previous convos about valuing possessions?

"Yes for sure. Earlier I had a problem with turning the ball over. Coaches didn't have to tell me that, i knew" confided Mack. "That was an emphasis going into our bigger games, you can't turn the ball over. I took that from our film session and made it an importance".

After acknowledging a "Great floor game" by Mack, HC Ed Cooley admitted talking to his available ball handers - "Epps, Peavy and Mack" - about their choices, "being better decision makers and setting the table", the latter being a specific focal point for this message. The talk stressed "be the server" for Mack.

If that happens, Cooley believes his young charge "could become one of the elite point guards in all of college basketball, becasue they are going to have to guard you scoring it, passing it, defending, rebounding".

On Mack's Syracuse performance, "I thought it was his best overall game", said Cooley. Has a baseline been set now?

Cooley was certain, responding, "100% it's the expectation", with increased expectations on tap, as he believes "50% more" can be supplied, "because he's in him, and he will have the autonomy to do it".

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