Is Tre Campbell set for a bigger role this season?

In each his first two seasons at Georgetown, Tre Campbell has slid under the radar. It’s easy to understand why, as he played alongside one of the best guards in school history in D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera. With Smith-Rivera gone now, Campbell will have to step up and make an impact this season.

It’s worth noting that he played shooting guard more often than not the past two seasons. That’s largely due to DSR’s stranglehold on the point guard spot at Georgetown. With grad transfer Rodney Pryor coming to the Hoyas this year as well as JUCO transfer Jonathan Mulmore and 2016 commit Jagan Mosely, Campbell will likely be sliding back to the point.

Campbell was a member of the same recruiting class as L.J. Peak, Isaac Copeland, and Paul White. He struggled to see much action in his freshman season due to Smith-Rivera and Jabril Trawick, though he showed flashes of potential, recording double-digit points in five Big East games.

Going into last season, Trawick had departed and Campbell was on the fast track to become the starting shooting guard for the Hoyas. However, after coming off the bench against Radford and Maryland, Campbell came down with an illness and missed the 2K Classic, in addition to Georgetown’s game against Bryant.

By the time conference play rolled around though, he had secured the starting spot. While Campbell’s numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page (4.1 points per game), he was perfectly serviceable in the role he was assigned. He was 12th in the Big East with 2.8 fouls committed over 40 minutes, which is significant if he can keep it up this season, because Georgetown will be a team with a lot of big men, and big men tend to foul more. It’s important to have a guy out there who isn’t in foul trouble.

However, there were some setbacks in Campbell’s game last season as well, noted by Chris Novak and Mike Hopkins in our Big East Point Guard Rankings.

It’s a little concerning that Campbell had decreases in shooting percentage and per 40 minute numbers in 2016. Hopefully he takes a step in the right direction in 2016. --Christopher Novak

It might not be fair to compare Campbell to the other players in this poll because, well, he may not really be a point guard. But he’s here and the consensus among the voters in this poll is that he is the "worst" point guard in the Big East this season. Campbell’s 3-point shooting numbers dropped off a cliff from his freshman to sophomore campaigns his turnovers/40 minutes nearly doubled. The turnover numbers certainly aren’t massive, but his production as a point guard is lacking and I’m not sure I see it getting much better even with more minutes after the graduation of D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera. -- Mike Hopkins

Something, well, someone, else to consider: Jonathan Mulmore. The JUCO transfer averaged 26.1 points per game on 48% shooting last year. If Campbell struggles, Mulmore will likely step right in.

In closing, Campbell finds himself at an interesting juncture of his college career, with his first real chance to be “the man”. Will he seize it, or will he let it slip away?