HELLER: Welcome diversion for fading Hoyas

For Smith, the championship win was extra special. He was a member of the 1982 Hoyas, who lost the Final Four finale to North Carolina 63-62 after Hoyas guard Fred Brown infamously tossed a pass to the Tar Heels’ James Worthy in the closing seconds.

“I felt bad for Freddy, but I missed a free throw right before that that would have tied the score,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m glad nobody brought that up this weekend.”

Broadnax, now the coach at Savannah State, savored his second trip to Verizon Center much more than the first on Dec. 8, when the Hoyas hammered his squad 100-38.

“What I learned most in four years at Georgetown was not to give up,” he said. “It was extremely tough because Coach Thompson pushed us really hard. I could have quit and walked away - but I didn’t. What he gave me was a foundation [for the rest of my life].”

So the memories and the magic that used to be Georgetown basketball lived anew over the weekend, and now the latter-day Hoyas need to create some of their own.

Wait till next year.