THE OFFICIAL GEORGETOWN BASKETBALL SEASON THREAD

[downyboy]

Originally Posted by Al3xis

it's the players' job to understand it themselves and execute on the court

I tend to lean more this way. They have to come ready to play, the staff can try to get them focused all week for a team like Rutgers, they gota be the ones to decide to take it seriously.

True, however, at some point there needs to be less carrot and more stick from the coaching staff. Teach these guys a lesson. You don't want to play hard? Fine, come sit by me.

 

[al3xis]

I agree. I woulda had no problem seeing Vee come in and bench Chris on Sunday.

 

[madman4life]

I'm a big G-Town fan but I havent been through all the posts in this thread but does it bother anyone else the lack of coverage G-Town Basketball gets in the D.C./MD/VA area? I live in MD and usually listen to 102.7 and 980 am during my commute and (asside from the John Thompson show) all I hear about in regards to college ball is the Terps. Meanwhile we have a Top Ten ranked team in G-Town who in consecutive weekends defeated the number 7 and the number 2 teams in the nation. But all you hear is what chances does an UNRANKED Maryland have of making the tournament. Dont get me wrong I'm not a Terp hater or anything but I just want to know can my Hoyas get some more love...

 

[al3xis]

I'm not from the area but I'm well aware of that problem, the Post gives them no love and the Times axed Barker Davis who was the only worth while reporter from the Hoyas.

I'm sure the media has never really been a fan of the Thompson family and the UMD reach is greater in the area.

 

[downyboy]

Madman4Life - Good to see theres another hoya fan on NT. To be honest, I don't really care for the lack of coverage the Hoyas receive in the DMV. It would be nice for this area to embrace the team, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter to me.

As for last night's game...

Anyone have an idea what the game plan was for beating the zone in the first half? I sure as hell couldn't figure it out. How 'bout a little high-low post play, how 'bout attacking it head on. Enough with the playing hot potato around the three point line. However, the offensive scheme wasn't really why we fell back so much, in addition to not being able to buy a bucket the team came out flat. The first half was very similar to the UConn game where we didn't realize we needed to get back on defense or the team would just out run us and get buckets at will.

Eren Andrews is fire. wow.

Anyone know what Wright and Rautins were saying to each other when they got the double T?

Glad we made a comeback, wish we would have pulled it out, but F' a moral victory.

Allen- Who was the Dematha guy behind the Gtown bench?

 

[downyboy]

good read:


[h2]Inside the Bracket: The Hoyas' handle[/h2][h3]Georgetown has to take better care of the ball if it expects to go deep in March[/h3]

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By Mike Hume
ESPN Insider
Archive

We are …

AP Photo/Kevin RivoliGreg Monroe and the Hoyas need to hang on to the ball if they expect to beat Cuse this time.

… Georgetown!

Thecelebratory call-and-response rang through the rafters of the Hoyas'home court after they downed Duke, and again after they hung 103 pointson Villanova, praising the squad that had so expertly dismantled two ofthe nation's top teams.

So here's the question: If thatwas Georgetown, who the heck is this team that has gagged on home gamesagainst South Florida and Old Dominion, then succumbed on the road atRutgers?

With March rapidly approaching and a game againstanother elite team on tap Thursday -- rival Syracuse -- the present isthe perfect time to sort out the Hoyas' schizophrenic swings.

A quick glance at Georgetown's Kenpom.com profilegives a few clues to the Hoyas' Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hide-your-eyes act.Though the Hoyas are known for their efficient offensive sets andhigh-quality looks at the hoop -- No. 4 in effective field goalpercentage -- they've also squandered scores of opportunities to, well,score.

This season, Georgetown has turned the ball over anaverage of 14.7 times per game, ranking them 222nd in D-I in thatcategory. Per Ken Pomeroy, every five times the Hoyas bring the ball upthe court, they give it back once.

This Achilles' heelhamstrung the Hoyas in their first meeting with the Orange. Georgetowncoughed up the ball 19 times, 13 of those coming off of Syracusesteals. That latter number is important for two reasons. The first isthat Jim Boeheim's boys specialize in pilfering the ball, as the No. 4team in steal percentage. The second is that the steals often lead tohigh-percentage transition baskets, a factor alluded to by the factonly one other team (Illinois) is better than Syracuse at avoidingblocked shots. Kinda tough to swat a shot if your players are stillstanding on the other side of the court when Scoop Jardine is laying it in.

Those fast-break buckets are particularly important for junior F Wesley Johnson,who has struggled of late, particularly in half-court offensive sets.According to ESPN Stats & Information's Nicholas Loucks, despiteJohnson's status as a likely All-America selection, he is the Orange'sworst option when he's isolated in the offensive end.

[h4]Fewest points per play while isolated[/h4]
Min. 10 plays, according to Synergy Sports Tech
[table][tr][th=""]Player[/th][th=""]Plays[/th][th=""]Pts/Play[/th][th=""]FG[/th][th=""]FG%[/th][/tr][tr][td]Wesley Johnson[/td][td]35[/td][td]0.83[/td][td]9-27[/td][td]33.3[/td][/tr][tr][td]Scoop Jardine[/td][td]44[/td][td]0.89[/td][td]14-35[/td][td]40.0[/td][/tr][tr][td]Kris Joseph[/td][td]27[/td][td]1.07[/td][td]8-17[/td][td]47.1[/td][/tr][tr][td]Brandon Triche[/td][td]27[/td][td]1.11[/td][td]9-21[/td][td]42.9[/td][/tr][/table]

Keeping Johnson's big imprint out of the box score is akey for any team looking to clip the Cuse, so limiting transition hoopsis a must for the Hoyas. But Georgetown will still have to bring its"A" game on D, something it hasn't always done this season.

It turns out the turnover trouble isn't the only thing tripping upGeorgetown. The team was more than 0.3 TOs over its season average inonly two of the Hoyas' six losses. And GU's TO percentage this season(21.

is only slightly worse than that of its 2008 team that won theBig East (21.1 percent), and better than its 2007 Final Four team (22.0percent).

What is worse has been its inconsistentcommitment to defense. That '08 squad finished as the nation's top teamin effective field goal percentage (42.0), meaning clean looks at thehoop were few and far between for foes. This season GU is just 63rd,with that mark rising to 46.3 percent, just 2.5 percent better than theD-I average. In four of the Hoyas' six losses, their opponents haveshot a better percentage than their season average. In the other twogames, Marquette drained 12 3-pointers, while Villanova took 30 freethrows.

That mediocre teams like South Florida and Rutgershave been able to better their season shooting percentages againstGeorgetown paints a bull's-eye on a big weakness. Perhaps the Hoyasoverlooked those foes, instead concentrating on upcoming high-profilebattles. Perhaps the long grind of the Big East is catching up andsapping their intensity. Whatever the cause, the drop in defense isuncharacteristic of the boys in Blue and Gray.

Since JohnThompson III's father stalked the sidelines, suffocating defense wasthe Hoyas' calling card. It's who they are. If the Hoyas want to dancedeep into March, they'll need to regain their die-hard defensiveidentity.

 

[al3xis]

Not sure? Didnt get a glance. Possibly Hopkins, maybe Cook. if not it'd be a young kid.


I was sick to see how they came out last night. You have 4 days off after Rutgers and come out like that against your rival? Disgusting.

III just cant beat the zone. zone offense is so far away from his stuff that it is just a horrible clash and if we dont shoot lights out, it's a struggle.

And you HAVE to foul with only a 6 second difference. Awful.

BUT, we can win a game like that if we DEFEND. Like what happened in the 2nd half. That article is spot on, if these guys want to be better than this, it starts on that end.

This team is incredibly frustrating. They only played for 10 minutes last night and almost beat one of the top teams in the country.

They just are not consistent. Game to game, half to half.

If they can go win @ Louisville they can salvage a good seed. But I have no expectations.

* And Vee looks capable to me, why cant he give Chris a 2 minute breather each half? I hope last night bought him some more time.

 

[al3xis]

okay , it was Hopkins and Jerami Grant among others. But no Cook.

–Jerami Grant, 6-6 rising sophomorewing, DeMatha: The youngest of former Washington Bullet Harvey Grant’stwo sons on the team (an older brother, Jerai, is a DeMatha alum andnow plays at Clemson,where his uncle Horace, of Bulls and Magic fame, went to school) isstill a pup, but his length, sweet shooting stroke and athleticism bodewell for the future.

Cook really is not needed if they feel they can land Johnson. Makes it easier since Cook seems to have little interest in ending up a Hoya.

 

[downyboy]

Dematha guy looked like an older light skinned guy. He was wearing a Nats hat and Dematha basketball varsity jacket. During half time he was talking to 2 guys in suits that looked like retired mafia guys. hahah

Vee definitely looks more than capable. Doesn't seem rattled by defense and looks like he has control of what he wants to do. Would be nice to see more of him in the next month.

 

[DeadsetAce]

Originally Posted by Al3xis

They only played for 10 minutes last night

They just are not consistent. Game to game, half to half.

 

[im not you]

Lil Jerami is the real #*!$+#% deal. Gonna be way better than his brothers.

 

[al3xis]

god knows they need more size on the wing.

Love the 3 guards that are playing but damn it's small. And Hollis really shouldn't get time the time he does at the 4.

IDK if III realizes his best teams had 4 or even in 07, 5 guys 6'8 and over in the rotation. He may not like it on offense but it pays off on the other end.

 

[madman4life]

Originally Posted by DownyBoy

Madman4Life - Good to see theres another hoya fan on NT. To be honest, I don't really care for the lack of coverage the Hoyas receive in the DMV. It would be nice for this area to embrace the team, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter to me.

Thanks DownyBoy, yeah I've been a G-Town fan since I was a kid (was born in 1980) my brother who is 10 years older than me was a huge Gtown fan during the 80s which is what made me follow them.  I also attended Georgetown Basketball camp in the early 90s and I had a chance to meet John Thompson II, Pat Ewing, and Alonzo.  I even watched a 5 on 5 scrimage featuring Zo (in college) v.s. Pat Ewing and other current and former Gtown players.  Ironically enough it was during the same time when Mutombo was drafted and that night all of us sat in McDonough Gym gym and watched as Mutombo was drafted by the Nuggets, the memories...  John Thompson II is one of the most personable folks I have ever met. 





  

 

[DeadsetAce]

good bump, man


big game tonight. louisville been playing well lately and we could show up with one of two squads. it'll be a tough one on the road.


uconn got a big win last night. only a game and half back

 

[al3xis]

I dont expect much right. Other than finishing out 10-8 and ending up a 4 seed and getting an early exit.

They can change the direction of how things go tonight, but it's not an easy task.

The Rutgers loss really %@@##! them.

 

[DeadsetAce]

i mean even if we blow louisville out by 20 tonight, we're likely to come back and lay an egg against ND on saturday. although i like our chances against ND since it's a saturday game

 

[al3xis]

Decent chance Harangody will still be out, so that would help

 

[downyboy]

all i ask is 40 minutes of 100% effort at this point.

[h2]Coaching legacy: The John Thompsons[/h2]http://sports.espn.go.com...tory?page=johnson/100223

 

[al3xis]

[h2]http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/02/23/moses-abraham-to-decide-soon/[/h2]

[h2]Moses Abraham to Decide Soon
Posted on Feb 23, 2010 1:46 pm[/h2]
Moses Abrahamhas only been in this country for three months since arriving fromNigeria the day before Thanksgiving, but he’s already in very highdemand.

A 6-foot-9, 237-pound power forward with a 7-3 wingspan, Abrahamplays for Temple Hills (Md.) Progressive Christian. His advisor, Joe Boncore, said Abraham is in the Class of 2011 but will go to school in the fall of 2010 after picking a school in two weeks.

“He’s going to make his decision the first week of March. He’s gotabout six schools that’s he’s narrowed his list down to,

 

[lmbassclown]

GU VS L'VILLE GAME PREVIEW (THANKS, ESPN.COM)

hile Georgetown boasts a lofty ranking and appears to be playing for a high seed in the NCAA tournament, only recently has Louisville started to look like a team that will even be part of the field of 65.

What the Cardinals have unquestionably done is make a move in the Big East.

A three-game winning streak has Louisville in fifth place in perhaps the nation's toughest league, while the 11th-ranked Hoyas come into Tuesday's meeting at Freedom Hall looking to avoid a third straight loss and pull even with Rick Pitino's club.

Georgetown (18-7, 8-6) has won six of its nine games against ranked opponents, but it's also tripped up twice this month against Rutgers and South Florida, two of the conference's bottom-feeders.

The Hoyas have lost back-to-back tight games against very different opposition. The first was a stunner, a 71-68 loss to the Scarlet Knights on Feb. 14, while the latest -- 75-71 at home to then-No. 5 Syracuse on Thursday -- was easier to stomach.

Georgetown fell behind the Orange by as many as 23 points in the second half before pulling within one in the final minutes, but couldn't escape with a win despite 61 points from Greg Monroe, Chris Wright and Austin Freeman.

"After a loss there is nothing but misery and pain, but I'm proud of how our guys responded," coach John Thompson III said. "In no way does this program, this team, believe in moral victories. But I'm just proud of our guys."

While Thompson may have been encouraged by the comeback, he can't be pleased with his team's falling position in the Big East standings. Georgetown was 6-2 within the conference Jan. 23, but has gone 2-4 since to fall into a tie for sixth place.

The Hoyas have one game against an NCAA tournament shoo-in -- No. 8 West Virginia -- and three against teams fighting to get into the field -- Louisville, Notre Dame and Cincinnati.

"We have to go on the road against a very good (Louisville) team and we have to try to get a win," Thompson said. "(Losing) is misery and pain, you know, we can't get stuck, we can't wallow in that, because the next opponent will always be a good opponent.

The Cardinals (18-9, 9-5), however, seem to be working their way off the bubble and in to the tournament.

Pitino's team has won three in a row and five of six, starting with a monumental 66-60 win at Syracuse on Feb. 14. A thrilling double-overtime victory over Notre Dame followed Wednesday, and Louisville earned its ninth conference win by knocking off DePaul 68-59 on Saturday.

The surge couldn't have come at a better time. While the Cardinals appear to have solidified their case as a tournament team, their remaining schedule is daunting. After hosting Georgetown, they'll travel to Connecticut and Marquette before closing the regular season -- and the doors on Freedom Hall -- against Syracuse.

"Before the season, I thought 10 (conference) wins would get us (to the NCAA tournament), and I thought 11 would guarantee it," Pitino said. "It's going to be a fun stretch, but right now we're focused on Georgetown."

The game's best battle will likely come in the low post between a pair of sophomore big men. Louisville's Samardo Samuels has averaged 17.2 points this month -- including a career-high 36 at Notre Dame -- while Georgetown's Greg Monroe has averaged 18.7 points in his last six games.

Samuels and Monroe each had 10 points in Louisville's 76-58 win at the Verizon Center on Feb. 23, 2009.

 

[al3xis]

I'd start Sanford this half over Chris, straight up.

Leave Hollis out there, too.

Vaughn and Clark were 2 consistent contributors early this year even when not scoring, right now they're just worthless.

And can anyone on this identify their strengths and weaknesses besides Austin? Greg you can't make a 15 ft shot, stop taking them. Jason Clark can't finish at the rim, so please nobody give it to him there anymore.

Vee saves their butts at the end of the half with a steal after 2 blown layups and they come down and chuck a 3. Disgusting.

Lastly, PLAY SOME DEFENSE.

You got 20 minutes to decide where this season is going to end up. FIX IT.

 

[lmbassclown]

solid away win against a solid conference team. i liked what i saw in the second half. we came out on the court with a purpose, went on that 21-2 run and put them to sleep. another stellar effort from freeman. i

liked seeing monroe attack the rim, despite his finishing troubles. he finished with a double-double. good contributions from jerrelle (didnt know he could even spin to the hoop) and hollis. the hustle player of the

game award goes to vee sanford. despite his limited PT, the guy contributed every way he could..points, steals, rebounds. i liked what i saw. good things.

 

[al3xis]

Well, they fixed it.

- Austin Freeman. Wow. And the great thing about him is he knows exactly what are his limits and recognizes his strengths . Never a forced shot.

- Greg gave Samuels fits. Both ends. Just DUNK THE BALL! Enough with the mid range jumpers, he has good enough footwork to make his spin moves and up & unders that when 10 feet out, go to work. Dont settle for that shot. Credit to him for rebounding the ball, really all year long..but last night in particular, every board was his on the defensive glass.

- Kudos to the freshmen. They were vital, in particular the points they put on the board in the first half to stay right there. Big fan of Vee when he's been out there.

- Jason and Julian have got to get going again. Even if not scoring, they both have to be a presence. I still feel good every time Jason lets one go, and hit a big one last night. But it's a matter of finding scoring elsewhere, but that might not be fixable until the summer. Just need Julian to go up strong and be strong on both ends.

- Chris, I thought did a really nice job in the 2nd half. Him scoring, as noted after Cuse really is irrelevant, when you get contributions from Hollis, Vee and Jerrelle putting home that reverse lay in...it makes things a lot easier. It was never if Chris scores 10 we win, if he doesnt, we dont. But if any of the big 3 are not scoring and that is not picked up somewhere down the line, it will be a struggle. Chris broke the press with ease, and ran the team. It seems like with the fan base you have a lot of people that love Chris and will defend him to death, then another portion that are his detractors no matter what. I fall somewhere in between. And while obviously, I dont want him not to score the ball at all...that 2nd half was a lot closer to what he needs to be on a consistent basis.

- Lastly, DEFENSE AND REBOUNDING. Austin lit it up outa the half, but those 2 areas are what won the game in the end. Those stretches of not alowing anything were a staple for the past teams under III...it was nice to see one stretch like that on the road when it was needed. Want to see more of it now.

 

[lmbassclown]

allen, how would you rate this dude moses abraham? where do you think he would fit in the team's plans for the next couple years, with the possibility of greg leaving after this season, lubick coming next season, and with rakeem christmas and mikael hopkins in our recruiting mix?

 

[al3xis]

I don't know, he's really an unknown.

If they got him, I really wouldnt expect much of an impact. I think Vaughn, Lubick, and Benimon will have to take on most of the duties at the 4/5 and hopefully Sims can come along this summer. Probably Hollis will have to see a lot of time at the 4 next year, too.

But another body is definitely needed. If he can rebound and block shots in spurts to start with, I'd definitely welcome him.