THE OFFICIAL GEORGETOWN BASKETBALL SEASON THREAD

[lmbassclown]

really excited to see the team play. first chance i've gotten all season to see them, especially the freshmen. all i want to see is heart and seems like they've been showing it.

HOYAS, GET BIG.

 

[downyboy]

Go jayhawks.

 

[k3stacks]

Lets goooooo ^ & why you always root for the opposing team. I am confused

 

[al3xis]

-Has anyone figured out why Markel wasn't on the floor late last night? I love Greg's upside as much as anyone, but that wasn't a spot for him. (that said, I love that III loves Greg)

- Like that III was critical post game and paraphrasing..that we can't be using youth as an excuse. Overall we're very young, but when you have 2 SR's and a 3 1/2 year JR on the floor together, you're not THAT young.

- Nate..what did you work on this off-season? If he can't hit a face up jumper or at least ATTEMPT it..Otto will be coming for his job.

- On, Otto. That might is the most complete offensive forward III has had. He is not as athletic or the passer as Jeff and can't shoot the 3 as well as DaJuan...but mid-range, 3 ball, passing, handle..he has a LOT of tools. It's going to be fun to watch him grow. His instincts are great, he just plays. There is no thinking.

- I liked the game Markel played. Yeah, he dribbled it off his foot at a key spot, but other than that..I'll take that performance every time. Picked his spots nicely.

- We are a better shooting team than that, but %*@+...Get to the rim if it's not falling.

- The back door looks have just diminished so much since 04-07..and while the offense has been diversified it needs to be even more. I want more pick and roll and more isos with Hollis.

- Hollis Thompson is the best player on this team. Jason Clark and III need to accept it. Get him shots. lots of them.

- The different defensive looks are nice, and so is the press...but can we turn it up a bit? Time to stop pressing just to disrupt flow, but try to turn people over now.



Have to like the increased length and athleticism, better defense, effort, and the overall attitude. It's a fun group.


Take care of business today and let Mikael and Jabril really get their feet wet.

 

[lmbassclown]

this is really the first time in a long time that i can say that i'm not mad that we lost. we played a good Kansas team and stuck with them the whole game, made a late push and almost had it. glad to see a lot of the freshmen, especially otto, got to play. he was impressive. i think we can only continue to grow and get better.

clark, besides that big three in the final minutes and a couple drives to the basket, was typical. overly dependent on the three, forcing the shot rather than using the shot clock. clearly the three wasn't falling for us in the first half. like allen said, adjust and get to the rim.

let's whoop on chaminade and hit the beach. wooooooooo

 

[lmbassclown]

From ESPN.com...



Georgetown vs. Chaminade, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2/ESPN3): If Georgetown plays half as well as it did on Monday night, it will have no problem dismantling a scrappy but overmatched Chaminade team. (UCLA did so with ease in the second half, and the Bruins never looked remotely as impressive as the Hoyas.) There's a lot to like about these Hoyas already. Just three games into the season, John Thompson III has his team schooled in the nuances of the Princeton offense.

Former role player Hollis Thompson appears to have taken a leadership role on both sides of the ball; senior guard Jason Clark is a constant threat from beyond the arc; center Henry Sims is an excellent passer out of the high-low pivot; and freshman Otto Porter appears to have a very bright immediate future in D.C. The Hoyas simply have to make shots. They went 40 percent from the field and 29.2 percent from beyond the arc against Kansas. If they can avoid a letdown, expect the makes to come much more easily against the Silverswords.

 

[lmbassclown]

A closer look: Kansas 67, Georgetown 63
By Eamonn Brennan

Overview: As usual, ESPN analyst and American hero Bill Raftery said it best: "This good this early is impressive." He was talking about the quality of Maui's first-day finale, and he was entirely correct: Kansas and Georgetown played a brilliant 40 minutes Monday night. Both teams were tight, composed and clearly well-coached, and the Jayhawks were never comfortable in their 67-63 survival of a win.

Turning point: I'm not sure there was one, exactly. KU's biggest lead was six points, and the Hoyas steadfastly refused to go away. Georgetown had its chances in the final moments, however. Jason Clark hit a big 3 with 30 seconds remaining -- thanks to a clutch rebound by freshman Otto Porter -- that closed the Kansas lead to 65-63. But Georgetown's press couldn't turn the Jayhawks over, Travis Releford made his two free throws after a foul, and the Jayhawks' advantage lasted until the clock ticked to zero.

Why Kansas won: Its beautiful offense and well-drilled defense. The Jayhawks are always one of the best passing teams in the nation, and that trait was already on full display Monday night. Kansas moved the ball from side-to-side on the perimeter, creating creases in Georgetown's zone that led to open shots, penetrating drives or -- most frequently and most enjoyably -- thunderous Thomas Robinson dunks.

Why Georgetown lost: It never found its 3-point range. The Hoyas, like most Princeton-derivative teams, are at their best when everyone on the floor is a long-distance threat. Against Kansas, Georgetown made just seven of its 24 3-point field goal attempts, just 29.2 percent.

Star of the game: Thomas Robinson. There's a reason so many expect so much out of Robinson in his first year as a starter: He's a dominant force at the rim. His final line comprised 20 points on 7-for-14 from the field, 12 rebounds and two blocks. Five of those seven field goals, believe it or not, were dunks. The kid's a beast, folks.

What it means: Both teams have plenty of reason for optimism. For Kansas, the win is meaningful, but not nearly as much as the means by which it was achieved -- through gorgeous, pass-heavy offense and solid help-oriented defense. It means just as much for Georgetown, if not more; after losing Austin Freeman and Chris Wright to graduation this spring, the Hoyas were picked to finish No. 10 by the Big East coaches this preseason. That prediction deserves serious revision.

More observations: Robinson may be the most exciting player in the country. Even crazier is that he's just scratching the surface of his talent. The big man isn't great with the ball in his hands, he isn't an intuitive passer and he doesn't have much in the way of a traditional low-post game. Right now, he's simply very good at rim-running, rebounding and finishing with authority. Fortunately, Kansas is very good at utilizing its passing to get Robinson moving at the rim where he can catch the ball in easy scoring spots. But if he develops just a hint of polish, look out. He may well be unstoppable.

What’s next: Kansas moves forward to face UCLA in the second round, where it looks like an easy favorite to outwit and outplay the work-in-progress Bruins. Georgetown will have to settle for a trip to the consolation bracket, where it should easily handle Chaminade and move on to play the winner of Memphis-Tennessee. If the Hoyas bring this midseason form to the next two days of the tournament, they could well leave Maui with at least one quality win.

 

[lmbassclown]

GEORGETOWN VS. MEMPHIS GAME PREVIEW (courtesy of ESPN.com)


Memphis traveled all the way to the Maui Invitational only to end up playing a pair of teams that were already on its schedule.

The No. 8 Tigers will visit Georgetown later this season, but first these teams will meet for fifth place in this tournament Wednesday.

Memphis (2-1) is the second-highest ranked team in the field behind No. 6 Duke, but a quarterfinal loss Monday to No. 15 Michigan created an unusual set of circumstances as the Tigers faced Tennessee in a consolation game Tuesday.

Those in-state rivals will meet Jan. 4 in Memphis, and it figures to be even more highly anticipated after the Tigers pulled out a 99-97 double-overtime win.

Will Barton had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and brother Antonio Barton had 21 points and hit a big late jumper for the Tigers. Memphis blew a 16-point first-half lead and then came back after being down by four in the first overtime.

"In the first overtime, momentum swung to them," coach Josh Pastner said. "We got down four but again, we battled and we fought through and we found ways to get back and tie the game. And then going into the second overtime, again the same thing. We were down and we found a way to take the lead and made the plays we had to toward the end."

The Tigers got off to a strong start, building a 40-24 advantage on Antonio Barton's 3-pointer with 7:42 left in the opening half. The solid first half came after the disappointing 73-61 loss to the Wolverines.

"I was extremely proud of our guys to be able to come back. It's not easy to do that," Pastner said. "We lost a tough game yesterday morning, our psyche was a little down."

Georgetown (3-1), meanwhile, were also down after nearly upsetting No. 12 Kansas in a 67-63 loss in Monday's final quarterfinal. The Hoyas came back less than 24 hours later and routed Division II host Chaminade 88-61.

"I do think just having such a disappointing loss late last night followed by early morning, and we did feel the effects early," coach John Thompson III said. "I think we settled down a little bit, and now we have got to move on."

Jason Clark, Georgetown's only returning double-figure scorer, is establishing himself as the Hoyas' best player. Clark hit six 3-pointers and had a career-high 28 points.

"We fought well last night, so some guys are tired, some guys are hurting," Clark said. "But I think that's something that we've just got to play through."

These teams have met three of the previous four seasons, with the Hoyas winning the last two and set to host the Tigers on Dec. 22.

Georgetown's 86-69 win last season over Memphis may not mean much since Clark and Hollis Thompson are the only Hoyas starters returning from that game. The Tigers, meanwhile, have four starters back.

The Hoyas lead the all-time series, 8-2.

 

[al3xis]

that was a crap performance yesterday. careless, no defense. Quick turnaround from an emotional game and into an empty gym playing Chaminade is somewhat of an excuse, but still. Not crisp.

Henry and Nate have to step it up and do so immediately. no excuses for them.

Bowen can't get more than 5 minutes of scrub time while Jason and Hollis are still out there playing up 25? Really? Feel bad for the guy.


that said, I did like how the freshman looked again. Trying to be reasonable in expectations with Otto, but man..he can hoop.

 

[lmbassclown]

pretty good article written on Grantland about our game against Kansas...



More than 100 years ago, in the First Battle of Bull Run, the Union Army marched against Confederate troops in Northern Virginia. A painless Yankee victory was anticipated, and white-gloved society types from Washington, D.C., packed mince pies and mutton into their picnic baskets and headed out to watch battlefield action. This seems a gruesome form of recreation, but since we live in a time when audiences get lathered up for UFC and exchange WorldStarHipHop videos of dudes stomping each other into comas, we’ll reserve judgment on the entertainment value of bayonet disemboweling. Anyway, at Manassas, Union forces were repelled, their artillery guns were seized and retreating troops were cut down as they fled in terror. Roads back to Washington were cluttered with the carriages of the well-heeled day-trippers who had hoped for a leisurely afternoon of ham sandwiches and Rebel slaughter. The enduring lesson, for both sides, was that the Civil War was going to be a nastier, bloodier and more protracted affair than most ever imagined.

Comparing the Big East to the Union is problematic for any number of reasons (for starters, the conference includes universities in Southern states like South Florida). But the need to reevaluate expectations in the wake of a surprising rout is surely still applicable.

In last year's NCAA tournament, an underwhelming performance by the Big East was glossed over by Kemba Walker’s magnificent play and UConn’s eventual title. But it was a massacre. Going into the tournament, the Big East’s reputation as a crucible for elite basketball had reached new, perilous heights, and 11 teams littered the brackets. Then Louisville fell in the first round to Morehead State. Pittsburgh stumbled against Butler. Notre Dame, a two-seed, lost to Florida State. In all, nine of the teams were ousted without reaching the Sweet 16. The Huskies’ championship was a wedding night of vigorous sex following a reception where the multi-tiered cake was upended and the best man divulged the murder of a Latvian #%%$#* in his slurred toast.

Throughout this season’s early engagements, Big East teams have not done much to disprove critics who crow that the conference is overrated. A young St. John’s squad was defeated in close games against ranked Arizona and Texas A&M teams. Last night, Notre Dame was crushed by Missouri. Marquette required a last-second bailout in a harrowing 59-57 victory over Norfolk State. By midnight on the East Coast, only Georgetown — fittingly, the rugged spirit animal of Big East tenacity — stood in the way of another unhappy day on the battlefield.

The Hoyas are green. After losing three starters and a number of other contributors, the roster is awash with ten underclassmen. Only two seniors — Henry Sims and Jason Clark — play significant minutes, and the sixth and seventh men are both frosh. This mound of undifferentiated tissue might one day grow into a sharp-toothed creature, but it’s too soon to know whether it will devour goldfish or oxen. Last night, in the opening round of the Maui Classic, Georgetown was unequivocally the underdog against the Kansas Jayhawks, another young team with things to prove after being drubbed by Kentucky in Madison Square Garden.

Last week, I described Thomas Robinson, the muscular Jayhawk forward, as "refrigerator-shaped." This is inaccurate. More precisely, his chest is a refrigerator, his shoulders are iceboxes and his biceps are kegerators. Envision a spry Robocop. Robinson’s ability to seal off post defenders with his bulletproof hip means that whenever Kansas’ guards puncture the lane, they can just loft the ball in the area code of the rim and he’ll savagely mash it home. In last night’s game, at least half of Robinson’s 20 points came from dunks, all of them mean-spirited. It’s difficult to say if his physical dominance will continue on the professional level, but I love his game in the same way I loved Conrad McRae’s. He’ll yam on your head, punch your shot into another dimension and enthusiastically roar about these accomplishments the entire evening. Whenever he briefly leaves the court, Robinson quickly sidles up Kansas assistant coach Danny Manning and listens intently to whatever words of advice the Jayhawk legend offers. Hopefully he’s talking about being a collegiate superstar and not recommending arthroscopic knee surgeons.

Early on, with Robinson pile-driving dunks and sly Tyshawn Taylor raining 3-pointers, Georgetown looked badly outgunned. It wasn’t just the 32-23 lead; it was how the Jayhawks piled it up. With alley-oops and scalpel incisions into the paint, they dominated “Oh, %*$#!

 

[k3stacks]

Didnt see the game against chaminade. But i saw against Kansas & i was pleasantly suprised with how we played. Hoping we can keep that up against memphis

 

[downyboy]

Great trip to Maui. Despite his scoring, still think Clark needs to play more of a supporting role and vocal leader instead of the often seen trigger happy leader. He can't be the first option on this team and I think he played that in the second half today. (Love the kid, but I'm ready to see him go)

Sims being a "force" down low would be a great way for him to finish his career. Help us open the floor up if we can run our offense through him in the low post.

Nate with a disastrous stat line, and horrible start to the year...seems to have regressed.

Telling stat of the game is Porter playing 40mins, led in mins played.

Starks only 22mins? hmmm. Come on III. I want this guy on the court as much as possible. He's going to be the key for this group imo.

Can our transition defense be any worse? The amount of times we got dunked on this tourney should be some kind of record.

When do we get to see more Hopkins and Adams?

So does bowen make it to BE play or does he leave before then?

The long season ahead seems to hold some promise...

 

[al3xis]

Nate is terrible right now. Just awful.

I want more Starks, too. Think he's playing well and being a leader. If anything is good about him on the bench, it's that Greg is getting more time..so not too upset about it. And if today was because of foul trouble, that's okay. But the same thing happened against Kansas.

Agree on Clark, I've accepted he's not going to ever be the defender I wished. But he is stepping up on offense..but how long does that last? Regardless, great game from him.

Mikael should be an important piece going forward. With the way Otto and Henry were playing toddy and Memphis being a small team, not much room for him.


I love the freshmen. With a young team, today should be a nice morale boost. It was needed, don't want to leave there with a meaningless (literally) win over Chaminade.

 

[DeadsetAce]

pretty sweet win. obviously there's work to be done, but i can say i didn't expect results like this against teams like ku and memphis. to get a win against a top team tonight was great. i only caught pieces of the ku and cham games but was able to watch all of this one. some of my thoughts:

- agreed on nate. he looks lost out there half the time. a few times we had the ball and were moving it around well and then it gets into his hands and the flow dies.

- clark. it seems people don't care for his play much...but he NEEDS to perform and be out there if we're going to make some noise this year. he is the leader on this team. sims isn't going to be that guy, as well as he may be playing early on. but clark needs to find a balance between being a leader and trying to do too much.

- otto...i really like what i see. i hope he can keep improving game to game.

all in all, i expected us to be a lot worse, especially this early and against teams like ku and memphis. it'll be a fun year though it seems, and definitely exciting to the young group grow and come together some more.

 

[k3stacks]

Nate is garbage. 0 OFFENSE.

 

[lmbassclown]

Jay Bilas on our performance in Maui...


Hoya hype: John Thompson III greeted Bill Raftery and me by saying, "We are going to be good. When, I don't know yet. But, we are going to be good." He was right. And the Hoyas will be good sooner rather than later.

Georgetown is young but very long and athletic. Thompson has the Hoyas playing a bit differently, using more three-quarter court pressure and falling back into man-to-man or zone coverage. The length allows Georgetown to bother more passes and shots, getting deflections and changing shots. I was impressed with Jason Clark and Hollis Thompson, but I expected that. I also was impressed with Otto Porter, who has the chance to be really good, and with the improvement of Henry Sims, who is a very skilled passer. When asked how he found Porter, who hails from a small town in Missouri and did not play on the AAU circuit, Thompson slyly said, "Just great recruiting, getting out on the trail, beating the bushes and turning over every stone."



Can't say I disagree with what he says. Good things coming.

 

[downyboy]

http://insider.espn.go.com/college-...iting/player/evaluation/_/id/67418/nate-britt

Nate Britt (Washington, D.C./Gonzaga College), ESPN's No. 2 point guard in the class of 2013, is set to make his college decision on Tuesday evening according to various news outlets. The announcement will be made at Gonzaga High School's "Hoops Mania" event, writes Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com.

Britt will choose from five schools -- North Carolina, Maryland, Georgetown, Villanova and Arizona -- and has already visited them all.

A left-hander who is slight of build at 6-foot-1, 165 pounds, Britt is capable of playing in transition or in a halfcourt style offense. He is ESPNU's No. 15 recruit in 2013.

UPDATE: According to an update today by Aaron Cedeno of Phog.net, 2012 shooting guard Andrew White will likely make his college decision this week.

"To the best of my knowledge, this week is kind of where we're looking," said White's coach, Scott Willard. "It could be any day this week, but he hasn't narrowed it down. I guess later in the week because he hasn't narrowed it down yet."

Kansas and Georgetown could be the schools to beat for White, ESPNU's No. 51 recruit in 2012. He is also considering West Virginia, Texas and North Carolina State.

---​

The early signing period came and went without prized 2012 shooting guard Andrew White signing with a school.

According to Gary Bedore of KUSports.com, though, a decision may have already been made and an announcement could come at a family gathering later this month.

White is considering Kansas, West Virginia, Texas, North Carolina State and Georgetown, and from what we've read it appears that the Jayhawks and Hoyas may be the schools to beat.

We'll keep you posted on White's recruitment when more information is available.

 

[lmbassclown]

Gonzaga G Britt expected to pick North Carolina
By Josh Barr

Gonzaga All-Met junior guard Nate Britt is expected to announce Tuesday night he has accepted a scholarship offer from North Carolina .


Nate Britt is set to end his recruiting process Tuesday night, with North Carolina the apparent pick. Multiple basketball sources said that Britt chose the Tar Heels’ scholarship over offers from Maryland, Georgetown, Villanova and Arizona, the other schools that the dynamic point guard also considered.

Nate Britt Sr. and Gonzaga Coach Steve Turner said they were unaware of Britt’s choice.

Britt, who is 6 feet 1, averaged 13.6 points and 5.2 assists last season, leading Gonzaga to the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship game. He is considered a terrific leader, capable of scoring himself and setting up teammates for easy baskets.

Britt visited North Carolina in September, then went back to Chapel Hill for Midnight Madness. Tar Heels Coach Roy Williams twice visited Gonzaga to watch Britt in early-morning workouts.

 

[al3xis]

^ good news in reality. Was always going to UNC or Duke and now III and Co. can move on. Rysheed Jordan should be their #1 priority for PG. At this might force them to make that the case.



at least Nate got going tonight. 14 and boards and 5 assists is a good step forward. If he's not scoring, have to get involved elsewhere.

Would have been nice to blow them out early and get more run for young guys, but at least they buckled down and distanced themselves out of half-time and Young goes from 16 at half to remaining at 16 at the end of the game. Will be plenty of time to clear the bench vs American, Howard and NJIT. IUPUI's a little different from the rest of the cupcakes, they're a little closer to a solid mid-major..so just glad to get through it. 


Thursday night is a great test for this team and should prove to be helpful win or lose. But a win would be really, really nice.

 

[downyboy]

Second half adjustments were great.

Still think Clark and Hollis have too much of a "get mine" attitude that is really not helping the team develop as much as it could be. Nice to see Nate bounce back with a solid rebounding performance but the guy just can't buy a bucket around the rim.

 

[lmbassclown]

and another solid all-around stat line from otto. 6 points, 7 rebounds (4 offensive), 4 assists and a steal in 26 minutes.

looking forward to tomorrow's game vs Bama. big test, we have everything to gain from it.

 

[lmbassclown]

GU VS BAMA GAME PREVIEW (ESPN.com)



Alabama is off to its best start in five years thanks in large part to its defense, but it hasn't faced an opponent that could pose as difficult of a challenge as its next one.

The 12th-ranked Crimson Tide host Georgetown on Thursday night in the Big East/SEC Challenge.

Alabama improved to 7-0 after defeating Virginia Commonwealth 72-64 on Sunday. JaMychal Green returned after missing the previous game with a hip bruise and finished with season highs of 21 points and 14 rebounds while Tony Mitchell scored 13 points.

The Tide forced nine turnovers in the second half after trailing by one at the break. They finished the game on a 12-4 run over the final four minutes.

"During the last four or five minutes of the game, our guys really stepped it up on the defensive end," coach Anthony Grant said.

Grant has placed a big emphasis on defense and it's paid off. His team is giving up 52.6 points per game while allowing teams to shoot 32.0 percent -- both of which rank among the top 10 in Division I.

Alabama is looking to win its first eight games for the first time since opening the 2002-03 season at 9-0.

Green and Mitchell are a big factor defensively, averaging 8.0 and 7.6 rebounds, respectively, along with a combined 3.0 blocks. The Tide's inside game, however, could face a much tougher challenge from Georgetown's bigger lineup.

The Hoyas start three players 6-foot-8 or taller, including 6-10 center Henry Sims, who is averaging 13.5 points, 5.8 boards and 1.5 blocked shots.

"They have the ability to put four guys 6-8 or bigger on the floor together," Grant said. "Any time you look at a team with that kind of size and skill, you certainly have to pay attention."

Grant's biggest concern is on the glass. Alabama has been outrebounded only once, but it's giving up 14.1 offensive boards per game -- though that number is at least partially inflated by its opponents' many missed shots.

The Hoyas (5-1), however, might be able to take advantage. They're averaging 82.0 points -- among the top 25 in the nation -- and have three players scoring in double figures, led by senior guard Jason Clark (17.0 points per game).

Georgetown has won three straight and picked up votes in this week's AP Poll. It is 1-1 against ranked opponents, suffering a 67-63 loss to then-No. 14 Kansas on Nov. 21 at the Maui Invitational before defeating then-No. 8 Memphis 91-88 in overtime two days later.

The Hoyas returned from Hawaii and beat IUPUI 81-58 on Monday. Hollis Thompson finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds while Sims added 14 points.

Georgetown shot 57.1 percent in the second half after taking a one-point lead into the break. Coach John Thompson III said the key to the turnaround, though, was his team's defensive improvement.

"We weren't getting enough stops or rebounds to start talking about our transition offense," Thompson said. "Once we got stops and rebounds, then we do want to get out (and run)."

The Hoyas have three new starters, including Sims, but they appear to be adjusting quickly. They are also getting impressive play off the bench -- particularly from 6-8 freshman Otto Porter, who is averaging 9.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals.

Georgetown beat Alabama 70-60 in 2007 to even the all-time series at two apiece.

 

[DeadsetAce]

sweet win

would have a been a bad loss if we blew that one. sims and clark big time tonight. i almost lost my !!+% when hollis shot that ball...but eff it, not gonna complain now.

 

[k3stacks]

BULLDOGGIN $*@@ LIKE THEM GEORGETOWN HOYAS! I ALREADY LIKE THIS TEAM MORE THEN LAST YEAR. OUR DEFENSE IS REALLY GOOD & I LOVE OUR FRESHMAN. OUR FUTURE LOOKS GOOD

 

[al3xis]

Henry is the difference right now. Yikes.

If Nate can just get his head out of his $%! and play to LAST year's level..this team can get a lot better.

Thought Whittington's 3 ball in the middle of the 2nd half was huge.


Awesome win.

Clark was a little sloppy with the ball late, but got to hand it to that guy. He is stepping up on offense.