THE OFFICIAL GEORGETOWN BASKETBALL SEASON THREAD

[lmbassclown]

GEORGETOWN VS ST. JOHN'S PREVIEW (courtesy of ESPN.com)


A pair of losses to St. John's in March contributed to Georgetown's collapse in 2008-09. Opening Big East play against the Red Storm gives the Hoyas achance to erase any bad memories from those defeats.

The 13th-ranked Hoyas look to exact a measure of revenge when they host St. John's on Thursday night.

Georgetown was ranked as high as No. 9 in the country last season but would lose 12 of its last 16, falling twice to St. John's in its last four games. TheRed Storm had only two other wins in their final 13 games of the season.

St. John's defeated the Hoyas 59-56 in overtime March 3 and beat them 64-59 seven days later in the first round of the Big East tournament. Georgetown hadwon the previous five meetings.

This season, Georgetown has jumped out to a 9-1 start while St. John's has opened 10-2, with one of those losses coming at then-No. 6 Duke on Dec. 5.

The Hoyas won their first eight before falling 61-57 to Old Dominion on Dec. 19. They rebounded by beating Harvard 86-70 last Wednesday, getting a career-high34 points from Chris Wright and 16 points and 16 rebounds from Greg Monroe.

Wright, a 6-foot-1 junior guard, shot 13 for 21 and had six rebounds, four assists and a career-best six steals. He scored 21 of his points in the second half.

"I don't even think I was looking for my shot today. I just think I was being aggressive and trying to make plays," Wright said. "Idon't think I was really trying to force anything. I was just playing in the flow of the game. I got opportunities today, and luckily I capitalized onthem."

Junior guard Austin Freeman matched his career best with 21 points and is one of four players averaging at least 11.1 points for Georgetown. Monroe leads theway with 15.3 per game while Wright is scoring 13.9 a contest.

The Red Storm's top scorer is junior swingman D.J. Kennedy, averaging 16.7 points. He had a game-high 18 last Wednesday in an 80-44 win over winless Bryantof the Northeast Conference.

St. John's is hoping Paris Horne continues his recent strong play after a dismal beginning to the season. The junior guard is averaging 9.0 points andshooting 40.4 percent from the field after leading the team with 14.6 points per game -- 16.4 in conference play -- in 2008-09.

Horne scored a season-high 16 against Bryant and is averaging 11.5 points over his last four games after going six straight without reaching double figures.He's 9 for 15 from 3-point range in the last three.

"It feels good. I knew it would happen sooner or later," said Horne, who averaged 19.5 points in last season's wins over Georgetown. "I juststayed with it, stayed in the gym and just kept shooting. That's all."

The Hoyas have won their last seven conference openers while St. John's has dropped five of its past six. The Red Storm have lost four in a row atGeorgetown since Jan. 18, 2003.

 

[lmbassclown]

let's get some revenge tonight.

feliz ano nuevo to all.

 

[al3xis]

Chris turning a corner into being a true pg

no days off in conference, gota keep Koshwal off the glass today.

 

[DeadsetAce]

yeah i hope he continues to just take charge out there. todays game is at a bad time for me, right during the pats game. hope espn 360 is up and running lagfree for me today

 

[lmbassclown]

GU VS DEPAUL GAME PREVIEW (THANKS ESPN.COM)

Georgetown won 10 of its first 11 games last season, but the post-New Year's Day portion of its schedule was a major disappointment as the Hoyas slippedout of the rankings and the NCAA tournament picture.


After starting this season the same way, 13th-ranked Georgetown is hoping to avoid a similar collapse, and a visit to lowly DePaul on Sunday could be a goodway to open 2010.

The Hoyas (10-1, 1-0 Big East) closed the 2008 calendar year with a 74-63 win over then-No. 2 Connecticut, improving to 10-1 and reaching No. 11 in the APpoll.

But they went 6-14 after Jan. 1, a stumble Georgetown's players insist won't happen again.

"You keep going back to last year. This is a whole different year," junior Chris Wright said.

Wright will certainly be looking for more of the same in the new year after leading the Hoyas to victories in their last two games following an upset loss toOld Dominion.

The guard followed a career-best 34-point performance against Harvard with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting in a 66-59 win over St. John's on Thursday.

The Hoyas' other two leaders, sophomore Greg Monroe and junior Austin Freeman, each scored 15 points Thursday as Georgetown won its Big East opener. Theteam went 7-11 in conference play in 2008-09 after compiling a 28-6 record in the league over the previous two seasons.

"Once league play starts, you're more familiar with your opponents. They know our personnel. Their guys knows us. We know them," coach JohnThompson III said. "They know what we're going to do. We know what they're going to do. ... There are no secrets."

Georgetown hasn't been able to hide the lack of production from its bench, which did not score a point against St. John's. The Hoyas' reserves areaveraging 9.5 points, among the bottom five of the nation's 347 Division I teams.

While plenty of challenges await the Hoyas in a conference that boasts five of the nation's top 13 teams, a visit to Allstate Arena isn't likely one ofthem. DePaul lost its 20th consecutive Big East regular-season game Monday, opening conference play with a 65-52 defeat at Pittsburgh.

The Blue Demons (7-6, 0-1) went winless in league play last season, although they did beat Cincinnati in the Big East tournament.

DePaul is led offensively by senior Will Walker (16.1 points per game) and junior Mac Koshwal (14.4), but the team is looking for improvement from newcomersMike Stovall and Eric Wallace.

Stovall, a junior college transfer, has as many field goals (25) as turnovers this season, and Wallace, a transfer from Ohio State, was 1 of 10 from the fieldagainst Pitt.

"Stovall and Wallace have to play better," coach Jerry Wainwright told DePaul's official Web site. "They have to rebound more, defend more,and they can't turn the ball over. They have to play at a higher level for us."

The Hoyas have won their last eight meetings with DePaul, including all four since the Blue Demons joined the Big East in 2005. Georgetown held them to 28.8percent shooting in a 48-40 victory March 7.

"They are one of the better defensive teams in the country," Wainwright said.

 

[jordanpp30]

Whoever is a Hoyas fan.

I got some complimentary passes to the Seton Hall, Rutgers, and Cincy game.

Hit me up if you want a few. I can mail them.

 

[al3xis]

Originally Posted by Al3xis

Chris turning a corner into being a true pg

3 straight great games. hope he continues. he's picking his spots and running the team very well.

good win all around, really have a solid group of 6. Henry and Benimon, did well today, and there will be a time there needed more this year. Sanford is juststuck behind 3 really good guards, 2 of whom are interchangeable between all the guard positions. (jason can't fall in love with the 3, he's too goodof an overall player)

21 assits on 24 makes, good stuff.

Defending and rebounding continue to be good.

But Depaul sucks, marquette on the road should be a very good test.

 

[DeadsetAce]

only could watch on gamecast

 

[downyboy]

Good way to start the year.

Still very cautious on getting excited about this team.

Wright is coming into his own, however, he needs to assert himself even more...especially against zones. I feel when teams hit us with the zone he tends tofade to the wing and not penetrate as he should.

Freeman smooth as usual. Still needs to step up when wright/monroe are on the bench.

Vaughn is improving even more. Not forcing shots as he was earlier on in the season.

Monroe being more assertive and willing to take shots is great, also forcing less bad shots in comparison to earlier in the year.

Not sure why Hollis is getting so much love from some of these announcers. Sure hes been good coming off the bench, but I expected more explosiveness from him.He still looks timid when handling the ball. That baseline drive is something we need to see more of.

We need to figure out a way for these bench players, mainly Thompson and Sims to give us consistent impactful minutes. Right now it seems that whenever WrightOR Monroe go to the bench, our offense is stagnant and no one wants to take a shot.

Most importantly, this team needs to pass the ball into the post. A post pass doesn't necessarily mean you're going to try to score from there but itmakes the D shift and collapse on post players which can open up lanes and shots for wing guys. . I've seen too many wing guys pass up on post passes.

This week poses a couple good tests for this team @ Marquette then home to Conn. should be a good week to gauge on where this team is headed.

 

[al3xis]

I think with Hollis, he's just out there trying to not mess up...which he's done a very good job of, but you're right...he has the ability to bemore. I think he will step it up a bit.


and Austin, i agree..i'd love to see him want to score relentlessly. he's capable

 

[downyboy]

Didn't want to start off the season with JT3 bashing but...this quote from the SJU game caught my eye

"In the course of the game, I'm not sure of who's scoring," Thompson said. "I'm focused on who's getting the right shots. The last game, when he was scoring all those points, I didn't realize it until I was standing in the locker room looking at the stat sheet."
Reaaaaallly? You mean to tell me you're not watching 1 player dominate the opposing team? Or maybe those layups Wright was getting against SJUwere not the "right shots", c'mon man. There was no reason to bench him while he was on that run, unless he was tired and wanted to be taken out.

 

[al3xis]

you know he's lying though. everyone knew Chris was going off against Harvard

that's just him. 'who scores is irrelevant'

There was no reason to bench him while he was on that run, unless he was tired and wanted to be taken out.
against SJU?

 

[downyboy]

^yup. happened around the 15minute mark when wright took over and pushed the lead from 2 to 11 in a matter of minutes. then was benched. SJU made a comeback. Iswear JT3 doesn't know how to go for the jugular sometimes.

play by play. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/playbyplay?gameId=293650046

 

[al3xis]

Gota use our size to its advantage tonight.

Julian could be a key if he can stay outa foul trouble against Butler/Hayward


Rebound, defend and take good care of the ball.

Big test.

 

[DeadsetAce]

how is this not on more than just MASN tonight...rutgers messing up everything on sny

 

[downyboy]

lets go golden eagles.

 

[lmbassclown]

GU VS MARQUETTE PREVIEW (thanks ESPN.com)

The Big East looks strong again, and there won't be any arguments about that from Marquette. Georgetown, though, is still waiting to be tested.

The Golden Eagles continue a difficult opening stretch to conference play Wednesday night when they host the No. 12 Hoyas, who were swept by Marquette lastseason.

The Big East had three top seeds in the NCAA tournament and two teams reach the Final Four in 2009. This season, six teams are ranked in the Top 25 andMarquette (9-5, 0-2) may have the toughest run of games to start league play with four straight against ranked opponents.

The Golden Eagles have never began 0-3 in Big East play as they try to shake off two difficult losses. They fell 63-62 on a last-second shot to then-No. 6 WestVirginia on Dec. 29 and had their Big East home opener spoiled by then-No. 8 Villanova in a 74-72 loss on another late shot.

"We can get better, or we can get bitter," coach Buzz Williams said.

Marquette has been hampered by poor late-game foul shooting in both losses. Darius Johnson-Odom and Jimmy Butler each missed the front end of 1-and-1opportunities before Da'Sean Butler's winning basket at West Virginia.

Johnson-Odom missed a pair and Lazar Hayward made 1 of 2 down the stretch against Villanova.

"If we keep working the way we're working, something has to give, something has to change," Hayward said. "We can't keep working as hardas we are, and things like this keep happening."

Georgetown (11-1, 2-0) is having an easier start within the Big East with its first three opponents 0-6 in conference play to this point. The Hoyas are tryingto sweep a two-game road trip after an easy 67-50 win over DePaul on Sunday.

Chris Wright scored 18 and Austin Freeman had 17 for the Hoyas, who had four players in double figures and shot a season-high 57.1 percent.

"We just tried to outplay them, outwork them," Freeman said. "It was just something our whole team was focused on."

The Hoyas went 3-6 in Big East road games a season ago as part of a 7-11 record. It was a major reason Georgetown failed to reach the NCAA tournament for thefirst time in four years.

"This is the Big East. To get a road win is as good as it gets," coach John Thompson III said. "I think we will get better and that's partof it."

Wright is one of the hottest players in the conference, averaging 24.3 points on 64.3 shooting during the Hoyas' three-game win streak. Freeman isaveraging 17.7 points on 56.8 percent shooting in that span.

The guards have taken the pressure off center Greg Monroe, who has been the focal point of defenses and is averaging 12.5 points through two conference games.

The Hoyas lost both meetings to the Golden Eagles last season despite shooting 53.6 percent. Marquette shot 56 free throws compared to 24 for Georgetown.

 

[lmbassclown]

tonight's our first real Big East test. hope we're ready for it. gotta stay hungry, stay focused, as biggie once said. hoping to see contributions fromeveryone and another smooth game from wright. another revenge case after last season's two losses. make the passes, get the boards, get inside, stay hotfrom the perimeter, limit turnovers, and jt3, don't sub out wright when he's got the hot hand in the dice game.

 

[DeadsetAce]

espn 360 is basically worthless

 

[al3xis]

Originally Posted by DeadsetAce

espn 360 is basically worthless

how the #%#$ does that blackout come into effect out here? we are NOT IN WISCONSIN

 

[DeadsetAce]

seriously

 

[downyboy]

sloppy play so far. intensity slowing picking up. turnovers are horrible. vaughn getting alot of buckets rolling off screens.

 

[downyboy]

how many times must we get beat for a three while playing zone before JT3 realizes it?

 

[DeadsetAce]

cool game, bros

 

[downyboy]

Freeman finally asserts himself and when he does Wright fades away. Although that was a good shot by Freeman at the end of the game I would have like to seewright take his man off dribble penetration and either take the shot or create an easy bucket for someone else.

Monroe laid a dud. He was careless and soft with the ball.

JT3 kept going to that zone even though we kept getting beat deep with it.

Blame this loss on Monroe and JT3. I was pissed last night, no reason we should have lost that game even with Marquette shooting 3pters like that.