GEORGETOWN BASKETBALL THREAD

[downyboy]

Originally Posted by lnMyMind

That obvious? or did I mention that last season?

With Wallace leaving the most important piece in my mind would be Wright, in addition to him not really being suited for JT3s system.

 

[DeadsetAce]

Originally Posted by DownyBoy

Originally Posted by lnMyMind

That obvious? or did I mention that last season?

With Wallace leaving the most important piece in my mind would be Wright.

yeah....and you said it'd surprise you now if he left. and i think it's clear that wright has a chance to take ownership of this team nextyear

 

[lnmymind]

Originally Posted by DeadsetAce

Originally Posted by DownyBoy

Originally Posted by lnMyMind

That obvious? or did I mention that last season?

With Wallace leaving the most important piece in my mind would be Wright.

yeah....and you said it'd surprise you now if he left. and i think it's clear that wright has a chance to take ownership of this team next year

Yeah I think now he SHOULD feel entrenched enough within the overall plan while still feeling like he can still get out and do his thing...andthat's something I don't think he envisioned during last season.

This team really can't afford any transfers next year...especially if Summers leaves.

 

[al3xis]

Chris shouldn't leave this has become his team IMO.

Nice to see we're hard after Latavious Williams...he's PEJR/Jerome Williams with more ability offensively.

Roscoe Davis is good cause of size, too.

It's been nice to see Keith Stevens behind the bench in all hoya gear this whole year. That New Nike Team Takeover relationship can only bring goodthings

.

 

[al3xis]

On Vee Sanford..

GTOWN was in the house to watch him go for 31 yesterday. they want him to visit after the season. he has had a good senior season. kentucky wants him to prep.UVA, charlotte also involved.


He's a 6'3 two guard...rumors that we'd offer in the spring when he visits.

2 guard can shoot and handle it.

 

[al3xis]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, Helvetica]Georgetown Basketball: Pre-Game Report�[/font]

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[table][tr][td] [table][tr][td]Villanova (23-5)[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Coach: Jay Wright
(Bucknell '83)
8th season, 171-88
Career: 293-173
AP: #10
RPI: 10[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Expected Starters:[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Name[/td] [td]Ht.[/td] [td]Pts.[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Scottie Reynolds[/td] [td]6-2[/td] [td]15.4[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Reggie Redding[/td] [td]6-5[/td] [td]7.0[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Dwayne Anderson[/td] [td]6-6[/td] [td]7.9[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Shane Clark[/td] [td]6-7[/td] [td]5.3[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Dante Cunningham[/td] [td]6-8[/td] [td]16.4[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Team Stats:[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Points/Game:[/td] [td]77.4[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Points Allowed:[/td] [td]66.8[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FG Shooting:[/td] [td]46.4[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FG Defense[/td] [td]40.1[/td] [/tr][tr][td]3FG Shooting:[/td] [td]36.2[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FT Shooting:[/td] [td]73.9[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Rebounds/Game[/td] [td]37.5[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Assists/Game[/td] [td]14.8[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Turnovers/Game[/td] [td]13.3[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Last 5 Games (4-1)[/td] [/tr][tr][td]02/10: VU 102, Marq 84
02/13: WVa. 93, VU 72
02/19: VU 82, Rutg 72
02/22: VU 89, Syr 86
02/25: VU 74, DePaul 72
[/td] [/tr][/table][/td] [td] [table][tr][td]Quick Facts[/td] [/tr][tr][td]
[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Game 27: vs. Villanova University
February 28, 12:00 pm (EST), Wachovia Center
Tickets Available? Limited
TV: ESPN
GU Radio: WTEM-980
About The Wildcats:
Location: Villanova, PA
Enrollment: 6,200
Conference: Big East
Record vs. Georgetown: 27-38
Last Five Games to Date:
2006-07: VU 74, at GU 69
2006-07: GU 58, at VU 55
2006-07: GU 62, VU 57 (Big East Tourn.)
2007-08: at GU 55, VU 53
2007-08: GU 82, VU 63 (Big East Tourn.)
[/font]
[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Game Notes[/td] [/tr][tr][td][font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]--Villanova is 7-1 in February entering today's game, Georgetown 2-5.
--Villanova's senior class can tie a school record with its 95th victory in four years Saturday. Georgetown's record is 122 games, set by the class of 1987 (Reggie Williams).
--Georgetown is 10-9 in games played on February 28, 4-3 in the Big East era.[/font][/td] [/tr][tr][td]Conference Rankings[/td] [/tr][tr][td] [table][tr][td]Out of 16 Teams:[/td] [td]VU[/td] [td]GU[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Scoring[/td] [td]1st[/td] [td]11th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Defense[/td] [td]11th[/td] [td]6th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FG %[/td] [td]4th[/td] [td]6th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]3FG%[/td] [td]5th[/td] [td]10th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FT%[/td] [td]4th[/td] [td]7th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Rebounds[/td] [td]4th[/td] [td]15th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Rebound Margin[/td] [td]3rd[/td] [td]12th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Assists[/td] [td]8th[/td] [td]10th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Turn. Margin[/td] [td]5th[/td] [td]12th[/td] [/tr][/table][/td] [/tr][tr][td]Preview[/td] [/tr][tr][td]
[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Aside from fans and a few sportswriters who still appreciate its strength of schedule, Georgetown has largely been written off the NCAA what-if list. Any hope of a spirited comeback onto the tournament bubble begins and ends with a win Saturday on the road at Villanova. Aside from winning four straight in the series, the chances on such a win seem daunting.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Georgetown enters the game with its fewest road wins in 11 years, and a 5-10 conference mark that has assured John Thompson III of his first losing conference record in nine years as a head coach at Georgetown and Princeton. Much of this can be attributed to inexperience, a factor not in play at Villanova, where three seniors and two juniors have led the Wildcats back to the Top 10 and feature the top rated offense in the conference. Much like Marquette, Villanova has a lot of options to win games and they tend not to hurt themselves down the stretch.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Georgetown fans are most familiar with Scottie Reynolds, one of five DC-area players on the Villanova roster and a genuine threat every time he steps on the court. Reynolds averaged 18.5 points in two games against Georgetown last season, and despite only 39 percent shooting from the floor this season, he remains a key weapon for Villanova to establish its offensive game plan. Georgetown's use of a zone defense may be worth watching as a means of keeping Reynolds out of opportunities where his speed could run past Georgetown in Villanova's offensive sets.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Reggie Redding, a 6-5 swingman, figures to start at the big guard. Redding is an underrated rebounder (4.8 per game) and he provides steady production at both ends of the court. Redding's nine points, nine rebounds and five assists against DePaul won't grab the headlines from Reynolds, but his production is a big key to Villanova's opportunity to put away games late.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Much like Marquette, Villanova's experience up front is a cause of concern for Georgetown. Dwayne Anderson averages 45 percent from the field and although he was 1-7 against DePaul, Villanova-Georgetown games tend to elevate a player like Anderson into having a monster game and he's capable of it. Another option may be Shane Clark, whose scoring has been up and down this season: 15 against Syracuse, two against DePaul due to foul trouble. Clark is a good offensive rebounder, which Georgetown must limit.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Senior Dante Cunningham has improved every season at Villanova and has taken a leadership role in 2009. The 6-8 Cunningham has not had much in games against Georgetown, owing to previous efforts with 7-2 Roy Hibbert, but his 55 percent shooting and 7.3 rebounds a game give the Wildcats a consistent presence in the middle (32 minutes per game) and one which can lessen the load if Reynolds struggles. Cunningham is foul prone, so the Wildcats need him not to get in trouble early.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Villanova's biggest advantage comes from a active bench. The two Corys, Fisher and Stokes, are averaging nearly 20 points a game between them and can provide instant offense if the starters lag, particularly Redding. Stokes (9.9 ppg) is more proficient from three point range, while Stokes (11.2) will get more points inside. Forward Antonio Pena (6.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg) provides added depth.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Villanova's rebounding has suffered of late, and while there aren't many flaws in a top 10 team, any opportunity for Georgetown to assert itself inside could be a big plus in their favor. However, given the Hoyas' poor rebounding numbers all season, Georgetown must look to improved outside shooting and some sort of consistent second half play from Dajuan Summers which has largely disappeared this season. To win this game, it's the frontcourt, not the backcourt which must step up. So far, that's no sure thing.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Some keys to the game:
1. The Hoop and The Harm: Look for Villanova to exploit Georgetown up the middle and get to the line, where they remain one of the conference's best teams.[/font]
[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]2. Bench Production: Villanova owned a 25-4 edge on DePaul in bench scoring Wednesday night. Georgetown must get better point production from Jessie Sapp, Jason Clark, and Julian Vaughn.[/font] [font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]3. Austin Freeman: Freeman's scoring has been steady but unspectacular in February. Could he take off with a big game Saturday?[/font] [/td] [/tr][/table][/td] [td] [table][tr][td]Georgetown (14-12)[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Coach: John Thompson III
(Princeton '8
5th season, 115-48
Career: 185-88
AP: Not Ranked
RPI: 48[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Expected Starters[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Name[/td] [td]Ht.[/td] [td]Pts.[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Chris Wright[/td] [td]6-1[/td] [td]12.9[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Austin Freeman[/td] [td]6-4[/td] [td]12.3[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Nikita Mescheriakov[/td] [td]6-8[/td] [td]2.6[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Dajuan Summers[/td] [td]6-8[/td] [td]13.6[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Greg �Monroe[/td] [td]6-11[/td] [td]13.3[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Team Stats:[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Points/Game:[/td] [td]71.4[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Points Allowed[/td] [td]65.0[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FG Shooting:[/td] [td]47.3[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FG Defense:[/td] [td]40.6[/td] [/tr][tr][td]3FG Shooting:[/td] [td]34.2[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FT Shooting:[/td] [td]71.5[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Rebounds/Game[/td] [td]33.1[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Assists/Game[/td] [td]14.0[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Turnovers/Game[/td] [td]14.0[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Last 5 Games (1-4)[/td] [/tr][tr][td]02/07: UC 64 GU 62 (OT)
02/14: Syr 98, GU 94 (OT) 02/18: GU 65, USF 40
02/21: Marq 78, GU 72
02/28: Lvl 76, GU 58

[/td] [/tr][/table][/td] [/tr][/table]




Latavious...

 

[al3xis]

In conference this year, Georgetown scores 104.7 points / 100 possessions.
In conference last year, Georgetown scored 103.9 points / 100 possessions.


Unfortunately, the team has gone from elite defensively to poor.

In conference this year, Georgetown allows 107.4 points / 100 possessions.
In conference last year, Georgetown allowed 92.4 points / 100 possessions.
...

 

[al3xis]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/27/AR2009022703287.html


More than 20 NBA scouts were on hand for Georgetown's pivotal game against Louisville on Monday. They didn't see the best of the young Hoyas, whowere shown up yet again by a veteran squad that dominated both ends of the court.

Nor did they see the best of junior forward DaJuan Summers -- the object of much of the scouts' attention -- who performed at a fraction of his ability, scoring just four points on 1-of-8 shooting.

Summers insists he's not aware when scouts are present. It's not as important as the game at hand, he said. He hammered that point home yesterday, when he said that he intends to return to Georgetown for his senior year.

It likely wasn't the topic he wanted to discuss as Georgetown (14-12, 5-10) wrapped up practice before boarding a bus to Philadelphia, where another daunting Big East opponent awaits -- 10th-ranked Villanova (23-5, 11-4). But Summers didn't dodge the question Hoyas fans have been mulling as this disappointing season draws to a close and attention shifts to the team's prospects in 2009-10.

"I'll be here for next year," Summers said.

Like freshman center Greg Monroe, who said earlier this month that he intends to return for his sophomore year, Summers has plenty of time to declare for the 2009 NBA draft. And any player who does declare has until mid-June to pull out of the draft without losing his college eligibility.

But in Summers's case, returning for a fourth season is the smart play, in the view of former first-round pick Len Elmore, a veteran of 10 professional seasons who has followed the Hoyas closely this season as a commentator for ESPN.

"He's a talented young man, but what he has demonstrated pretty much is one-dimensional play," Elmore said of Summers in a telephone interview. "He settles too much for jump shots. Rarely does he create shots for other players, which he's capable of doing. If he tries out for an NBA team, he might be able to show something different. But in my estimation, you can't go wrong by staying another year -- no matter what anybody says."

Georgetown Coach John Thompson III said Summers's future shouldn't be debated now, with three regular season games and the Big East tournament remaining.

"At the end of the season we'll evaluate all of that," Thompson said. "Can he grow? Yes, absolutely. Everyone can still grow and improve, and he's got a lot that he can and will improve on."

That said, there is no "cookie-cutter answer" for every player's situation, Thompson said.

"If that's where his head is, that's where his head is," Thompson said of Summers's plan to return. "At the same time, it will be an educated decision, as opposed to an emotional decision. And we will go through that process when the season is over."

In many ways, Summers's fortunes have mirrored the Hoyas' season.

Blessed with the prototypical physique of an NBA small forward, Summers (6 feet 8, 240 pounds) opened his junior year amid buzz over his prospects as a first-round NBA pick, provided he diversified his skills.

He started impressively and drew raves from Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski after his performance in the Hoyas' 76-67 loss on Jan. 17, finishing with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals, all team highs. Krzyzewski called Summers "one of the best players we've played against this year or will play against."

But he has been less effective since, as have the Hoyas, who started the season 10-1 but then lost 11 of their next 15 games.

Potentially the Hoyas' most explosive offensive player, Summers is averaging a modest 12.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in Big East play and hasn't led the team in scoring since a 22-point outing on Jan. 31 against Marquette. His 34 assists are the fewest of any Hoyas starter.

"It's been a tough year, but it's definitely not over," said Summers, who helped Georgetown to the Final Four as a freshman. "We are a very talented team; we're just not clicking right now, for whatever reason. That happens with teams. But you just have to have a short-term memory and keep working."

As for his personal development, Summers knows what he needs to work on: muscling the ball inside rather than settling for jumpers from the perimeter, creating shots for teammates, improving his ballhandling and acquitting himself as a rebounder.

But much of that, he said, is dictated by opposing defenses.

"In games when the opportunity has presented itself, I think I've done a good job of taking advantage of it," Summers said. "In games when it wasn't there, I don't try to force it. I don't think forcing anything, or trying to force the issue, is going to help anything."

 

[doublejs07]

^Allen...I read that today...of course a lot can change between now and June....but if he was a sure-fire lock for the 1st round, I don't think he wouldeven comment about coming back next season for the Hoyas. Homie has A LOT to improve on...he's gotta get his swagger back, cause he's playing with ZEROconfidence right now. If he doesn't get in a groove, that %@!# can carry over.

 

[al3xis]

don't think he's a lock for round 1 at all now, and he knows it.

The strange thing is early on this year he was improved...so maybe now the injury @ UC knocked him back? I dunno..

But besides that, his handle is still bad, still can't make correct decisions when driving, can't pass, can't defend much and for his body is ahorrible rebounder.

I'd welcome him back cause I know he improved this past off season (he's just hit a funk now) and fairly confident he'd do the same this offseason.

 

[DeadsetAce]

great finish to the first half...impressive

 

[al3xis]

We went big today and played our best defensively, not a coincidence!

Henry and Julian...hats off.

 

[DeadsetAce]

@ the win


the turnovers were ridiculous, but at this point i'll take any win. gotta lock up these next two games and grab a couple in the BE tourney

 

[al3xis]

ill have more on today later, but

We really can get back in on this..

@ SJU
vs Depaul

then if we win those 2, we'd be the 11 seed (most likely) and would get the #14 team...either SJU or USF..

then you're standing at 9-10 on Wednesday and if you win that day against (Providence, WVU, Cuse or Cincy) IMO we'd be in.

19-13 (10-11)in the Big East with the #1 SOS can't be left out. You'd think.

A lot is gona be dependent on the other bubble teams.

But take care of business Tuesday night in the Garden!

 

[DeadsetAce]

this season has been nuts for the last few weeks. its like, we lose a bunch of "must win" games. then we have an "absolute must win" gamethat we win, and hope lingers on. emotional roller coaster.

 

[al3xis]

sure has been.

the schedule and the Memphis and Uconn wins have proven to be huge. There is no room for error tho now.

As ugly as it was today, this group gutted one out. Great to see for now -- and the future.

 

[rellnye]

One of the ugliest games I've seen in a long time.

 

[al3xis]

This team got back on track yesterday with DEFENSE.

III has to be given credit to going big with Sims and Vaughn on the floor a combined 27 minutes. Why that wasn't done against Marquette, a similar team andoffensive philosophy, who knows. I expect that look more from here on out.

The sloppy TO's I credit mostly to youth and just things that are correctable.

Nikita is getting more comfortable, when he is fully adjusted to the level play, I think he's a nice rotation player for his career.

THIS IS CHRIS WRIGHT'S TEAM.

....I trust that kid a lot right now.

Onto other things..

Everyone keeps mentioning last year's Arizona team as a good comparison for the Hoyas. And they're right, except that that Hoyas might have an even better resume than last year's Wildcats. Here's Arizona's resume going into Selection Sunday last year:

W-L: 19-14 (8-10, 1-1 in Pac 10 Tournament)
RPI: 44
SOS: 2

W-L against RPI Top 10: 0-4
W-L against RPI 11-25: 3-3 (They swept Wash. St and at UNLV)
W-L against RPI 26-50: 1-1 (They split with USC)

They had two bad losses (outside the RPI top 100), at Virginia in the 2nd game of the year (RPI of 127) and at Washington (RPI of 122) in February.

They were 4-6 in their last ten games and 7-8 in their last 15.

The bubble was also stronger last year.

Hoyas are still working on landing a PF--and that would be Latavious Williams--think Tyrus Thomas type of athlete at the PF spot--who Hoyas would help turn into a more complete skilled version--hopefully.

Hollis is going to be a great addition. I'm much higher on him then many-but I really think he's going to add a lot to the team in terms of shooting and being another skilled guy at the 6'8 range.
Lastly,


"John Thompson at the Friday night celebration honoring Georgetown's 1984 National Championship squad spoke at length about what he believed madethat team special. Coach repeated several times that the 1984 Hoyas weren't defined by their championship, but by the adversity they overcame as agroup-much of it unknown to the public and even Georgetown supporters.

This is an important lesson for any team-whether they happen to compete in sports or not-and any leader would do well to consider what defines his teamunder pressure.

The trouble with sports-the trouble with sports fans, really-is that these lessons are easy to comprehend at a distance, with the passage of time. The JohnThompson who spoke on Friday night is a man in his old age that sees the forest when he speaks about his teams, particularly the 1984 team assembled beforehim. But with every allusion in his speech to his son, to his son's current team, one could tell John Thompson knew he was speaking to a room full of fansthat see trees.

We don't often see the forest as fans-we react to what a team has just accomplished, but fail to comprehend how they got there in the first place.

We rejoice when the Hoyas defeat a #2 seed by 18 points in the NCAA Tournament, but don't consider the lessons learned when the same team the previousseason lost by 18 points to Temple and Oral Roberts. We storm the court when the Hoyas beat an undefeated #1 in front of a packed house at home, and forget howfar they've come since the last time a #1 team visited Washington DC, and brought as many of its fans as the Hoyas. We stare awestruck as Jeff Green workshis magic, but don't appreciate how he once seemed so normal.

We live in the here and now as fans. We don't ponder the implications for seasons to come of Chris Wright assuming de facto control of the Georgetownoffense and slowly developing into a leader-we want to know who started the fight in Durham, and whether it was actually a fight in the first place. We heappraise on Greg Monroe and allude to Jeff Green potential, but we get down on the guy because in the clutch, the freshman isn't yet Jeff Green realized. Wecall a team a failure of leadership but somehow expect there to be leaders on a team so inexperienced as a whole....

It's hard to remember how far Tyler Crawford, Jon Wallace, Jeff Green, and Roy Hibbert came as players, how much they overcame as a team in their yearsin a Georgetown uniform. It's hard, frankly, to remember when a Georgetown team wasn't playing that well, didn't have a quality record, wasn'tlikely headed to the NCAA Tournament-though it wasn't that long ago. The clock restarted on Georgetown basketball when John Thompson III and those fourplayers walked onto campus. I suspect many of us realized it restarted again when the final buzzer sounded in Raleigh, NC on March 23, 2008. But that's alesson we'll likely comprehend at a distance, when this group of players overcomes the adversity placed upon them and succeeds in ways that we couldprobably never comprehend yesterday afternoon."

 

[al3xis]

Providence wins at Rutgers but loses at Villanova to finish at 10-8.

Syracuse beats Cincinnati and Rutgers at home but loses at Marquette to finish at 10-8.

West Virginia loses to Louisville at home but beats De Paul at home and South Florida on the road to finish at 10-8.

Cincinnati loses at Syracuse but beats South Florida on the road and De Paul at home to finish at 10-8.

Were these results to transpire, the mini-conference standings would be

Providence 3-1 for the sixth seed by virtue of its two wins over Cincinnati.

Syracuse 2-1 for the seventh seed.

West Virginia 1-2 for the eighth seed.

Cincinnati 1-3 for the ninth seed.

Cincinnati needs tomorrow badly from an NCAA perspective as well as avoiding playing on Tuesday.

The only reason any of this will matter is if the Hoyas win their next two, in which case the 11 seed is the overwhelming likelihood. Right now, the most likely #6 looks like Providence.
I'd gladly take that.

I want NO parts of Cuse or WVU if we make to Wednesday.

Cinci and PC, yes.

 

[al3xis]

word has it that JT3 will be in Lexington Wednesday to "watch Vee practice"... everything I have heard from my friend points to an offer being made this week...
Get this kid to come fill in that combo guard spot that Sapp will leave behind.

And go all out for Latavious Williams. With Roscoe Davis in waiting if that falls through.

 

[cadillacflow]

If G'Town wins the next 2 (which I would think you all would), and then win at least 1 in the BE tourney, you should be in the field of 65 without aproblem I would think. Even without winning one in the BE tourney you might be able to sneak in depending on what else happens.

 

[al3xis]

can't say I agree..

because the next 3 will be..

@ SJU
vs Depaul
USF in the BET

that probably won't be good enough.

A win on Wednesday of the BET, (most likely Providence or WVU) would secure a spot tho IMO.

 

[cadillacflow]

Your probably right, but i think the #1 SOS is going to help out a lot.

 

[al3xis]

 

[al3xis]

Things on Nikita..

"He plays extremely hard, and when you play hard, aggressive defense, you pick up fouls," Thompson said. "I wish a few more people got into foul trouble more often, to tell you the truth. That's not a negative."


Thompson seems willing to wait, confident that the effort Mescheriakov exerts will pay off on both ends of the court."That will come with his comfort level," Thompson said. "But he sees the open man. And he can make passes, too."

"Nikita brings us a lot of energy," noted sophomore guard Chris Wright. "He's very aggressive on both ends of the floor. He uses up the majority of his fouls every game. And Sapp coming off the bench has been great for us. He scores and does a lot of the intangibles that we need him to do. He doesn't have to worry about anything. He just goes out there and plays, and the game comes to him. When he plays off his instinct, that's when he's at his best."