GEORGETOWN BASKETBALL THREAD

[DeadsetAce]

why did they just cut to texas colorado

 

[DeadsetAce]

i don't know if i should be pissed we lost or happy we fought back from 16 down to put it in OT.

freeman's 38 missed free throws and that non call on the goal tend hurt REAL bad.

 

[allen3xis]

I'm pleased, this team showed something that hadn't all year -- heart.

 

[lnmymind]

Apparently, the Chris/Jessie feud reached an inevitable fate on Saturday.

 

[yungmatt]

 

[allen3xis]

Originally Posted by lnMyMind

Apparently, the Chris/Jessie feud reached an inevitable fate on Saturday.

?

Idk about off court, but on court they just don't mesh well, they're both primarily ball handlers and PG's.

******ed if it escalated tho...they played well, really well together on Saturday.

It's obvious this team NEEDS Sapp on the floor to get back on track.

..
anyway..this can be built on, it was the first time all year we faced adversity and confronted it.

Interesting to see Austin handle the ball as much as he did and have Chris off the ball.


One thing that this team needs to make a run

DEFENSE.

 

[allen3xis]

"You've got to look for positives," Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. "You've got to find growth. And for one of the first times this season in that situation [down double digits], I looked around the huddle and I could see that we felt we were still in it, that we could still win it. That's progress."

"We were playing more off our instincts and just making shots," Wright said about Georgetown's surge. "We were playing together and being unselfish."

"I believe in this group," Thompson said. "This group that we have now, we're going to figure out how this group is going to win. And we're going to worry about next year, next year."

Nikita will start again with Jesse coming off the bench per Coach's quotes in the pre-game articles.
We are not dead, it starts today.

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

---

[table][tr][td] [table][tr][td]S. Florida (8-16)[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Coach: Stan Heath
(E. Michigan '8
2nd season, 20-35
Career: 182-112
AP: Not Ranked
RPI: 150[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Expected Starters:[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Name[/td] [td]Ht.[/td] [td]Pts.[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Chris Howard[/td] [td]6-3[/td] [td]7.8[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Dominique Jones[/td] [td]6-4[/td] [td]18.4[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Jesus Vendejo[/td] [td]6-4[/td] [td]13.9[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Eladio Espinosa[/td] [td]6-7[/td] [td]2.0[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Alex Rivas[/td] [td]6-10[/td] [td]2.9[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Team Stats:[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Points/Game:[/td] [td]61.0[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Points Allowed:[/td] [td]65.1[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FG Shooting:[/td] [td]40.6[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FG Defense[/td] [td]42.0[/td] [/tr][tr][td]3FG Shooting:[/td] [td]31.4[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FT Shooting:[/td] [td]58.6[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Rebounds/Game[/td] [td]36.0[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Assists/Game[/td] [td]12.3[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Turnovers/Game[/td] [td]13.0[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Last 5 Games (1-4)[/td] [/tr][tr][td]01/28: Lvl 80, USF 54
02/01: St. J 65, USF 48
02/06: USF 57, Marq 56
02/10: PC 77, USF 62
02/15: N. Dame 67, USF 57
[/td] [/tr][/table][/td] [td] [table][tr][td]Quick Facts[/td] [/tr][tr][td]
[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Game 24: vs. University of South Florida
February 18, 7:00 pm (EST), USF Sun Dome
Tickets Available? Yes
TV: Big East Regional
GU Radio: WTEM-980
USF Radio: WHNZ-1250

About The Bulls:
Location: Tampa, FL
Enrollment: 46,174
Conference: Big East
2007-08 Record: 12-19
Record vs. Georgetown: 2-4

Last Five Games:
1988-89: GU 74, at USF 64
1991-92: GU 75, USF 60 (NCAA)
2005-06: at GU 50, USF 47
2005-06: at USF 63, GU 56
2007-08: at GU 63, USF 53
[/font]
[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Game Notes[/td] [/tr][tr][td][font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]--Georgetown is seeking its first win in Tampa since the series originated in 1973 (0-2).
--USF is 0-5 in games this season on Wednesday.
--Georgetown is 1-5 in road games this season.
--Georgetown is 8-10 in games played on February 18, 5-3 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]USF[/td] [td]GU[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Scoring[/td] [td]16th[/td] [td]11th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Defense[/td] [td]5th[/td] [td]9th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FG %[/td] [td]16th[/td] [td]6th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]3FG%[/td] [td]13th[/td] [td]9th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FT%[/td] [td]16th[/td] [td]6th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Rebounds[/td] [td]8th[/td] [td]15th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Rebound Margin[/td] [td]10th[/td] [td]13th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Assists[/td] [td]12th[/td] [td]7th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Turn. Margin[/td] [td]14th[/td] [td]18th[/td] [/tr][/table][/td] [/tr][tr][td]Preview[/td] [/tr][tr][td]
[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Much like the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Georgetown Hoyas shoudn't be sold short, but it's hard to say if it's hit bottom yet.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]In the past 34 days, a Top 10 ranking has dropped off the charts as the Hoyas are trading in the bottom half of the Big East. Despite a record that ought to be raising questions of the NIT, Georgetown's strength of schedule has won it faint hopes from the college basketball analysts, who could be comfortable with a NCAA bubble valuation if the Hoyas could somehow put together a win streak to end the season. Realistically, that streak must begin Wednesday night or it's all over but the shouting.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Georgetown is not a good road team this year (1-5) and Tampa has been no home for past Georgetown glories, but the South Florida Bulls represent that first step on the road to NCAA recovery. The Bulls are capable of beating anyone (as witnessed by its upset of Marquette) but its shooting woes continue to hamper its move up the competitive ladder of the conference.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]The Bulls are last in the league in field goal and free throw shooting. If USF can get a boost Wednesday, it should come from Dominique Jones, a 6-4 sophomore who could top the 1,000 point career mark with a strong game Wednesday. he lead the Bulls in points and, even at 6-4, rebounds. Jones takes a lot of shots (17 per game over the last five) and is the best free throw shooter on an otherwise poor shooting team. Jones has scored in double figures in every Big East game this year and scored 15 against the Hoyas last season.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]South Florida runs a three guard lineup, so expect to se a lot from guards Chris Howard and jesus Vendejo. Howard averages 36 minutes a game and is a capable shooter, though his attempts are limited. Vendejo had a big game against Notre Dame (18 points) and could be a spark if the hoyas are able to contain Jones.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]The USF front line is a cause for concern, however. Neither Eladio Espinosa (2.0 ppg, 1.4 in Big East play) not Alex Rivas (2.9 ppg, 2.4 in Big East play) have shown any offensive punch, and coach Stan Heath will look to 6-9 transfer Gus Gilchrist for help off the bench. Gilchrist, the former Maryland recruit, is averaging 10.3 in conference games since joining the team in December, with a high of 22 against Pitt. Aris Williams, a former teammate of Roy Hibbert at Georgetown Prep, may also see action inside.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Georgetown's offense showed signs of life against Syracuse but continued to experience lapses inside from Dajuan Summers and greg Monroe. USF is not a tall team, nor particularly strong inside, and if Georgetown is to prevail they must expect more inside from these two players. The Hoyas may have been lucky that their three point shooting stayed sharp at the end of the Syracuse game or a 15 point would have raised further scrutiny about what is one of the league's poorer outside shooting teams. Georgetown must be careful not to rely too much on the three when they have advantages down low.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Keys to the game:
1. An Early Start. USF has started strong in each of the last two games in the series--in 2006, the Hoyas couldn't adjust, in 2008, they did.

1. Points Off Turnovers: USF gives up points off turnovers, especially from Jones. The Hoyas must take this advantage to the bank.[/font]
[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]2. Greg Monroe. For all the plaudits, Monroe has not truly taken over a Big East game this season. Here's one where he can.[/font]
[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]For USF to win, Jones goes for 30, Gilchrist for 15 and 8, and the Hoyas retreat into that shooting haze that surrounded them in prior road games. Like Rutgers, this is not a team that should overtake Georgetown if the Hoyas are focused and prepared to win, not just play.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]No time for a margin call--let's see a Georgetown rally start Wednesday.[/font]
[/td] [/tr][/table][/td] [/tr][/table]
LET'S GO

 

[allen3xis]

Jessie, welcome back.

 

[allen3xis]

First off...Saturday will be a celebration of the National Title team..

The Verizon Center should be ready to go...let's hope. Biggest game of the year.

100 years of Georgetown Basketball Documentary
http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/100_years_of_georgetown_basketball/http://www.snagfilms.com/...of_georgetown_basketball/


On last night..

Good win and a building block.

- III appears to have made the right adjustment. Nikita fits in well starting. He looks for Greg and has an understanding of the offense and what is trying tobe accomplished. He also provides a little more size and length and helps on the glass....on the flipside, Sapp has played with a spark the past 2 games. Hereally has played well against cuse and USF. Even hitting some shots. DJ Owens and PEJR both excelled as the 6th man, lets hope it clicks with Jessie too.

- Offensively they were patient but not slow. We were finally cutting hard.

- This may be turning into Chris' team, thing seem to go better when he has full control and it's clicking in with him. He's getting it and makingthe right plays.

- Defensively, better effort but still got lost at times and too many ponts in the paint in the 2nd half. It helped USF was just flat out terrible.


Saturday is HUGE. And it is a winnalbe game.

 

[DeadsetAce]

Originally Posted by allen3xis

Jessie, welcome back.

 

[allen3xis]

good post..

[font=Arial,Helvetica]1. We're a better rebounding team with Nikita in the game because we're much more structurally sound.

2. Austin, instead of being a mismatch at the three, is a matchup problem for other teams when he's playing the two. Dajuan and Greg aren't fighting alone for rebounds because Nikita husltes on every play.

3. Nikita adds spacing, whether he's making shots or not, because he's a THREAT to make shots.

4. Jessie is a much, much, much needed veteran influence off the bench. That can't be stressed enough. He's been leading the second unit, which is what we've been craving.

5. Jessie has the ball in his hands leading the second unit much more often, which makes him a much more effective player. He's not the kind of guy that's effective in a catch and shoot role.

6. and maybe most importantly, this is Chris's team now. He's our point guard. Period. End of story. That clarification has done wonders for us, and wonders for chris, who is now just playing and not trying to create plays when they aren't there because he's pressing.

7. Jessie will play 20-25 minutes whether he starts or not. So who cares if he starts?[/font]

 

[allen3xis]

hoyaprospectus.blogspot.com

is a great blog, Stat driven

on the year

2008-9 Season Statistics

All available games

Player                 Min      On    Off     On/40  Off/40  Net/40Summers, DaJuan       704:16   + 69  +120     + 3.9  +17.7   -13.8Freeman, Austin       752:26   + 98  + 91     + 5.2  +16.3   -11.1Monroe, Greg          737:44   +270  - 81     +14.6  -13.6   +28.3Wright, Chris         780:54   +189  +  0     + 9.7  + 0.0   + 9.7Sapp, Jessie          604:22   +153  + 36     +10.1  + 3.9   + 6.2Clark, Jason          421:58   + 20  +169     + 1.9  +12.2   -10.3Vaughn, Julian        200:50   - 52  +241     -10.4  +12.4   -22.8Sims, Henry           197:00   + 56  +133     +11.4  + 6.8   + 4.5Wattad, Omar          261:17   + 88  +101     +13.5  + 5.7   + 7.8Mescheriakov, Nikita  207:51   + 62  +127     +11.9  + 6.6   + 5.3

Big East games only

Player                 Min      On    Off     On/40  Off/40  Net/40Summers, DaJuan       390:41   - 37  + 32     - 3.8  + 9.2   -13.0Freeman, Austin       432:13   - 27  + 22     - 2.5  + 9.0   -11.5Monroe, Greg          430:43   + 63  - 68     + 5.9  -27.4   +33.2Wright, Chris         435:52   + 14  - 19     + 1.3  - 8.1   + 9.4Sapp, Jessie          312:40   +  8  - 13     + 1.0  - 2.4   + 3.4Clark, Jason          221:11   - 41  + 36     - 7.4  + 4.7   -12.1Vaughn, Julian        89:28    - 58  + 53     -25.9  + 4.8   -30.7Sims, Henry           93:54    + 34  - 39     +14.5  - 3.6   +18.1Wattad, Omar          97:23    +  5  - 10     + 2.1  - 0.9   + 3.0Mescheriakov, Nikita  145:55   + 14  - 19     + 3.8  - 2.0   + 5.8

Glossary
On = (Total points scored - total points allowed) while player was on court. This is also the stat, as shown below.
Off = (Total points scored - total points allowed) while player was off court. This can be thought of as the team's without this player.
On/40 = Player's On (), divided by total minutes played, times 40minutes.
Off/40 = Player's Off (), divided by total minutes not played, times 40 minutes.
Net/40 = On/40 - Off/40. Also calledRoland Rate (link, link).




Greg's numbers

 

[dacomeup]

Great stats and they expose how atrocious Dajuan's play has been for y'all.

 

[allen3xis]

yeah, sad thing is an individual he's improved his game but still isn't effecting a game if he isn't scoring.
...
from last night's gala

Gene Smith, Michael Graham, Ralph Dalton, Bill Martin, Horace Broadnax, Michael Jackson, Victor Morris, and manager David Green. I think that was it unless I missed someone.

The ubiquitous Lonnie Duren was there as were Felix Yeoman, Eric Smith, Sead Dizdarevic, and others.

Also longtime Thompson assistant Bill Stein and AD Frank Rienzo.

and should be more at the game today.

if they can't get ready for this one..

"We've been conditioned to think that the best five are the first five, and that's not always the case," Thompson said. "[Sapp] understands this probably better than the fans or the media - that just because he's coming off the bench doesn't mean his coach has any less confidence in him. ... He's giving us a big boost, and I think in the past couple of games he has played better."

A similar lineup change keyed last season's run to a second consecutive Big East regular-season title. Thompson shifted senior Patrick Ewing Jr. to the bench midway through the season. Ewing then earned Big East sixth man of the year honors. Sapp contacted Ewing after Thompson informed him he wouldn't start at Syracuse.

"Once Coach told me that he wasn't going to start me, I called Pat to get his thoughts," Sapp said. "He was great. He came to speak to me at the hotel before the Syracuse game. He just told me how he felt when it happened to him and how he handled it, and that really helped me. It was tough to swallow at first, but I took what he told me, digested it and that made it easier."

pat

 

[allen3xis]

 

[allen3xis]

Well, thought we played well on Saturday just not well enough. Fact is/was -- We played 7 outa 9 freshmen and sophomores and 6 guys playing in their first yearof this system.

Omar has been in a walking boot so that explains his recent absence.

On the flip side Marquette plays 4 seniors in their 6 man rotation. It's become painfully obvious this was not the year to have such a young team in theBig East.

According to basketball analyst Ken Pomeroy, Georgetown's roster ranks 314th among 344 Division I programs and 14th in the Big East with an average of 1.12 years of experience. Given that Pomeroy credits Mescheriakov with a season of experience, Wright with a season (though he was injured throughout league play in his freshman campaign), and seldom-used walk-on Bryon Jansen with a season, Georgetown is even younger than 1.12 years suggest.


http://washingtontimes.com/themes/?Theme=Georgetown+Hoyas

Georgetown's John Thompson III stood at the interview podium after Saturday's 78-72 loss to Marquette and admitted with a cracking voice that the ill-fated Hoyas' current season had been the toughest of his career.

"Period, not just at Georgetown," Thompson said. "But we will get through this. Yeah, it's trying. But we're going to go to work tonight. These guys are going to come to work tomorrow. And we're going to prepare for Monday. We're going to do what we do. We're going to work. We're going to prepare. And we're going to get better from the top on down. Is it difficult? Very, obviously."


We played like %!@% in January and it was incredibly disappointing, now...not so much...we're just getting beat.

This team hasn't learned to grab the game by the throat and finish it. Neither did the 04-05 team and we know how they turned out in the long run.

I've been pleased more with Austin lately, problem is he's just carrying too much weight to move around quick enough defensively. He's not fat orout of shape, he's just not in 2 guard shape.

Sapp fought. As did most of the guys.

The Nikita experiment, he gets after on this team as much as anyone, if a ball is loose, he's diving for it...his presence has also shored up therebounding problems. However he's just not that good to start on this team...but he should probably remain because Sapp and Wright obviously did not work.And Austin is playing better at his natural 2. It is nice we've found out Nikita can and will contribute the next 3 years. I would hope Hollis is goodenough to start next year, he's a legit 6'7, 6'8. And I think III has soured on the small 3 guard lineup or at least I hope so.

Vaughn...he's showing some offensive skills, baseline jumper against Cuse, a nice left hand jump hook against Marquette. If he ever ends up giving areliable and GOOD 20 minutes, it'll be great.

Henry...guess we'll have to wait till next year. Really think he coulda added somethin to this team.

Chris...this is becoming his team and he's showing some leadership qualities. His play has been smart and good. I think he will become great here. Reallydo.

My problem still lies with Dajuan. His shot selection is poor and leads to basket on the other side. Defensively he's slow on rotations and on the dribble.He can't dribble or drive. He has added a mid range game this year with that baseline jumper. Hopefully he realizes if he spends one more offseason toimprove his game again, he'll put himself in a better NBA spot.



Tonight...Greg must stay outa foul trouble against Samuels. DaJuan has to out play Clark and we have to limit our turnovers.

Personally I believe if we win 3 outa the last 4, and then 2 in the BET we'd be in.

If we win 4 outa 4, 1 in the BET would do it.

2 outa 4....it'd take a Garden Miracle...

Let's finally start it tonight.

 

[downyboy]

i dont know what to say anymore. just praying for us to turn this around and at least make it to the tourney.

The Nikita experiment, he gets after on this team as much as anyone, if a ball is loose, he's diving for it...his presence has also shored up the rebounding problems. However he's just not that good to start on this team...but he should probably remain because Sapp and Wright obviously did not work. And Austin is playing better at his natural 2. It is nice we've found out Nikita can and will contribute the next 3 years. I would hope Hollis is good enough to start next year, he's a legit 6'7, 6'8. And I think III has soured on the small 3 guard lineup or at least I hope so.
I'm over the Nikita experiment. Defensively he hurts us too much to keep him in the game. Our defense is already struggling as it is, no needto add a weak link to it. SIMS SIMS SIMS!

 

[allen3xis]

tonight would be the night to play Sims, going vs Louisville's size. we'll see.

"In Georgetown's last three losses (vs. Cincinnati, at Syracuse and vs. Marquette), the Hoyas have had a combined 29 possessions in just over 13 minutes of playing time between their last lead and the conclusions of the games. Staggeringly, Summers has committed four turnovers while not scoring a single point in those 29 possessions with games - and indeed the season - on the line."

 

[downyboy]

Originally Posted by lnMyMind

Apparently, the Chris/Jessie feud reached an inevitable fate on Saturday.

do tell...

 

[allen3xis]

[table][tr][td] [table][tr][td]Louisville (21-5)[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Coach: Rick Pitino
(Umass '74)
8th season, 190-72
Career: 542-196
AP: #7
RPI: 12[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Expected Starters:[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Name[/td] [td]Ht.[/td] [td]Pts.[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Andre McGee[/td] [td]5-10[/td] [td]4.8[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Jerry Smith[/td] [td]6-1[/td] [td]7.0[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Terrence Williams[/td] [td]6-6[/td] [td]12.6[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Earl Clark[/td] [td]6-9[/td] [td]13.0[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Samardo Samuels[/td] [td]6-8[/td] [td]12.2[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Team Stats:[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Points/Game:[/td] [td]74.1[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Points Allowed:[/td] [td]61.7[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FG Shooting:[/td] [td]44.4[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FG Defense[/td] [td]39.4[/td] [/tr][tr][td]3FG Shooting:[/td] [td]34.9[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FT Shooting:[/td] [td]65.4[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Rebounds/Game[/td] [td]38.7[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Assists/Game[/td] [td]16.4[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Turnovers/Game[/td] [td]13.4[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Last 5 Games (4-1)[/td] [/tr][tr][td]02/08: UL 60, SJ 47
02/12: ND 90, UL 57
02/15: UL 99, DePaul 54
02/18: UL 94, PC 76
02/21: UL 72, Cinc 63
[/td] [/tr][/table][/td] [td] [table][tr][td]Quick Facts[/td] [/tr][tr][td]
[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Game 26: vs. University of Louisville
February 23, 7:00 pm (EST), Verizon Center
Tickets Available? Yes
TV: ESPN
GU Radio: WTEM-980
UL Radio: WHAS-840
About The Cardinals:
Location: Louisville, KY
Enrollment: 22,000
Conference: Big East
Record vs. Georgetown: 3-5
Last Five Games to Date:
1999-00: at GU 61, UL 59
2000-01: GU 70, at UL 63
2006-07: GU 73, at UL 65
2007-08: at UL 59, GU 51
2007-08: at GU 55, UL 52
[/font]
[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Game Notes[/td] [/tr][tr][td][font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]--This the 7th straight 20-win season at Louisville in Rick Pitino's eight seasons.
--The four home losses in Big East play is the most by a Georgetown team since the 2003-04 team, which went 2-6 in conference play at home.
--Georgetown is 9-7 in games played on February 18, 5-2 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]UL[/td] [td]GU[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Scoring[/td] [td]8th[/td] [td]11th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Defense[/td] [td]2nd[/td] [td]7th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FG %[/td] [td]8th[/td] [td]5th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]3FG%[/td] [td]9th[/td] [td]6th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FT%[/td] [td]13th[/td] [td]6th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Rebounds[/td] [td]6th[/td] [td]15th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Rebound Margin[/td] [td]5th[/td] [td]10th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Assists[/td] [td]4th[/td] [td]8th[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Turn. Margin[/td] [td]4th[/td] [td]12th[/td] [/tr][/table][/td] [/tr][tr][td]Preview[/td] [/tr][tr][td]
[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Deflated by two overtime losses and a poor finish against Marquette, the doors are closing on the 2009 season. The question for players, coaches and fans alike--does this team take that adversity and build upon it, as the Hoyas did after their slide in 2005?[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]To show any signs of life for this season, the Hoyas must take a major step up with a Louisville team that excels above any of its opponents to date this month in defense. The Cardinals are second in the league in field goal percentage defense, holding eight Big East opponents this year under 40 percent from the field. And to make matters worse, they've sank 37 three pointers in the last three games.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Louisville's guards are not flashy but they have been more than capable of holding the team together. Head coach Rick Pitino wills tart 5-10 Andrew McGee the point ahead of Edgar Sosa, who has been up adn down this season and has not traditionally fared well against Georgetown. McGee enters the game shooting 2-8 in his last two starts, but he has zero turnovers in 40 minutes over those two games. Chances are good Louisville won't be looking for guards to contribute a ton of offense,a and McGee's 32 percent shooting average suggests he won't be the go-to guy in most offensive sets. A more likely candidate is 6-0 Jerry Smith, who had four threes and 16 points on the Hoyas last season in Louisville. Smith is shooting 47 percent from the floor and is 15 of his last 17 free throws from the line. Much like McGee, Smith doesn't make many mistakes--he has no turnovers in his last three games.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Georgetown runs the risk of mismatches on the front line similar to Marquette and faces a paradox: play a defensive oriented Nikita Mescheriakov and lose offense, or take their chances with Austin Freeman giving up size and speed at the three? Either way, Terrence Williams will be a handful. Williams played all 40 minutes Saturday against Cincinnati, with 20 points and eight rebounds. He averages just over one three pointer a game but is effective on the mid-range shot and presents problems for team in the zone. Teams that have limited Williams' effectiveness have done so by reducing shot attempts--if he gets 15 or 20 attempts, chances are he'll get his share. He'll also get help from 6-9 Earl Clark, who had three straight double-doubles this month and narrowly missed a fourth with 14 points and nine rebounds against DePaul. Clark is prone to turnovers but averages nearly four offensive rebounds a game, something of concern to a Georgetown team that is near the bottom of the league in this vital statistic.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]The battle between Samardo Samuels and Greg Monroe might be touted as the battle for rookie of the year, but neither is a lock at this point. Samuels is shooting at nearly 70 percent over his last five games but averages less than five rebounds a game; still, his size could be troublesome for monroe in the post. Monroe has shown an inability to get the ball in key second half situations and needs to be more active late in games.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]No, the Hoyas won't have a nine game losing streak to end the season. But the difference in attitude between the 2004 and 2005 teams was striking, because the 2004 team had no life at the end, but the efforts of the 2005 team were the cornerstones to great years to come. To measure this, Georgetown must make a concerted effort to play its game, leading or trailing, and not look up at 1 10 point first half deficit and waive the white flag on the 2008-09 season.[/font]

[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]Some keys to the game:
1. Help At The Three: If Freeman or Mescheriakov's defense suffers, John Thompson III must look to other lineups. Defending Williams may be the key to the game.[/font]
[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]2. Free Throws: In contrast to Marquette, Louisville is not a good free throw shooting team; still, they need to stay off the line and GU must to a better job converting what opportunities they can get. 3. A Slower Pace: Louisville's record when scoring 80 points is 108-5. Don't turn this game into a track meet.[/font]
[font=MS Sans Serif, Arial, helvetica]So which Georgetown team shows up Monday, and which Georgetown team finishes it? In a season of unanswered questions, that's an story line worth following.[/font]
[/td] [/tr][/table][/td] [td] [table][tr][td]Georgetown (14-11)[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Coach: John Thompson III
(Princeton '8
5th season, 114-47
Career: 185-87
AP: Not Ranked
RPI: 44[/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]12.5[/td] [/tr][tr][td]N. Mescheriakov[/td] [td]6-8[/td] [td]2.4[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Dajuan Summers[/td] [td]6-8[/td] [td]14.0[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Greg Monroe[/td] [td]6-11[/td] [td]13.0[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Team Stats:[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Points/Game:[/td] [td]72.0[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Points Allowed[/td] [td]64.5[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FG Shooting:[/td] [td]47.6[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FG Defense:[/td] [td]40.6[/td] [/tr][tr][td]3FG Shooting:[/td] [td]34.7[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FT Shooting:[/td] [td]71.8[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Rebounds/Game[/td] [td]33.3[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Assists/Game[/td] [td]14.2[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Turnovers/Game[/td] [td]14.1[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Last 5 Games (2-3)[/td] [/tr][tr][td]02/03: GU 57, Rutg 47
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

[/td] [/tr][/table][/td] [/tr][/table]
LET'S GOOOOOOO

 

[DeadsetAce]

nervous about tonight...but let's get big

 

[bballah3]

Allen or anyone else....


I haven't had a chance to watch much college ball this year. Whats up with your Hoyas? I was expecting them to make some noise and they seem to bestruggling just to get by. Whats the deal?

 

[DeadsetAce]

great freakin' start

 

[gmills23]

Damn dounno how I missed this thread

looking forward to the big east tourney

 

[DeadsetAce]

Originally Posted by Gmills23

looking forward to the big east tourney

not trying to be a wise-!#@...but nah, we have nothing to look forward to, especially not the BE tourney