Sonny Corinthos
formerly joeclear
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It's going to be a good season
THE OFFICIAL GEORGETOWN BASKETBALL SEASON THREAD
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by lmbassclown,
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The game shorts are kente cloth on the side instead of mesh. IDK if nike will make those available?
Monroe's return adds to Georgetown's potential
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 | Print Entry
NEW YORK -- Greg Monroe was the perfect candidate to leave school early for the NBA draft.
He was a big man with exceptional passing reads who had lived up to his high school hype. He was the Big East Rookie of the Year after averaging a dozen points and nearly seven boards a game. He had NBA personnel tantalized by his skill set. And he led Georgetown -- to the NIT.
You can't blame Monroe for the Hoyas' sudden free fall in the middle of their Big East schedule that saw them drop seven of their nine games in January. (Six of the seven were league losses; the other was at Duke.) Monroe was hardly alone, as inexperience reigned over the Hoyas at the worst time.
"I don't know how to explain it," Monroe said of the downward spiral in which the Hoyas went from 11-1 to 13-8 en route to a pedestrian 16-15 finish (7-11 Big East). "We didn't make plays down the stretch when we needed them: a stop, a rebound or execute our offense. We couldn't find a way to do it. There's a big difference this year since we understand what has to be done. We will win more games this year."
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James Lang/US PRESSWIRE
Greg Monroe could've been a high pick in the NBA draft but chose to return to Georgetown.
A year ago, Georgetown cruised into the Old Spice Classic in Orlando and torched rival Maryland by 27 points. The Hoyas then beat Memphis at home by nine in overtime. And then, the kicker, Georgetown opened Big East play in late December with a stunning 11-point win at co-league favorite UConn. All three of those victims went to the NCAA tournament, with UConn a No. 1 seed.
"I thought we had a chance to be special in this league after that game," Monroe said as he recalled the UConn game while at last week's Big East media day in New York. "We had a tough game after that [a 16-point home loss to Pitt]. But it was a special conference last year. This year there is more balance. The league lost a lot of stars. We have a better focus and we know what it takes to win more games."
Monroe could have bolted. He could have run for the easy money as Georgetown floundered for the first time under John Thompson III with a 12th-place finish in the Big East after winning the league in consecutive years with a Final Four berth two seasons ago.
But the Hoyas' win-loss record had nothing to do with Monroe's decision.
"I just had to evaluate myself, and I knew I wasn't ready to make that step," said Monroe, whom an NBA team likely would have selected in the top 10 despite his assessment. Monroe said his skills weren't polished enough. He wasn't physical enough.
"Of course I want to play in the tournament," Monroe said. "But I can't make a mistake leaving too early."
Somehow Thompson wasn't surprised by the refreshing and true analysis.
"He can look in the mirror and be honest with himself," Thompson said. "He likes the collegiate experience. He likes being at Georgetown. There are a lot of kids out there that look for the first opportunity to go. Sometimes it's right, and sometimes it's wrong. They want to jump and get to the league. But he can look in the mirror and be honest with himself that he has to be stronger and improve his offense. There's no rush for him to make that jump."
Now, don't be surprised if he does it after his sophomore season. The 6-foot-11 Monroe should be in contention with Notre Dame's Luke Harangody for Big East Player of the Year if he can live up to his expectations. The Hoyas should be a better fit for making a run at a top-three finish with the experienced junior backcourt of Austin Freeman and Chris Wright, role-playing wings Jason Clark and Nikita Mescheriakov and a deeper frontcourt.
Losing DaJuan Summers (13.6 points per game) early to the NBA draft and senior guard Jessie Sapp (6.5 PPG) is a hit. You can spin their departures all you want, but Summers was still a talent and a potential mismatch. Sapp added a solid, experienced guard. But there was clearly something amiss with last year's group that didn't always mesh. The spring training-like buzz about this group is that it is in a better space.
"The hunger is different," Thompson said. "The energy is different. It's not an excuse, but we did have six players in our rotation last year that were going through it for the first time. That's a reality. It was a bad year to be inexperienced in this conference."
Thompson is banking on the natural growth process of a college team. Through the first two weeks of practice, he is seeing that this squad is no longer running scared at times.
The confidence Thompson gleaned during the offseason was evident by his taking on a more challenging schedule in December. Thompson didn't hesitate to schedule top-15 team Butler in the Jimmy V Classic in New York on Dec. 8 and then fly out to Anaheim to play one of the Pac-10 favorites in Washington at the Wooden Classic. Thompson has said it's a Big East-like week. It is, with more travel. He likely wouldn't do that stretch if he weren't confident this team could make a run within the conference.
Playing the Colonial League's top team in Old Dominion again at home -- a team that has given the Hoyas fits recently -- will be a tough follow-up to that Butler-Washington stretch when the Hoyas return to Washington, D.C., to face the Monarchs on Dec. 19.
"We have the pieces," Monroe said. "We lost two great players in Jessie Sapp and DaJuan Summers, but with me, [junior] Julian Vaughn emerging and the freshmen coming along well, we've got the pieces for us to be versatile."
Thompson said the wide-eyed look of a young team is gone. This squad still doesn't have a senior. But it has a big man who could be one of the best in the country. If he is, the Hoyas should be a factor throughout the season, not just in spots in November and December.
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nice package just came in...
Duke ticket says "Gray Out"
Duke ticket says "Gray Out"
- 12,105
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so scrimmage against G mason today..
won, and i guess it was
wright
clark
freeman
henry
greg
if jason is too good right now to leave out of the lineup, great...but i'm still not a fan of the 3 guard line up
won, and i guess it was
wright
clark
freeman
henry
greg
if jason is too good right now to leave out of the lineup, great...but i'm still not a fan of the 3 guard line up
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Not only that but it leaves us with a bench full of frosh guards. I don't see why Hollis would not be in the line up since hes been in thesystem for half a year and would allow us to have clark lead the second unit.
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[h2]JTIII on his new recruits[/h2]Author: Tim Shine - Categories: Feature, Sports
Hollis Thompson may be the familiar face of the Hoyas' freshman class, but fans will soon get to know his classmates Jerrelle Benimon and Vee Sanford.
"If there's any storyline coming out of the first two weeks of practice, it's that those three are going to help us this year," head coach John Thompson III said.
Benimon is an imposing 6 foot 7, 242 pound forward who averaged 17 rebounds a game in high school.
"He definitely has a physical presence that he brings to the game, and that's something that our team needs," Thompson said. "Is Jerelle going to be the answer, period, to the rebounding issues we had last year? No, but he can be a part of the solution."
But Benimon's progress has been slowed by an injury suffered during preseason workouts.
"He had a high ankle sprain," Thompson said. "He's just now starting to get the reps that he needed. But he's coming along fine."
In the backcourt, Georgetown adds Vee Sanford from Lexington, Kentucky. The lanky guard should provide energy for the Hoyas off the bench.
"I see him helping. I see him contributing this year," Thompson said. "He's long. He's long and he's bouncy. He's pretty athletic and he makes shots."
[h2]http://www.georgetownvoice.com/2009/11/04/freshman-feature-hollis-thompson/[/h2][h2]All Hail Hollis Thompson[/h2]Author: Rob Sapunor - Categories: Feature, Sports
Jamal Adams called it a "paparazzi scene." The Loyola High School men's basketball head coach was holding a typical practice at the Los Angeles school before the start of the 2007 season, and the coaching staffs of six college basketball programs were all there in the gym, watching and observing. They were all there to see Hollis Thompson, Loyola's star forward and one of the most sought-after recruits for the class of 2013.
One coach, however, was not among the "paparazzi." Georgetown head coach John Thompson III went into a Loyola practice by himself later that fall, approaching the recruiting process with more tact. That approach was clearly the right one, as Hollis Thompson verbally committed to Georgetown in November 2007 after being recruited by Duke, USC, UCLA, and Arizona. Now he is on the Hilltop and facing big expectations from fans as the Hoyas' top newcomer.
Hollis, who was unavailable for comment as per basketball program policy regarding new players, is a special case as a freshman for Georgetown. Last year, due to personal circumstances, he left Loyola right before his senior year. He graduated high school early and enrolled at Georgetown in January, allowing him to practice with the team during the second semester last season.
"It's a very good thing," Coach Thompson said. "He's a freshman, but he's not a freshman. He knows what we're trying to accomplish and how we want to accomplish it, so that learning curve is shortened."
Although he didn't play in any games, Hollis was along for last season's ride and had time to build up strength and get used to the faster speed of college basketball. He was also able to acclimate to college life, but in exchange he had to miss out on the experience of his senior year-prom, graduation, and Loyola's basketball season, in which his team reached the state semi-finals for the first time.
Hollis is expected to contribute right away for the Hoyas. His old coach Adams feels that he is a great shooter and an underrated passer. His main weakness had been his strength, which he improved over the past year.
"Hollis is great at moving without the basketball," Adams said. "I think the Georgetown system puts a huge premium on that."
At 6 foot 7 and growing, Hollis may very well help improve Georgetown's weak rebounding. But look for the ball to leave his hands just as often as it reaches them.
"He makes shots," Coach Thompson said. "He can put the ball in the basket. He can do a lot of things, but he makes shots."
In his final season at Loyola, Hollis shot 56 percent from the floor, 43 percent from the three, and 85 percent from the free throw line. Adams believes that he could also put up 50/40/80 numbers in college, as long as he takes his shots within the deliberate confines of Georgetown's Princeton offense.
Thanks to last year's practice, fitting in with that system should be one of Thompson's main advantages this season.
"Georgetown's system is intricate, and just having the extra [practice] is going to be a major benefit," Adams said. "The first semester can feel like the game is being played at hyperspeed, but he should already be on the road for being able to slow down and pick spots in order to be successful."
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John Thompson III had never been in this position before. Standing in Waco, Texas, the head coach of the Georgetown men's basketball team watched his players surrender a ten-point lead to Baylor University, losing in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament. The hallmark of Thompson's Georgetown teams had been their ability to thrive in the clutch, but "clutch" was the last word someone would have used to describe the any of the Hoyas that day.
After limping to a 16-15 record, and missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in three years, it's time for the Hoyas to start moving on-though the specter of last season lingers.
"It's not like we're going to put our head in the sand and we're never going to mention [last season]," Thompson said. "But at the same time it's not like we're going to come in here, slam the door and beat [the players] up with it. They hurt just like I did."
The extended offseason gave the Hoyas plenty of time to lick their wounds. But even as a new season begins, the scars left by last year's campaign remain in plain sight.
"It's the first time I ever lost in my life, lost a lot of games," junior point guard Chris Wright said. "It's not good to lose, that's one thing I learned. It's a humbling experience … you just have to learn to stay even, not get too high when things are going well."
That seemed to be a problem last season. Georgetown peaked with its late December victory over the previously undefeated No. 2 University of Connecticut Huskies. The win preceded a plummet in the second half of the season with the Hoyas losing 14 of their last 20 games.
Anyone who saw the Hoyas convincingly beat the Huskies struggled to reconcile that team with the one that went on to finish 12th in the Big East. Critics pointed to the team's inexperience, chemistry issues, and a general lack of killer instinct to explain the epic collapse.
But no one theorized that the problem was a lack of talent. On paper, last year's squad was at least an NCAA tournament team, boasting three McDonald's All-Americans-including Big East Rookie of the Year Greg Monroe and current Detroit Piston DaJuan Summers. Although this year's team has lost Summers, part-time starter Jessie Sapp to graduation, and role player Omar Wattad, who transferred to UT Chattanooga, the Hoyas return more than enough talent to succeed. And with Georgetown ranked 20th in preseason AP poll, success is the expectation.
"As a program, because of the people who have been here, we have a foundation set such that you can go through a year like last year and the sky is not falling in," Thompson said. "That being said, this group hopefully has learned the lessons, and hopefully the steps that were taken last year will put us in a position for this year's group not to have the same ending."
The most intriguing new addition to the Hoyas is forward Hollis Thompson, who graduated high school a semester early and enrolled at Georgetown in January. He spent the whole semester practicing with the team, making him uniquely prepared to contribute his sweet shooting touch to the team right away.
With no seniors on the roster, the responsibility of making sure the Hoyas remember the lessons of last season falls to the team's most experienced players-the backcourt tandem of juniors Wright and Austin Freeman. They lead a formidable group of guards, supported by sophomore Jason Clark and freshman Vee Sanford.
"Coach just expects more from me and Chris this year," Freeman said. "He wants us to talk to the freshmen, to talk to everybody else, just to encourage everybody to do well. And talk to everybody, tell them how they can help our program. Pretty much just set everything straight for everybody this year."
The duo is leading by example. In the offseason they and their teammates rededicated themselves to strength and conditioning, attempting to address a critique from last season. In particular, Freeman-who appeared last year to be carrying some extra weight-slimmed down-he's claimed to have dropped 12 pounds.
While some Hoyas have streamlined, others spent their summer bulking up in the weight room. Last year, Georgetown seemed to struggle with the physicality of the Big East, especially inside, as rebounding woes plagued the team all season. The Hoyas learned that they cannot win when they can be pushed around.
"It's one thing coach has been stressing, saying we've got to get a little more physical inside on the boards this year," Monroe said. "I think everyone's been working hard and trying to get a little bit more physical."
Monroe will have to be the team's interior anchor. The sophomore center is Georgetown's best player, and likely would have been a top ten pick in the NBA draft had he declared. Instead, he realized he still had room to improve, and returned to lead the Hoya frontcourt once more.
Monroe will not be without assistance down low. Running mates sophomore Henry Sims and junior Julian Vaughn should both assume a larger role this season, drawing on a year's experience in Georgetown's system. The Hoya big men will look to control the boards, but they also will be able to leverage their athleticism to impact the game.
"All of our big men are not just solely big men-we all can get up and down the floor, we all can dribble and shoot," Sims said. "So that just works better when we have two other big men that are just [typical] big men guarding us."
Junior Nikita Mescheriakov also returns up front, with newcomer Jerelle Benimon, a prolific rebounder in high school, providing additional depth.
The freshmen won't be getting an easy introduction to the team, because in what's becoming a tradition, Georgetown has scheduled a very challenging initial non-conference schedule. Early in the season, the Hoyas are taking on Temple and American, two NCAA tournament teams, before playing No. 11 Butler and No. 14 University of Washington back-to-back in December.
"It's a big risk. No doubt about that," Coach Thompson said of the scheduling. "[But] we've got to get tested early so we can figure it out and so we can see who we are."
Trial by fire is the only feasible option for the Hoyas, who are playing in a league with five teams ranked in the preseason top 25. The continued quality of the Big East means that Georgetown can't afford the luxury of easing into its conference schedule.
No matter who they play, the Hoyas are anxious to begin the new season. Until tip-off at Tulane on November 13, this team will be defined by its performance last season. Only by playing games can Georgetown show how far it has come.
"We're still young, but we have collectively, across the board this year more experience," Thompson said. "And there's no substitute for experience."
If anything, that's what last season taught Georgetown. The Hoyas just hope they have learned enough for a shot at for a new experience: the NCAA tournament.
[h2][/h2][h2]The big man is back and he's better than ever[/h2]Author: Tom Bosco - Categories: Sports
He's back.
To the delight of the Hoya faithful, Greg Monroe passed up NBA millions to return to the Hilltop for his sophomore season. He passed up a likely place as a lottery pick, an opportunity that many in his position would jump at. But Monroe doesn't just want an opportunity to play professionally. He wants to succeed at the next level.
"You have a lot of players-good, bad, right, or wrong-that you know that the first opportunity that they have to be drafted that they're going to leave," head coach John Thompson III said. "This is how some people are-not judging them.
"Greg is not one of those people. I've always said he's honest; he can look in the mirror and say that, 'I need to improve. There are some things I can get better at.' He has goals and desires not just to be in the league, not just to be a professional basketball player, but to be a good one."
So Monroe ventured out this summer to work on the points of his game that needed the most improvement. And he feels like he's a lot better now than he was at the end of last season.
"I think the thing that's going to be the most different is me knowing what's going to happen after last season," Monroe said. "You know, I've been here a year. I think that's going to pay huge dividends for me going down the stretch and how I need to prepare … and me knowing what's coming, I can prepare better for it."
Monroe can definitely build on some of the lessons he learned-both the good and the bad-in the first full season as a collegiate player.
Last January, Monroe and the Hoyas had a performance for the ages in a 74-63 dismantling of then undefeated and second-ranked Connecticut. At the time, the sun seemed to be shining down on the Hoyas, and nothing could get in their way.
The sun set quickly. Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair and Notre Dame's Luke Harangody showed the Hoyas that while Monroe was great, he wasn't immortal. In the two following games, Blair dropped 20 points and 17 rebounds and Harangody added 31 and 11 against the freshman. The Hoyas lost both games, and their sky-high expectations began the long fall back to the Hilltop.
This year, Monroe will be more prepared for the bruising style of play in the Big East. He spent part of his summer working on his game at the Amare Stoudemire Camp in Phoenix, being critiqued by NBA Hall of Famers, while playing against some of the other best big men in the country. That-along with a summer of weight training that has furnished Monroe with a leaner, stronger physique-has Monroe confident he will be strong all year round.
"[In] this league, everyone has two or three big men," Monroe said. "The wear and tear is going to take a toll. Being able to have that strength and being able to have it down the stretch is very important."
But Monroe has worked on more than just his physique. Despite shooting 57.2 percent from the field last season, he's improved his mid-range shooting and post moves. He also worked on extending his ability to shoot with his right hand from the mid-range and closer, just to give him more options.
More importantly, Monroe still has the desire to do the thing he does best: pass.
"I think I've always been a good passer," Monroe said. "I don't know where it came from, but … passing is something that you just have to want to do. It's something you can't really learn, you can't really practice. You just have to be aware and [have it be] something that you want to do and something that you look to do."
Monroe's uncanny passing ability is the crux of Georgetown's Princeton offense, facilitating the system's constant backdoor cuts, motion, and passing. And he refuses to believe that scoring is all that matters.
"I think in basketball right now, the main focus is scoring," Monroe said. "People are getting so good at scoring that they're doing a lot of things … people are starting to overlook a lot of different aspects of the game that are still very important. I think that passing is a little bit underrated right now."
Still, with the Hoyas disappointing finish last year-and the departure of the team's leading scorer, DaJuan Summers-Monroe will need to become more aggressive and take a larger scoring role this season.
"He will be more aggressive," Thompson said. "He understands that. That's part of the growth. We saw Jeff Green go through that, we saw Roy go through that. You go from last year: an extremely talented freshman, but a freshman nonetheless. His role on this year's team has grown and is different, on the court and off."
While Monroe may be back, he is different. He is stronger, has better skills-and in a depleted Big East-he will be more widely targeted. Monroe says he is a better player than he was at the end of last season, and the Hoyas are banking on the fact that he can back up those claims.
"There's nothing that can take pressure off Greg," Thompson said. "He's going to have pressure on him. He's going to have an X on his back all year."
The question is, will anyone be able to match up to him?
http://www.georgetownvoice.com/2009/11/05/the-big-man-is-back-and-he’s-better-than-ever/
Leadership is something that cannot be measured. There is no statistic that says who the leader of a team is. No matter how much talent a team has, without a leader, it will be lost. The Georgetown men's basketball team learned this lesson firsthand last year while watching a once promising season disappear into thin air. Ever since the departure of Jonathan Wallace and the rest of the class of 2008, the Hoyas have been looking for a definitive leader who can guide the team on and off the court.
The Hoyas may have finally found one in junior point guard Chris Wright. Heading into the new season without any seniors on the roster, his coaches and teammates have made it clear the position is his.
"I have to be a leader because I am the point guard," Wright said. "I have to be very vocal, I have to be upbeat … a lot of the energy of the team is going to be based on how I react to certain things."
Wright came to college as a highly-touted recruit, but his first two years at Georgetown didn't go as well as he had hoped. During his freshman year, he was plagued by a foot injury that forced him to miss the entire Big East regular season. And while Wright assumed a spot in the starting lineup last season, his team's performance was anything but desirable. Wright developed more as a leader as the season progressed, but still showed signs of inconsistency while veterans Jessie Sapp and DaJuan Summers were tasked with running the team.
"I learned as a player, watching some of these other guys, that at certain points in the game, there are certain plays you have to make," Wright said.
Wright didn't become the leader he is now overnight. When he came to the Hilltop in the fall of 2007, he was lucky to have a lot of veterans to look up to. The Hoyas were fresh off a Final Four appearance from the previous year and returned four seniors, including Wallace and current Indiana Pacer Roy Hibbert.
"I learned that he [Wallace] always was very even keeled, and understood that it's much bigger than him and it's much bigger than what he was trying to do; it's about the team and he got rewarded for what he did," Wright said.
Wright has a different playing style from Wallace-more likely to penetrate and drive than pull up for a three like his elder-but that doesn't mean he can't be a great leader like Wallace was. He hopes that he can be to the incoming freshman what Wallace was to him: a leader by example.
Not only has Wright relied on veterans to help him improve, but his teammate and former high school rival Austin Freeman has been beneficial to his development. The McDonald's All-Americans have known each other since their playing days in the Baltimore area high school league.
"We have chemistry where we understand each other's personality [and] each other's game in a sense that when we're on the court, we don't even have to say anything because we know exactly what the other is thinking," Wright said. "It's just something that is built over time and we have a lot of trust in each other."
It's important that the two juniors have such good chemistry, because they are the ones who will be making decisions and controlling the floor. The Hoyas should feel confident with two veterans handling the ball and the team this year.
With Summers and Sapp out of the picture and teammates like Greg Monroe and Freeman to complement his skills, Wright is poised to have a breakout season.
"Chris this year, so far in practice, he's been terrific," head coach John Thompson III said. "He's somewhat more settled just with where he is with this team. He knows he's a leader on this team. There's not even a question about that."
After a disappointing campaign last year, Wright and most of his teammates spent the summer on the Hilltop working on their game. There seems to be a new feel about this team, something that Wright has certainly played a role in.
"We're harder, we're hungrier," Wright said. "We definitely are hungry. We want to prove ourselves to them. We have to get that swagger back that Georgetown's had for a long time."
No current Hoya exudes swagger quite like Wright. If he can impart that confidence to his teammates, he may follow the path of his mentor Wallace, and lead the Hoyas deep into the NCAA tournament once more.
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Doug Gottlieb on the Hoyas...
One down year at Georgetown is an exception -- two years is a trend. Greg Monroe should be far more consistent in year two, as should guards Chris Wright andAustin Freeman. The Hoyas, as with most Princeton-style teams, struggled with rebounding last season, but they also took bad shots and gave up way too manygood looks. With a limited bench, still no replacement for the steadiness and shooting of Jonathan Wallace, Georgetown needs to ride Monroe to the Dance andget out of the January-March black clouds that rained on its NCAA parade in 2009.
One down year at Georgetown is an exception -- two years is a trend. Greg Monroe should be far more consistent in year two, as should guards Chris Wright andAustin Freeman. The Hoyas, as with most Princeton-style teams, struggled with rebounding last season, but they also took bad shots and gave up way too manygood looks. With a limited bench, still no replacement for the steadiness and shooting of Jonathan Wallace, Georgetown needs to ride Monroe to the Dance andget out of the January-March black clouds that rained on its NCAA parade in 2009.
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can't wait for next friday.
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[h2][/h2]
[h2]Greg Monroe is Back for More[/h2]Author: Kevin Wessel
[h6]The center's choice to spurn the NBA reflects his on-court mentality[/h6]
Every kid who bounces a ball or tosses up jump shots dreams of the NBA. Maybe someday he'll cross over an NBA star or his game-winner will be on all the highlights. When that kid develops the skill to make it to the NBA, it's hard for him to turn down the allure of the game's brightest stage. There's even a catchy saying for a great player when he's fast-tracked for the draft: the one-and-done.
Many thought Greg Monroe was on that track. The versatile center displayed a fluid talent that was beyond his age and a polished game, even as a freshman in the unforgiving Big East. Conventional wisdom said he was ready to be drafted, and drafted high.
Monroe can score, defend and rebound with the best big men in the nation, but it is his playmaking ability that makes him unique. He scans the court and can decipher how a play will develop two and three passes down the line, allowing him to make the best decision with the ball.
In the same way, Monroe gathered information about the draft and decided that his best move was to return to school, to develop physically and improve his game. He wanted to be a good pro, not just make it to the NBA. In the meantime, he was enjoying his collegiate experience.
He will tell you that the decision to skip the draft - and put the dream of the NBA on hold - was an easy one for him, but that shouldn't come as a surprise. Through basketball, Monroe has honed his decision-making abilities on and off the court for years.
Deciding on Georgetown
Well before he analyzed the NBA option, Monroe had to settle on where to go to college. He was in every recruiting expert's top 10 for 2008, and some considered him the best recruit in the nation when he was a senior. A tantalizing blend of fundamentals and skill, size and athleticism, polish and potential, Monroe was on every coach's radar.
The New Orleans native narrowed his list down to five basketball powerhouses: Connecticut, Duke, Georgetown, LSU and Texas. He scheduled visits for all five and was impressed on his first trip to LSU.
"I think he had felt a commitment because of being from Louisiana, as an in-state player, to stay in state," says Tyron Mouzon, Monroe's prep coach from Helen Cox High School. "Greg was a pretty loyal kid. I think he felt sort of an obligation to stay in state."
Yet just one week later, after watching Georgetown unveil its 2007 Final Four banner and Jeff Green's NBA jersey at Midnight Madness, Monroe's mind was set. He committed to Georgetown's John Thompson III and cancelled his other three visits.
"When I was on campus that weekend … everything felt real - what I saw was what I was going to get. And what I saw was what [Thompson] had been telling me the whole time he was recruiting me," Monroe says. "I felt like he wasn't trying to sell me a dream because everything he would speak on, I saw it with my own eyes. He wasn't just telling me what I wanted to hear. He was telling me the truth."
The choice was clear to Monroe, like finding an open cutter on the court. As soon as he saw the play develop, he fired the pass. He committed to Georgetown.
"I think he took [the decision] very mature because he had a lot of visits. He had a lot of people coming to the home," Mouzon says. "Greg is a very, very intelligent young man, and a very smart kid. I think he analyzed it and looked at everything."
A year and a half later, after the Hoyas stumbled to a 16-15 record and lost in the first round of the NIT, Mouzon asked his former star if he had chosen the right school. Texas and LSU had each made the second round of the NCAA tournament, Duke was in the Sweet 16 and UConn went to the Final Four. Imagine how good any one of them could have been with Monroe.
"Obviously [Georgetown] didn't make the NCAAs last year and that's when I asked him if it was the right decision," Mouzon says. "But he said he made the right decision and he's happy with it."
A Fast Learner
Monroe came to the Hilltop with high expectations and big shoes to fill. Not only was he a highly touted recruit - a bona fide high school star and winner - but he was taking Roy Hibbert's (COL '0spot in the starting lineup. As much as Thompson insisted that Monroe and Hibbert were vastly different players, fans were accustomed to the success of back-to-back Big East titles and expected the Monroe-led Hoyas to continue the recent tradition.
Though many crowned him the next in the line of great Hoya big men before he played a single game, Monroe says he never felt any pressure. Every player wants to be able to start from day one, he says.
Thompson attributes his demeanor to Monroe's down-to-earth personality and his early exposure to the spotlight in high school.
Part of Monroe's easy evolution into an elite college basketball player was facilitated by his mind. Learning a new system while adjusting to the new challenges of the college game is not easy for any player at any school, but Monroe's sharp mind fed right into his new role.
"Coming in, me personally, I don't think it was hard to learn it at all," Monroe says of playing in Georgetown's system. "Learning that position, a lot of it is patterns and reads.
"Some people think the game, and I think that's what I do: I think the game. When I'm playing, I'm always thinking of what's next and the little different plateaus of defense and stuff like that. I've always thought the game."
Thompson saw his prized recruit gain a fast understanding of Georgetown's Princeton-style offense.
"Greg is smart. It's not necessarily our system. The jump from high school to college is tough, no matter where you go," the coach says. "I think that Greg's IQ - his basketball IQ as well as his overall IQ - allowed that part of the transition to be easy."
As Monroe began to develop in practice and on the court in Hibbert's old starting center role, a comparison to another former Hoya star became more apparent, one Thompson had seen from the beginning. Monroe's all-around, versatile game was reminiscent of the multi-talented Jeff Green, who led the Hoyas back to the Final Four and national prominence two years prior.
"I think Greg is a tremendous player," Green says. "He reminds me of myself when I first got in [to Georgetown]. He has to work on little things, but knows the game very well. He's a strong big guy, he can pass the ball and he has great low post moves. He has to work on his shot obviously, but I think he's going to be a great, great player in the end."
Thompson brought clips of Green to New Orleans when he was recruiting Monroe to show him how his skill set could be used in the offense.
"They're very, very similar in terms of their understanding and their caring," Thompson says. "At this point, Greg's probably a better passer than Jeff was, and Jeff was a better shooter. But they're very similar."
Monroe says he has developed every facet of his game at Georgetown, including growing physically. Always a student of the game, the center credits his teachers.
"I think [I've improved in] every aspect of the game," he says. "Definitely in the post, being able to come in and learn from people who have a history of developing big men is key."
Big Start, Big Disappointment
Expectations turned to results as Monroe's freshman season began. His scoring average was in double figures and the team started 10-1 with an overtime win over national runner-up Memphis and a rout of regional rival Maryland.
Monroe's coming out party came in the Big East opener at Connecticut. The Huskies
were undefeated and ranked second in the nation. A veteran team, they were expected to expose the Hoyas' youth and inexperience. Big man Hasheem Thabeet, who stayed out of the draft the year before to further develop his game, was supposed to establish the pecking order in the conference.
Instead, it was the Hoyas and Monroe who took control from the beginning. Monroe stole an entry pass to Thabeet on the game's first possession and assisted the Hoyas' first three baskets. The big man then stripped UConn point guard A.J. Price and drove the length of the court for a layup. To cap a 15-1 run to open the game, Monroe stepped out to the top of the key, stared down Thabeet and drained a three-pointer, a college first.
The Hoyas had cracked the top 10, although they lost their next two, but those were to No. 3 Pittsburgh and at No. 13 Notre Dame.
No need to worry, especially with Monroe holding his own against two of the league's top players. He scored 15 points and grabbed eight boards against Pitt's DeJuan Blair and posted 21 and 10 against Notre Dame's Luke Harangody.
"Greg's a great player," Harangody says. "He's such a fundamental player that it's fun going up against him because you know it's going to be a battle, as it was last year."
Monroe flirted with triple-doubles as the Hoyas won their next two. His playmaking and passing were on display with eight assists to beat Providence and six against Syracuse.
The freshman was excelling in all areas of the game. He personified versatility.
"He really knows how to play," Marquette Head Coach Buzz Williams says. "He has great hands. He can play away from the basket. He can play with his back to the basket. He can make 15-footers. He's very smart in regards to knowing angles offensively and defensively."
On defense, Monroe was both a menacing presence in the lane, leading the team in blocks, and a nuisance in the passing lanes, leading the team in steals. When a guard didn't put enough zip on a lob into the post, Monroe maneuvered around his man with quickness and agility to intercept the pass.
With the ball in his hands, Monroe was deadly. A lefty, he looked most at ease going to a short hook with his left hand, but he was comfortable with his entire repertoire of post moves. He could finish with both hands, in addition to stepping out for a mid-range jumper.
"I have a couple of go-to moves, and I have a couple of counters," Monroe explains. "You definitely need counters in the post. People start taking away certain moves, and you have to have counters for them."
But even with all of his other talents, it was still his ability to see the floor and make the right pass that impressed people the most.
"He's got length, he's got skill, but he can really pass the ball. I think that's his best attribute, and what makes him different than other big guys," Pittsburgh Head Coach Jamie Dixon says.
For Monroe, passing comes easy. He knows the offense, and he knows the best decision to make.
"It's instinctive to me," Monroe says. "With this offense it's easy to make passes and plays. There are a lot of people cutting and there's a lot of movement."
Monroe was thriving, and the Hoyas were poised for their fourth straight NCAA tournament.
Then something strange happened at Cameron Indoor Stadium against Duke. Monroe was assessed a mysterious technical foul while on the bench, giving him his fourth foul and keeping him on the bench while the Hoyas struggled to close out the game. The Hoyas lost momentum, something that not only affected the outcome of that game, but the entire complexion of the season. The loss was the start of a frustrating 4-12 stretch to close out the year.
All of a sudden Monroe appeared human. Georgetown lost six games by six points or fewer in that stretch, prompting questions about Monroe's aggressiveness and ability to take over tight games. The one knock on Monroe in high school was that his quiet and humble personality spilled onto the court too much; he played passively at times when he should have asserted himself as the best player on the floor.
"Sometimes I thought he was hesitant in some of his decision making," Mouzon says of Monroe's play at Helen Cox. "He's always been the ultimate team player, and he's always wanted to get people involved. His decision making is great. He's a great, great passer at 6-11, 6-10, yet a lot of people have been saying that he needs to be a little more selfish, which is kind of rare these days."
Could it be that Monroe's decision making was working against him now? The young Hoyas were finally taking their lumps, and the freshman phenom was no exception. Monroe had mediocre performances as Georgetown lost its final two games - first round exits from the Big East tournament and the NIT.
The Hoyas finished the season one game over .500, but for Monroe, who had won a Louisiana state title as a senior, all of the losses were foreign territory.
"I haven't felt like that before in my life," he says. "Truthfully I've been winning all my life, so it was kind of hard going through that. It was definitely different. I definitely don't want to go through that again."
To Be a Good Pro
Despite the Hoyas' collapse, Monroe's star still shone brightly for the NBA draft. Projections had him going in the top 10 and NBA teams were still salivating over the image of a green Monroe dominating the seasoned Thabeet on a December night in Hartford.
Pitt's Dixon, who had two players in the draft, said he was somewhat surprised Monroe did not enter the draft based on what he heard from NBA people with whom he had spoken.
Yet Monroe analyzed the situation, as always, and making the decision came naturally to him; the choice was an easy one.
"It was just a decision I had to evaluate myself. I had to ask myself: Was I ready to make that jump physically and mentally? Was my skill set at the level it should be?" Monroe says. "After asking myself that and getting information from people who are knowledgeable about the game, I decided that the best decision for me was to come back."
To Thompson, it was Monroe's sincere introspection that made the decision easy for the freshman.
"I think he's honest with himself and he knows what he wants. And what I mean by that is Greg likes Georgetown; he likes the collegiate experience," Thompson says. "When he looks in the mirror, I think he's honest enough to know that from just strictly a basketball perspective, besides just liking Georgetown, but from a basketball perspective, he had a lot he could improve on, he had a lot he could get better at. … Some people are content just to go and say, 'I'm a pro.' He wants to say, 'I'm a good pro.'"
The decision came right away, like he was firing a crisp pass to an open cutter. Monroe said he decided the first day underclassmen could declare for the draft. The decisive move came as a surprise to some, though everyone agreed that more time in college would benefit Monroe.
"You're always a little surprised when a top pick comes back," says Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim, echoing Dixon's sentiments. "I think it's a good thing for him. He'll get better and he'll be an even higher pick now."
Cincinnati Head Coach Mick Cronin says he understands the rationale behind Monroe's decision.
"First of all, he's a very intelligent kid, from my understanding; he's a good student. [It was a] smart move for him, in my opinion. It allows him to develop more. … Greg Monroe may need to play even more college basketball beyond this year," Cronin says. "Getting to the NBA is one thing. Staying in the NBA and having success is another thing."
Back to School, Back to Work
When asked what Greg Monroe needs to improve on, Thompson's first words were, "Offense and defense." He said them with a laugh, but he meant it. With Monroe's skill, physical gifts and his knowledge of the game, both coach and player know there is room for improvement everywhere. With that in mind, Monroe carefully structured his summer to allow him to work on all areas of his game.
He started back home in Louisiana, where he hit the weight room to bulk up his frame and improve his explosiveness. From there he moved to Amare Stoudemire Skills Academy, the third time he has gone to the elite, invite-only camp.
Monroe went up against some of the top big men from around the nation - most more seasoned than Monroe - including Kansas' Cole Aldrich, Virginia Commonwealth's Larry Sanders, Tulsa's Jerome Jordan and Cincinnati's Yancy Gates.
"Greg is a real good player. He can score, he plays defense, he's a good rebounder," says Gates, who was also a highly touted big man in the 2008 class. "Greg is a real good player, and he's going to be an even better player as the time goes on."
The camp's coaches - which included training guru Kyle Manary and Hall of Fame center Bob Lanier - stopped the players from time to time to discuss specific situations, fine-tuning the play whenever they saw room for improvement.
"It really gives you a sense of how hard you should be working and how good you can actually be and how good you actually are," Monroe says, adding that the four-day camp was one of his best basketball experiences.
From the skills camp, Monroe headed back to Georgetown to work out with the team. After an offseason in which shooting was emphasized, Monroe says he feels more comfortable shooting farther from the basket and may extend his range.
The Big East has taken notice of Monroe's return. The coaches voted him to the preseason all-Big East first team - the only non-senior of the six players chosen.
"He is going to be better for it to come back and have more college experience. I just think he could have a breakout season," says Notre Dame Head Coach Mike Brey. "I'm so impressed with his feel for the game. … I think you'll see him be more aggressive and maybe a little more selfish with his offense, but I think he's a great teammate. He's unselfish. The sky is the limit for him."
Marquette's Williams cut right to the chase: "He's the best post player in the league."
The personal accolades do not mean much to Monroe, who says he focuses on wins, not rankings and awards. That attitude epitomizes the quiet confidence Monroe carries on and off the court. He doesn't see a need to show off - just get the job done.
"People always got on him a lot of times because they didn't think he was flashy enough," Mouzon says of Monroe's time in high school. "You'd hear fans say, 'He's not flashy enough. On a breakaway why didn't he dunk the ball?'
"He's like 'I'm 6-10, 6-11, I know I can dunk a basketball. I don't need to dunk the basketball to prove it to anybody.' I call him old-school all the time. He just tries to get it done and he always wants his teammates to be involved."
The high school coach even draws a comparison between Monroe's personality and that of Tim Duncan, the NBA all-star nicknamed the "Big Fundamental" for his plain yet ruthlessly effective style of play.
That mindset and style carried over into college.
"He's very smart … but he works really hard. He's one of the hardest-working big men in the Big East - no ifs, ands or buts," says West Virginia forward Da'Sean Butler, another early favorite for conference player of the year. "He does what it takes for his team to win. Last year, he didn't have the year he probably wanted his team to have, but he still kept at it and worked hard - rebounded and scored and did all the little things his team needed him to do."
Yet Monroe, the consummate teammate, was also criticized for being too unselfish. The questions came pouring in leading up to his sophomore year: Would he stop passing so much and look for his shot? Would he be more aggressive?
Thompson says he will, and his teammates agree.
"I think he needs to understand, and he's done a lot better job of understanding, when to take over the game," says point guard Chris Wright. "He has the power to take over any game. It's just a matter of him knowing when the game is on the line, we need you to score."
Monroe still sticks to his guns when asked those questions. He says he'll make the decisions when the time comes, the same way he has done it all along: Make a read, analyze and decide.
"I think whatever is right for the situation, whether it is pass it or shoot it. I think that it's just make the best decisions this year. Not necessarily shoot more. If it's there, take the shot. If it's not, kick it back out," he says.
Teammates know the best decision will likely be to shoot more, but they have confidence in Monroe, who has grown into a leader on the young team, to make the right choices.
Frontcourt mates Henry Sims and Julian Vaughn both look to Monroe for guidance, something Thompson says has come on and off the court.
"He's just more of a presence," the coach says. "I mean in the locker room and up on campus as much as I mean on the court. His presence is felt more with this team now than it was last year."
Monroe identifies himself as a lead-by-example guy, someone who goes about his business the right way and is a model for his teammates. Junior walk-on Ryan Dougherty ties the center's leadership to his mind and analytical ability.
"He's pumping guys up; he's telling us what we can do. He sees things that other guys don't see out on the court," Dougherty says. "Greg is a really intellectual player, and I think this year you'll see him be more vocal, but it's just his overall confidence and his swagger out on the court. It's something that people feed off of."
Monroe leads as he plays - with a quiet confidence, unassuming yet effective.
In the same way, he makes decisions. Make a read, calmly analyze. Fire a pass, decide. For all of his physical ability and talent, his size and skill, it is his mind that makes Greg Monroe an elite basketball player.
[h2][/h2][h2]A Relationship Built on Trust[/h2]Author: Ryan Travers
[h6]The dynamic between junior guards Chris Wright and Austin Freeman developed years ago. What the two friends are able to do this season will determine Georgetown's fate[/h6]
It was early April 2006 when Austin Freeman, then a junior at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md., picked up his phone to send some encouragement - and a little bit of advice - to his longtime friend Chris Wright.
Just days earlier, Wright, a junior guard at D.C.'s St. John's College High School, had decommitted from North Carolina State following Head Coach Herb Sendek's departure, leaving the explosive all-Met performer on the market.
Freeman, having already verbally committed to Georgetown the previous November, had his college plans mapped out, and he wasn't afraid to help Wright make a decision about his future.
"I had committed first, and he was going to N.C. State and then he decommitted from N.C. State, and that's when I tried to put my two cents in and get him to try and come to Georgetown," Freeman recalls.
By November, Freeman's sales pitch had paid off, and Wright had signed with Georgetown.
In a sport - and a Georgetown offense - that relies heavily on chemistry, the relationship between Freeman and Wright may decide whether Georgetown can return to the NCAA tournament this year. Luckily for Head Coach John Thompson III, their bond couldn't be any stronger.
"Me and Austin, we've known each other for a while and on the court we have this certain chemistry," Wright says. "We just look at each other and … it's like saying something without saying something."
That kind of trust stems from a friendship that stretches back to adolescence when both were AAU teammates at D.C. Assault.
Different in both their style of play and their demeanor, Freeman and Wright serve as the perfect complements to each other. Freeman is the calm one, Wright the more emotional one. Wright is the quicker player at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Freeman the stronger presence at 6-foot-4 and 227 pounds.
"Naturally Chris is a fiery person. He's very emotional. He plays with a lot of passion," sophomore center Greg Monroe says.
As for Freeman, Thompson says he's the quieter of the duo.
"Austin is far from being an introvert, but he's not the most animated person on our team either," he says.
Wright, the quick and fiery one. Freeman, the strong and even-keeled one. In just two seasons, these two have quickly made their mark on Georgetown basketball.
Teammates in middle school, Freeman and Wright had known and played with each other before going their separate ways in high school.
"I was just looking for somewhere where I could play," Wright says of his decision to go to St. John's while Freeman went to DeMatha.
Both Wright and Freeman say that their friendship didn't suffer in high school, however, as their teams vied for Washington Catholic Athletic Conference titles each year.
"It was definitely a rivalry on the court, but off the court we were fine," Wright remembers.
So it wasn't unexpected when Freeman made that call in 2006. Nor was it unexpected that Wright would take Freeman's advice to heart. The chance to play on a team that had just gone to the Sweet 16 with a rising young coach and a proud history were all factors in Wright's decision, but he is the first to admit he could not pass up the chance to play with Freeman.
"One of the reasons why I came [to Georgetown] was because I wanted to play with Austin, and I wanted to stay home also," adds Wright, a Bowie, Md., native.
And just like that, months removed from a Final Four appearance, Georgetown welcomed two McDonald's All-Americans with a combined five all-Met selections from The Washington Post to the Hilltop.
The friends say that the transition to college life was difficult both on and off the court.
"I think with anything, and not even if you are an athlete, it's time management," Wright says. "You have no idea how to manage time until you go through it and you're like, 'Oh, this is due tomorrow.'"
Plus there were the long days in McDonough Gymnasium practicing, trying to get up to speed in a new offense at a level of play that was a lot faster and a lot stronger than anything they had seen in the WCAC.
Wright says, "For me, being a point guard, [the speed] was the biggest transition. You got a 35-second shot clock and you're not used to [the fact] that guards are much quicker …"
"And bigger," Freeman says, to finish his sentence.
Before long though, both had become adjusted to college, and the buzz surrounding the two roommates began to grow. Wright, the first three-time all-Met selection since 1973, drew compliments for his ball-handling skills, but mostly for his speed.
"Chris is fast, he's really fast," Jessie Sapp told The Hoya in the fall of 2007.
Freeman on the other hand received glowing reviews for his jumpshot.
"Austin is a really great shooter, he's really like a smooth player," former Georgetown guard Jeremiah Rivers told The Hoya when Freeman was a freshman.
It didn't hurt that they had a veteran group returning from the Final Four team the previous year.
"If anything, it relieved some of the pressure," says Wright of coming to Georgetown following the Final Four season. "We didn't have to revitalize the program or anything. We just had to come in here and do our part. The team was already intact - we just came in and fit in where we [could]."
A season-opening victory saw little out of either player. The two combined for an inauspicious two points in 21 minutes of play, but as their minutes increased, they started to show why they were the most highly anticipated recruits in recent memory on the Hilltop. Both scored in double-digits in a blowout over Michigan at home, and from then on their presence was felt.
Freeman in particular shined. He put in 11 points in a road win over Old Dominion, 14 and four rebounds in a loss to then-No. 2 Memphis and 12 points in a demolition of Fordham.
Following the Fordham win, their fortunes would take different turns, as Wright went down with an ankle injury, while Freeman found himself firmly in the Hoyas' starting five as Big East play was beginning, taking the starting place of Patrick Ewing Jr. (COL '0
Playing in the physical Big East is tough for any player, but for a freshman, the physical play and the brutal slate of opponents can be a shock to their system. Freeman didn't seem to notice, however, scoring in double-figures in three of his first four Big East games.
"It was tough playing in the Big East as a freshman," Freeman says. "I got used to it. It was tough at some parts, but I felt like I was fine. [The seniors] helped a lot, too."
Wright could only sit and watch from the sidelines as his friend took on the best of the Big East.
"It was frustrating. It was the first time I had been hurt for an extended period of time and it was the first time I couldn't play basketball," Wright remembers. "I was frustrated sitting on the bench for 16 or so games. It was a tough situation, but I learned from it."
While he couldn't participate in the offense, Wright studied it from the side, learning its intricacies so that when his time came, the challenge would be physical rather than mental.
"Technically … I got the offense, but I don't think [that] sitting out for so long you can see everything every practice," he says. "You kind of get a feel and understanding for the offense, just knowing where the spots [are and] where you need to go. In terms of just understanding the feel for the game and going up and doing it, I was accustomed to that. I understood the offense and I understood the nuances of the offense and just understanding where to go, but I just couldn't put it into action."
After the Hoyas wrapped up their second consecutive Big East regular season title, Wright finally got his chance to put his knowledge into action in the Big East tournament quarterfinals against Villanova. Coming off the bench, Wright got his first taste of game action in nearly two months.
"I was ready," Wright says. "I just remembered [Thompson] called my name and I just jumped up real quick. I was excited and I was ready to get back on the court."
With four minutes to go in the half, Wright got his first chance to shoot.
"When he got out there - as soon as he got on the court - there was a fast break, and he was ahead of the pack and he caught the ball at the three-point line and he stopped and just looked at the basket," Freeman says, laughing. "I knew he was about to shoot it as soon as he got it, and it went in, too. So I was happy for him."
For three days in New York, Hoya fans, if they looked past monster performances from Roy Hibbert (COL '0
Both would put in nine points in an NCAA tournament second-round game against Davidson, but it was not enough to overcome 30 points from Stephen Curry as the Hoyas' season, and Freeman and Wright's freshman campaign, was ended unceremoniously.
Heading into their sophomore seasons, both players looked to be key components of a Georgetown team that had lost Jonathan Wallace (COL '0
While Freeman had already been through the grueling Big East campaign, Wright quickly learned that a full Big East schedule is a lot tougher than three games in New York in March.
"It's intense," Wright says of conference play. "That's one thing the Big East is all about, it's very intense. Just the whole physicality and the whole nature of the game, it's much different than you'd see in any other game. It's not in the sense that it's a brutal game, but you [have to] come to play. You have to stay focused."
As the season wore on, Georgetown, which had become known for pulling out close games, couldn't make the big play when it counted.
"We couldn't close out the tough games - the ones that we needed to," Freeman says. "It was bad for us. We couldn't get that stop [or] that rebound that we needed."
It didn't help that as sophomores on a young team, Freeman and Wright had to take on bigger roles and carry a bigger load for the Hoyas.
"It's rough, especially last year in the Big East being that it was probably one of the toughest years in a long time, and the amount of experience that the other teams had that we didn't necessarily have took its toll," Wright says. "It worked to our advantage earlier and then became a disadvantage later on."
While both showed they were legitimate scorers, there were lapses in their play in crucial games. Freeman had disappointing performances against Notre Dame (five points) and Seton Hall (four points), while Wright had a three-point performance in a loss at Duke and a nine-point, three-turnover game in a loss to St. John's.
Ask them about last year and they may give you a short response on what went wrong, but the two immediately look to the future, trying to push last season to its proper place in the past.
"We're not just going to say, 'Forget the whole thing,'" Wright says of last season. "We're going to learn from it and just be ready to play."
The saying goes that there's always next year, and for Freeman and Wright, next year can't come soon enough.
"It seems so far away," Wright says of the season opener against Tulane. "It really isn't, but it just seems that way."
After a disappointing season last year, both Wright and Freeman tried to wash away last year's memory with sweat in the gym this summer.
"[We] worked on everything," Freeman says. "During the summer, we were working out all the time - working out, getting stronger, getting fast. We did a lot of skill work, played pick up. We did a lot this summer just to get better."
"Me personally, and Austin, we worked out every day," Wright adds. "I think one thing that I tried to focus on was to get a little stronger this year because last year the Big East was so rough, and it does take a toll on your body."
Even opposing coaches who saw them over the summer remarked at their attitude.
"I'm a DeMatha guy. I like Austin and I saw him this summer. We were in [the D.C. area] recruiting, and he was working out back at our alma mater," Notre Dame Head Coach Mike Brey said. "He's just got that fire in his eyes. I think he'll have a great year, a bounce-back year where he really wants to get back on the scene and do it."
Both guards have been known for their shooting, but last year they saw their numbers plummet, with Freeman shooting 30.6 percent from beyond the arc and Wright not faring much better at 32.3 percent.
"They all need to work on their shooting," Thompson said bluntly.
Wright got the message.
"We shot the ball all the time," he says. "I really focused on my shooting and getting ready and trying to be a leader."
Thompson said he has been more than pleased with Freeman's work ethic this offseason.
"He's anxious to put that behind us and get on the court," he says. "He worked really hard on his physical condition. He's lost a lot of weight and is physically in much better condition than he was last year. And he also has put in the reps with his shot. Austin is one of these guys that when he shoots, I think it's going in. And it didn't go in enough last year. I think he realized that, and he's worked also on his shot a lot."
While Freeman may have lost some weight,
he still has a strong 227-pound frame that causes matchup problems for opposing teams.
"He's certainly a big guard, but by the same token he can take a bigger forward outside because he's strong enough to rebound against bigger players," DePaul Head Coach Jerry Wainwright said. "He's always going to be a matchup problem."
As for Wright, don't be surprised by a breakout season.
"I think Chris is one of the best returning guards in the league because his body is so strong, but yet he is so fast with the ball," Marquette Head Coach Buzz Williams said. "He can make open shots, but yet he can really beat you off the bounce in transition and he can beat you off the bounce in half court. Not many guards can do both of those things. I think he's very talented."
What scares opposing teams so much is the versatility the two players bring to the court. Freeman can kill you from beyond the arc, but he can also go in the paint among the trees and body up for a rebound. Wright can shoot and beat anyone in the open court, but at 6-foot-1 he plays like he is 6-foot-5 at times, driving the lane on penetration.
"To me if you're a spot-up shooter you can stop those guys," Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino said. "If you're just a low-post player, you can double down and stop those guys and make them pass the ball, but guys like that are very difficult because [of] the multifaceted part of their games. There's so many things you have to stop. [Freeman and Wright] in particular do multiple things and are very difficult to stop."
Pittsburgh Head Coach Jamie Dixon is of the same sentiment.
"We've been having matchup problems with those guys since they were in high school because we recruited them," he said. "They're very good players. Both can shoot it and put it on the floor."
Their hard work combined with talent and two years of experience should also pay dividends - as far as Xs and Os are concerned - in running Thompson's offense. Much has been made in recent years about the complexity of the offense, but both say that it is second nature for them. Call it experience, talent, trust or a white lie, but Freeman and Wright think the talk of complexity is exaggerated.
"It's not that complicated. It wasn't that complicated last year," Wright says.
"Maybe the first couple of days or weeks of freshman year, but other than that it's not complicated. It's like second nature now," Freeman adds.
Wright is quick, however, to clarify that there is a difference between knowing and perfecting the offense.
"We know the offense, but we're still learning and getting better at how to create and help each other out," he says.
After a year of hard work, coaches who saw the two in the Kenner League this summer are expecting both of their games to be greatly improved come this winter. Add those two improvements together, and the outcome is a pretty dangerous combination. They make each other better - and that will only make the Hoyas better.
"Austin Freeman is a really good player, and Chris Wright makes him a better player," Williams says of the Hoyas'one-two punch.
In the end, it all comes down to trust.
If last year proved anything to Georgetown, it was that talent alone cannot win basketball games. Starting three McDonald's All-Americans, a Parade All-American and a veteran senior, the Hoyas limped to the finish line. Trust was missing for the Hoyas as they stumbled in late-game situations last season.
"Trust in each other is key to winning regardless of whatever sport you're in, what system you're in, what age it is and regardless of what sex you are. Trust in each other and the team concept is imperative," Thompson said.
For Georgetown, their level of trust begins with the trust Freeman and Wright have for each other.
"I feel that our relationship plays a big part on the team," Freeman says.
"I think everyone understood that the chemistry of this team is very strong, and it started with us and it's something we need to keep going," Wright adds.
It's not just the trust that those two have for each other, but the trust that their teammates have for them. For better or worse, Wright and Freeman are the leaders of the team. Without any seniors, these two juniors are being forced to take a leadership role. Veterans in years played, if not age - Wright only turned 20 last week - Thompson thinks they have earned that role.
"It's clear cut - that is, that it's their team," Thompson said. "It's their team, and that comes from the experiences that they've grown up through and the fact that their teammates look up to them and respect them."
"I think both of them have always been mature," sophomore guard Jason Clark says. "They've been mature in the aspect of picking everybody up and they've tried to be more vocal."
That's not to say it hasn't been an adjustment for them to be the leaders.
"I started talking more. That's one thing I need to start doing, just talking," Freeman says. "Just saying stuff to encourage my teammates, that's something I'm doing."
Monroe thinks that their example has only benefited the rest of the team.
"With their lead and everybody else's growing up I think the communication is going to be at a very high level this year," he says.
Thompson also has seen an improvement in his team's chemistry and communication so far this year.
"It's not just as simple as [experience], but I just think we're more in sync, in tune, in rhythm," he says.
Freeman and Wright are more than willing to be the standard bearers for Georgetown, and they're very cognizant of the impact they will have on the Hoyas' fortunes this season.
"We're the captains of the team," Freeman says. "We have that type of leadership. I think our team is probably going to look at us for confirmation, I guess. I can say that our team will go the way we go."
"We're juniors now and we [have to] step up to the plate," Wright says. "I think we've established ourselves as leaders, and the team knows we're the leaders of the team. I think that's important if the team can say, 'Oh, those two guys, they're the leaders of the team.' I think that's important and I think we have established that. We are - along with a couple of others - the identity of the team this year. We're taking that seriously. We're trying to back that up."
With a relationship that originated on the hardwood in 2001, and a trust that has been built in the subsequent years, Freeman and Wright are hoping to go from being impact players for Georgetown to being impact leaders. If they can do that, it's going to be pretty hard to stop the Hoyas.
in Austin Freeman, Chris Wright, John Thompson III, Player Profile
[h2][/h2][h2]Fresh Faces Arrive on the Scene[/h2]Author: Dave Finn
[h6]With the Hoyas ready to bounce back from a down season, a group of newcomers hopes to contribute[/h6]
Guard Hollis Thompson
After a year that saw highly touted recruits Greg Monroe, Henry Sims and Jason Clark come to the Hilltop to play for Head Coach John Thompson III, this season's crop of freshmen will have a tough act to follow.
Make no mistake - Monroe, Sims and Clark did not turn out to be a freshman class for the ages. But the quartet of Hollis Thompson, Vee Sanford, Jerrelle Benimon and Stephen Stepka simply does not possess the same hype as John Thompson III's previous three recruiting classes, which included McDonald's All-Americans Vernon Macklin (now at Florida), Austin Freeman, Chris Wright and Monroe.
Although forward Hollis Thompson received significant attention from some of the nation's top programs, Sanford was recruited by the likes of Baylor, Iowa, Georgia and Charlotte, while the Hoyas managed to beat out Old Dominion for Benimon's services. Stepka came to the Hilltop after accepting an offer to make the team as a walk-on. Junior guard Ryan Dougherty, who played on Georgetown's practice squad last season, will join also join the Hoyas this year.
When Georgetown lost the recruiting battle for Latavious Williams, one of the nation's top forward prospects out of Humble, Texas, it seemed to be a major downside to John Thompson III's recruiting season. Williams has since decided to spurn the NCAA and take his game overseas.
Regardless of expectations, the Hoyas will need depth and contributions up and down the roster to get off to a hot start.
"We're going to need them right away," Freeman said of the class of 2013 during Georgetown's media day in October. "All the games we're going to play leading up to the Big East, we're going to need them right away. They're going to have to learn fast. … The sophomores even have to learn fast. We just need them to help us out this year."
Still, there may be more than meets the eye when it comes to Georgetown's newcomers. Hollis Thompson has the unique benefit of having an entire semester of practicing with the Hoyas under his belt. He graduated early from high school and began taking classes on campus in the spring.
"He's a freshman, but he's not a freshman," John Thompson III said. "He knows what we're trying to accomplish and how we want to accomplish it. … He's acclimated to college life. … You're put into an environment - on the team, on campus, around college - where all of a sudden everyone has settled into their routine. That was an adjustment for him. Now that he has gone through that, he's more advanced obviously than any other freshman."
Aside from Hollis, the other three freshmen will need to learn and adjust at a quick pace.
"[They need] to figure it out fast," Thompson said of his team. "We have a group that's walking around bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and they don't know what's going to hit them. As much as you go through these workouts, it's much different from when we start for real. They're working hard and they seem pretty bright. … I'm pleased with where they are right now, but when we go for real, we'll see."
Listed at 6-foot-7 and 205 pounds, the lanky Hollis Thompson should provide the Hoyas with another athletic wing player who can get to the rim, but who can also hurt opposing defenses with his jump shot. While John Thompson III may decide to use the three-guard lineup of Clark, Freeman and Wright, Hollis Thompson has a chance to crack the starting five at some point this season.
"Hollis - he seems really good right now," redshirt sophomore forward Nikita Mescheriakov said. "I think he's one of the best shooters right now on the team. He can probably shoot it with [a] very good percentage and put up good numbers this year."
Guard Vee Sanford
Vee Sanford will bring with him the ability to shoot from deep as well as a long frame that will help him create his own offense at times - he averaged more than 21 points per contest his senior year of high school.
At 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, the Lexington Catholic product may lack the physical strength to excel immediately on the college level, but Sanford has a chance to develop into a contributor for the Hoyas, who struggled from beyond the arc last season.
Likewise, Benimon could find minutes because he possesses a skill Georgetown sorely lacked last season - a knack for rebounding. As a senior at Fauquier High School in Warrenton, Va., he filled up the stat sheet, turning in averages of 21 points, 17 rebounds and seven assists for a 21-4 team.
In signing Sanford and Benimon, John Thompson III has seemingly addressed two glaring weaknesses from a season ago - perimeter shooting and rebounding.
"We're excited to get them in the game," Sims said. "Vee and Jerrelle are good players. Jerrelle is an excellent rebounder and Vee is an excellent guard just all around. I'm just excited to play - everyone has gotten better, everybody has gotten a year older, so I'm just ready to see what we've got."
Indeed, the Georgetown team that finished in 12th place in the Big East last season was one of the younger units in the conference, and that inexperience was evident at times. With the departures of Final Four stalwarts Jessie Sapp and DaJuan Summers, the underclassmen that learned on the fly a year ago - particularly Monroe, Wright and Freeman - are suddenly among the Hoyas' leaders. Having the experience of coming into the program as freshmen fresh in their memory will allow them to help this year's newcomers.
"Coming in, I remember how everyone tried to help me as I came in, tried to help me along," Monroe said. "I think I've been trying to share the same things that people shared with me last year - both on the court and school. I try to help them. They ask a lot of questions, I try to give them the best answers I can."
While there is no Greg Monroe in this freshman crop, the class of 2013 will be heard from before the end of the Hoyas' quest to make a return to March basketball.
[h1]Georgetown Looks to Sims, Vaughn to Fix Glass Problem[/h1]
By Ryan Travers | Nov 10 2009 | Men's Basketball |
Junior forward Julian Vaughn (22) and sophomore center Henry Sims (30) will take on expanded roles.
File Photo: Lindsay Anderson/The Hoya
Coming off of last year's 16-15 season, there are plenty of questions surrounding Georgetown, but if the Hoyas hope to return to the top of the Big East, they will need to do a better job on the boards. This may be determined by sophomore center Henry Sims and junior forward Julian Vaughn.
There's nothing quite as demoralizing as giving a team a second chance - and last season the Hoyas did it far too often, giving up just under 13 offensive rebounds per game to their opponents.
"We couldn't get that stop, that rebound that we needed," junior guard Austin Freeman said about last season's late game woes.
In fact, last season the Hoyas finished just slightly below even in the overall rebound margin, with 32.7 rebounds to their opponents' 33. But in Big East play, they fared slightly worse with 31.9 rebounds to 33.3.
It wasn't just that they could not control the boards, it was that they could not, like Freeman said, control them in key situations at the end of games. Georgetown gave teams extra chances in late game situations - such as when the Hoyas gave up an abysmal 15 offensive rebounds to St. John's in a late-season loss, allowing the Red Storm to pull off the upset despite shooting just 36 percent from the floor.
Enter Sims and Vaughn.
At 6-foot-10 and 6-foot-9 respectively, Sims, a high-flyer, and Vaughn, a stronger but slower presence, should be able to provide a presence on the boards this season for Georgetown. Looking to fill the void left at power forward by DaJuan Summers' departure to the NBA, Sims and Vaughn may not possess the same offensive skills as Summers. But that could mean they spend less time around the arc than their predecessor did, and more time in the paint, giving Georgetown a better presence on the glass than last the glass than last season. In limited time, the two showed a knack for getting rebounds, which could prove crucial for the Hoyas this season.
Sims says that they have put an emphasis on rebounding in their offseason workouts.
"I think last year we had rebounding issues," he said. "Our goal this year is to get all the rebounds, [which] is what Coach tells me. So this year I hope to contribute mainly from the rebounding stand point."
A key component of their success or failure on the boards this year is their physical strength. After getting a year in the Big East under their belts, Sims, a sophomore, and Vaughn, a junior transfer from Florida State, have hit the weight room to prepare for another brutal Big East slate, which includes the likes of Luke Harangody and Lazar Hayward.
"This offseason there was a big emphasis on conditioning and mental toughness, so we've been doing a lot of drills," Vaughn said. "A lot of weights, a lot of running, trying to get everyone into peak shape."
Head Coach John Thompson III isn't concerned with his bigs as they prepare to carry a larger load.
"They know what they have to do, and help will come in different ways, maybe not just in size," Thompson said. "We all have to get much more aggressive. Are they ready? I think so. They've prepared themselves for such."
Sims and Vaughn should also help ease the burden on sophomore center Greg Monroe, who is sure to grab plenty of attention from opposing teams, and while they may not be the biggest offensive threats on the Hoyas' roster, both should be able to contribute when Georgetown is running its half-court offense.
Vaughn, 20 pounds heavier than the lankier Sims, is better suited for the half-court offensive sets, which better utilize his post moves, while Sims is quite comfortable running in transition in the open court.
"If we have a chance to run, we'll run," said Sims, possibly the Hoyas' most electrifying dunker.
Whether they are running up and down the court in transition or contributing in half-court offensive sets, the biggest impact that Sims and Vaughn have will still be on the glass getting rebounds. If they can control the boards, it will make life easier for everyone - especially down the stretch in games - and might erase some of those late-game nightmares from last season.
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will the tulane game be televised on any channel?
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nope, no tv at all.
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damn so much for catching it at a bar.
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Just some 2010 recruiting news as we approach Friday's season opener...
"ESPNU 100 forward Tony Mitchell down to three
ESPNU 100 power forward Tony Mitchell has narrowed his choices to three schools, according to a press release from his mother.
Mitchell will chose among Missouri, North Texas and Georgetown. The released did not say when Mitchell would be making his decision."
Mitchell is a top-ranked 6'7 power forward out of Dallas. According to ESPN Insider...
September, 2009: Mitchell is already a highly respected and sought after prospect in the 2010 class, but WOW!, this kid has a chance to be really, really good.As the top uncommitted player in Texas, whoever ends up signing him is getting a player. He is a thoroughbred that possesses an outstanding skill set. One areahe has improved greatly is his release on his jump shot. He used to have a low release which made his accuracy very inconsistent from the perimeter. Through alot of hard work in the gym he has retooled his form and now has a good looking stroke with better results out to the 3 point line. He is built for an up-tempostyle of play with his ability to run the floor and finish in transition. Defensively he plays with energy, blocks shots, has good feet and can guard amultiple positions. He is a great kid that needs to improve on not losing his focus; he showed a tendency to take a possession or two off at times.
Sounds like a gtown dude...
"ESPNU 100 forward Tony Mitchell down to three
ESPNU 100 power forward Tony Mitchell has narrowed his choices to three schools, according to a press release from his mother.
Mitchell will chose among Missouri, North Texas and Georgetown. The released did not say when Mitchell would be making his decision."
Mitchell is a top-ranked 6'7 power forward out of Dallas. According to ESPN Insider...
September, 2009: Mitchell is already a highly respected and sought after prospect in the 2010 class, but WOW!, this kid has a chance to be really, really good.As the top uncommitted player in Texas, whoever ends up signing him is getting a player. He is a thoroughbred that possesses an outstanding skill set. One areahe has improved greatly is his release on his jump shot. He used to have a low release which made his accuracy very inconsistent from the perimeter. Through alot of hard work in the gym he has retooled his form and now has a good looking stroke with better results out to the 3 point line. He is built for an up-tempostyle of play with his ability to run the floor and finish in transition. Defensively he plays with energy, blocks shots, has good feet and can guard amultiple positions. He is a great kid that needs to improve on not losing his focus; he showed a tendency to take a possession or two off at times.
Sounds like a gtown dude...
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Only if Jelan and Roscoe say no.
That's another Dave Cox recruit, bad grades, big time athlete, raw skills, same AAU team as Latavious.
If he waits till spring that'd be good as things can change, but he's the 3rd priority right now. If all 3 wait till spring, which it seems like theyshould, we'll definitely land one of them, and they're all good prospects
That's another Dave Cox recruit, bad grades, big time athlete, raw skills, same AAU team as Latavious.
If he waits till spring that'd be good as things can change, but he's the 3rd priority right now. If all 3 wait till spring, which it seems like theyshould, we'll definitely land one of them, and they're all good prospects
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looks like it'll be streamed on the tulane website now. im not sure if it's free
Starting lineup is still a mystery..
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new season is finally here.
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Georgetown's Jason Clark seems primed for a sophomore surge.
The 6-foot-2 shooting guard from Woodbridge, Va., is slated to make his first start for the Hoyas when No. 20 Georgetown opens its season Friday night at Tulane. But don't expect to see anything resembling the wide-eyed player whose defining freshman trait was a penchant for tossing outrageously errant passes.
"There is absolutely no question that Jason made the biggest leap of anyone during the offseason," coach John Thompson III said. "You always hear coaches repeating the fact that the performance jump between a player's freshman and sophomore seasons is almost always the biggest. In Jason's case, that jump is going to be huge."
A consensus top-100 recruit out of Bishop O'Connell High School, Clark played significant minutes as a reserve last season during his debut on the Hilltop. During Georgetown's second-half slide toward the NIT, Clark's time increased as he subbed for slumping senior Jessie Sapp.
Clark's talent was evident in his quickness off the ball, ability to elevate and collect rebounds or passes in traffic. Equally evident was a handle too loose for Big East backcourt standards and an occasionally panicky reaction to fullcourt pressure.
Like most other freshmen, Clark simply wasn't ready for the ballhandling stress of life in the Big East. The result was a solid debut season (5.6 points in 18.3 minutes) somewhat marred by 46 turnovers compared to just 25 assists.
Thompson said he thinks Clark's unusually long arms make ballhandling more challenging for him.
"[Trainer] Lorry Michel has kept in-depth records on all the measurables of every guy who has played here going all the way back to [1981], and she has told me that Jason has the longest arms relative to height of any player who has ever played at Georgetown," Thompson said. "So even though he's 6-2 or whatever, he's got the wingspan of a kid who is like 6-7. Those arms of his are a great asset when it comes to defending and rebounding, but when he's dribbling, that ball is an awful long way from his body."
Whatever the cause, Clark attacked his ballhandling problem in the offseason, practically moving into McDonough Gymnasium this summer.
"I knew I had to tighten up my handle and improve my shot, so I went to work," said Clark, who lived at Georgetown this summer even though his home is less than 30 minutes from campus. "I was here all summer, working with the guys, working with the coaches and working by myself. A couple of guys went home for a couple of weeks, but I stayed here because I knew I still had to get better."
Said Thompson: "I'd be in my office at all hours of the day and night, and I'd hear the ball bouncing. I'd look out on the floor, and there would be Jason, and often [junior point guard Chris Wright] would be with him."
The results of that work have been dramatic. Clark looked like a different player in Kenner League action this summer. His teammates have definitely noticed. Not only did they unanimously select him as the squad's most improved player, but some also suggested Clark now might be the team's most consistent shooter.
He boasts the highest 3-point shooting average among returning players (.340), though he attempted only 50 shots from behind the arc. With Sapp graduated and Clark joining Wright and junior swingman Austin Freeman as the primary perimeter threats, Clark's attempts from long range could double this season.
"The combination of him working extremely hard on his game and the clouds opening for him in terms of understanding our system has just led to a remarkable step forward for him as a player," Thompson said. "He'll be a starter without question, but more than that he's worked himself into a position to be a major piece of the puzzle for us this season.
"We always talk about figuring out the best way to skin the cat. Well, I know Jason Clark is going to be part of that solution."
oh yeah
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channelsurfing.net
has it listed. just will need silverlight installed.
Will be interesting to see who starts between julian/henry
has it listed. just will need silverlight installed.
Will be interesting to see who starts between julian/henry
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Hoya Paranoia
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Jason
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HERE WE GO...THE OFFICIAL START OF THE 09-10 SEASON....HOYAS, GET BIG
GU VS. TULANE PREVIEW (COURTESY OF ESPN.COM)
The Georgetown Hoyas learned many painful lessons as a promising 2008-09 season spiraled into disappointment and ended with a first-round exit from the NIT.
The young 20th-ranked Hoyas, anchored by a potential superstar in center Greg Monroe, begin their rebuilding process Friday night at Tulane.
Last season, Georgetown opened 10-1 and rose as high as ninth in the Top 25, capped by an 11-point victory at then-No. 2 Connecticut on Dec. 29. That was thehigh point for the Hoyas, who went 7-11 in the ultra-competitive Big East and finished their season at 16-15 following a 74-72 loss at Baylor -- a steep fallfor a program that reached the 2007 Final Four.
"From the top on down -- down to the guy who cleans the gym -- we can find a reason how someone, all of us, could have done something different,"coach John Thompson III said. "You go through that process of introspection. You try to adjust, you try to tweak, you try to change."
The biggest change for Georgetown, which will have no seniors for the fifth time in school history, will be adjusting to life without leading scorer DaJuanSummers, who opted to enter the NBA draft after averaging 13.6 points.
However, the 6-foot-11 Monroe -- the 2009 Big East rookie of the year -- could be poised to add his name to the legacy of Georgetown centers Patrick Ewing,Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo and Roy Hibbert. Monroe averaged 12.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks as a freshman before bypassing thedraft.
"On a team this year that does not have any seniors, he is, as a sophomore, one of the leaders on the team," Thompson said. "We have seen that,just in terms of the intangibles. Many of the things you don't see on the court -- his role in the locker room, his role within the unit -- is much, muchdifferent."
Monroe, the 2008 Louisiana high school player of the year, will have help on the perimeter from junior guards Chris Wright (12.5 ppg) and Austin Freeman(11.4), who combined to hit 57 3-pointers. Guard Jason Clark and 6-10 forward Henry Sims, both sophomores, are expected to round out the starting five.
Thompson hopes his Hoyas will improve late in games. Six of Georgetown's final seven losses came by six or fewer points and three were in overtime.
"That was new for me. My teams have always been terrific in those segments, when it comes time to win. I take pride in that," he said. "Wedidn't make the plays -- offensively, defensively, rebounding. You can go across the board. Every game was a different thing."
Tulane starts its fifth season under Dave Dickerson after going 14-17 in 2008-09 and reaching the Conference USA tournament quarterfinals. Kevin Sims returnsas the Green Wave's top offensive player after averaging team highs of 13.0 points and 4.0 assists while shooting 40.8 percent from 3-point range.
"Our guys know the magnitude of this game," Dickerson said. "Georgetown has as much a name recognition as anybody in this area. Our guys knowthis is a great opportunity and they know that Georgetown is one of the better programs in college basketball."
The biggest new addition is junior college transfer Aaron Holmes, a 6-5 swingman who averaged 21.0 points for Santa Fe Community College. Tulane is alsocounting on a fully healthy Kendall Timmons, who averaged 5.4 points in nine games before being sidelined with a back injury.
This is the first meeting between the schools. Tulane has lost 24 straight to ranked teams since beating North Carolina State on Dec. 22, 1999.
GU VS. TULANE PREVIEW (COURTESY OF ESPN.COM)
The Georgetown Hoyas learned many painful lessons as a promising 2008-09 season spiraled into disappointment and ended with a first-round exit from the NIT.
The young 20th-ranked Hoyas, anchored by a potential superstar in center Greg Monroe, begin their rebuilding process Friday night at Tulane.
Last season, Georgetown opened 10-1 and rose as high as ninth in the Top 25, capped by an 11-point victory at then-No. 2 Connecticut on Dec. 29. That was thehigh point for the Hoyas, who went 7-11 in the ultra-competitive Big East and finished their season at 16-15 following a 74-72 loss at Baylor -- a steep fallfor a program that reached the 2007 Final Four.
"From the top on down -- down to the guy who cleans the gym -- we can find a reason how someone, all of us, could have done something different,"coach John Thompson III said. "You go through that process of introspection. You try to adjust, you try to tweak, you try to change."
The biggest change for Georgetown, which will have no seniors for the fifth time in school history, will be adjusting to life without leading scorer DaJuanSummers, who opted to enter the NBA draft after averaging 13.6 points.
However, the 6-foot-11 Monroe -- the 2009 Big East rookie of the year -- could be poised to add his name to the legacy of Georgetown centers Patrick Ewing,Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo and Roy Hibbert. Monroe averaged 12.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks as a freshman before bypassing thedraft.
"On a team this year that does not have any seniors, he is, as a sophomore, one of the leaders on the team," Thompson said. "We have seen that,just in terms of the intangibles. Many of the things you don't see on the court -- his role in the locker room, his role within the unit -- is much, muchdifferent."
Monroe, the 2008 Louisiana high school player of the year, will have help on the perimeter from junior guards Chris Wright (12.5 ppg) and Austin Freeman(11.4), who combined to hit 57 3-pointers. Guard Jason Clark and 6-10 forward Henry Sims, both sophomores, are expected to round out the starting five.
Thompson hopes his Hoyas will improve late in games. Six of Georgetown's final seven losses came by six or fewer points and three were in overtime.
"That was new for me. My teams have always been terrific in those segments, when it comes time to win. I take pride in that," he said. "Wedidn't make the plays -- offensively, defensively, rebounding. You can go across the board. Every game was a different thing."
Tulane starts its fifth season under Dave Dickerson after going 14-17 in 2008-09 and reaching the Conference USA tournament quarterfinals. Kevin Sims returnsas the Green Wave's top offensive player after averaging team highs of 13.0 points and 4.0 assists while shooting 40.8 percent from 3-point range.
"Our guys know the magnitude of this game," Dickerson said. "Georgetown has as much a name recognition as anybody in this area. Our guys knowthis is a great opportunity and they know that Georgetown is one of the better programs in college basketball."
The biggest new addition is junior college transfer Aaron Holmes, a 6-5 swingman who averaged 21.0 points for Santa Fe Community College. Tulane is alsocounting on a fully healthy Kendall Timmons, who averaged 5.4 points in nine games before being sidelined with a back injury.
This is the first meeting between the schools. Tulane has lost 24 straight to ranked teams since beating North Carolina State on Dec. 22, 1999.
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Chris
Jason
Austin
Julian
Greg
LETS GOOOOOOOO
Jason
Austin
Julian
Greg
LETS GOOOOOOOO
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Never easy to start off on the road, not against a complete cupcake. And after last season, it's just good to get some confidence built up and a W on theboard
Thought they looked good. caught the stream online at the end of the first half..
- Austin and Chris were in control the whole way, poised. Made the correct plays. Chris' save on the ball going out and the pass down court was great.
- Overall for the guards, you can see the concern for the on ball defense. But, Jason also looked good..the handle looked improved and he knocked down his openlooks.
- Add Greg to being in control and going about his business. did see him go up and under to the right side, but couldn't tell if he finished with theright? The big guys had some mix ups from time to time in the back line of the zone. Julian was active and you can see why he's starting right now. Henryand Hollis looked okay, Henry kinda got by on his size and athleticism in this one, the put back was nice.
Tiny showing for Nikita, Jerrelle and Vee in for the last minute.
And they made shots. Austin and Jason in particular. Nice to see Greg put up 14 shot attempts. Him being assertive is key.
Thought they looked good. caught the stream online at the end of the first half..
- Austin and Chris were in control the whole way, poised. Made the correct plays. Chris' save on the ball going out and the pass down court was great.
- Overall for the guards, you can see the concern for the on ball defense. But, Jason also looked good..the handle looked improved and he knocked down his openlooks.
- Add Greg to being in control and going about his business. did see him go up and under to the right side, but couldn't tell if he finished with theright? The big guys had some mix ups from time to time in the back line of the zone. Julian was active and you can see why he's starting right now. Henryand Hollis looked okay, Henry kinda got by on his size and athleticism in this one, the put back was nice.
Tiny showing for Nikita, Jerrelle and Vee in for the last minute.
And they made shots. Austin and Jason in particular. Nice to see Greg put up 14 shot attempts. Him being assertive is key.
