Despite dissappointing loss, consistency remains the key to Otto Porter's freshman success

Freshman aren't supposed to walk into Madison Square Garden for the first time in their lives and put on a dominant performance. Not in the Big East Tournament, not ever.

But nobody told Georgetown's Otto Porter. Maybe he just didn't know any better. The native of Sikeston, MO, a town with a population of just under 18,000 people, isn't used to big city lights or the grandeur of the Big East Tournament.

"New York is amazing. Playing in Madison Square Garden is a dream come true," said Porter, who scored a career-high 20 points on Wednesday in the second round against Pittsburgh. "I've never really experienced anything like this."

(Photo Source: Getty Images)

Freshman aren't supposed to get blinded by the bright lights. It's part of the learning process. But so far, Porter has showed little signs of growing pains. 

Maybe he's just too consistent to get rattled by even the grand stage at "The World's Most Famous Arena". "I just stay level-headed. I don't get into a 'zone' or anything, I just try to play at a consistent level all game. Consistency is really important"

Consistency is something that Porter does best. While he may not put up gaudy scoring numbers, he's turned into one of the best "stat-sheet stuffers" in the the league. He never has an off night. When he only scores four points, he makes up for it by grabbing 15 rebounds, like he did in the Hoyas 83-75 win at DePaul earlier in the year. Widely considered one of the best freshman in the conference, he was left off the All-Rookie Team, despite ranking eighth in the conference in terms of rebounding. Porter has logged three double-doubles and has grabbed at least ten rebounds in seven games this season.

On Thursday night, in the Hoyas'double-overtime loss to Cincinnati, Porter scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds, had four assists, two blocks and two steals. "Whatever my team needs is what I will do. Tonight it was a couple of shots late in the game. "Sometimes it's a rebound or a steal, or playing defense. But we didn't do enough tonight, so we have to go harder." The loss was tough on all the Hoyas, who sat in disbelief and in disappointment in the locker room. They weren't silent, as much as they were empty. There was nothing in their eyes. 


They had let a ten point second half lead dwindle away, and were forced to spend ten extra minutes fighting to get back the victory that they thought was theirs. "I'd rather be in here talking about a win," said senior Jason Clark. "But they did a better job tonight. I can say a lot of things, but I'd just rather be in here talking about a win."


Porter made the tying basket in regulation and overtime, but a Henry Sims 3-point attempt caromed off the rim at the buzzer, ending Porter's short but productive experience in New York.

"Every game is a new experience. But I just have to do my best to replicate it the next time out."

Consistency. Few freshman have it, and even fewer realize how important it is. Maybe that's why Otto Porter has been such a valuable part of Georgetown's unexpected success this year.

Continue reading...

If Syracuse doesn't learn to rebound, they won't go far in March

By Brian Butterworth, Special to Ballin' is a Habit

Of note, we went in-depth on Syracuse's issues on the glass back in January.

Despite a gutty, 64-61 overtime win against a feisty Georgetown team, much of the talk surrounding Syracuse on Thursday will unquestionably be about the Orange's inability to keep opponents from beating them up on the offensive glass. Syracuse surrendered 23 offensive boards to the Hoyas, tallying a defensive rebounding percentage of just 46.4%.

This is the time of year where title contenders start to separate themselves from the pack and talking heads declare which teams have what it takes to make deep tourney runs. While Syracuse has certainly displayed the talent and depth required for a national title contender, it is hard to imagine any team, no matter how talented, overcoming such a glaring deficiency on the boards.
Continue reading...

History of the Syracuse-Georgetown rivalry

Ed. Note: This article was originally published over at Beyond The Arc on February 9th, 2011. Given that Rivalry Week is, once again, in full swing and this may be one of the last times these two teams get together, we thought it would be prudent it bump it up to the top.

In 1979, the Big East was formed.

It looked quite a bit different in those days. Instead of the massive, 16 team conference the children of the twitter generation have grown up with, the original Big East had just seven teams, including Syracuse and Georgetown.

While the inaugural Big East season was 31 short years ago, the names of the coaches leading those two programs haven’t changed … drastically. Jim Boeheim has been at the helm of the Orange for every season they have been affiliated with the Big East, while Georgetown’s current coach — John Thompson III — is the son and namesake of the Hoyas head man all those years ago — John Thompson, Jr.

And it was the elder Thompson that we can thank in large part for spawning what is one of college basketball’s most influential rivalries.


First, a history lesson. At the same time that the Syracuse basketball team was joining the Big East conference, the school was trying to keep their football program at the Division 1-A level. The old Archbold Stadium was crumbling, so the school began construction on the Carrier Dome, a football stadium with a fiberglass, inflatable roof. With the project scheduled for completion in September of 1980 and the basketball program’s move into a powerhouse Big East conference, it only made sense to play their basketball home games in the new facility, one that could hold many thousands more orange-clad fans than the 9,500-seat Manley Fieldhouse.

At the time, Manley was one of the most difficult places to play in the country. The Orange were riding a 57 game winning streak in Manley as they headed into the final men’s basketball game the building would host, a Feb. 12th, 1980, date with Thompson Jr.’s Hoyas. The plan, as you would imagine, was to send the building off with a farewell victory, but Georgetown had other ideas.

The Hoyas staged an epic comeback, rallying to beat the No. 2-ranked Orange 52-50. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Thompson Jr. grabbed the microphone after the game and infamously told the crowd “Manley Field House is officially closed.”

This angered Syracuse and the Orange faithful quite a bit, but hatred can only last a rivalry so long.

For a rivalry to survive in more than just proximity and conference affiliation — Rutgers and Seton Hall are must-see TV right? Dickie V’s on the call every time NC State plays Duke and North Carolina, isn’t he? — it needs three things: great teams, great players, and memorable moments.

Check, check, and check.

Georgetown made the national title game three times between 1982 and 1985, winning the 1984 title. Syracuse lost in the title game in 1987 and 1996. The Hoyas won 13 conference regular season and tournament titles between 1980 and Thompson Jr.’s retirement in 1999. Syracuse won nine in that span.

Great players came by the handful. Georgetown can claim Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutumbo, Reggie Williams, Charles Smith, Othella Harrington, and Allen Iverson as alums. Syracuse pumped out their own laundry list of stars — Pearl Washington, Sherman Douglas, Rony Seikaly, Derrick Coleman, Lawrence Moten, Billy Owens.

There were plenty of memorable moments as well. After losing to Georgetown in the 1984 Big East Tournament Final in overtime, Jim Boeheim knocked over a chair and screamed “the best team did not win tonight.” On March 5th, 1990, in the Carrier Dome, the Orange beat Georgetown 89-87 in overtime, aided by a 10 point possession thanks to Thompson Jr. picking up a technical foul from three different referees. And that doesn’t come remotely close to highlighting the number of bare-knuckle brawls and buzzer-beating buckets these two programs have had over the years.

While the hatred between these two fanbases has never subsided, the national attention it garnered did in the early 2000′s (we’ll blame that on the Craig Escherick era). But this rivalry’s impact on the current landscape of college basketball cannot be overstated. The battles between Boeheim and Thompson Jr. are what the Big East was built on. They are a primary reason why the Big East is, and has been, the nation’s preeminent basketball conference.

Without it, the Big East may not have blossomed the way it has.

That kind of legacy within the sport is why any true college basketball fan should be excited that the annual battles between these two programs are nationally relevant again.

Today’s 7:00 pm tip between Syracuse and Georgetown is only the appetizer for the Duke-UNC nightcap. Not even the most delusional Big East historian would argue otherwise.

But don’t ignore the historical significance of this rivalry. Without it, college basketball could look very different today.
Continue reading...

Georgetown bounces back from a loss to Pitt by beating UConn

WASHINGTON - John Thompson III has unquestionably brought the Georgetown basketball program back to national relevancy, but if anything has defined his tenure as the head coach of the Hoyas, its late-season meltdowns.

The Hoyas won the Big East Tournament and made a run to the Final Four in 2007, but that March seemed to use up all of their postseason magic. In 2008, the Hoyas won the 2008 Big East regular season title and made the final of the tournament before losing to Davidson and Steph Curry in the second round of the Big Dance. The following year Georgetown didn't even make the NCAA Tournament, getting bounced in the first round of the NIT after finishing the regular season 16-14 and 7-11 in conference play despite a 10-1 start to the year. In 2010, the Hoyas started the year out with wins in 15 of their first 18 games, but went 8-8 down the stretch and got bounced in the first round of the Big Dance by Ohio. And last season, Chris Wright's broken hand facilitated four losses in their final five regular season games before first round exits in both the Big East and the NCAA Tournaments.
Continue reading...

Hoyas display toughness in 49-40 win over Providence

This could have been a "let-down game". It probably should have been. This had "let-down game" written all over it.

Georgetown had just gone to Louisville and beat the No.4 Cardinals 71-68. Before that, they blasted Memphis, who was ranked No.8 when the Hoyas beat them for a first time at the Maui Invitational. Before that, they beat No.12 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, thus ending the Crimson Tide's 24-game home winning streak.

But we've seen this from Georgetown before. We saw it last season, when the Hoyas started 11-1 but lost six of their final seven games, including a first-round exit to VCU in the NCAA Tournament. We saw it in 2009-2010, when they started 9-1, but suffered head-scratching losses to South Florida and Rutgers, not to mention the ugly first-round loss to Ohio in the NCAA tournament. We saw it the year before that and the year before that.

Late-season meltdowns, early tournament exits, blown leads, early deficits, all of that.

But something seems to be different about this team.

The Hoyas (12-1, 2-0) shot a dismal 30% from the field, blew a 12-point lead and went scoreless for an eight-minute stretch of the second half. But this Hoya team, a different Hoya team than in season's past, prevailed 49-40 over the Providence Friars (11-4, 0-2) on New Years Eve.

Georgetown prevailed because they didn't quit. They didn't fold under the pressure. There was no squabbling, no poor body-language, no signs of panic, no nothing. Sure, they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, but they never gave up. So even when they hadn't scored in eight minutes, they kept fighting. Otto Porter kept getting big rebounds, Jason Clark kept clawing for loose balls and Henry Sims kept going up strong.

Whether it was the "International Incident" that strengthened this team's resolve or the change in leadership, the 2011-2012 Hoyas are different.

This was your typical Big East regular season game. It was ugly. It was physical. It was hectic. It was exactly the type of game that Georgetown teams of the past would let slip away. But John Thompson III knows that this squad is more equipped to handle "grind-em out" games like this.

"This group, all we're concerned with is accumulating wins. The things that make you win aren't just putting the ball in the basket, and that's why we won today".

Early on, it became clear that this game would not be a shootout. It took Providence 16 minutes to reach double-digits, and when they finally did, the score was just 20-10. The Friars defense was bruising. Baskets weren't made, they were earned. On four consecutive possessions in the second half, Henry Sims went up strong against Brice Kofane, and on those four consecutive possessions, the two men ended up on the deck. Physical play like this defined this game.

Despite both teams shooting under 35% from the field, neither team gave up. "We played a 40-minute game, and we lost. We grew up a lot today. It's unfortunate that we lost, but this is good for our program", said Friars coach Ed Cooley at the post game press conference.

"Pride. I wanted them to be physical down low. Pride. It was about pride. This is what the Big East is all about."

Exactly.

This is what the Big East is all about, and if Georgetown wants to avoid another regular season meltdown, they are going to have to fight tooth-and-nail for 40 minutes every game.

Which is exactly what they did on Saturday afternoon.


What We Learned

Georgetown

The Hoyas are a much different team when Markel Starks is on the bench. Providence started their rally when Starks went to the bench early on in the second with foul trouble. For an extended period of time, the Hoyas had no true point guard on the court, and the offense looked out of sync. He hit a 3-pointer upon his return and the Hoyas closed out the game. As mentioned, Henry Sims went 2-13 from the field. In the last three games, he is a combined 7-33. I'm aware that he's having a break-out year, and his confidence is at an all-time high, but Sims doesn't need to shoot every time he touches the ball.

Providence

Freshman forward LaDontae Henton is going to be good. Like, really good. He took just seven shots, but logged his fourth double-double of the season. Vincent Council will continue to take a majority of the shots for this team, but Henton is an athletic wing that poses a lot of match-up problems for opponents. The Friars need depth. Ed Cooley used just seven players against Georgetown. The Big East is too much of a grind to rely on just seven players.


Continue reading...

Georgetown's win over Louisville showcases Big East's balance up top

Prior to Wednesday night's game against Georgetown at the KFC Yum! Center, there were plenty of people that believed Louisville was ranked too high at fourth in the country.

Those folks are unlikely to change their opinion on the matter after the Hoyas left the Commonwealth with a 71-68 win, handing the Cardinals their first loss of the season.

And frankly, they wouldn't be wrong. Louisville isn't one of the top four teams in the country. They may not even belong in the top ten. Their was ranking was more the result of high preseason expectations, a myriad of close wins against solid teams and the fact that the a handful of teams that should be ranked above them have lost already this season. Is Louisville a better team than North Carolina? Probably not, but since the Tar Heels fell against Kentucky and UNLV already this season, pollsters slid the Cardinals all the way up to fourth.
Continue reading...

What's plaguing Memphis, and why they needed a two hours team meeting after losing to Georgetown

The final buzzer sounded at just past 9 pm ET as No. 15 Georgetown put the finishing touches on a 70-59 victory over Memphis at the Verizon center, wrapping up what was a crisp, two-hour basketball game.

It wasn't until 10:45 pm, however, that Memphis head coach Josh Pastner finally emerged from his team's locker room in the bowels of the Verizon Center. For the second time in the span of 10 days, the Tigers had a team meeting in an effort to cure what ails them, this one lasting just 15 minutes less than the game itself.

"We just had a team meeting and needed to air a few things out," Memphis head coach Josh Pastner said after the game. "It was the right thing before we got to Christmas break. It was a good open discussion. I love those guys, no one in there is happy to be 6-5. Have we played a tough schedule? Darn right. But we're too good to be sitting at 6-5."
Continue reading...

Trio of Hoyas participate in holiday flash mob

What the hell is a flash mob?

I'm pretty sure I should know by now, I'm just so confused. But I'll save that debate for another day.

The point is, Georgetown students put together a flash mob as part class project for "Catholic Theatre". Now, I'm not sure if that qualifies as a religion class or as a music class, but nonetheless, a flash mob occurred in one of the Georgetown dining halls earlier this week.

But instead of dancing to Katy Perry, as Villanova's Jay Wright did over the summer, or Nicky Minaj as a group of Kansas fans did last season, the Georgetown students decided to sing Handel’s Messiah. You know, the "Hallelujah" song.

But this was no ordinary flash mob. Nope. This flash mob just happened to consist of three Georgetown basketball players.



Yup, that's senior captain Jason Clark, sophomore Nate Lubick, and walk-on John Caprio belting out some festive holiday notes during lunchtime.

What's most impressive is that all three players actually look like they're singing. I mean, who hasn't been forced to sing in a chorus at least once in their lives? I know we all have, and I know that we've all snuck to the back of the group and tried our best to get away with just mouthing the words to "Silent Night".

Caprio looks like he's actually enjoying it. Nate looks like he just realized he's been in the wrong class all semester, and poor Jason looks like he's seen the camera and is dreading tomorrow's practice when the rest of the team will clown him.

But the real question is: They really give college credit for this?







Continue reading...

Friday's Shootaround: Georgetown notches another big win

Georgetown 57, Alabama 55: The Hoyas just continue to impress this season. After a trip to Maui that included a win over Memphis, Georgetown went into Tuscaloosa and knocked off the Crimson Tide thanks to a three-pointer from Hollis Thompson with 1.8 seconds left on the clock. Prior to Thompson's three, the Hoyas had blown a nine-point lead in about two minutes of game time. Thompson finished with 12 points, eight boards and three assists, Jason Clark had 22 points and Henry Sims chipped in with 13 but missed a key, wide-open layup that nearly cost Georgetown the game.

There is a lot to like about this Georgetown team. Jason Clark has become a big-time scorer and a deadly clutch-shooter while Thompson is showing signs of growing into his massive potential as a scorer on the wing. But the biggest surprise has been Henry Sims, who is having a break out senior season, something that you rarely see. Sims finally started to take basketball seriously this summer, and he's become a legitimate threat in the low-post. His passing skills aren't surprising -- he showed them off last season, although I don't think anyone really expected him to lead the Hoyas in assists -- but what is surprising is that he is now a go-to option. Not only can he score with his back-to-the-basket, but he is hitting jumpers and driving to the rim from the perimeter.

I also like what the Hoyas are able to do in their zone. They have a lot of length and athleticism, and it allows them to play the 2-3 the same way that Syracuse and Baylor have been, by being able to challenge threes and rebound the ball.

For Alabama, this loss isn't quite as bad as it seems. The Hoyas are just a tough matchup for them, and on nights when they shoot 3-16 from beyond the arc, they are going to lose against a packed in zone. Georgetown also wasn't too fazed by Alabama's pressuring defense, as the back doors that they run took away some of its effectiveness. The Tide are still who we thought they were, a top 15 team that has a couple of flaws.

Worth noting -- this is the first time alabama has lost at home in nearly two years.

No. 1 Kentucky 81, St. John's 59: St. John's just had no chance in this game. They play the exact same style as Kentucky, but the Wildcats actually have the personnel and talent to do it effectively. Terrence Jones and Anthony Davis were terrific, combining for 41 points, 24 boards and 12 blocks.

Harvard 55, Vermont 48: The Crimson got 13 points and eight boards from Keith Wright and 12 points from Laurent Rivard off the bench as they avoided blowing a 13 point second half lead against a scrappy UVM team. Harvard has plenty of talent on their roster and they can certainly defend, but this team is still working out some kinks offensively. They'll get there eventually, and they've already proven they don't have to score big to beat good team.

Kansas State 69, George Washington 56: The Colonials hung in this one for about 25 minutes, but the Wildcats used a big run midway through the second half to blow the game open. Thomas Gibson led the way with 17 points and 13 boards.


Other notable scores

- Arkansas State 58, St. Bonaventure 52
- Youngstown State 64, Detroit 61
- Kent State 83, Morehead State 63
- Providence 76, South Carolina 67
- Cleveland State 45, Wright State 43
- Wichita State 75, CS Fullerston 60
- Belmont 98, Kennesaw State 52
- Ole Miss 70, DePaul 68
- Stanford 72, Seattle 69


Top performers

Patrick Bader, Oakland: The sharpshooter found his range on Thursday, going for 28 points on 8-13 shooting from deep in a 101-83 win over South Dakota.

Omar Carter, Appalachian State: Carter had 24 points and 12 boards in a 78-64 win over UNC Greensboro.

Anthony Davis and Terrence Jones, Kentucky: Anthony Davis had 15 points, 15 boards, eight blocks and two steals while Jones added 26 points, nine boards, four steals and four blocks in the win over St. John's.

Ken Horton, CCSU: Horton had 32 points and nine boards in a 32 point win over Bryant.

Nate Wolters, South Dakota State: Wolters had 32 points, eight boards and eight assists in SDSU's overtime win over IUPUI.
Continue reading...

2011-2012 Top 50 Countdown: Nos. 45-41

Over the coming weeks, we will be counting down our Top 50 teams in the country. Teams 26-50 will be posted in groups of five, while we will count backwards from No. 25 to the No. 1 team in the country. You can find a complete schedule of our 2011-2012 Season Preview coverage here. To browse through the rest of the Top 50, click here.


45. Kansas State Wildcats:

Last Season: 23-11, 10-6 (Big 12)

Head Coach: Frank Martin

Key Losses: Jacob Pullen, Curtis Kelly, Juevol Miles, Nick Russell

New Additions: Adrian Diaz, Thomas Gibson, Angel Rodriguez, Nino Williams, Jeremy Jones, James Watson, Omari Lawrence

Projected Lineup:

- G: Will Spradling, So.
- G: Rodney MacGruder, Jr.
- F: Nino Williams, Fr.
- F: Jamar Samuels, Sr.
- C: Jordan Henriquez-Roberts, Jr.
- Bench: Omari Lawrence, So.; Shane Southwell, So.; Martavious Irving, Jr.; Adrian Diaz, Fr.; Thomas Gibson, Fr.


Outlook: Jacob Pullen was, without a doubt, one of my favorite players to watch while he was a member of the Kansas State Wildcats. He was also one of the most valuable, as he almost single-handedly turned around K-State's season and led them to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. That kind of player is nearly impossible to replace. Also gone is Curtis Kelly, however, and with the Wildcats being a year removed from the midseason departures of Freddy Asprilla and Wally Judge, Frank Martin's club may actually be better off with fewer distractions. There is still some talent on the roster. Sophomore Will Spradling and junior Rodney McGruder form a solid back court, and both should have big years with the added chances that Pullen's graduation frees up. St. John's transfer Omari Lawrence, Shane Southwell and Martavious Irving will give K-State some depth on the perimeter. The x-factor may end up being Nino Williams, a top 100 recruit that enrolled at Kansas State early but redshirted last season after getting two concussions. Jamar Samuels is an experienced and athletic power forward who, when combined with Jordan Henriquez-Roberts, give the Wildcats a front line with some potential. The front court depth is lacking, as two freshmen and a couple of JuCo transfers are their back ups.


44. Georgetown Hoyas:

Last Season: 21-11, 10-8 (Big East)

Head Coach: John Thompson III

Key Losses: Austin Freeman, Chris Wright, Julian Vaughn

New Additions: Tyler Adams, Otto Porter, Mikael Hopkins, Jabril Trawick, Greg Whittington

Projected Lineup:

- G: Markel Starks, So.
- G: Jason Clark, Sr.
- F: Hollis Thompson, Jr.
- F: Nate Lubick, So.
- C: Henry Sims, Sr.
- Bench: Tyler Adams, Fr.; Otto Porter, Fr.; Mikael Hopkins, Fr.; Jabril Trawick, Fr.; Greg Whittington, Fr.


Outlook: It will be a changing of the guard in DC this year as Chris Wright and Austin Freeman have finally graduated after what felt like a decade as Hoyas. With a talented recruiting class coming in, and eight underclassmen in the rotation, this may be a rebuilding season JT III's club, but that doesn't mean they won't be able to compete with some of the Big East's big boys. The two guys that Georgetown is going to rely on the most will end up being Jason Clark and Hollis Thompson. Clark has been the third option the past two seasons, while Thompson could end up being a breakout star. He's got some talent, and this season he will be able to play the three, his more natural position. Henry Sims showed some improvements as a junior, especially with his ability to pass from the high post, while Nate Lubick is a solid rebounder and defender at the four. It will be interesting to see what the freshmen group will provide, especially considering how much potential there is on the front court. Otto Porter, 6'9" combo-forward and a Missouri native, is the rookie you want to pay attention to. The x-factor for the Hoyas will be point guard Markel Starks. Georgetown's offense stagnated late in the season with Chris Wright broke his wrist because the Hoyas lost that guy that can create a shot. If Starks can fill that void, Georgetown has a shot to be a tournament team. One thing to note -- will Georgetown's brawl out in China bring this team together?


43. Northwestern Wildcats:

Last Season: 20-14, 7-11

Head Coach: Bill Carmody

Key Losses: Michael Thompson, Mike Capocci

New Additions: Tre Demps, Mike Turner, David Sobolewski

Projected Lineup:

- G: Tre Demps, Fr.
- G: JerShon Cobb, So.
- F: Drew Crawford, Jr.
- F: John Shurna, Sr.
- C: Luka Mirkovic, Sr.
- Bench: Alex Marcotullio, Jr.; Davide Curletti, Sr.; Mike Turner, Fr.; David Sobolewski, Fr.


Outlook: There is an argument to be made that Juice Thompson, a four-year starter at the point for the Wildcats, will be the most difficult player to replace in the Big Ten next season. Everything revolved around Thompson, especially while Shurna was battling his ankle injury, and he was the unquestioned leader. Two freshmen -- Tre Demps and David Sobolewski -- were brought in to fill the void, but if they are unable to play that role, junior Alex Marcotullio will likely have to slide over and handle the point. The good news is that Bill Carmody's offensive system doesn't necessarily need a point guard; all they need is someone to get them into their continuity sets. If Northwestern is ever going to make an NCAA Tournament, this is the year. John Shurna was having a sensational season before he hurt his ankle. Drew Crawford has the potential to be an all-Big Ten player. So does JerShon Cobb, who averaged 7.4 ppg as a freshman despite being beat up most of the season. Luka Mirkovic is a solid and experienced big man, while Marcotullio and Davide Curletti will provide some depth. Northwestern has so many three point weapons that when they get hot, they will be able to play with anyone in the country.


42. Butler Bulldogs:

Last Season: 28-10, 13-5 (Horizon)

Head Coach: Brad Stevens

Key Losses: Shelvin Mack, Matt Howard, Shawn Vanzant, Zach Hahn,

New Additions: Roosevelt Jones, Jackson Aldridge, Kameron Woods, Andy Smeathers

Projected Lineup:

- G: Ronald Nored, Sr.
- G: Chase Stigall, Jr.
- G: Chrishawn Hopkins, So.
- F: Khyle Marshall, So.
- F: Andrew Smith, Jr.
- Bench: Garrett Butcher, Sr.; Emerson Kampen, Jr.; Erik Fromm, So.; Roosevelt Jones, Fr.; Jackson Aldridge, Fr.


Outlook: Butler will be an interesting team to keep an eye on this season. After making back-to-back national title games, the Bulldogs lost their two stars -- Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack -- and two other key back court players. With a young team this season and Arkansas transfer Rotnei Clarke ineligible until next year, this will be a rebuilding year. But there is still a chance this club competes for their league title and an NCAA Tournament trip. It starts up front, where Andrew Smith has developed into a rock on the block and Khyle Marshall has the potential to be Butler's next star. Ronald Nored, the team's unquestioned leader, is back to anchor a back court that includes a couple of young guys -- Chase Stigall and Chrishawn Hopkins -- that had promising moments last season. Garrett Butcher, Emerson Kampen and Erik Fromm provide Brad Stevens with some depth up front while freshmen Roosevelt Jones and Jackson Aldridge -- who led Australia to a U-18 title -- give the Bulldogs even more young perimeter talent. The future is bright for Butler, but how far away that bright future is is unclear.


41. Clemson Tigers:

Last Season: 22-12, 9-7 (ACC)

Head Coach: Brad Brownell

Key Losses: Demontez Stitt, Jerai Grant

New Additions: Devan Coleman, TJ Sapp, KJ McDaniels, Bernard Sullivan, Rod Hall

Projected Lineup:

- G: Andre Young, Sr.
- G: Tanner Smith, Sr.
- F: KJ McDaniels, Fr.
- F: Milton Jennings, Jr.
- C: Devin Booker, Jr.
- Bench: Bryan Narcisse, Sr.; Bernard Sullivan, Fr.; Devin Coleman, Fr.; TJ Sapp, Fr.


Outlook: Given the loss of Trevor Booker to the NBA and the change in coaching staff, its more than reasonable to say that Clemson's 22 win season and trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament can qualify as a resounding success for Brad Brownell in his first season. What's more impressive is that his team seemingly got better as the season progressed, meaning that his players really started buying into his system, which is focuses on half-court defense as opposed to Oliver Purnell's up-and-down style. This year, however, the Tigers will be quite young. The team will be anchored by their senior back court of Andre Young and Tanner Smith, two solid, well-rounded and experienced ACC guards. The rest of the perimeter rotation will be made up by freshmen -- TJ Sapp, Devin Coleman, KJ McDaniels, Rod Hall. The front court will be more experienced, with juniors Milton Jennings and Devin Booker likely starting. Those two both had hype as recruits, but have yet to live up to that potential. Senior Bryan Narcisse -- an athletic, 6'6" ball of energy -- and freshman Bernard Sullivan will provide Brownell with depth up front.
Continue reading...

With conference realignment, just be honest with us

I'm not as angry about conference realignment as some folks are.

Yes, it sucks that some of the best traditions in the collegiate ranks -- the Texas-Texas A&M rivalry, the Georgetown-Syracuse rivalry, the Big East Tournament, possibly the NCAA Tournament -- will vanish in the coming years, but I'm less pissed off than I am accepting of our fate. We've known that the end game of the shifting of the tectonic plates would be four superconferences for almost two years now. If we can make it through without losing the NCAA Tournament to the secession of those four conferences, than I think that everyone -- even the folks at the Baylor's and the Villanova's and the Louisville's of the world -- can say that this round of realignment wasn't too bad.

What does piss me off, however -- and where I agree with both Dodd and Doyel, the scribes of the two articles linked above -- is the constant lies and efforts to save face by claiming that these changes were precipitated by anything other than money.

The latest comes from Syracuse Chancellor Nancy Cantor: "I would say that our concerns are really forward looking with respect to the ACC. The issues for us is that we have increasingly strong Olympic sports across the board, women sports -- the ACC is a wonderful match for that for us. And we really are obviously very excited about that."


Get the fuggoutta here. Seriously. Get the fuggout.

Olympic Sports? Women's sports?

Nancy -- can I call you Nancy? -- you don't care about the success of the Olympic Sports or your women's teams. Nothing about your move to the ACC has anything to do with how well your women's volleyball team will do taking mid-week trips to Miami and Tallahassee, or how well your shotputters stack up against the rosters of North Carolina and Duke. Nancy, we know this. And we don't believe the garbage you are spewing. Just be honest with us. We can handle Syracuse making a move for more money and status because its something we all would have done.*

(*For anyone that disagrees with that last statement, let me ask you a question: do you drive a Prius? Why not? Would you be willing to take public transportation or ride a bike to work? Again, why not? Is it a status thing? A comfort thing? Living further away from work, driving distance, saves you some money? If you do drive a pick-up or a mercedes, than you aren't doing your part to try and stave off global warming, which is a much bigger deal than anything that could possibly happen in college sports. But you criticize schools for choosing comfort and status when switching conferences while ignoring the greater good of college sports? Sounds hypocritical to me.)

Its mind-boggling to me that Cantor can claim that non-revenue sports are what drove this decision. Syracuse is one of the few schools where the basketball program is actually more profitable than the football program. According to a study done by the website The Business of College Sports, the Syracuse basketball team generated $18,309,470 in revenue with a profit of $10,223,094. That ranks them as the 41st most profitable team -- including football and basketball -- in the country and the sixth highest basketball program. I guess it pays to play in a place that can hold 34,000 people and be the most popular sports team in New York once you get outside of Westchester.

The Syracuse football program, on the other hand, generated just $3,851,951 in profits -- less than Penn State's basketball team -- in 2009-2010.

Digest that for a second. Syracuse basketball is the sixth most profitable program in the sport. They are (were?) a founding member of the best basketball conference in the country. Their iconic, bespectacled and balding head coach and his infamous battles with John Thompson Jr's Hoya Paranoia teams is the stuff of legend, a rivalry that helped build the foundation of what the Big East became.


And all of that is getting tossed to the curb with the decision to move to the ACC.

I'm not telling you this to ridicule Syracuse for their choice. Like I said, its a decision that few of us will be able to criticize without being hypocritical.

What I'm trying to say is that the decision to move to the ACC is being done without regard for the Syracuse basketball program, its history, its tradition and its rivalries. If the people making these decisions are ignoring the cost on their school's -- and their region's -- most popular sports teams to chase more profit from football, what makes you think that the fate of a single non-revenue sport had any influence whatsoever?

What realignment has taught us is that people, in the end, just don't care enough about college basketball.

But Cantor expects us to believe they care enough about Women's Golf to set the demise of the Big East in motion?

Get the fuggoutta here, Nancy.
Continue reading...

Why Georgetown's brawl with China could be a good thing

Believe it or not, I think that Georgetown's brawl with the Bayi Rockets on Thursday was a good thing.

Before I go any further, watch the videos below -- the man, the myth, the legend @bubbaprog was able to sync up the two videos of the fight that have surfaced. There is no place for that in society, let alone in sports. This was an exhibition. The fact that it got as far as it did is an embarrassment to everyone involved. The Hoyas, the Bayi Rockets, the "security" at the game, the fans that threw bottles and the refs that allowed the game to get out of control. I understand that there are times where swinging your fists -- or the closest chair you can find -- is something that happens. I've been in that position. I've been in fights. Most of us have. But it should always be a last resort.

Keep that disclaimer in mind as you read on.



Even the most delusional, die-hard Georgetown fans will probably agree when I say that this team has been a disappointment the past three years. In 2008-2009, a young Georgetown team coming off of a Big East title climbed into the top ten in early January after beating then-No. 2 UConn on the road. They then proceeded to win just six more league games, finishing the season with a first-round loss in the NIT.

The following year, the Hoyas were ranked in the preseason top 25, but couldn't put together an ounce of consistency. They beat Duke, then lost to South Florida. They beat Villanova, then were upset by Rutgers. They made the final of the Big East Tournament, then lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to 14th seed Ohio. Not Ohio State, The Ohio University Bobcats.

The past season, Georgetown twice climbed into the top ten -- in December and midway through February. But after UConn snapped an eight-game Big East winning streak, Georgetown finished the year losing four of their last five in the regular season and got knocked out in the first round of both the Big East and NCAA Tournaments.

To be fair, that last season swoon was also the result of Chris Wright breaking his wrist. But regardless of cause, it was the third straight season in which Georgetown disappointed in February and March, the time of year that makes or breaks a season.

The reasons for those swoons differ and are unconfirmed. In 2008-2009, Wright and Jessie Sapp reportedly had a fight in the locker room at the halftime of the Duke game. Georgetown was 12-3 overall and 3-2 in the Big East at the time. They finished the season 16-15 and 7-11 in the Big East. In 2009-2010, Georgetown suffered from a chronic lack of consistency and, many believed, because of a lack of leadership and emotional fire from their best players. Last year, it was the lack of leadership and cohesiveness offensively after Wright was injured.

Whatever the case, we should all be able to agree that something was missing from those Georgetown teams. They never seemed to quite be on the same page when they needed to be. There would be flashes of potential, teasing Hoya fans with what was possible.

With a rotation that will include a number of freshmen and a changing of the guard in terms of who Georgetown's star will be, the Hoya's roster makeup will shift quite a bit next season. Not ideal for a team lacking cohesiveness.

But you know what is?


Getting into a full-fledged brawl and a borderline riot playing a road game in a foreign country. Having an entire team of college students hold their own in a fight against a group of grown men with military training. Seeing Georgetown's fans, alums, and former players rallying around their players from half a world away. That was a scary, scary situation for the Hoya team to be in. They're in a foreign country, in a foreign gym, playing a professional team in front of their incensed fans. Bottles and fists were flying. They had to not only rally around, but protect each other.

Literally. Protect. Jason Clark was thrown to the ground and had four Chinese players stomping him. Aaron Bowen spent six seconds on the ground under his own basket with two Chinese players throwing point-blank haymakers. And did I mention that these two teams are scheduled to play each other again on Sunday?

This will bring the Hoyas closer together. As teammates and as friends.

John Thompson III took his team on this trip to try and get a chance for some team bonding.

Well, he got it.
Continue reading...

VIDEO: The Georgetown brawl

This is unreal.



That was a full-fledged brawl. All-out. Chairs went flying. One Chinese player pinned a Georgetown player down and started wailing on him.

I don't necessarily condone fighting, but when it comes to protecting your teammates, you have to do what have to do. If I was a Georgetown player, I would have been in there as well, swinging from my shoes.

UPDATE: More video can be found here.

Many, many h/t's to the one and only @bubbaprog for making that video happen.
Continue reading...

Georgetown brawls in China

(See the video of it here.)

Duke's basketball team isn't the only one in China right now.

The Georgetown Hoyas are there as well. But where Duke's trip is being broadcast on ESPN U and announced by Doug Gottlieb, Georgetown's trip appears to be better suited to Pay-Per-View with Jerry Springer on the call:


It appears as if everyone with the Hoyas -- the coaches and the players -- made it out just fine, which is a good thing even if you are from Syracuse, NY.

Washington Post reporter Gene Wang is traveling with the team in China. We'll update this post as more information comes out.

UPDATE: Here is a detailed breakdown from a Georgetown message board. Keep in mind, this is a Georgetown message board, but the same story is generally being told on every Hoya fan site. (h/t Casual Hoya)

Check out these wild photos from the Washington Post. Unreal. This was actually a real-life, full-blown brawl.


UPDATE II: Georgetown sent out a release with a quote from JT III: "Tonight, two great teams played a very competitive game that unfortunately ended after heated exchanges with both teams. We sincerely regret that this situation occurred. We remain grateful for the opportunity our student-athletes are having to engage in a sport they love here in  China, while strengthening their understanding of a nation we respect and admire at Georgetown University." Continue reading...

Former Binghamton head coach Kevin Broadus joins Georgetown's staff

Kevin Broadus is back.

The former Binghamton head coach and Washington DC native has been hired as a special assistant to Georgetown head coach John Thompson III. Not assistant coach, mind you. Assistant. As in aide. As in he cannot recruit off-campus, he cannot coach the team, he cannot participate in meeting involving coaching activities, and he cannot scout opponents.

Why is Georgetown being forced to bring in a head coach that made the 2009 NCAA Tournament as the nation's highest-paid intern?


Because his flameout at Binghamton was even more impressive than the team that he was able to field.

Long story short, Broadus quickly earned a reputation for recruiting kids with questionable behavioral and academic backgrounds.

Short story long, he led Binghamton to the America East's tournament title in 2009, but his best player -- DJ Rivera -- was blackballed from first team all-conference by coaches who did not support Broadus' recruiting methods and the high-risk transfers he brought in. No worries, though, as Rivera was one of six players to get kicked off of the Binghamton team that following September after a series of unfortunate events. There was Tiki Mayben's arrest for selling crack. There was Malik Alvin getting arrested after knocking over a 66 year old woman and giving her a concussion while trying to steal a pack of Magnum condoms. There were accusations of academic impropriety. And, worst of all, a former member of the team named Milidan Kovacevic punched a student so hard that he inflicted life-threatening head injuries and damaged his brain so severely that the student lost all of his memory from college, including the classes he had taken. Oh, and Kovacevic immediately fled the country back to his native Serbia.

If that wasn't enough, Broadus committed a recruiting violation just weeks after this scandal hit. The details are here, but essentially he went to Notre Dame Prep in Massachusetts and had illegal contact with a recruit. That, eventually, cost him his job, but not without taking a fifth of Binghamton's athletic budget with him.

"I think that Kevin, like everyone else, has learned from things that have happened in the past," John Thompson III said. "During his time here at Georgetown, he was invaluable to me as a sounding board, and I anticipate that being the case again. ... I did not go into this naive, thinking there wouldn’t be some negative thoughts out there, negative feelings toward him. And with reason. . . . But at the end of the day, Kevin knows how we do things at Georgetown and how we don’t do things at Georgetown."

Personally, I think this is a good move for all involved.

Georgetown doesn't take on much risk that Broadus will commit another violation given that his duties will be limited. (Seriously, does he make sure JT III's coffee stays warm? What will he do at Georgetown?) College coaches are stubborn and set in their ways, but I seriously doubt that Broadus would risk JT III's career by breaking the rules while he is on the Hoya's staff.

For Broadus, this is a no-brainer. Its a chance for him to get back into basketball and to start rebuilding his reputation. Everyone makes mistakes, and like the questionable characters Broadus brought into Binghamton, everyone deserves a second chance, an opportunity to right their wrongs.

Let's just hope that Broadus learned from his mistakes, unlike the players that got the boot from Binghamton.
Continue reading...

Sanford's departure leaves Georgetown with more depth issues

On Friday, it was announced that Georgetown guard Vee Sanford would be transferring from the University. While it doesn't seem to be a big issue on paper, the loss of Sanford could increase in significance as the 2011-2012 season approaches.

For the Hoyas, his exit leaves them in a catch-22 situation.

With the commitment last week of small-forward Otto Porter, the Hoyas had 14 players for only 13 available scholarships, meaning, somebody would have to go. With Sanford's departure, no player has to lose their scholarship. On the flip side, Sanford's departure leaves a huge hole in the depth of Georgetown's backcourt. With only one shooting guard recruit arriving next season, the Hoyas could once again be faced with the type of depth issues that have plagued them for the past two seasons.

Sanford, a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard from Lexington Kentucky, had a productive season off of the bench, despite being part of a backup-backcourt timeshare with freshman Markell Starks. Sanford, at 6-foot-3, has a long frame and used his reach to constantly fill up the stat sheet, but whether he got on the court or not was always the bigger question. He did not see any time in five games this season, yet logged double-digit minutes six times.

Surprisingly enough, when senior guard Chris Wright broke his hand late in the season against Cincinnati, it was the freshman Starks who saw an increased role, not Sanford. In the final six games, all losses, Starks averaged 14.6 minutes to Sanford's 5.8. Despite these numbers, Sanford had statistically a better season that Starks, not to mention a better understanding for the Georgetown offense and expectations of head coach John Thompson III.

With the departure of guards Austin Freeman and Chris Wright, the backcourt would appear to be open for the taking. Sophomore Hollis Thompson will likely start at small forward, and Jason Clark at shooting guard, which would mean, either Starks or Sanford would start at the point. Of Georgetown's five commitments for 2011, only one, Jabril Trawick, is a guard.

As of now, the Hoyas backcourt for 2011-2012 consists of Starks, Clark and recruit Jabril Trawick. Small forward Thompson can play at the two if necessary, and Aaron Bowen can as well, although he rarely sees any playing time, and was injured for most of the season. If Sanford had stayed, his presence on the bench may have become more valuable than anything he would have done on the court.

Without Sanford, the Hoyas will have just four backcourt options all together. What if Clark gets into foul trouble as he did so often last season? what happens if somebody gets injured or is having an off-night? Without Sanford, the answer doesn't seem to be anything close to clear.

The issue of depth and playing time is an interesting one with Georgetown because just two years ago, the Hoya's couldn't find enough time for their backcourt players, and now it seems like in 2011-2012, they won't have enough. This time around, it may be the frontcourt that has playing time issues. Next season the Hoyas will return senior Henry Sims, junior Jarielle Benimon, sophomores Nate Lubick and Moses Ayegba, along with recruits Mikael Hopkins, Tyler Adams, Greg Whittington and Otto Porter. The problem is that all eight of these players will be expecting playing time next season, and with Hollis Thompson cemented at the starting small forward position, and 6-foot-4 guard Jason Clark is capable of playing their as well, it leaves only two spots available for eight players.

It would not be surprising to see one of these players transfer in the next 24 months. After all, since John Thompson III took over at Georgetown in 2005, six players have transfered out. But Georgetown's inability to evenly recruit positional players has been a problem in the past, and it does not look to be changing soon. In 2007, a year after Georgetown reached the Final Four, they had five players vying for three frontcourt positions. A year later two of them (Vernon Macklin and Nikita Mescheriakiov) transferred.

If Georgetown's backcourt was too full, then their frontcourt was too thin. With Sanford's departure it appears to be the exact opposite now.

It is well known that many in the Georgetown program believe Starks is the next great Hoya point guard, which would make Sanford the odd man out. It is never easy for an upperclassmen to have to sit behind a underclassmen, especially if their abilities and talent are virtually identical. While it is unclear where Sanford plans on transferring to, he has the talent to be a starter at a decent amount of BCS-conference schools.

But what Sanford needs most is a fresh start, and a system where there isn't an heir-apparent and a fully-loaded depth chart. For the Hoyas, they need continuity in positional recruiting.

Continue reading...

Otto Porter, Frank Haith's violaton, and a reporter mistake?

Missouri's new head coach Frank Haith has not had the greatest start to his tenure.

This afternoon, less than two weeks after he was named Mike Anderson's successor, Haith lost Otto Porter, a top 100 recruit in the class of 2011 and a Missouri native, to Georgetown. Losing an in-state star likely won't ingratiate Haith with the good folks of the Show Me state, who were displeased with his hiring. To top it off, Haith committed a secondary violation in the process.

Haith responded to a text message from Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star that asked if Porter was still in play for Mizzou by saying "No, he did go to Georgetown". He followed that up with another text saying "Did speak by phone and the process was all but over. (He) just needed to see Georgetown, which they visited this weekend."


The problem?

Coaches are not allowed to talk about recruits until they have signed a National Letter of Intent. That is a violation, one that every Division I coach is keenly aware of. Its only a secondary violation, and will likely result in nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

Now, Haith should not be discussing kids that he is recruiting. There is no way that he is not aware that this is a violation. That said, DeArmond should shoulder his load of the blame. Coaches text and talk about recruits all the time. Its not a rare occurrence. The issue is that he is on the record talking about it.

DeArmond writes on the Campus Corner blog, which is where the KC Star's coverage of colleges and recruiting can be found. He should have been aware of the fact that by publishing Haith's name he would be getting Missouri into trouble with the NCAA. I'm going to assume that there was a miscommunication about whether the text was meant to be on the record, because I truly doubt that Haith would have sent that text if he had known his name would have been published.

DeArmond just cost himself all of his Missouri sources. Proof?

This isn't the first time that the media covering Missouri has been in the news.

Bernie Miklasz, an excellent reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, wrote that Matt Painter was going to go to Missouri, which ended up being incorrect. To his credit, he owned the mistake gracefully.

----------------------------------------------------

Otto Porter is a great get for Georgetown. Along with DeAndre Daniels, he is one of the two best players that had remained uncommitted in the class of 2011.

Georgetown now has one of the best incoming classes in the country, which includes 6'9" Tyler Adams, 6'9" Greg Whittington, 6'8" Mikael Hopkins, and 6'5" Jabril Trawick in addition to the 6'8" Porter. Porter had an official visit lined up with Kansas for next weekend, but he will not be making that trip.

Of note for Hoya fans -- Georgetown will have at least one scholarship player transferring out of the program. Porter is their 14th scholarship player.
Continue reading...

Political beef between Henry Sims and Nate Lubick?

Could trouble be brewing on the Georgetown roster?

Hopefully not.

You never want to let politics get in the way of a friendship.

Henry Sims is running for Vice President of the Georgetown student body. As Matt Norlander brought to my attention yesterday, his first campaign video was pretty funny, as Sims and running mate Jed Feiman spoofed "The Social Network":



Good for him. Its great to see athletes getting involved in more than just their sport. But I can't help but wonder how he feels seeing freshman Nate Lubick supporting another candidate:



Lubick's video was released on Sunday. Georgetown had their eight game winning streak snapped on Wednesday in their first game since the video made its way to youtube.

Yikes!
Continue reading...

Tuesday's Shootaround: Anyone else scared of Texas?

No. 14 Georgetown 62, No. 13 Louisville 59: See here and here.

One more thing to note from this game -- what makes Georgetown so dangerous this season is not only that they have two or three option of guys that can carry the team, but that those guys are not concerned about the number of points that they score. For example, against Villanova, Austin Freeman was sizzling from the field and Jason Clark and Hollis Thompson were both knocking down their jump shots as well. Chris Wright was 0-3 from the floor in that game and didn't score a point, but the Hoyas still won. Fast forward to Monday, and Georgetown got a season-high 24 points from Wright while Clark and Thompson combined for just eight points* and Freeman had an off-night, finishing with 13.

(*To be fair, Clark was scoreless until he hit two free throws in the final minute that put Georgetown up three. Thompson scored half of his six points with a three at the two minute mark that turned out to be the game-winner, putting the Hoyas up 58-55.)

No. 3 Texas 69, No. 16 Texas A&M 49: Well, then.

For the second time in just 12 days, the Longhorns embarrassed the Aggies. This game was over midway through the first half, when Texas went up 32-12. It was, in a word, impressive, just like everything else the Longhorns have done the past month.

There is no doubt about it anymore. Texas is a certified national title favorite. As talented a team as they are offensively -- Jordan Hamilton is one of the best pure scorers in the country, Tristan Thompson and Gary Johnson provide plenty of toughness and rebounding around the rim, and Cory Joseph and J'Covan Brown have both proven capable of being more-than-capable scorers -- this team hangs its hat on the defensive side of the ball. They have shot up Kenpom's rankings and now sit as the No. 1 team in the country in defensive efficiency.

Just ask the Aggies. Last night, they shot 30.1% from the field and 1-12 from three point range. Khris Middleton was held scoreless, missing all nine of his shots from the field, by Hamilton, a guy whose weakness was defensively coming into the season. The haven't given up more than 63 points to a Big XII opponents yet, and the 63 was against Kansas, who had 18 points in the first five minutes of the game.

The Longhorns don't do anything special. They don't run a full court press or a half court trap. They aren't playing gimmicky defenses or playing a zone. Its simple, physical, half court man to man. They force you to take tough shots and clean up the glass when you miss.

And if they continue to play this way defensively, it will only be a matter of time before people start asking if this team is actually better than undefeated Ohio State.

Norfolk State 110, Coppin State 108 2OT: Kyle O'Quinn had 37 points, 19 boards, and six blocks, including the game-winning free throws with 4.5 seconds left, in the double overtime win.

Other Notable Scores:

• Northern Arizona 65, Northern Colorado 54
  
• Hampton 78, UMES 66
• East Tennessee State 82, Mercer 75
• Vermont 63, New Hampshire 49
• Fairfield 70, Canisius 55
• Jackson State 86, Arkansas-Pine Bluf 64
• Texas Southern 73, Alcorn State 59
  

Continue reading...

A photographic breakdown of Georgetown's pick and roll defense

For the third straight game, Louisville overcame a double digit second half deficit, taking a 55-53 lead with 4:24 left on a free throw from Kyle Kuric. That lead didn't last, however, as Peyton Siva was unable to bail out the Cardinals down the stretch again. Hollis Thompson hit a tie-breaking three with 2:03 left and the Hoyas hit their free throws at the end of the game as they won their fifth straight in Big East play, 62-59.

Chris Wright bounced back from a scoreless performance at Villanova, going 8-14 from the field and finishing with 24 points, five boards, and three assists. Austin Freeman added 13 (although he also turned the ball over six times) and Julian Vaughn gutted through a bad ankle to score 10 points, including a number of tough buckets in the post down the stretch, to go along with five boards and three blocks.

The stat that you are probably going to hear about the most from this game was the 76.5% that Georgetown shot in the second half. Rightfully so. The Hoyas looked terrific on the offensive end in the second half, especially when they were able to beat Louisville's press.

But it was the Hoya's defense that won this game, not their offensive execution.

Georgetown held Peyton Siva, who came into this game as hot as any player in the country, to just five points, three assists, and eight turnovers. Preston Knowles, Louisville's leading scorer, finished just 3-14 from the floor. As a team, Louisville shot 35.1% from the field and 34.8% from three. When Louisville struggles to score, they have a tough time getting into their press which, in turn, makes the Cardinals a much easier team to beat.

What Louisville likes to do offensively, especially when it gets to be late in the shot clock, is to run a guard off of a high ball screen and spread the floor with three shooters. They have different variations and different reads, but essentially what Rick Pitino is looking to do is to get a one-on-one situation in the middle of the floor, whether it is Siva attacking with the dribble or Terrence Jennings sealing in the post. Louisville used that high ball screen when Siva scored the game-winner against West Virginia. They used it almost exclusively down the stretch against UConn, when the Huskies were incapable of keeping Siva out of the paint.

Georgetown won because they were able to stop it.

Against UConn, when Siva came off the screen, UConn tried to hedge the screen hard, but Alex Oriakhi wasn't able to stop Siva from turning the corner:


With two shooters posted on the strong side of the floor, UConn defender Shabazz Napier and Roscoe Smith were late rotating to help, and since Oriakhi was trailing the play, there was no shot blocker inside. Jeremy Lamb wasn't able to rotate down and protect the rim soon enough (he, too, was guarding a shooter) and the result was a layup from Siva:


Georgetown played the screen differently. Since the Cardinals run it so high, Julian Vaughn -- who is a good defender in the pick-and-roll -- hedged the screen softly:


Vaughn kept Siva from getting a lane to the rim. Also notice where Nate Lubick is in the second picture (below). He rotates down to prevent Siva from dropping the ball off the Terrence Jennings for a layup. Vee Sanford recovers, and Siva is forced to kick the ball out to Preston Knowles:


Wright is able to stay with Knowles, who swings the ball to Kuric. As the ball is swung, Lubick rotates back out to challenge Kyle Kuric's three while Vaughn rotates back to pick up Jennings in the paint:


Unfortunately, Lubick challenged the three point attempt to aggressively and fouled Kuric, which is obviously a mistake. But up until that point, Georgetown defended this possession perfectly.

Siva is becoming Louisville's most important player. He is exceptionally quick with the ball in his hands and is such a difficult matchup for a big man to stay in front of. With three shooters on the perimeter, the onus falls on the big man defending the screener to slow down Siva, and all night long Vaughn was able to do that.

Georgetown's ability to stop Louisville's pick-and-roll is what won the game for the Hoyas tonight.

Continue reading...