Laura's Prominent Play

Hoyas Take On “Offensively Challenged” Creighton Blue Jays Saturday, 1/3/15 at Verizon Center

Posted on January 3, 2015 by laura

Prediction for Matchup with Creighton:

By his own admission, Greg McDermott’s Creighton team is “offensively challenged”. The Georgetown Hoyas were likewise offensively challenged on the New Year’s Eve/Day contest with the Xavier Musketeers. Today at home the Hoyas can use this opportunity to right the course and start working on all cylinders at their home court. While unlikely to be a packed house because students are not yet back from winter break, the proverbial Sixth Man could help immensely.

If the Hoyas get back to fundamentals and shoot as they are capable, and use all personnel without getting into foul trouble or turning the ball over, they should win. While those are four qualifiers, they are something that this team can do to get to 1-1 in early conference play.

I expect great energy from Trawick, Bowen, and sharpshooting from the SuperFrosh, who will feel comfortable back at home.

Hoyas, 72-Blue Jays 61.

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Hoyas Struggle Mightily in New Year’s (Eve and Day) Loss to Xavier, 70-53

Posted on January 2, 2015 by laura

I had to chew on this for a day (Well, he helped me).

This wasn’t the way the Hoyas expected to enter 2015. Coming off an exciting, come from behind victory over the Indiana Hoosiers on December 27th and enjoying a Top 25 ranking for less than a week, Hoya fans assumed that nothing would come easy at Xavier on New Year’s Eve, in the finale of the BIG EAST New Year’s Even Marathon on Fox Sports One, yet expected a tight game, win or lose. In a day that brought some exciting BIG EAST basketball and showcased rising teams and players in what appears to be a talent-laden conference, the Finale was nothing but a huge disappointment for Hoya fans and clearly for the team and coach. The game started in 2014 and finished in the early morning initial minutes of 2015.

It will be difficult to point to anything positive that came from this contest so I will start with the Problems and end with the “Promise”. In no certain order, here goes:

1. Over-reliance on DSR and Josh Smith: Some may say the Hoya season will not be successful without the strong play of our junior guard and senior Big Man. However, this alone cannot be the strategy of this team or it will lead to failure. First, DSR. DSR led Hoya scorers in this game but clearly that won’t be the key to success unless he is capable of scoring 40 points per game, which he is not. The key to this team is a balanced attack and the team showed nothing of the sort on New Year’s Eve in Ohio. Not only did DSR get into early and uncharacteristic foul trouble, but the checking in and out of the game of DSR seemed to disrupt the team’s flow rather than contribute to a comeback. As to Josh Smith, foul trouble is a continued problem for him and the entire team that evening. Smth’s fouls continue to be a combination of his poor judgment and bad calls by the officials, yet to blame the Refs all season won’t be the answer. This game was billed in part as a battle between two BIG EAST Bigs, Smith and Matt Stainbrook of Xavier, and Stainbrook’s team came out on top in this contest. The Big Men seemed to neutralize each other. Fortunately for the Hoyas, there aren’t many other big men the size of Stainbrook in the BIG EAST.

2. Team Fouls and Turnovers: These have been a problem all season, to a greater or lesser extent, but when you commit 26 fouls and 16 turnovers (DSR and Josh each had 4 TOs), that alone is a very bad sign. It means sloppyness, frustration and difficulty handling the ball. The Hoyas never really had a handle on the ball, or the game, and the stats support that. Whether it was because DSR was on the bench for long stretches after two quick first half fouls, Josh was putting the ball on the floor (a “no no” from this point on, almost always leads to a turnover) or whether the freshmen were unprepared for conference play on the road, these are issues that must be corrected promptly, starting on Saturday 4:30pm vs the Creighton Blue Jays at home where the Hoyas will aim to go 1-1 in conference play. Smith, Trawick and Peak finished the game with 4 fouls each and Hopkins fouled out after playing 30 minutes, with 5 boards, 3 blocks , 2 steals and 0 points.

3. Horrendous Team Shooting: Shooting percentages were low across the board and while some may credit the Xavier defense with part of it, I wouldn’t give the Musketeers too much credit. With 36% shooting from the field, 15% from 3-point line and 68% from the free throw line, the Hoyas were off their game, not moving the ball well, finding the open man or missing shots, open or covered. Peak and Trawick, of the starters, finished with 6 points each and if Trawick had as great an offensive game as his will and fight on the court, the Hoyas would be golden. Same could be said of Sixth Man Aaron Bowen, who gives 110% every game. Bowen finished with 6 points on 2 for 6 shooting. Paul White was cold (although we know he can shoot). Hopefully the freshmen will shake off their nerves before the Creighton game. Campbell saw more minutes at point guard (14) and finished with 2 points, 3 rebounds and 0 turnovers (a good sign).

4. Lack of Confidence: There is no stat for this, but something that an observer sees. This is something I have seen with many Hoya teams barring that exceptional 2006-07 team led by Green, Hibbert, Wallace and Sixth Man Pat Ewing Jr. I am still awaiting another team with Swag who starts games thinking if not knowing that they should or will win, instead of playing scared or tentatively, and then finishes them.

For the Musketeers, power forward Jalen Reynolds led the team in scoring with a career high 17 points. Remy Abell, who played tough defense on DSR, and Dee Davis added 12 points each to lead Xavier, 10-3 and now 1-0 in conference play, over the Hoyas. While Xavier led 31-25 at the half and some Hoya fans may have expected their team to come out of the break hot as they did against Indiana, that did not transpire. Rather the Hoyas seemed to be out of this contest for the entire second half as Xavier gradually added to its lead. Xavier may end up being part of the top tier of the conference with Villanova and [Question Mark at this point–could it be Providence?] but that does not explain the Hoyas’ poor team performance.

Now, for the “Promise”:

1. Blocked Shots and Relatively Good Defense: The Hoyas blocked 10 shots and held the Musketeers 11 points below their season average. However, if you don’t score more than the other team, …. well, you know what happens.

2. DSR and Smith, the Flip Side: DSR scored 18 points for the Hoyas (8-4, 0-1), who had won three in a row and four of five. While Smith added 10 points, Xavier shut down the rest of the Hoya team and held them to their lowest point total of the season. Without a balanced and confident scoring attack, DSR and Smith are not going to carry this team through the conference season.

3. Super Freshmen: The sooner that White, Copeland and Peak and Campbell become part of the offense, the sooner the Hoyas will be successful. In my opinion, we need 5 scoring threats on the floor at most times to compete in this talented conference. If we can go even deeper on the bench, that would be helpful, although other than Cameron and Hayes, we have not yet seen much from Mourning. Will we have to wait until next season to see Trey?

So here’s to 2015, may it begin at home on 1-3 vs the Blue Jays. Will the Real Hoyas please stand up?

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D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera Orchestrates the Hoyas’ Garden Party, Defeating Indiana in OT, 91-87

Posted on December 28, 2014 by laura

The Burning Question for this analyst in the pre-season was when and even whether the much heralded pre-season D’vauntes Smith-Rivera (DSR) would appear. DSR was showered with pre-season accolades, including on the lists for the Wooden Award Watch (of 50 players) and the Bob Cousy Point Guard Award and honored with Pre-Season Big East Conference Player of the Year. The Answer to The Question revealed itself fittingly today in the Mecca of Basketball, Madison Square Garden, where Indiana native DSR (hailing from Indianapolis) and his veteran teammates led the 26th ranked (AP and Coaches Polls) Georgetown Hoyas to a hard fought overtime victory over a very talented Indiana Hoosier program, 91-87. As intense and exciting a college game as seen in this early 2014-15 season and in both theatrics and quality of play, this contest overshadowed the subsequent #1 Kentucky vs. #4 Louisville game that ESPN had on its radar for weeks.

DSR achieved everything for his team that can be expected of a Wooden-Cousy pre-season candidate and then some, pouring in 29 points on torrid and timely shooting, including 5 for 7 from the 3-point line, where he has been struggling all season. With 4 assists, 4 steals, 2 rebounds and hitting critical free throws down the stretch, DSR was the floor general and steady leader that the Hoya team needed to take down a hot shooting, determined young–not a senior on the squad–Hoosier team that will most certainly be more dangerous as the season progresses. Significantly, 7 of DSR’s 29 points, including a critical 3-pointer, in the overtime period where leaders emerge and make their mark.

The first half saw the Hoyas with a lead at the 10-9 mark and then lost it to the sharpshooting Hoosiers, led by a stellar performance from junior guard Yogi Ferrell who had 12 points at the half and finished the game with 27 points on 9 for 15 field goals, 5 for 10 from three point land and a perfect 4 for 4 from the line. Indiana had a comfortable 10-point lead at halftime, 40-30, and was also led by the hot hand of talented freshman guard James Blackmon Jr., who hit 3 3-pointers by the half and finished with 22 points. Sophomore forward Troy Williams was the third threat, coming on in the second half as the Hoyas had little to stop him. Williams finished with 23 points on 8 for 12 field goal shooting and went 7 for 8 from the line, had 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Despite this Hoosier Triumvirate, the Hoya bench outscored the Indiana bench 24-2.

Leading up to this final test before the BIG EAST Conference season, the Hoyas knew well that they would have to stop the Indiana 3-point shot and yet at the 20-minute mark they had failed to achieve that goal. Indiana had 7 3-pointers by the half, to the Hoyas’ 2. In the second half, the Hoyas came out fighting in what seemed to be an entirely different game. DSR emerged from the break with 3 3-point field goals in the first 4 minutes of the half, along with an Aaron Bowen field goal and the Georgetown revved up defense led to Indiana missed shots. This would turn out to be the Hoyas’ half, 47-37. If it weren’t for Ferrell’s 3 pointer with 12 seconds to go, the Hoyas could have pulled this out in regulation. But this is Georgetown vs. Indiana, and in what became an instant classic, the Hoyas, down 1-2 in all meetings between the storied programs before this game, needed an extra 5 minutes to seal the victory to tie the all-time score at 2-2.

How The Hoosiers Were Tamed:

Upperclass Leadership: This analyst has spent much of the season singing the praises of two entities, (a) The Freshman Class (Peak, White and Copeland) and (b) fifth-year senior super athlete Aaron Bowen, who played only 3 minutes in the Kansas game. Well, who showed up today? (b) The Upperclassmen, led by Bowen who including alongside DSR and his senior teammates Josh Smith and Mikael Hopkins, and junior Jabril Trawick, showed the underclassmen what will be expected of them to win big games. And let there be no mistaking, this was a Big Game for the Hoyas. This is the type of game that can be a catalyst, a season changer, and erase from the memories of Hoya fans disappointing losses such as those in the post season against FGCU and Ohio, to mention only two. More importantly, it can instill the kind of confidence in a team that it can pull out tough games on a big stage against high quality opponents such as a few of the teams it will face in its challenging Big EAST schedule, including Villanova, Butler and St. John’s. Aaron Bowen has been around long enough to experience the post-season disappointments and for long stretches last season sat on the bench while some starters spent many minutes on the floor not scoring. Well, of late AB has had a lot to say about that! At the Garden Bowen finished with a career high 22 points on 10 for 13 shooting, was 1 for 2 from the 3-point line, had 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in 35 minutes of play. Josh Smith was also a Presence today (isn’t he always?) and scored 14 points on 6 for 10 shooting, including a couple of critical put backs/tip ins, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and a perfect 2 for 2 from the charity stripe. Smith still suffers from ill treatment from the officials, who seem to blow the whistle whenever he comes into contact with anyone because of his large size. At the same time, he was responsible for the first silly foul of the game, contesting a 3- point shot by Robert Johnson in the first minute of the game to lead to Indiana’s first three points.

Senior guard Jabril Trawick was again quietly monstrous for the Hoyas, the other critical piece of the puzzle for the Hoyas as his game has never been as flashy or noticeable as other teammates, but finished with 12 points, was a solid 4 for 7 from the field, hit his only 3, was 3 for 5 from the line with 7 rebounds, with 2 assists and a steal. Starting forward Mikael Hopkins had a solid start, with a couple of nice shots inside and a couple of intimidating blocks. He finished with only 5 points and 4 fouls in 17 minutes and didn’t fulfill the promise of his early minutes but his teammates took over as needed.

Of the Super Freshman Class, starter L.J. Peak contributed the most to this victory yet today looked more like a freshman than a veteran by comparison to his more experienced teammates. However, Peak’s ball handling, energy on the court, 7 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals in 38 minutes must be recognized as all freshmen White, Copeland–and Peak– struggled from the field today.

Why The Hoyas Were Lucky to Escape with a W:

Missed points in the paint and a 53.8% free throw percentage (14 for 26) are the primary reasons why the Hoyas could have (some say should have) lost this game and are fortunate to put this one in the W column. Team free throw shooting was atrocious and if the Hoyas are to continue to win close ones, this team cannot count on 50% at the line to do the trick. By comparison, Indiana shot 82% at the line (18-22). There was not one principal offender, although freshman White missed 2 and Bowen went 1 for 3 from the line while DSR missed 3 of 9. The Hoyas shot better from the 3-point line (58.3%) than from both the free throw line and from field goal range today (51.5%). Other stats such as turnover ratio were in the Hoyas favor, only 11 to the Hoosiers’ 17. The Hoyas also shared the ball well again with 16 assists. Credit to the Hoyas’ much improved D in the second half against one of the nation’s top scoring teams entering the contest.

While it wasn’t perfect, this was arguably the sweetest victory to Hoyas fans since games leading to the 2007 Final Four run. A holiday gift, perhaps? The official rankings may have stated otherwise, but to Georgetown and Indiana fans cheering on their squads today, this game felt like a late season match between Top 10 opponents, and isn’t that what both contingents have in mind this season? As to the Hoyas, if this DSR and his upperclass cohort show up on a regular basis, that may not be delusional at all.

Next Up for the Hoyas: New Year’s Eve 10pm vs Xavier!! Toast at midnight?

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Hoyas Survive Scare from Upset-Minded Charlotte, 81-78

Posted on December 21, 2014 by laura

Remember this Stat–93.3 % This will be very important as the Hoyas head into conference play. No, it isn’t the collective GPA of the team after first semester finals, which ended Friday (that might be higher :-)). It is the Hoyas’ free throw percentage against the Charlotte 49ers in the second half, going 14 for 15 at the line, and it was critical in eking out a win at Verizon Center on Saturday afternoon. The Hoyas are 7-3 as they head to New York to meet the Indiana Hoosiers at the Garden on 12-27. On Saturday the Hoosiers took down Butler, 82-73, in a close and hard fought contest at Butler’s home in Indianapolis.

The Tale of Two Halves, Within Each Half! In each half the Hoyas surged then faded. Once leading by 14 in the first half, Charlotte (6-5) went on a 7-0 run to get to single digits at the half, 38-31. The teams entered the half with the momentum clearly on Charlotte’s side. The Hoyas came out of the break, after some halftime entertainment from the area’s Team Mascots, with great energy and on fire and again pulled away to a 60-44 advantage. The persistent 49ers used another run to close the gap to 70-63. As the Hoyas went cold, Charlotte’s Braxton Ogbueze hit consecutive 3s to pull within 2 (77-75) with 3:13 to go. Keyshawn Woods scored a bucket with 8.6 seconds remaining in the game leaving the Hoyas with a 79-78 advantage. Unable to hold onto comfortable leads due largely to a heavy reliance on the outside shot and the inability to get the ball inside, the Hoyas instead relied on points at the charity stripe in the final 30 seconds to close out the game. Aaron Bowen’s and L.J. Peak’s perfection at the line in the final minute, and Charlotte’s missed field goal attempt, sealed the victory for the Hoyas. Woods led all Charlotte scorers with 16 points.

Team Malaise, with Exceptions: How to assess the Hoyas’ performance on Saturday? Hopefully the team played with a Finals Hangover and aced all their exams in the last week. This game was all too reminiscent of the Heart Attack Hoyas of years past! In each half, just when it appeared that the Hoyas were taking control and would pull away, either the Hoyas lost their touch or Charlotte regained theirs. At moments it seems the team would lose focus, allow Charlotte an easy bucket or fall asleep on D. Defense was an issue on Saturday, yielding too many idea open looks to Charlotte, who knocked enough down to scare the Hoya faithful, shooting better both from the field (46%) and the 3-point line (38%) than the home team (Hoyas, 39& and 35%). The ultimate edge came at the free throw line, and while Charlotte hit more free throws (24 to 23), the Hoyas bested the 49ers in percentage made (77% to 72% for the game). The Hoyas also had the rebounding edge, 43 to 32.

Heroes of the Game: Freshman guard L.J. Peak and senior leader Jabril Trawick were critical to putting this one in the Win column. Peak again belied his freshman status and finished with 18 points, 5 for 12 from the field, 1 for 3 from 3-point line and a perfect 7 for 7 from the free throw line. Another nod to “reserve” Aaron Bowen, whom Coach JTIII seems to put in the game when the Hoyas need help. Another effort suggesting AB deserves more time in conference play? Bowen finished with 11 points in 17 minutes, went 3 for 6 from the field, hit his only 3, grabbed 4 rebounds, went 4 for 4 from the line, had a steal and hit his free throws in the final minute. Trawick had a double-double, adding 11 points and 10 rebounds for Georgetown with 3 assists. DSR is improving at the new point guard role, had 13 points in 31 minutes, and was perfect at the foul line. Yet he continues to struggle from outside, going 4 for 11 from the field and 1-4 from the 3-point line. That may work itself out in time as he transitions from his former role as scorer to current role as point guard and scorer. Frankly, the team now requires DSR’s point guard skills more than his shooting skills, thanks in large part to the infusion of new talent this season.

Charlotte Not a Cupcake: Make no mistake, the 49ers were not just a tasty cupcake. They entered the game with a significantly higher RPI (as much as you pay attention to it) than the Hoyas. On Friday night, their fellow Conference USA member UTEP took #3 Arizona down to the wire as the Wildcats eventually pulled away, only in the final minutes, to a 60-55 victory.

Three Concerns as the Hoyas Head to New York to Face the Hoosiers, and in Conference Play:

1. Big Man U, Reconstituted? While fans have a lot to be grateful for in the Super Freshmen who enrolled on the Hilltop this fall, they are all shooting forwards (Peak, Paul White and Isaac Copeland) and a guard (Tre Campbell). Josh Smith and Mikael Hopkins, while playing relatively well in the non-conference schedule, must play better and more consistently as we face our strong BIG EAST foes. Smith finished yesterday with 12 points in 21 minutes, going 4 for 7 from the field and hitting 4 of 4 free throws, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks and 4 fouls. Fouls remain a concern for Smith. Hopkins struggled to contribute against Charlotte, finishing with 2 points and 4 fouls. Is there a weak team in the BIG EAST, I ask, when Marquette and Georgetown have the most losses to date? JTIII played Bradley Hayes for limited minutes yesterday and he is our only other Big Man Option–at this point. Is Hayes ready to face the Bigs of the BIG EAST or will he spend the conference season on the sideline? What the Hoyas need to succeed in conference is to have Smith and Hopkins lift their game so that the Hoyas may threaten both from inside and out.

2. How Far Can the Three Ball Take Us?: The Flip Side of Concern #1 is if our inside big man game isn’t going, can the Hoyas be saved by their sharpshooters? At this point it is unclear how much the Hoyas will be able to rely on junior DSR as a sharpshooter, as he has been struggling from outside all season. If DSR doesn’t pick up his game, do the Hoyas have sufficient firepower among the freshmen overachievers Peak, White and Copeland, sophomore Reggie Cameron and senior Bowen?

3. Point Guard Play: DSR and Trawick have been carrying the load and while DSR is improving in the role as point guard, neither is a true point guard. The only true point guard on this team, freshman Tre Campbell, has seen substantial time in the non-conference schedule and is improving. However, the question is how Campbell will fare against the great, seasoned guards of the BIG EAST and whether he is ready for prime time or whether he will be relegated to the bench. With presses being thrown at the team, we will need all guards to handle the rock like a fine gem and avoid sloppy turnovers.

Miscellaneous:

Thanks to all of the local professional team Mascots for an entertaining Halftime Show with non-canine mascot Jack the Bulldog!

No thanks to the Officiating. You won’t find me calling foul against referees all season long because that is simply counterproductive and part of the game. However, on Saturday the refs were blowing “anticipatory whistles”. We all know the “late whistle” that comes several seconds after a foul. In this game, the whistles were sounding before the actual “offense” as the refs seemed to be predicting, sometimes incorrectly, what would happen next.

Please Stay tuned to LaurasProminentPlay for more analysis and insight during the holiday season. I’ll look forward to covering more hoops, the Hoyas and other college matchups and Bowl games as we enjoy this season.

Wishing all of my readers a joyous holiday season, Merry Christmas, continued Happy Hanukkah and a Happy 2015! Stay tuned, and follow me on Twitter @laurasprominentplay and like us on FaceBook.

To my fellow Hoyas, keep the faith and Hoya Saxa!!

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Highlanders Toppled Handily by Hoyas’ Full Complement, 76-49

Posted on December 13, 2014 by laura

The game ball belongs to this young man, Aaron Bowen.

Some context: Fresh off of Wednesday night’s hard fought 5-point loss to the #10 Kansas Jayhawks, Hoya fans wondered what they would see when the Hoyas hosted Radford University of the loaded Big South Conference. (Can you name any team in the Big South? Coastal Carolina sits atop the conference standings today.) The Highlanders of Radford, used to being ignored due to its more prominent neighbor, Virginia Tech of the ACC, took it to the Hokies and handed them a 68-66 loss last week in Blacksburg. That was its first win over an ACC team in 25 contests. Perhaps the Highlanders had delusions of surprising the Hoyas on a sleepy Saturday at Verizon Center, but it was not to be thanks to this sensational athlete and 6’6″ fifth year senior forward from Jacksonville, Florida, and his motivated teammates. Aaron Bowen had a career high 16 points on 8 for 9 shooting, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks, all of which cannot be expected from just any “reserve” player. What Bowen also brings are the intangibles, the energy, great “D” that largely goes unrecorded and unreported, and today, a 360 degree dunk that awakened the much too small crowd at Verizon Center. NB (That is, Nota bene): Bowen played 3 minutes in the Kansas game.

A Team Player in a Team Game: Coach JTII had the luxury of playing his full complement of athletes today after it became clear by the middle of the first half that the Hoyas were too strong, tall and talented for the Highlanders to mount a challenge. Forty-two (42) bench points tells the story as Bowen, freshman Paul White (12), sophomore Reggie Cameron (5) and freshman Isaac Copeland (4) all contributed. White was 4 for 7 from the field, 2 for 3 from 3 point range, and 2 for 2 from the free throw line. White is a pure shooter whom I know will excite Hoya fans in games (and hopefully seasons) to come. Cameron and Copeland too found their shooting touch in 12 minutes each. Freshman true point guard Tre Campbell played a solid 16 minutes, gaining important experience before that grueling Big East schedule begins at Xavier on New Year’s Eve. Campbell showed his efficient ball handling skills against a Radford press and had 4 steals, an assist and a bucket. While the game ball goes to Bowen (also known at Verizon as “Aaron Brown”), the entire game goes to the Hoya “Reserves”, this season meaning likely starters on many top D I teams.

Owning the Boards: The Hoyas out-rebounded Radford, 39-24, and seniors, center Josh Smith (13 minutes, 6 points) and forward Mikael Hopkins (21 minutes, 5 points), led the team with 6 and 5, respectively. Guards Jabril Trawick, D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera (DSR) each had 4 boards. Hopkins added 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks and is playing with greater intensity this season that serves this young and talented Hoya team well.

DSR and Jabril Finding a Groove: Perhaps as important as this victory and righting the course before upcoming games against Conference USA Charlotte at home on 12/20 and against the Indiana Hoosiers at Madison Square Garden on 12/27, is to have our upperclass guards and floor leaders in the right mindset. Coming off of his poorest shooting night in memory, DSR again struggled from the floor, shooting 1 for 9 from the field and 1-5 from the three point land yet perfect from the line (6 of 6). While understandable against the larger and more talented Jayhawks, it seems from this observer that DSR is overthinking, shooting “tight” and missing the mark. Were I to advise DSR, I’d say “Relax. See all of this talent around you, you don’t have to carry the scoring burden this season. When you shoot, be instinctive.” DSR finished with 8 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Dishing the ball when you aren’t hot is also good advice.

As to Jabril, fans were worried when he hobbled off the floor at the end of the Kansas game. Philly Tough bounced back with a fine performance today, 8 points on perfect shooting including 2 for 2 from 3, and 7 assists. To succeed in the conference, this team will rely on these two seasoned guards and leaders. L.J. Peak was again a starter today and in 21 minutes was 2 for 8 from the field and 0 for 3 from the 3 line. Of the three freshman, if I were Coach (I can play this game), I would start White. However, with three talented freshman forwards in White, Peak and Copeland, that it an enviable decision to have to make.

Fundamentals: The Hoyas had only 13 turnovers and shot 75% from the charity stripe. I think when they are not studying for finals or writing final papers, they are working on free throws and fundamentals. Nineteen assists means they are sharing the ball. That is what a good team does.

I’m happy for Radford that they shocked their crosstown rival in Blacksburg last week. However, their run ended before it started. They were no match for the Hoyas swarming defense and triple towers of Hopkins, Smith and Bradley Hayes (yes, a solid 10 minutes from Hayes!).

Aaron Bowen, enjoy your evening. Your fans are looking for many more highlights from you this season!

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Battling Hard, Unable to Finish, the Hoyas Fall to #10 Kansas, 75-70

Posted on December 11, 2014 by laura

It’s time now to ask the ultimate question: while the Hoyas can play with some of the best teams in the country, can they win? With the exception of beating then nationally ranked #18 Florida (now unranked) in the first round of Battle4Atlantis, Georgetown has now dropped three games to Wisconsin (then ranked #2), unranked Butler (now ranked #15) in the Bahamas and to the Jayhawks at home.

While the showdown before 15,000 fans in the Phone Booth was all the excitement Hoya fans have been waiting for, the Hoyas fell just short of upsetting Kansas, a team with a great deal of talent and on a roll since getting crushed at home by Kentucky, 72-40, in November.

Now, let’t turn to specifics:

What a Difference a Year Makes: Mighty Josh Smith showed up for this game, unlike his disappearing act in Lawrence, Kansas last season when he scored 5 points and fouled out in just 19 minutes of play and the Hoyas were disposed of easily by the Jayhawks, 86-64. Josh again showed us why he is a key if not the key to the Hoyas’ success this season, scoring 20 on 8 for 13 shooting, 4 for 6 from the line, grabbing 5 boards, 2 steals and 2 blocked shots. However, Josh, as the team, still has much to work on. He turned over the ball 5 times, one critical towards the end of the game when Hoyas’ hopes were alive. If the Hoyas are going to win close ones against top teams, they can’t afford these lapses.

Uncharacteristically Cold: DSR, at times the Hoyas sharpest shooter, may have been bothered by the size and defense of Kansas, and suffered his poorest shooting of the year, going 3 for 15 with 0 3-pointers. What do you do when your best shooter is so cold? You should go to other proven shooters who are not. At this point in the season when we know what Paul White can do, do we want to see him passing the ball to DSR when he, White, has a wide open 3? When your best shooter goes 3 of 15 from the field and 0 for 5 from 3 point range with 3 turnovers, it won’t be easy to win. I wanted to see more of those shots coming from freshman White, Peak, and Copeland.

Similarly, senior Jabril Trawick, while playing 3/4 of the game, contributed little. Trawick too could not get his game going against Kansas and ended the game with 2 points, 6 rebounds and 3 turnovers. To add insult to injury Trawick left the game after banging his knee with Kansas star and hero off the bench, guard Brannen Greene, who finished the game with 19 points on nearly flawless shooting, 5 for 6 from the field, 5 for 5 from 3s and 4 for 4 from the line. Hoyas are hoping for a quick recovery for Jabril.

Bring on The Freshman! If it wasn’t clear before this game, it is now clear that the present and future lies in the hands of 3 freshman, LJ Peak, Paul White and Isaac Copeland. Distribute some of the 17 DSR missed shots to these 3 freshman and I guarantee–yes, guarantee–a victory. LJ Peak had suffered through a few “off” outings, expected as a frosh, and returned with a fury last night, contributing 18 points in 35 minutes of 6-12 field goal shooting and 3 for 5 from 3-point land with 3 steals. Paul White, off the bench, played only 23 minutes, and scored 10 points on 3 for 6 from the field and 2 for 4 from the 3 point line. Isaac Copeland wasn’t as hot but contributed 6 points in limited minutes, and went 4 for 4 at the free throw line. (“‘Cause they’re free”, Otto Porter). With those strong shooting percentages and now, when freshmen butterflies are gone, it’s time to distribute the ball more to Peak and White if the Hoyas are to prevail over the ranked Big East teams, St. John’s, Villanova and Butler, as well as the unranked conference teams that have been playing well, including Seton Hall, Providence and Creighton. Wait, isn’t that the entire conference? 🙂

Unsung Hero: Mikael Hopkins likely won’t get the ink but his toughness and rebounds kept the Hoyas in the game. While he scored only 4 points, Mikael had 9 critical boards, 4 assists and 4 blocks. If he could put in his shots (1 for 5 from field goal range), then Mikael could be downright lethal.

Where Was Bowen? Why did he play only 3 minutes? He is our greatest athlete and the team could have used him in this battle. Tre Campbell, our freshman and only true point guard, played only one minute. Tre needs more time as well.

Turnovers: The Hoyas continue to be plagued by turnovers, and the majority are not committed by the freshmen. The Hoyas had 16 yet were bested by Kansas in that category as well (17). 🙂 Free throw shooting for the Hoya team was a respectable 73%, while Kansas got to the line more (25 of 32) and shot 78%.

Political Statement: The Hoya team wore the soon to be ubiquitous “I Can’t Breathe” tee shirts (first introduced by the Chicago Bulls’ guard Derrick Rose) before the Kansas game during warmups and through the National Anthem to express a political statement related to the recent death of Eric Garner in New York at the hands of the police where no indictment followed. No matter where you stand on the issue, I applaud the team for expressing their First Amendment rights on a big stage before the game. Unlike certain law students, they are making a political statement and taking their exams on time.

To reformulate the Ultimate Question with a “suggested” answer: are we comfortable–is Coach comfortable–with relying on our freshmen to show the path to victory, against upcoming Redford, Charlotte, Indiana and against the Big Beast powerhouses this season? If our young pup, 18-month mascot Jack can skate across the Verizon floor, then I think we can and should and the sky is the limit!

Posted in Game Commentary, Heroes, Sports Facts | 2 Comments

Hoyas Climbing Ladder, Rung by Rung, Before Showdown With Jayhawks

Posted on December 8, 2014 by laura

The latest AP Top 25 AP and Coaches Rankings were released today and it’s official: if the Hoyas beat Kansas, they will solidly break into the Top 25. It isn’t the be all and end all in early December, but it is no doubt a goal for Coach JT3 and his team to beat Kansas. A national ranking will follow.

In the AP Top 25 ranking, Georgetown appears to be in the unnumbered 28th spot, just behind the Spartans of Michigan State and the Fighting Illini of where else, Illinois. There are currently 2 2-loss teams in the Top 25, Oklahoma at 16 and San Diego State at 18.

Scratching Your Head Too? The Coaches’ ranking leads one to scratch his or her head. The Hoyas are in the unnumbered 30th spot, behind the Michigan Wolverines, who lost at home to that basketball powerhouse NJIT, the only independent D I school in the nation (not by choice). Notre Dame, the Johnnies of the Big East and Arkansas are ranked slightly ahead of Georgetown.

Hoya fans are awaiting Wednesday night when they will fill the Phone Booth to the rafters and cheer their team onto victory! Not for a ranking necessarily, but just because it must be done. Hoya Saxa Baby!

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#17 Michigan Shocked by N.J.I.T.

Posted on December 8, 2014 by laura

You know that basketball powerhouse from Newark, New Jersey, N.J.I.T.? New Jersey Institute of Technology is largely a commuter school educating future engineers, scientists and others, and is the only independent program in Division I. NJIT is never found in the NCAA March Madness tournament bracket or even “on the bubble” at the end of the season. And no, NJIT is not voluntarily independent for reasons similar to the storied Notre Dame Irish in football (pride and greed?).

Shocker. Coach Jim Engles and his team traveled to Ann Arbor with a 2-5 record likely hoping to depart with a respectable loss and shocked themselves with a win. Coach Engles himself admitted post-game that at the start of the season “I sort of penciled this one in as an ‘L.’ I have to readjust my whole process here, as to, ‘We just beat Michigan. I don’t know, maybe we should be in the Top 25.'”

Hero. Sophomore leading scorer Damon Lynn (18.6 points per game) made a 3-pointer for the Highlanders with less than three minutes to go and finished with 20 points to help NJIT pull the upset over the Wolverines 72-70 on Sunday.

This Upset Means? With no conference and automatic bid, NJIT would likely have to win out the season and then some for consideration of an at large bid to the NCAA tournament and that is unlikely unless they can shock again at Villanova and ranked D I powers.

Perhaps NJIT may now find a conference to hold them?

For the Wolverines, Caris LeVert had a career-high 32 points on Saturday, but it wasn’tt enough to defeat the upstart from Newark, NJ. The Highlanders made 11 of 17 3 pointers and got 17 points each from Willis Winfield and Ky Howard.

Storming the Court, Away from Home. After LeVert’s last-second prayer missed wide — and the Highlanders’ bench poured onto the court in celebration in front of the shocked fans of the Maize and Blue.

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Freshmen Shine as Hoyas Manhandle Towson, 78-46, in BB&T Classic

Posted on December 7, 2014 by laura

Where have you gone, Jerrelle Benimon?

The former Hoya recruit turned Towson Tigers star Benimon graduated, and Towson, 7-1 before this game, was no match for now 5-2 Georgetown today. The Hoyas took control from the outset, with upperclassmen and freshmen playing significant roles in this blowout. Never in doubt, the Hoyas led by 23 points, 40-17, at the half on an Aaron Bowen 3 pointer at the buzzer and took their biggest lead of the game, 68-33, on a 3 pointer from sophomore Reggie Cameron with 7:11 left in the game. With the Jayhawks of Kansas up next at Verizon for the Hoyas on Wednesday evening, this is a tuneup that the faithful fans wanted to see. And as it seemed, only the faithful, press corps and obsessive bloggers were present to bear witness.

Fewer Turnovers, Making Free Throws (“Because they’re free”, Otto Porter). First, the Towson Tigers are no Florida, Wisconsin and/or Butler, all teams the Hoyas faced last week in the Battle4Atlantis. Still, it seems the Hoyas as a team have been working on all of the problems that plagued them in the Bahamas, from turnovers to missed free throws and overall mediocre shooting percentage. While there is room for improvement in the turnovers column, today the Hoyas had 12 and for long stretches played very clean and smart ball. In fact, it was the upperclassmen who committed the majority of Hoya turnovers today (7 total among Smith, Hopkins and Trawick). The Hoyas are heading in the right direction.

Getting to the Line and Converting. Clearly this team has been working on their shooting, especially free throws. 78.6% at the line, 11 for 14, with Josh Smith and DSR contributing a perfect 10 of 10 combined. Has someone been reading my blog? 🙂 Against Kansas, Indiana and the Big East schedule to follow, it will help the Hoyas to get to the line at least this much and more and to stay at this percentage. Those free throws are going to count in the tough Big East, arguably the best or one of the best conferences in the nation. Who sounded the death knell for the Big East? Think again.

Hot Shooting. Currently ranked 18th in the nation in field goal percentage, today the Hoyas hit 55% of their field goals and were just short of that, 50% (11 of 22) from 3-point range. Threes were raining as Tre(y)’s were playing. Well, neither Tre/Trey hit a 3 today, but that will come. super frosh Paul White made up for their misses, going a hot 3 for 4 from 3-point land with a total of 11 points. He plays with the confidence and maturity of a sophomore or junior. DSR and Aaron Bowen (yes, Bowen!) were a perfect 2 for 2 and freshman Isaac Copeland 2 for 5 (10 points total). The Hoyas held Towson to 40% shooting, and the Tigers’ leading scorers, Four McGlynn (#4 as well) and John Davis, had 10 points each.

Leadership. DSR and Trawick steered the ship, both having stellar outings on limited minutes as the team both shared the ball and the minutes very well. They demonstrated nearly flawless guard play and had 16 and 11 points, respectively. Josh Smith showed his improvement and importance to the team with 12 points, 7 boards and 2 steals. Hopkins was less of a factor in this game but had a nice tip in off a missed shot, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in 18 minutes. The team had 18 assists to Towson’s 4.

Upperclass leadership and freshmen talent started to mesh more seamlessly as Coach JT3 tried different combinations and there were little to no glitches. Even freshman guard Tre Campbell saw 17 minutes today, and while scoreless, Tre is showing improvement in ball handling and grabbed 3 boards. Freshman LJ Peak drove to the hoop in a play worthy of the highlights reel.

Legacy. Both Trey Mourning and Riyan Williams got minutes today. Looking forward to more from the freshman F and junior G.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk? The Hoyas will face their first true test at home Wednesday night against #11 Kansas at 7 p.m. I believe we will see, and this team deserves to have, a packed house and supportive Sixth Man in the Phone Booth. Students were largely a “no show” today and if there is ever a good time and reason for a study break during Finals, this game will be. Storied program, perennial power in the Big 12, the Rock Chalk Jayhawk are indeed beatable and yet have lost only once to Kentucky, a 72-40 beating at home on November 18th.

About Jerrelle Benimon, while I always liked him, he wouldn’t have made a difference today.

Posted in Game Commentary, Sports Facts, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Farewell to Atlantis: Hoyas Fall to Butler, 64-58 and Brief Recap

Posted on November 29, 2014 by laura

In the 3rd place game, a respectable place to be in this field of perennial college hoops powerhouses, this Georgetown team qua team played below its potential today and handed the third place game to its “new” Big East rival, Butler. New in the sense that this rivalry is now only four games old and the Hoyas won all of the previous meetings, including last season’s home and away games. Should the Big East become the lean and mean college hoops powerhouse fans expect, there should be many years of rivalry ahead. This loss should be remembered as a lesson on basketball fundamentals and if unheeded, poor outcomes should be expected:

1. Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers: The trend continued and Butler capitalized. 14 turnovers to Butler’s 10, and the Butler Bulldogs too advantage of each by scoring points off of Hoya mistakes.

2. Free throws ARE important: No team is going to shoot 50% from the line in the tough Big East and expect to win a lot of games. That is harsh but true. Georgetown got to the line 19 times, and made 10. Butler shot 75% from the line. A key difference. If I’m Coach, the team is going to the gym at 6am and will shoot free throws for an hour.

3. Major mental lapses: At a key juncture in the second half when the Hoyas were staging a comeback, they allowed Butler to take the ball out of bounds on Hoya scores and run a virtual uncontested layup drill at the other end. In essence, Hoyas score 4 points that they fought for and fell asleep as Butler countered with 4 points of their own. How games are lost.

Granted, this was a grueling tournament with tough consecutive games against Florida (W), Wisconsin (close L), and Butler (L). Still, Butler was in a similar position having beaten UNC, lost to Oklahoma then faced Georgetown. No excuses. However, we cannot disregard the bright spots in that Isaac Copeland got his D I sea legs in Atlantis and we expect much from him this season. Paul White is coming on strong as well. LJ Peak will likely regain his composure, facing the first real competition of the season in the Bahamas, and DSR recovered nicely after his all out performances against Florida and Wisconsin although was 0-4 from 3 point range after his 5 for 6 against Wisconsin. Josh Smith too showed leadership but went 1 for 5 from the line, unacceptable for a guard and a big. Copeland and White were hot, with 16 and 13 points respectively, and carried the Hoyas in scoring today. For a critical portion of the game it seemed like the “White and Copeland Show”, something Hoya fans would like to see, as well as one in the win column.

This loss was not due to superior talent or play of Butler but to the Hoyas beating themselves. I’m sure Coach JT3 will have something to say about this, and the Hoyas will return to winning ways soon enough. In less than 2 weeks they can make a huge statement when they host Kansas at the Verizon Center. Between now and then, they need to regain focus and practice, yes practice (wink to AI), especially at the line.

Safe travels home, Team!