A cautionary note

[hoyarooter]

While we are all justifiably caught up in the team's strong performance this season, it might be wise to take note of another team that starts three freshmen. UCLA (with much more heralded freshmen than ours) was coming off a huge comeback win over Washington and a narrow loss at Arizona, and looked very much like a tournament team. Then, inexplicably, the Bruins laid two giant eggs over the weekend, with horrible performances at home in losses to Stanford and Cal. It didn't help that their senior leader, Dijon Thompson, played his worst two games of the season, but the point is, with a team as young as ours, you never know when that team will hit the wall.

Hopefully it won't happen to us, but if it does, we should just accept it as part of the growing process, not get too down, and continue to revel in the unexpected thrills the team has brought us this season.

[jerseyhoya34]

I agree100%. One thing I should note is that I don't think we played our best game against ND, which sort of adds to my excitement. I thought our offense was stagnant at times, and we made some defensive lapses that would have haunted us were it not for the Cook-Hibbert play at the end.

Hold serve tomorrow and let's continue the march toward MADNESS!

[SFHoya99]

One thing I'm worried about is that Jeff looks a bit tired. He's played 36+ minutes in almost every game. And versus ND, he had a few possessions late with really short shots and almost no lift.

He and the rest of the freshman may hit a wall here.

[the_way]

I think Jeff would be fine. His shots just didn't fall. Plus, a lot of people said Jeff didn't have a big game, but I beg to differ. He does so many little things that don't show up on the box score, its amazing. Bob Wenzel even pointed it out. I do agree that with any team not use to succeeding, they tend to get high off of their success and reality kind goes out the window sometimes, until a wake-up call occurs. If we don't come prepared, St. Johns is going to hand it to us. So we will see. Every game will be like this. What I was rather impressed with is the defense of this team. We dictated the tempo of this game with our defense. I like the way we defend. Its getting better, as well as the rebounding. Lets keep it up.

[SFHoya99]

I wasn't criticizing Jeff's game, but when you leave three consecutive low post shots short -- airballing one -- while getting very little lift, that looks like fatigue to me.

Hopefully I'm wrong/

[YB]

I'm worried about each individual game. SJU will play us tough, they played us tough twice last year when they couldn't beat a rug- and they are better this year. Look out Tuesday, we will have to bring our A game.

[the_way]

SFHoya99 said:

I wasn't criticizing Jeff's game, but when you leave three consecutive low post shots short -- airballing one -- while getting very little lift, that looks like fatigue to me.

Hopefully I'm wrong/

Its all good. I don't really see any change in the rotation. I would love to see Cornilio. I think Kilkenny-Diaw can spare Jeff and Hibbert a few minutes without hurting us. I think Crawford may get some more in increased minutes than anybody else, but as far as the front court, thats it.

[showcase]

SFHoya99's & YB's observations are exactly why I'm worried about Tuesday's game. With this year's obviously talent frosh being called upon to carry more and more of the load, game in and game out, it is bound to exact a toll on their ability to maintain their performance over the long haul.

If the performance against ND is attributable even in part to perfectly understandable fatigue, it will only play a more important roll on Tuesday night. Plus, the fact that the Johnnies are playing better and better (and played us tough twice last year) only adds to my sense of foreboding.

That said, these Hoyas are not last year's Hoyas, and I'm going to stake my faith on that 'intangible.'

[SaxaCD]

I just never understand the fatigue factor of twice weekly games plus practices, when the alternative for these kids in the off-season is usually 8 hrs a day of playground ball. When I was 20, i could have played sun up till sunset -- and I probably would have if those annoying classes hadn't gotten in the way. Well, until I sprained my ankle again, anyway.

[SirSaxa]

SaxaCD85 said:

I just never understand the fatigue factor of twice weekly games plus practices, when the alternative for these kids in the off-season is usually 8 hrs a day of playground ball. When I was 20, i could have played sun up till sunset -- and I probably would have if those annoying classes hadn't gotten in the way. Well, until I sprained my ankle again, anyway.

My thoughts exactly.
I can see a kid getting tired at the end of a particular game, but not game to game. At least, not until the BE tournament and games every day.

And seeing how close all our games have been of late, I wouldn't be in a hurry to get any PT for bench warmers just for the sake of some experience.

[SaxaCD]

I think a good outside shooting day could make tomorrow's game one where we can get some of the bench guys minutes. The thing I like about the Georgetown brand of basketball is that I think the system itself gives the players some confidence, in that they have something to fall back on (fundamentals) if other things aren't always going right. Because of that, I think this team will not come out "overconfident" or in a letdown phase tomorrow. JT3 seems to have his team playing the kind of ball that makes the other team have to be better in order to win. And I have to say, the most encouraging part of our game against ND was the defense. The Hoyas looked like they were really playing so old fashioned, "in your face" stuff yesterday, and it was a real treat to watch.

[FromTheBeginning]

A realistic pre-season appraisal of our BE schedule could have shown us with a 1-6 record right now. 2-5 might have been on the optimistic side given the home-away make-up. The bulk of our projected 6 or 7 wins were to come in the 2nd half of the schedule. So while we might expect to throw in a bad game or two the rest of the way, I think we are still so far ahead of where we thought we would be, it won't bother me at all (unless they cost up a dance bid - then I'll be Pi-------)

[the_way]

Yeah, the defense was a pleasure to watch.

[jamaicahoya]

I too was curious about Green's several flat shots around the basket. It was hard to tell whether he was bothered by his defender. On one occasion, for example, he had to do a real creative up and under move and the shot barely left his hands. It was my first time seeing the team play this year, so I have no basis on which to judge his performace ( movement wise) But if it wasn't fatigue, what was it?