Barker's Preseason Analysis

[SirSaxa]

EXCERPTS

“And I've got a young team,” Thompson said.

Young but talented. A closer look reveals a squad that starts the season in a situation similar to the 2006-07 bunch that fought its way to the Final Four. That's why Associated Press voters ranked the Hoyas No. 22 and why nobody in the program expects a drop-off.

”I don't care where they were picked to finish; Georgetown isn't going anywhere,” Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said. “I look at Coach Thompson and his program the same way I used to view his father's teams: The man can flat-out coach, and he can recruit.

”You better know Georgetown is going to be there - every year.”

W TIMES

[Boz]

“We'll show people. We'll shock the world.”

ONIONS!!!!

[dungeon ball]

Good article, although he left out Freeman on the list of McDAA's (right?).

[sleepy]

I have been saying this all along this offseason looks eerily similar to the 06-07 team, and if the team can play to their full potential the post season will look eerily similar as well.

[SirSaxa]

Nov 12, 2008 10:08:01 GMT -5 dungeon ball said:

Good article, although he left out Freeman on the list of McDAA's (right?).

Dunk... Barker was talking about the 5 guys added to the mix this year, compared to those added a couple years ago. His 5 included the 3 frosh, the 1 transfer and the 1 soph who was injured most of last year. He was NOT including the three starters from last year which would have meant one more Mickey D AA and 1 more Balto POY.

[MCIGuy]

There's more to Barker's coverage than that:


washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/12/georgetown-preview/


Here's an eye-opening excerpt:

Chemistry

Despite all appearances to the contrary, last season's team wasn't as unified as Thompson would have liked. While he was occasionally dominant, Hibbert had a sizable ego, and his aloof off-court demeanor didn't score points with teammates. Departed reserves Vernon Macklin and Jeremiah Rivers both distracted at times. This young team has no issues along those lines.

[tjm62]

I think this team will be good, but is it really comparable to the 2006-2007 team? Who is this team's Jeff Green, DaJuan Summers? Who is this team's Junior Roy Hibbert (Monroe as a freshman?)? I think Austin Freeman might be able to fill the Jonathan Wallace niche, but even he is a different type of player.

Plus, we had no real equivalent then to the dynamic Chris Wright (not to mention someone like Jason Clark)... what am I missing?

[Boz]

Nov 12, 2008 10:59:02 GMT -5 MCIGuy said:

There's more to Barker's coverage than that:


washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/12/georgetown-preview/


Here's an eye-opening excerpt:

Chemistry

Despite all appearances to the contrary, last season's team wasn't as unified as Thompson would have liked. While he was occasionally dominant, Hibbert had a sizable ego, and his aloof off-court demeanor didn't score points with teammates. Departed reserves Vernon Macklin and Jeremiah Rivers both distracted at times. This young team has no issues along those lines.

Yeah, I'd say it's eye-opening. I find some of that pretty hard to believe.

While he was occasionally dominant,(true) Hibbert had a sizable ego,(huh?) and his aloof off-court demeanor (possible, I suppose) didn't score points with teammates.(as evidenced by...?) Departed reserves Vernon Macklin and Jeremiah Rivers both distracted at times. (when?)

This young team has no issues along those lines. (Again, not sure that I buy there were "issues" on last year's team, but I guess it's good to hear there aren't any this year.)

[SFHoya99]

Nov 12, 2008 11:01:04 GMT -5 tjm62 said:

I think this team will be good, but is it really comparable to the 2006-2007 team? Who is this team's Jeff Green, DaJuan Summers? Who is this team's Junior Roy Hibbert (Monroe as a freshman?)? I think Austin Freeman might be able to fill the Jonathan Wallace niche, but even he is a different type of player.

Plus, we had no real equivalent then to the dynamic Chris Wright (not to mention someone like Jason Clark)... what am I missing?

I'm not sure why the team has to match up perfectly to acheive the same things. They don't have to fill the exact same roles, even if there is some similarity in the situation coming in.

It's not far-fetched. That team was more experienced than this one -- four junior contributors. This one will have two. That team had more depth down low. This team will have stronger guardplay, if you include Austin.

It may not be better but there are some real similarities in situation -- departing senior class being filled by younger players. It's just younger across the board here.

[FOTP]

By the end of the year we will be the team no one wants to play. I just hope we hang on early and get some decent W's.

JTIII is a great coach and will get this team together. He wants the title and not the December championship.

We have the most talented team at G-Town since Iverson years. Maybe more talented. They are just young and need to work together.

[SFHoya99]

Nov 12, 2008 10:59:02 GMT -5 MCIGuy said:

There's more to Barker's coverage than that:


washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/12/georgetown-preview/


Here's an eye-opening excerpt:

Chemistry

Despite all appearances to the contrary, last season's team wasn't as unified as Thompson would have liked. While he was occasionally dominant, Hibbert had a sizable ego, and his aloof off-court demeanor didn't score points with teammates. Departed reserves Vernon Macklin and Jeremiah Rivers both distracted at times. This young team has no issues along those lines.

We've heard a few rumblings of this before, though some were from Barker as well (on the Hibbert thing). And the interviews with the current team seem to bear it out in a positive way without throwing anyone under the bus (it's nice to see our players being classy, at least publicly).

I will be interested to see if the chemistry means better play. I think for some people it's important -- for others, they can perform well without liking their teammates.

[williambraskyiii]

I mean there is some evidence that Hibbert had a big ego...his "I'm a monster" comments after the West Virginia game don't exactly demonstrate humility (though he was monstrous in that game) - i could see that potentially rubbing some people the wrong way.

Also if Rivers was Editeded about how much PT he had or the direction of the offense, that could be a distraction...same goes for Macklin if it is true he and Coach didn't really click...none of these statements are outlandish.

This team has the potential to be a lovable and exciting team, just like 06-07...I don't know about you guys but that run to the Final Four 2 years ago is my best experience as a sports fan in my life.

Does this team have that potential? I don't know...DaJuan has the talent to be the Jeff force this year - an older, more mature Chris Wright can replace Wallace in some aspects, and brings more innate talent to the table - if he stays under control and excels as a distributor/manager of the offense, i don't see a fall-off there...the difference is our inside presence...yes it is immensely talented with a very high ceiling, but interior defense (as Barker says) and rebounding are concerns...especially in this league. I could see us getting pushed around early on and facing some serious overall rebounding deficits at the end of games...I hope our offense is efficient enough to offset those deficits, but I just don't see this team being a strong rebounding team unless DaJuan has is a born-again banger and Monroe's freshman development is not the normal learning curve...I just don't see where our rebounding comes from against the Blairs/Thabeets of the world...I guess ND has the same issue as does Louisville (Samuels is a freshman), but I really hope I am pleasantly surprised wrt our rebounding and toughness inside. Hopefully Vaughn will be a revelation on defense ()

[lichoya68]

we will be just fine little young early but great late go hoyas

[SFHoya99]

Louisville is going to be very, very good. I think they are the class of the Big East. Samuels is much more of a banger than Monroe is. They might struggle a bit because Samuels isn't a distributor like Padgett was, but they have other players to do that. Williams and Clark will help Samuels and Jennings on D, so I don't think they will have some of the issues we will (though Monroe is likely a better shotblocker even if he doesn't bang as well). I think their longer term weakness is that McGee and Sosa have been incredibly inconsistent over their careers.

[MCIGuy]

Nov 12, 2008 11:25:01 GMT -5 williambraskyiii said:

I mean there is some evidence that Hibbert had a big ego...his "I'm a monster" comments after the West Virginia game don't exactly demonstrate humility (though he was monstrous in that game) - i could see that potentially rubbing some people the wrong way.

I don't know about that. That was essentially the one time Roy showed off and tried to draw some attention to himself. Plus that seemed to be more of a rare in-the-moment type of thing. I was actually happy to see him display some raw emotion that night. I think a better example is his reported refusal to shake the hands of opposing players.

[MCIGuy]

Nov 12, 2008 11:40:56 GMT -5 SFHoya99 said:

Louisville is going to be very, very good. I think they are the class of the Big East. Samuels is much more of a banger than Monroe is. They might struggle a bit because Samuels isn't a distributor like Padgett was, but they have other players to do that. Williams and Clark will help Samuels and Jennings on D, so I don't think they will have some of the issues we will (though Monroe is likely a better shotblocker even if he doesn't bang as well). I think their longer term weakness is that McGee and Sosa have been incredibly inconsistent over their careers.

I agree. I think the Hoyas have the advantage at the guard positions.

[Filo]

I think the biggest difference between this year's team and prior teams is that this year's team will be able to rely on the offense more than in the past but will not be able to rely on their defense as much. That is, they should be more efficient offensively (and will obviously run a bit more), but the defense will not be nearly as tough, at least early on (as the newcomers adjust).

Regarding the defense, I think the team will probably be a better at team rebounding, but yeah, they will be getting pushed around a bit from the likes of Blair, Samuels, Onuaku, etc. There have already been some posts here, I think, about the newcomers looking a little lost on D. It will be a work in progress, but I am pretty confident that they will pull it together as the season goes on.

Regarding the offense, Roy was pretty automatic whenever he got the ball but, as was lamented ad nauseam, he did not always get the ball. Opponents won't be focusing on one player this year, and if the players -- esp. Chris, Austin and DaJuan -- play like they are capable of, there are just too many options to effectively stop the team from scoring.

[SFHoya99]

Nov 12, 2008 12:03:26 GMT -5 Filo said:

I think the biggest difference between this year's team and prior teams is that this year's team will be able to rely on the offense more than in the past but will not be able to rely on their defense as much. That is, they should be more efficient offensively (and will obviously run a bit more), but the defense will not be nearly as tough, at least early on (as the newcomers adjust).

That's a lot like 2006-07. We had an amazing offense and a defense that came on late.

In 2007-08, we had a very good offense, but not elite, but an elite defense.

Regarding the defense, I think the team will probably be a better at team rebounding, but yeah, they will be getting pushed around a bit from the likes of Blair, Samuels, Onuaku, etc.

So much of this depends on Freeman at SF. We'll get some improvement from Wright and Clark over Rivers and Wallace. Though Roy was mediocre at defensive rebounding, I don't know if a freshman Monroe is going to dominate there. So that leaves Austin -- playing out of position -- to really improve his D rebounding.

There have already been some posts here, I think, about the newcomers looking a little lost on D. It will be a work in progress, but I am pretty confident that they will pull it together as the season goes on.

Agree. We're not even a month into practice.

Regarding the offense, Roy was pretty automatic whenever he got the ball but, as was lamented ad nauseam, he did not always get the ball.

Obviously part of the chemistry tension. And true. Losing Roy on offense isn't like losing Harangody -- we didn't use him that much.

It will be easier to get Monroe the ball. But there's not way he's shooting 60%, is there?

Opponents won't be focusing on one player this year, and if the players -- esp. Chris, Austin and DaJuan -- play like they are capable of, there are just too many options to effectively stop the team from scoring.

Agree, when Monroe and/or Sims and probably Vaughn are on the floor, we'll have that dynamic offense of the Duke game and the Final Four year, where every player can hurt you -- you cannot leave players open.

That said, losing the low post shots will hurt. Hope Monroe, Vaughn and Sims have more game there than I expect.

[hoyarooter]

This chemistry stuff is interesting, but even if true, I'm just not sure how much impact it had on the team's performance. If there was one thing last year's team was remarkable at (Davidson aside), it was coming together with clutch performances in games that were close down the stretch. It was almost the polar opposite of the Esh/Sweetney/Braswell team that seemed to lose ten games or so in the last minute or in overtime. And while I know some will disagree with me, I really feel that (again, Davidson aside) last year's team maxed out on its potential.

[sleepy]

Nov 12, 2008 11:10:52 GMT -5 SFHoya99 said:

Nov 12, 2008 11:01:04 GMT -5 tjm62 said:

I think this team will be good, but is it really comparable to the 2006-2007 team? Who is this team's Jeff Green, DaJuan Summers? Who is this team's Junior Roy Hibbert (Monroe as a freshman?)? I think Austin Freeman might be able to fill the Jonathan Wallace niche, but even he is a different type of player.

Plus, we had no real equivalent then to the dynamic Chris Wright (not to mention someone like Jason Clark)... what am I missing?

I'm not sure why the team has to match up perfectly to acheive the same things. They don't have to fill the exact same roles, even if there is some similarity in the situation coming in.

It's not far-fetched. That team was more experienced than this one -- four junior contributors. This one will have two. That team had more depth down low. This team will have stronger guardplay, if you include Austin.

It may not be better but there are some real similarities in situation -- departing senior class being filled by younger players. It's just younger across the board here.

That team had more depth down low? Really? Green, Summers, Ewing, and Hibbert(macklin barely played). Sims, Monroe, Summers and Vaughn. Thats about the same depth, although much younger. I also think the transfer similarities are there as well. Egerson and Thornton both transfered during that season, kind of like Macklin and Rivers transferring this offseason.

Also we don't need the pieces to match-up perfectly because we will not be the same as that team. We don't need a Junior Roy Hibbert or Junior Jeff Green, the 06-07 team needed them. Also if you remeber going into the season we didn't know who the Junior Roy and Jeff were going to be and in the beginning no one was happy with them.

The article wasn't saying that we are going to be the same as that team, just that we are in the same situation as that team was in.

Now with the chemistry issues, if they are true, just because we won a lot of close games doesn't mean they didn't effect the team. Maybe the chemistry issues were why we had so many close games or went through those lapses where we were just unable to score.