What are the early returns on...

[richfame]

HANK SIMS... Do to a crazy July, getting married and being away on our honeymoon I havent kept up on Kenner/off season. What is the consensus with the player? Starter with a much improved more confident game? Coming off the bench providing valuable minutes? Or has he not shown much improvement and getting passed by?

Hanks spot is key. I think we need production out of him this year, its his time to shine. How has his game progressed as compared to Benemon/vaughn/sims??

[skyhoya]

Hank is still Hank. Hollis has improved, JB had a good game on thursday, JV looks a little bigger and better, Jason's balling handling has improved, Chris and Austin are still Chris and Austin, NL is as advertised, Bowman is better than expected. Moses is a project, but can rebound, Vee looks fairly good.

No clear winner for the last starting spot.

[HoyaSinceBirth]

early returns are mixed.

[richfame]

I get the feeling that this years hoyas are much like this years NY Giants. The Giants certainly have some pieces and if things come together just right( no injuries, key guys returning from injuries) they can make a run at the Division and so on. Hoyas same way? Lost a great player, but have some solid pieces in place. Well see how the new recruits impact the team and see how some of last years fringe guys (sims/benemon) that have talent if they can help take the team to the top of the big east... Make for an exciting season!

[mfrekko]

I think we all essentially know what we're getting from Vaughn, Wright, and Freeman. It would appear to me that the keys to the season will be whether Jason Clark takes another step forward, how big a step forward Hollis can take, and who will step up to provide post defense and rebounding - looks like Nate or JB is the best candidates.

The more I read about the Kenner results, the more I think JTIII will go small this year starting Wright, Clark, Freeman, Hollis, and Vaughn. Bringing Vee, JB, and Nate off the bench. Starks, Bowen, and Moses with spotty playing time.

We'll be a smaller team that can run and score, but will struggle against bigger teams to defend and rebound. If we get burned too many times with the rebounding and post defense, then I suppose Nate could start and either Hollis or Clark would come in as an energizer bunny.

I think we'll be good, but will struggle at times. Similar results as last year.

[RDF]

If Hollis Thompson starts at the PF spot and we see Hoyas go small--this team won't make the NIT and he should transfer

[hoyas big supporter]

Aug 1, 2010 16:44:13 GMT -5 RDF said:

If Hollis Thompson starts at the PF spot and we see Hoyas go small--this team won't make the NIT and he should transfer

I mean I usually value your insight but that is just one of the dumbest things ive heard in a while...

[kchoya]

Aug 1, 2010 16:44:13 GMT -5 RDF said:

If Hollis Thompson starts at the PF spot and we see Hoyas go small--this team won't make the NIT and he should transfer

Do we really need to have the same conversation on Hollis as a PF over and over and over?

[mapei]

I figure with a minimum of planning, we can do it in every thread.

[RDF]

Aug 1, 2010 16:49:41 GMT -5 hoyas big supporter said:

Aug 1, 2010 16:44:13 GMT -5 RDF said:

If Hollis Thompson starts at the PF spot and we see Hoyas go small--this team won't make the NIT and he should transfer

I mean I usually value your insight but that is just one of the dumbest things ive heard in a while...

Ask me if I give a expletive if my "insight" is valued? What's dumb--if you play 3 guards, a guy who is more of a 2G and developing into a SF and a big--you won't win against good teams. That would be the single worst defensive team Georgetown has put on the floor since I've followed them.

[skyhoya]

RDF, who are you talking about transfering, not Hollis I expect? He'll be going to the league before he leaves Georgetown.

[richfame]

I expect Hollis to have a Great season no matter where he is on the court.

I dont here much about Sims as being an impact player this year, I guess he will really have to fight to get his minutes.. No matter who starts or finishes the games I want to see the Georgetown toughness and in your face defense back as we saw under the Ewing, Zo and even the Iverson teams.. Thats why they remind me of the football Giants. Giants got away from smash-mouth football and were playing almost a west coast passing attack. Both teams have to get back to there tough roots.. Just my 2 cents..

[hoyas big supporter]

Aug 1, 2010 18:44:11 GMT -5 RDF said:

Aug 1, 2010 16:49:41 GMT -5 hoyas big supporter said:

I mean I usually value your insight but that is just one of the dumbest things ive heard in a while...

Ask me if I give a expletive if my "insight" is valued? What's dumb--if you play 3 guards, a guy who is more of a 2G and developing into a SF and a big--you won't win against good teams. That would be the single worst defensive team Georgetown has put on the floor since I've followed them.

Well somebody needs to calme dowm. First of all its a good thing every game we play wont be against quality teams. And second of all. just because he starts at the 4, that doesnt mean he necessarily has to play many minutes at the 4. He is not that much of a liability that a few minutes at the 4 will kill us, he'll be moving around all the time anyway....

[GIGAFAN99]

The key as always is matching personnel with strategy. If Hollis plays the 4 and we go small, fine, but mean it. Do small-team things like press and trap and gamble.

It's a dangerous year for the Hoyas on defense. We have not shown the desire to change our defenisve philosophy over the years despite changes in personnel. We got smaller, our defense still thought it was big.

This year we have to go small. Even if Lubick is our PF, he won't be able to get strong enough by the season to body up to many big men in college basketball. On the other side, Vaughn is the veteran center. Up until now, we have never had a frontcourt void of a future NBA starter at center under JTIII (pretty cool, but a little scary).

So we have to go small but we also have to play like a small team should. If we don't, there will be a lot of wasted 30-point games from Austin this year. If we do, this team certainly has plenty of talent to win games.

[HoyaFanNY]

defense is a concern but i'm more concerned with rebounding. we weren't a very good rebounding team with greg and now his 10 boards a game are gone. julian really has to improve his board work and the three headed monster of henry/nate/moses have to give us rebound. if they don't then we might as well go small.

[RDF]

What is the one thing that Lubick/Abraham have been complimented on in everyone's eyes who has seen them play? They REBOUND--and they go after the ball on glass. That will be needed. When you see Kenner games--you see individual talent, flashes, etc...when you are putting together a team--you need roles and guys who accept their role and how guys play with different personnel will also fit in--you put players with some different people--maybe they look better--but I can tell you this much-Hollis Thompson is NOT a PF defensively, he's not a PF offensively in this offense--you have to be able to be a facilitator/pass and have inside/out game and he's in need of work on his perimeter skills--he better be a lot more then a spot shooter if he's leaving early for the league.

[SFHoya99]

I don't mind that Hollis isn't a PF offensively, frankly. He can help out by spacing the defense, opening up the middle for Julian and Chris and Austin on drives. With this much wing firepower on the team, Hollis' role this year is still most often going to be spot up shooter.

Yes, he won't grab too many offensive boards, but that's manageable.

It's the defense we'll get killed on. Vaughn isn't going to be a dominant defensive center and while his rebounding numbers we'll go up a bit, he won't be Greg. Hollis is going to get pushed around, won't add shot-blocking and won't rebound well.

It's not a good combo. If you're going to do that, I'd probably end up going high pressure/press.

[calhoya]

Agree SFHoya. It won't be the end of the world if we go small. There are several teams in recent years who have had great seasons by playing small ball--Pitt, Marquette, Nova to name a few. The key will be adjusting the JT III system for the smaller line-up. That means a much more aggressive pressure oriented defense and not allowing the other team to bring the ball down unchecked.

[Boz]

Hey, if we get in trouble going small, we could always run the Villanova defense:

Commit 967 fouls per game and hope the refs are too darn winded to blow their whistles when we commit the all-important foul at the end of the game.

[RDF]

Aug 2, 2010 15:03:47 GMT -5 Boz said:

Hey, if we get in trouble going small, we could always run the Villanova defense:

Commit 967 fouls per game and hope the refs are too darn winded to blow their whistles when we commit the all-important foul at the end of the game.

;D that is hilarious!!!