The Bright Side of Things....

[HOYAPLAYA]

I'll admit up front that I love my Hoyas and I was one of those being called a "blind optimist" on the old board during the Esh days. I was so mad last night that it took a while for me to actually be able to fall asleep, but sometime in the middle of the night I must have gained some perspective.

It wasn't but a few years ago where I privately believed that we wouldn't get back to this level for a long, long time (if ever). When I say "this level", I 'm not just talking about a 10-6 Big East record with a victory over the #1 team in the country. I'm talking about what I heard on the radio on my way home from work yesterday afternoon. This may have been mentioned already, but I was listening to the ESPNRADIO channel on my Sirius Radio at approximately 4:10 PM yesterday. The radio host was interviewing Tom Brennan (sp??), the Vermont coach who retired after last season. The piece of the conversation that had me smiling ear-to-ear for the remainder of my 30 minute commute went like this:

Radio Host (filling in for Eric Casillias): After the Super 6 teams (Duke, UCONN, NOVA, MEMPHIS, TEXAS, & OHIO ST), which team would you pick as your surprise team to make a run in the tournament:

Tom Brennan (without hesitation): I'd pick Georgetown. They have post-presence in Hibbert, two good wing players in Bowman and Green and a good guard in Cook. The way they play so patiently on offense and move the ball around is going to make them a very tough team to face in the tournament. If you've got to face them on a Saturday (conceding that we'd win the first game), with only 1 day to prepare for that offense and those players then.... (he went on to say something like you have a pretty good chance of losing).

It wasn't the fact that he mentioned us among a group of teams that have a chance at making some noise, it was the fact that we were the only team that he mentioned and there was no hesitation.

The loss yesterday sucked, but Bowman seems to have gotten his game back together and we need him to have his confidence back more than anyone. I'm excited about the possibility of not just what can occur in the next few weeks, but more the fact that I can sit here today and be excited about what I now know is going to happen in the next few years.

[FrazierFanatic]

Remember - Brennan drinks alot! Seriously, while I love the Hoyas and try to inhale any good words about them, I also remember this - another sports radio guy, talking about UConn earlier this week, made a point that applies equally to the Hoyas, and was starkly illustrated last night. To go far in the NCAA's, you need a go-to guy who you can give the ball to when you're down one with 45 seconds left. We don't have him. Maybe Jeff becomes that guy next year, or maybe Macklin is a stud who can do it, but right now we do not have a guy who can be, and wants to be, THE MAN in that clutch situation. Maybe it is partly a necessary evil of the type of offense we run, but we NEED THAT GUY.

[DanMcQ]

Several posters mentioned before the BET that they had low hopes for success due to familiarity of the teams in the conference with the Hoyas' style of play, particularly on offense. In that setting, much like adjustments can be made in NBA playoffs, it would likely be more difficult to make a run all the way through the BET. The NCAAs may be an entirely different story, assuming the Hoyas can play smart and aggressive for 40 minutes of basketball against teams that have not played them before. They have great potential to make a deep run.... or not.

[theEDGEfactor]

HOYA good point but it woulda been a lot better complement had it been at 4AM saturday morning rather 3 hours before our game... but still a nice complement and i think we all know jt3 is gonna have this team in prac 2day or 2morow.. and im thinking that the ENTIRE team will take this to heart... there are those losses that change teams and make them motivated like no other... hoping this loss gets to them so bad they never wana feel itagain

[RDF]

Boys--it's CBB and in this sport GUARDS DOMINATE--until you get an "alpha male" at the point guard/shooting guard position, you won't be a serious National Title Contender. It's why you have Nova as a threat for Title with 4 guards and Hoyas a nice story but not a legit threat.

Until the program figures out you build with guards, they won't be a serious contender for anything in regards to a Title. There is a reason Allen Iverson led us to our best days recently and why Victor Page led a terrible team to NCAA's--guard play.

It's also a reason why Hoyas failed to take advantage of a very talented team in Esh's early years--marginal guard play.

GUARDS win in CBB---period.

[shemshaun]

I saw some passes in the game that I had not yet seen. Passes, I believe, that you could only make if an offense were like second nature. Bounce passes in the lane, between Bobo, Roy, and JG. Easy buckets. Two years together for all but one player getting significant minutes...we don't have a go to guy? What if our go to guy simply has not yet stepped up? Not so bad for that person to find himself in the Tourney. I liked what I saw out of Roy and JG, the intensity of their reaction after buckets. Let's just say that sometimes go-to guys are made in a couple of seconds.

[RDF]

Guard play wins--who's guards made plays and who didn't?? Ashanti played great against ND and Marquette and Quinn/James didnt--see how it goes--not that hard to figure out. If you get good guard play, you can win any game--if you don't and opponent does, you will lose.

Hoyas need guards to play well this week and then get their butts out and recruit the snot out of the position to get an ALPHA MALE at the PG position--we've got Austin Freeman coming in a few years and he'll be what we need/lack in consistency at 2G--but we need a dominant/talented PG who can make plays. Watch how NC State improves the minute Chris Wright suits up for them in a few years--they'll start being what they are hyped to be every year.

[RockawayHoya]

rdf said:

Boys--it's CBB and in this sport GUARDS DOMINATE--until you get an "alpha male" at the point guard/shooting guard position, you won't be a serious National Title Contender. It's why you have Nova as a threat for Title with 4 guards and Hoyas a nice story but not a legit threat.

Until the program figures out you build with guards, they won't be a serious contender for anything in regards to a Title. There is a reason Allen Iverson led us to our best days recently and why Victor Page led a terrible team to NCAA's--guard play.

It's also a reason why Hoyas failed to take advantage of a very talented team in Esh's early years--marginal guard play.

GUARDS win in CBB---period.

There's a reason why guard play dominates CBB. They get all the calls. And conversely, big men don't. Watch any top level guard (the Nova guards, Redick, Gibson, etc.) and they will draw foul after foul without a problem. Hell, even Dominic James put THREE fouls on Sapp in roughly 15 minutes of play.

Conversely, you have the plight of a big man. All they do is get hacked all day near the basket. Maybe one out of three times they'll get a call. And it would have to be a really egregious foul. They put in a ton more effort to be successful than your average guard who can get to the line for a slap on the wrist or a hand check.

Now here's our problem. Who are our leading scorers? Hibbert, Green and Bowman. They are ALL frontcourt players. I love Wallace and Cook to death, but the fact of the matter is, they don't penetrate nearly enough or have any kind of rep amongst officiating crews to draw fouls on the opposing team. And our big guys will get hacked all day down low (against teams that couldn't possibly hope to guard them, a la ND, Marquette, ANYBODY in the BE aside from UConn, for that matter), and get away with it. Less FT opportunities means less chance to win close games against elite level teams.

And you wonder why you haven't seen a dominant big man in CBB for such a long time. Why subject yourself to getting the crap kicked out of you in CBB for four years when you can go straight to the league (well, prior to this year) and avoid that nonsense?

Until the refs in CBB change the way they call a game (real fouls, especially in the paint area called more than touch fouls on the perimeter), CBB will always be a guard dominated game, like RDF said.

[RDF]

Great post Rockaway--and I agree with everything you said. I didn't say I liked the guard dominated game either, just stating a fact as you provided every aspect as to why Bigs aren't allowed to dominate and can't influence the game as much. Excellent analysis.

[big16]

I just wish that JW was in at the end of the game to handle the ball, and I'm not saying the whole last 5 minutes, but some of it. He was the one in the first 1/2 creating by driving in the lanes. It's easy for me though to look back and say what if. Hindsight is always 20/20. The big advantage of this game is that it gets us ready for the REAL tourny in case this occurs again, meaning big 2nd 1/2 lead.

[HOYAPLAYA]

Maybe my point was missed, but maybe not. My point wasn't that this team will win the tourney this year. It was that a few years back, I didn't believe there was a good chance that I'd hear those type of words spoken about G'town bball again and definitely not this soon. We have what seem to be some top-notch recruits already on board for the next two years and now I can't possibly see how the level we are at now isn't about the worst we will be in the coming years. We are losing 3 seniors that have played a lot of games, but we have 2 sophomores that have improved immensely and another that I expect we are going to see something very special from next year. I've also got this feeling that this will be the last year that we hear talk about our 6 man rotation or lack of depth. Yes, a top-flight PG would be great but I like what I've seen from Wallace in his sophomore years and believe this kid is going to be remembered as a special one by the time his career is over. Also, please don't discount Sapp just yet. There are a lot of players that look very average their freshman years, only to turn into top-tier players by the time they graduate.

Guys, I was just hoping that I could post something that would get some of you to appreciate how far we've come in such a short time and how bright the future looks. For some of you, I'm beginning to think that you just like being miserable.

[Deleted]

Good post, Rock.

Shaq has always said the reason he left LSU early was because then coach Dale Brown ENCOURAGED him to leave because game in, game out he saw Shaq getting absolutely DESTROYED by opposing players. And that wasn't Hack-a-Shaq, that was just the way the games were (and still are) alowed to be played and called.

I liked it when Esh stood up for Sweets when Sweets was getting destroyed, but I can only imagine how much MORE legendary his "Countenance" rant would have been if Sweets had gotten the abject treatment refs gave Shaq.

[757hoyafan]

hoyaplaya said:

Maybe my point was missed, but maybe not. My point wasn't that this team will win the tourney this year. It was that a few years back, I didn't believe there was a good chance that I'd hear those type of words spoken about G'town bball again and definitely not this soon. We have what seem to be some top-notch recruits already on board for the next two years and now I can't possibly see how the level we are at now isn't about the worst we will be in the coming years. We are losing 3 seniors that have played a lot of games, but we have 2 sophomores that have improved immensely and another that I expect we are going to see something very special from next year. I've also got this feeling that this will be the last year that we hear talk about our 6 man rotation or lack of depth. Yes, a top-flight PG would be great but I like what I've seen from Wallace in his sophomore years and believe this kid is going to be remembered as a special one by the time his career is over. Also, please don't discount Sapp just yet. There are a lot of players that look very average their freshman years, only to turn into top-tier players by the time they graduate.

Guys, I was just hoping that I could post something that would get some of you to appreciate how far we've come in such a short time and how bright the future looks. For some of you, I'm beginning to think that you just like being miserable.

seems like it.

[doublehoya]

Rock -- great analysis.

HOYAPLAYA - I agree with you 100%. Optimism is warranted, and is often in short supply on this board. I think we should look back to the chatter on this board in September -- there was a poll, and 10-6 was the OPTIMIST's pick! We have come so far, and we have to remember how big a hole we have had to climb out of.

I was FURIOUS in the second half last night, but if someone told me in September that we would be playing to the wire in the semis of the BET and would be lock for the NCAAs this year. I'd be jumping for joy.

As I've said on this board before, I will be taking $150 or so from a couple of Terp fans tomorrow who bet me the Hoyas wouldn't even make the NCAAs this year. That bet was made in December. They would have NEVER made the bet in February. Remember how far we have come -- there is a long way to go, and we won't be cutting down the nets this year, but what JTIII and the team has done this year has been spectacular -- let's not lose sight of that fact.

I said in December (when I made the bet with the silly terp fans) that the Hoyas would get a bid this year, go to the elite 8 next year, and cut the nets down the year after that. I still think we can do all of that!

Let's get a good seed on Sunday and have some fun this week!!!!!

[the_way]

In terms of CBB being a guard dominated league, that not necessarily the case. You need both. You need balance. Because the last several years, National Champions had low post play and great interior players in the frontcourt, UNC (May), CONN (Okafor, Villanueva, Boone), Syracuse (Melo and Warrick), Maryland (Baxter and Wilcox).

Illinois almost did it exclusive guard-play, and it still wasn't good enough to beat UNC last year. So yes guard-play is great, but it only gets you so far. You are going to have to control the paint as well. Balance is the key. Having an inside AND outstide game allows you to compete for or win a National Title. And the teams I mentioned before had that.

In terms of our team, we need better guard-play, ASAP. I like Cook, Wallace, and Sapp. But in future years to come, we are going to need major developments from Wallace and Sapp or get big-time guards from recruiting for us to be contenders. We got the man-power upfront. Our guards DEFINITELY have to step up.

[RDF]

Again--you need a talented TEAM--and frontcourts are important, but the teams you mentioned also had

1. Brown and Gordon
2. Felton and McCants
3. Blake, Dixon, and Nicholas

If you don't have guards, you can't compete for a title. You can not have as good of a frontcourt and be in race for it--you can't have marginal guard play and win.

[Hoya50]

to add to rockaway's point, the fact that the 3 point line is so close doesn't allow enough room for post players to operate. it really needs to be extended to the international line which would allow more room for post play.

[FLHoya]

Purely as a parenthetical, having watched the second half of the Duke-Wake game today, I almost feel guilty complaining about Big East refs now. My god. Not saying there was any slant to the calls, but the touch fouls are so ridiculous Redick-ulous in the ACC...I don't think some of the stuff that draws a whistle would suffice to even make someone "it" playing tag.

The discussion at the end of this thread has also, I must say, reminded me of how miserable almost every national champion has made me since I started college. Duke, Maryland, Cuse, UConn...at least I was okay with UNC (got in there, thought about it for like 10 seconds).