Post by DanMcQ on Mar 18, 2006 11:10:55 GMT -5
Fredicksburg.com: Hibbert's growth made Hoyas
Steve DeShazo: Hibbert's growth made Hoyas
Steve DeShazo: Hibbert's growth made Hoyas
DAYTON, Ohio--Like his famous father, John Thompson III pulls no punches. And he has no qualms about sharing his first impression of Roy Hibbert.
"When I first saw him, I thought he was awful," Thompson said yesterday. "He could barely walk. I remember our trainer, in the fall of his first year, had him in the gym, working on running. 'This is how you run.'"
Eighteen months later, Hibbert is still a long way from a finished product. But he's not awful anymore. He's awfully promising.
In fact, Georgetown probably wouldn't be preparing to play Ohio State in tomorrow's second round of the NCAA tournament without its 7-foot-2, 283-pound sophomore center.
"He's a load," said Panthers coach Greg McDermott, who didn't have a starter taller than 6-8.
You can't coach 7-2. But you can teach it how to dominate.
Hibbert doesn't yet sport the nasty on-court persona of Ewing or Mourning, and given his quiet personality, he probably never will. But his passing ability already may be superior to his illustrious predecessors', and he has the same burning desire to excel--this time within a team concept.
"His development has been tremendous," Thompson said. "That's a tribute to his work ethic and his caring. God has blessed him with that body, but he has the desire, the understanding and the willingness to be coached and taught."
Unfortunately, Thompson was taking over a program in decline and couldn't afford to be patient. So he's lived with the literal growing pains.
"He's a kid who, in a perfect world, you probably would have wanted to redshirt last year, because he's a baby," Thompson said. "He's 19; there are some kids in high school who are still 19. We knew we had to force-feed him last year, throw him out there when he wasn't ready, and he responded well.
"Coach [Pete] Carrill used to talk about how some players are light bulbs; when they walk into a gym, the light bulb goes off. As a coach, you get excited to work with that kind of player. Roy is one of those guys. He walks in the gym and the light bulb goes off, because he wants to work and he comes to work and it's paying off."
If Hibbert fouled out against an undersized Northern Iowa team, what chance do he and the Hoyas have against the powerful Buckeyes? That's Thompson's immediate concern, but he's confident the long-term results are going to be worth watching.
"This is just the tip of the iceberg," Thompson said. "He's improving weekly, and he's going to continue to improve. He's a long way from where he's going to be."
"When I first saw him, I thought he was awful," Thompson said yesterday. "He could barely walk. I remember our trainer, in the fall of his first year, had him in the gym, working on running. 'This is how you run.'"
Eighteen months later, Hibbert is still a long way from a finished product. But he's not awful anymore. He's awfully promising.
In fact, Georgetown probably wouldn't be preparing to play Ohio State in tomorrow's second round of the NCAA tournament without its 7-foot-2, 283-pound sophomore center.
"He's a load," said Panthers coach Greg McDermott, who didn't have a starter taller than 6-8.
You can't coach 7-2. But you can teach it how to dominate.
Hibbert doesn't yet sport the nasty on-court persona of Ewing or Mourning, and given his quiet personality, he probably never will. But his passing ability already may be superior to his illustrious predecessors', and he has the same burning desire to excel--this time within a team concept.
"His development has been tremendous," Thompson said. "That's a tribute to his work ethic and his caring. God has blessed him with that body, but he has the desire, the understanding and the willingness to be coached and taught."
Unfortunately, Thompson was taking over a program in decline and couldn't afford to be patient. So he's lived with the literal growing pains.
"He's a kid who, in a perfect world, you probably would have wanted to redshirt last year, because he's a baby," Thompson said. "He's 19; there are some kids in high school who are still 19. We knew we had to force-feed him last year, throw him out there when he wasn't ready, and he responded well.
"Coach [Pete] Carrill used to talk about how some players are light bulbs; when they walk into a gym, the light bulb goes off. As a coach, you get excited to work with that kind of player. Roy is one of those guys. He walks in the gym and the light bulb goes off, because he wants to work and he comes to work and it's paying off."
If Hibbert fouled out against an undersized Northern Iowa team, what chance do he and the Hoyas have against the powerful Buckeyes? That's Thompson's immediate concern, but he's confident the long-term results are going to be worth watching.
"This is just the tip of the iceberg," Thompson said. "He's improving weekly, and he's going to continue to improve. He's a long way from where he's going to be."
