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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 31, 2024 8:35:50 GMT -5
Kolek is also a fourth year senior who will turn 23 in March. The reason for the comp is because of their pace while dribbling. Kolek dribbles around and through the defense while looking for shooters/cutters. Rowan has that same start & stop vibe. His pass to the shooter in the corner the other day was vintage Kolek. Kolek also had the benefit of year one playing in the A-10 vs. the BE. That probably benefitted him and allowed him to develop away from the bright lights. Rowan has an inch on Kolek. I think the comp is pretty solid although I admittedly never saw Kolek as a freshman. One can dream. I think we would be overjoyed if he becomes Kolek. However setting those High expectations often leads to disappointment. Rowan has been playing ok for a 2nd year freshman. Look at Hoyaboya’s chosen one Garway Dual. That kid has been absolute trash so far. Dual 4 Pts, 1.7 assists, 37% fg, 25% 3pt with 20 min a game. To your point, relying on a freshman guard is rough. It's why we are struggling this year (along with depth, cohesiveness, a new system, years of neglect, etc). Jayden is only a sophomore. Rowan is a RS freshman. Experience wins in this era of COVID 5/6/7 year players. So while I am extremely excited for the McKenna/Sorber/Mulready/Williams class, reality is we need some old dudes. I am not remotely worried about the "recruiting over" narrative because if we get a 1 to 2 year player at guard where we need depth or at PF, this incoming class should be primed for the 25/26 season while still getting valuable minutes in the 24/25 season.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 30, 2024 16:49:09 GMT -5
Rowan is going to be really good. People pine for Jonathan Wallace but forget that people panned about his limited athleticism every year he was year. Everyone couldn't wait for Chris Wright. The point is you can win a lot of different ways. Kolek isn't all that athletic and yet his pace and composure help him be successful. I can see Rowan in that role. He will get stronger which he definitely needs and his height is a plus. He will figure it out. We need to stop comparing him to Kolek. As that is an unnecessary high almost unattainable expectation. Kolek is actually fast at this level with good lateral movement. Rowan isn’t slow but he’s about average speed at this level. Lateral movement isn’t great but defensively he makes up for it with great hands, technique, desire and defensive Iq. Kolek is also a fourth year senior who will turn 23 in March. The reason for the comp is because of their pace while dribbling. Kolek dribbles around and through the defense while looking for shooters/cutters. Rowan has that same start & stop vibe. His pass to the shooter in the corner the other day was vintage Kolek. Kolek also had the benefit of year one playing in the A-10 vs. the BE. That probably benefitted him and allowed him to develop away from the bright lights. Rowan has an inch on Kolek. I think the comp is pretty solid although I admittedly never saw Kolek as a freshman. One can dream.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 30, 2024 15:03:34 GMT -5
Rowan is going to be really good. People pine for Jonathan Wallace but forget that people panned about his limited athleticism every year he was year. Everyone couldn't wait for Chris Wright. The point is you can win a lot of different ways. Kolek isn't all that athletic and yet his pace and composure help him be successful. I can see Rowan in that role. He will get stronger which he definitely needs and his height is a plus. He will figure it out.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 30, 2024 11:01:38 GMT -5
Our breakthrough game has to happen at some point but man, I don't see it against Marquette. Maybe we get some offensive movement and more assists but for now, I think we have to look to Seton Hall, providence, depaul, Xavier, Nova or St. Johns for those W's. If I squint I can see 3 wins in there.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 29, 2024 9:46:08 GMT -5
26 points on 27 shots is horrible. That level of inefficiency has to come to an end. I love it when epps gets a guy on his hip and gets to his lay-up. I hate when he shoots his step back. Even if it goes in its not a good shot and not one we can win with consistently.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 25, 2024 8:42:42 GMT -5
Gtown 71, Providence 70
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 24, 2024 14:57:08 GMT -5
Any theories on why the student turnout was poor? Two words: customer experience. Why does someone pay more to shop at a Wegmans than a Kroger? Why does someone fly Delta but not Spirit? This is Marketing 101: a positive value proposition drives repeat business. I mentioned Wegman's. It is not in my area but its message to customers applies everywhere. it reads: "We set our goal to be the very best at serving the needs of our customers. Every action we take should be made with our customers in mind. We also believe that we can achieve our goal only if we fulfill the needs of our own people." Students are the customers of Georgetown basketball. They are the present and future of the program as alumni. They are treated as ancillary at best and forgettable at worst. Students attend games for one, two, or three basic reasons: 1) they enjoy the sport, 2) it's a social event, and/or 3) it is worth their time amidst all the other distractions of their lives. None of these apply right now. 1. Georgetown basketball isn't fun right now. Despite thousands of unsold seats (15,675 last night alone), they are placed in some of the worst seats in the building. Spontaneous demonstrations of support (or disapproval) are promptly tamped down by the Monumental security forces. Forget 50 cent beer at McDonough or the Stonewalls, any attempt at fan interaction is shut down--try bringing in a sign into the arena. GU does not invest in the student experience and they are not coming back as alumni, whether to Capital One Arena, the "Colossus of Alexandria", or whatever soulless facility is left after Georgetown kicks the can yet again. 2. Attending home games should be, but is not a social event. Today's students have no "Detroit 1978" or "Missouri 1982" or "Duke 2006" or "Syracuse 2013" in their collective memory. There are no pre-game events. There are no post-game events. There are no Hoop Club events for students, a group that was once closely tied with the student experience and is disengaged from this. If their friends aren't going, neither will they, and the memories that carry far beyond the event simply won't be there. 3. Georgetown basketball is not worth their time. People are not taking three hours out of their evening to sit in an empty building and hear some MC shouting over a microphone, or a free throw shooting contest at halftime. They are not going to spend three hours to see teams that are not competitive in the Big East, just as they do not spend three hours to see a football team that can't schedule beyond the bottoms of Division I and still can't win. I came across this video of a student at TCU speaking about why she goes to games. TCU is not some state funded football colossus but a school of comparable size to Georgetown in a rather large city (1 million) in a market saturated by pro teams and plenty of entertainment options. Yet she goes to the games. Why? Community. Georgetown basketball lacks community in a fundamental way. Agreed on all accounts. They need to move all the students behind the benches. Move all us old farts to the other side of the arena opposite the cameras. Put tarps over the endzones and lower the lights. Have the students bring signs, change the promotions, create some incentive to go. Last night was really sad because the product on the court stunk. We should have a loyalty program with an area restaurant/bar for pre-post game deals for the students. There is plenty of space down there now to do it.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 24, 2024 9:44:09 GMT -5
Gtown just played two teams in a row that only have 1 returning player from last season in their rotations. The "fix" was respectability, that's not a high bar regardless of how many wins the previous staff had the last two seasons.. This season isn't a portal problem, it's a developmental problem Butler has a lot of transfers. And likely a very small NIL budget. They got pieces that fit. Big guard/shooter and gritty wings.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 22, 2024 8:31:17 GMT -5
Hoyas 80, Butler 74
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 19, 2024 10:53:00 GMT -5
I hate Xavier FWIW. It is comical that they have dominated us since entering the league. They also own one of our worst losses in the tourney in 1990. No one in their right mind would go to X over Gtown based off of location, campus, academics, coeds, etc. Now maybe if you are into watered down cocoa based chili over pasta or I am sure the uniform arena must be pretty hype.
Let's get a W and stop the bleeding!
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 18, 2024 10:23:20 GMT -5
Clingan & Edey are two really tall centers who are plus players. They are a problem inside on offense though and can use their length just enough to offset their lack of foot speed. Purdue has also built a system around that type of player. UConn just has a really rare talent in Clingan. Ryan will get a degree and then can likely grad transfer if he wants to step down a level and play. Nothing wrong with his approach or the schools.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 16, 2024 11:50:37 GMT -5
X 77 Hoyas 69
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 11, 2024 10:39:11 GMT -5
I think it's fine to compare the coaches, though I think it has to come with a recognition that Georgetown is not starting at exactly the same place as St. John's, either. I know you often refer to La Famigilia and DeGioia--well neither of those factors are present at St. John's, nor is St. John's coming off having one of the worst college basketball coaches in high major history. As far as imitating the approach that works best, I am fine with that approach and would embrace it. I think part of the issue is that Pitino is Pitino and that's an extremely hard thing to replicate. The guy is easily a top 5 coach of the last 40 years, maybe top 3. Of course, this is why many of us wanted him at Georgetown! But, my point is that is not something that is easy to replicate. I truly think much of the success St. John's is having is because Pitino is just an outstanding coach. Did Pitino assemble a better roster than Cooley? Absolutely. But, I would not call it a fantastic roster either. But Pitino is getting the most out of it, as he always does. If we are middle of the pack in Year 4 of Cooley's tenure, I will be extremely disappointed. I don't think that will happen. At Fairfield, arguably it took Cooley 3-4 years to turn the program around, but there was a clear trend of improvement. As far as Providence, Cooley's first four teams were ranked 126, 49, 48, and 27. And the latter two made the tournament. So, even in the era pre-portal, Cooley was able to turn around Providence pretty quickly and get to the tournament by Year 3. Cooley also clearly understands the value of the portal, having used it at Providence last year to put together a team. I am as impatient as everyone. I want to win now. But, I also recognize these things take time. Would we have gotten better faster with Pitino? Almost certainly. That's why I wanted him. Do I think Cooley can turn us around? Yes. Do I think we will be a lot better next year? Yes. I agree that Cooley can make us better next year and I’m hopeful that he can turn us around. But, can he take us to the top of the BE? I’m concerned with the approach. What worked for him before might not work now. I don’t agree with the first part of your post. Mike Anderson’s last year was a disaster and ended worse than how we parted ways with Pat. If anything, Cooley has more leeway at GU than in any other Power 5 basketball program. There’s nothing like GU job security, which eliminates any sense of urgency (i.e., lose your job). Cooley has a nose for what types of transfers to go after. Carter & Hopkins are great examples. Guys that are really good, probably not pros (certainly not draft picks) so they will stick for a few years, and have already transferred once so they know the grass isn't always greener. That required an evolution of thinking on Cooley's part. A guy like Dug McDaniel could be an interesting option. There are always going to be plenty of DMV guys that might be looking for a year or two on the hilltop to wrap up their careers. You add that with high school recruiting & development of the right type of kid and you have something. I don't think Pat ever figured out what type of kid he wanted. He just took the best scorers he could get and those didn't always fit together. he also was always behind it with most of the roster transferring every year. The cynic in us all has been well developed these past six years. We expect everybody to leave, we expect no roster & skill development, and we expect to be disappointed. Life is good, we will be fine, chins up!
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 11, 2024 10:32:58 GMT -5
This alone should get the administration thinking. They've got to have a strategic plan in place. Playing in NoVa would stink. Playing in SE would stink. We need a legit plan that doesn't rely on Leonsis or DC gov.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 10, 2024 8:52:52 GMT -5
Solid crowd last night all things considered. Cooley has time as I think the crowd is desperate for a winner. The Wiz are gonna stink for another four to five years. The DMV crowd is there for the taking.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 10, 2024 8:50:22 GMT -5
Uconn 82 Gtown 65
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 9, 2024 15:14:13 GMT -5
Anyone know why no high school band on Saturday at Depaul? That brings as much energy as anything. Gotta have some music and good vibes to fill the void. On another note, classic Cap one move. A twenty year ticket holder was catching grief because her ticket was on her husbands phone and he was getting a beer. I vouched for her (which meant nothing) and the cap one worker relented. It is so stupid when they have hundreds of available seats. As a season ticket holder, I would encourage people to move down to fill out the lower bowl. If someone is in my seats, I would simply ask they move a few seats to the left/right/up or down. This should be something Gtown can change.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 9, 2024 13:51:02 GMT -5
Seton Hall is 67 in Kenpom. TCU is 30. We kicked their ass and we will punish Seton Hall tonight!!!
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 9, 2024 9:58:03 GMT -5
I agree that if the administration made renovating and increasing capacity for McD a priority, that the fundraising would not be the major issue. They could sell it as improving the on campus experience for not only the men's basketball program, but also for other teams that would use the facility and also give the campus a place for small concerts and other events that really don't have a large enough/nice enough space on campus at this point. Even as a "rain" option for graduation ceremonies. It is not only increasing seating capacity, but also just bringing that facility into modern times with everything else that goes along with a "newish" facility (concessions, better audio and technology). I think it would be utilized more than people think for the students, if the renovation was done well. The neighborhood and traffic/parking issues are a problem, but I would think they can find some location close by for parking and then run shuttle buses to the campus to get people (who are not already on campus) to the facility. No one really likes the shuttle bus solution, but if it a short 5-10 minute bus ride then people will get used to it and it should reduce the traffic/parking concerns. Again this is a situation that is only going to happen 5-8 time year at most, so I think it is a solvable issue. There is zero space in Georgetown or the surrounding areas that would be able to support an influx of 2000+ cars for parking and also have a 5-10 min drive to main campus during rush hour. The GUTS to Rosslyn is at least a 10 min drive over the Key Bridge on peak commuting hours. Come on, let’s be realistic now. If Gtown ever got its metro stop, that would end this argument. So you have to focus on how to get people over from Rosslyn and/or dupont for the time being. A larger convocation center would be great as there is nothing larger then Healy on campus and my guess is that is maybe 800 or less. Maybe we get the gondola from Rosslyn and then we are cooking. At that point, might as well make an offer on the key bridge marriott and turn that into additional student housing that surrounds the stadium.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jan 8, 2024 10:17:59 GMT -5
Hoyas 64 SHU 61
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