OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Apr 22, 2019 21:30:24 GMT -5
I think the quote from him that he hears more “That is Cole Anthony’s dad” than “That is Greg Anthony’s son” tells me the notion that Greg Anthony will have a great affect on where he plays ball is overrated.
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OldHoyafan
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
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Post by OldHoyafan on Apr 15, 2019 17:10:51 GMT -5
Sometimes we forget from whence we came. Just a few months ago the Hoyas two pg’s were named Mulmore and Dickerson. Hard working and good students for sure, but each left a lot to be desired for a pg. Akinjo is not the next Isaiah Thomas, but he immediately stabilized the pg position at 17 yrs old. Made a lot of mistakes but learned from them and at the end of the year was one of the best pg’s in the BE. If he matures both physically and mentally (basketball wise) each year, then he could have the Hoyas challenging for the Final Four before he leaves. The most important thing is the young man wants to be a part of the Hoya renaissance.
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Mar 23, 2019 23:38:47 GMT -5
I just read the post game quotes from Kaleb Johnson and Trey Mourning. They both are outstanding young men who gave their all for Georgetown and should be thanked and applauded for that.However I am quite surprised with theirimmediate ambition after leaving Georgetown, to play professionally? As I said they are great young men who represented their school with no bad conduct episodes, but their talent level is not that high and yet they both think they can play professionally. Therein may lie the problem, the oversees opportunity to play basketball past college, especially for those who played for high major programs, and make a six figure salary may have taken a lot of the “want to “ from these players. If you know you have average talent and seriously doubt you can make the NBA without a complete overhaul of your game, but you can still make six figures overseas with your current resume, then you may have less incentive to do the work necessary to make the NBA. Trey Mournings last name, son of a hall of farmer will surely make some overseas team sign him, if for no other reason that his dad probably will attend many of his home games. Many of us have speculated on Govan’s chances of making the NBA and have not given him much chance because of his low motor and lead feet. Yet I am sure he plans on going pro, most likely overseas. Does anyone know if during the evaluating process after one declares for the draft as Govan did last year, if there are oversees team evaluators there also? Any thoughts?
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Mar 14, 2019 13:20:51 GMT -5
“Being so young, having to step up and lead right away I think was the hardest part for me this season,” Akinjo said. “I had to work on that.” I think that is what we tend to overlook, the young man was 17 years old when he was given the reigns to this teem and asked to lead them. That would be one thing if you had a veteran team with outspoken leaders on and off the court, but thie starting five for most of the season had he and two other freshmen in it. The young man had to learn the strengths and weaknesses of his teammates on the fly, while also learning what his coach wanted in a pg. He has done a hell of a job in both areas. While watching the 2006 loss to Syracuse in the BET, I was reminded of how hard it was for the Hoyas to generate offense late in he shot clock during the JTIII years for the lack of a pg that could create his own shot. It’s great Patrick sees it and is recruiting top pgs like Cole, Young and Baldwin.
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Mar 12, 2019 0:58:48 GMT -5
On another note, the Hoyas pace of play this year I think has had a significant impact on how other coaches are preparing for the Hoyas. I noticed in the Providence, Nova and Seton Hall games that all three coaches substituted frequently in the first half in order that their teams would not be tired out near end of game. At the end of these games you could noticeably see their stars Daneillo, Booth/Paschal, and Powell missed some shots they would normally make.
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Mar 11, 2019 22:32:36 GMT -5
Hey, just to make things clear: for the Big East tourney, we are seeded 6th for bracket reasons. However, with our 9-9 record, we finished third, tied for third in the BE standings. Not bad after being picked 9th and 10th. Also, with Marquette’s late season swoon, Big Pat might have a shot at a BE coach of the year Willard. Of course, I'm often wrong. SHU lost a lot of firepower to graduation so the odds were with Willard until the Hoyas wins over Nova and Marquette. I think Ewing has a good chance since he was forced to start three freshmen the majority of the year. Would have been nice if the award would have been given on Thursday or Friday so that the game Wednesday night could have been taken into consideration.
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Mar 9, 2019 21:17:34 GMT -5
Hope the young man’s agent that he hires after the season has plenty of European contacts.
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Mar 7, 2019 11:29:30 GMT -5
I had said after the Seton Hall game that Ewing’s statement that the teams play finally reflected him as a player was his attempt to tell them what was needed the rest of the way to be relevant post season. Well, obviously that attempt at motivation did not work for this team. Ewing also tried to motivate Govan to play the way he did in the two OT periods by saying he thought that that was the best game that Jessie had ever played in college. Govan responded with a 6 point night and not much of a defensive and rebounding effort. That was the soft attempt at motivation. He also post game said he did not start Pickett because his efforts in the preceding game were not there and he wanted to play those who gave a more consistent effort both on offense and defense. Pickett responded by trying to be more aggressive by driving more and shooting more, but with even less success. So, what is the right approach for these Hoyas? The soft approach or the tough approach?
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Mar 6, 2019 12:53:47 GMT -5
Wow! Don’t know if these Hoyas are going to respond to Patrick’s quote of Big John, “This is the time that those who can play, play”, but I love it that he is challenging them to live up to the expectations of why he recruited them. To “play” to Patrick means playing with the talent you have to help advance the team. You may no have a great handle to drive to the basket but you can play defense and rebound. You may not have the speed to play great man-to-man defense,but you can play position help defense, so that the driving lanes are always closed and block out for rebounds. If all the Hoyas play their roles as well as Jagan has played his the last two games, the Hoyas will be ok. Jamorko has not scored from the 3pt line or from drives to basket this year as we all expected, but he can still be a “player” for this team with his length and quickness to guard a guy like Struss or the Houser boys. The “player” Patrick is talking about is the determined Govan in the two overtime Seton Hall game or the under control Akinjo in those OT periods also, or the the smart McClung who did not try to do too much in that game also. At this time of year everyone has defined need to make this team win, so let’s do it guys. Let’s PLAY.
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Mar 3, 2019 19:39:19 GMT -5
Very pleased with the Hoya gritty win yesterday. I am also pleased with coach Ewing’s post game comments about Govan and his team as a whole. Ewing said of Govan that in his opinion this was the best game Govan had played in his college career. Noting that he had a bad game in regulation, but that he did not hang his head, he kept doing what he could to help his team win. He said of his team as a whole, that their performance during the game was a reflection of him as a player. These two statements were Ewing’s message to his team and his star player that their effort yesterday is what it is going to take the rest of the way if they want to go deep in the BE tournament and play in the NCAA’s. Ewing as a player gave it his all every game and did whatever it took to win. Ewing is saying guys you just showed me you have what it takes to play this way too, so let’s do that the rest of the way. Very good message from someone who was not supposed to be able to relate to the college players of today.
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Mar 1, 2019 20:10:55 GMT -5
Pat being engaged is not new to the DePaul game. At the Illinois game, he yelled rebound before every opponent foul shot. Now he does it after every shot. He smells the post-season. I too, find myself smiling when I here during the tv video of the game, Patrick’s booming voice hollering “Re-e-bound, Get Back, and Move it” he has a very young team with upperclassmen who are not alpha type players so he knows he has to continually encourage them to do what he knows is needed for them to win. He knows talent-wise they are good enough to do well in the BE Tournament and the NCAA, but knows they have not done it before and do not know what it takes to get there. He is like a jockey riding a young race horse who has never won before, he applies a gentle whip at times and a harder whip at another. I remember hearing Big John’s booming voice doing the same thing when Patrick was playing.
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Feb 28, 2019 23:46:40 GMT -5
Young man had a good relationship with Coach Kirby. Kirby knows the situation at LSU and therefore if the Hoyas are recruiting him, whatever the issues he had at LSU have been cured. Seems like just the wing the Hoyas need next year to be that third scorer beside Yurtseven, Akinjo or McClung.
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Feb 28, 2019 12:45:59 GMT -5
Love that. He's been fantastic since the benching. I don't care if he misses open shots. Those will fall eventually. He has really embraced his role as PG and running the team. It's making everyone better. The young man’s presence at the end of games has made a big change in the way teams approach the Hoyas when behind late. Last two years they would put on a full court press and try to trap the pg. The trap would leave an open man to go to the basket, but the past Hoya pg’s were not able to advance the ball for being stripped of ball or fear of being stripped of ball. With Akinjo and/or Mac in lineup they don’t use that defense much for fear of Hoyas breaking trap with ease and getting a layup. Akinjo has still not quite adjusted to the quickness and height of the college opposing players so he has not been able to finish at the basket as well as Mac. Mac has more hang time and therefore has more “dipsy do” in his finish. James basically goes straight up which makes his shot easy to block by main defender or help defender. He will get better and better at developing his own “dipsy do” or soft floater when he stops short of basket.
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Feb 24, 2019 0:46:07 GMT -5
I said this in another thread yesterday. But the Hoyas have not had a consistent third scorer all year. When they have won usually it’s been Govan and one of either McClung or Akinjo. There have been a few wins where Greg or Josh were high scorers with Govan, but not many. At the end of last year everyone on this board knew the number one need for this team was competent guards to replace Mulmore and Dickerson. McClung and Akinjo even given all their youthful inconsistencies, are a big grade upward. Ewing’s first real recruit was small forward Pickett. Everyone on this board including myself was salivating over his height, arm length and ability to hit the stand still 3pt shot. We all thought his “potential” was endless for the next three years. With Josh in the fold as a recruitment, Ewing did not think he needed to add another small forward for this year. Unfortunately, potential is just that until acted upon. Needless to say our hopes of Pickett becoming more like Otto Porter have all but completely vanished. Some still hold out hopes and heap praise upon him for his improved defense and he has improved, or one or two made 3pt shots in a game, most of us a have our fingers crossed that Ewing will land at least one of the wings he is recruiting hard this summer. All of the videos I have seen of the potential recruits suggests that any would be a substantial improvement. If Ewing can upgrade the wing position as well as he did the guard position this year, then I think we will all be pleased next year.
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Feb 9, 2019 18:40:36 GMT -5
They had more “want to” than the Hoyas today and that was evident early. The dedication of game to the recently deceased alumnus of Butler, I am sure helped them with their “want to”. It was a big game for the Hoyas and Butler. Butler more so. Unfortunately the “alpha leaders” on this team are freshmen. Three years from now this team will be able to withstand even a desperate “want to” game by a team like Butler and consolidate its place as one of the leaders in the BE. For now Patrick will just have to endure the inconsistancies of his freshmen “alpha leaders”. It’s been said that at least three of the freshmen committed to Georgetown with the intent of bringing the program back to prominence. With the incoming class and a coupe of solid additions , they will certainly do that. The last group to dedicate themselves to that goal(Green, Hibbert, Bowman, Wall and Cooks) made it to the Final Four,and without some bogus foul calls on Hibbert, would have made it to the final game. We will all miss the offensive prowess of Govan next year. It has been a joy to watch. As good as the offensive game of Yurtseven is reported to be, I doubt he will come close to matching the 40+ percent 3pt shooting nor the deadly jump hooks left or right. He can not be blamed if his “want to” skills are not where you would like it to be. This is his senior season and his first three years were on teams with little chance of making any noise in the league or tournament.
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Feb 4, 2019 12:59:45 GMT -5
Grant you, the BE is down this year but Nova is still the “bell cow” for the league as for as the media is concerned,and the Hoyas went toe to toe with them for 35 plus minutes.The announcers said that even though Nova lost four starters from last year, they were still the oldest team in the league, with lead senior being Booth. The Hoyas vocal leaders are freshmen. If anyone watched the game yesterday and was not impressed with the game plan designed by the coaching staff is not paying attention. This team has some serious individual defensive ability, starting with Govan. Govan’s offensive ability usually negates that but in this game the refs inequality of same calls against Pasquale magnified it. This team is one all around forward from being an elite team for the next three years. Would have loved to have seen if Carter could have added anything to the mix yesterday with Govan’s foul problems.
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Feb 1, 2019 20:46:17 GMT -5
I agree that rebound and put back was huge for that moment of the game. That is what has been so maddening about his play. That potential to do that about four times a game is there but for some reason he has not done that. Scruggs was having his way with him up to that point. Imagine if teams had to worry about him crashing the boards like LaBlanc. The talent is there, but it’s been like pulling hens teeth to get it out.
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Feb 1, 2019 10:18:30 GMT -5
Seeing those two inadvertent straightaway bank shots, it occurred to me that the advertent bank shot has become a lost art. John Wooden required that his players employ it when shooting from the wing.Big John's Celtics teammate Sam Jones was its most notable exponent. Ahh, a fellow ancient one who remembers the little tidbits about the game. Sam Jones? Wow that’s going way back, but you are so right the jumper from the wing using the backboard, if perfected, can make an average jump shooter a good jump shooter. Unlike the straight rim shot, you can be off on your touch(hard or soft) and still bank the shot off the board. Wish we had more coaches who would teach this art.
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Feb 1, 2019 1:43:33 GMT -5
The most enjoyable part of this game was the grit and perseverance of this team. Xavier is a poor 3pt shooting team and yet tonight they hit 3pt shot after 3pt shot including two back to back banked 3pt shots. Earlier in year not so sure this team would have, could have kept fighting to overcome that. Freshman scored two thirds of total points. Freshman guards turn ball over only once in second half and that was on a shot clock violation. Only bad result of this game was the DNP for Carter. I know Mourning is a senior but his lack of defense gave Xavier easy baskets on the inside too many times while Govan was on the bench. I think Carter’s mobility would have prevented some of that.
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OldHoyafan
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Post by OldHoyafan on Jan 30, 2019 18:36:06 GMT -5
Pat is building a team similar to Leonard Hamilton’s Florida State’s team with interchangeable parts at center and big forward about five deep with slashing small forwards and at least one deadly 3pt marksman.
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