HoyaFanNY
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Never throw to the venus on a spider 3 Y banana!
Posts: 4,995
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Post by HoyaFanNY on Mar 23, 2008 19:00:55 GMT -5
if we don't figure out how to take care of the ball, we'll be having this same discussion next season.
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lichoya68
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
OK YOUNGINS ARE HERE AND ARE VERY VERY GOOD cant wait GO HOYAS
Posts: 17,443
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Post by lichoya68 on Mar 23, 2008 20:13:43 GMT -5
sad for the seniors BUT wasnt greg monroe who finished the season on a tear not named the morgan wooten mcdonalds high school player of the year...?? have we not got again the dc player of the year in jason clark who can handle shoot rebbies and long arms steal the ball and a much getting better mr. center at the end of the year even better mr. simms from balt and that other braswell who aint bad and i think like the third or fourth at least best recruiting class in th ecounrty so lets celebrate the seniors but coach said he was building a PROGRAM and these senrios were a large part of that and the class coming in shows we are back way way back go hoyas IS IT NOVEMBER YET
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lichoya68
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
OK YOUNGINS ARE HERE AND ARE VERY VERY GOOD cant wait GO HOYAS
Posts: 17,443
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Post by lichoya68 on Mar 23, 2008 20:14:45 GMT -5
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Post by fsohoya on Mar 23, 2008 20:33:25 GMT -5
It is way too early to reasonably predict how well we'll do. A ton depends on how quickly Monroe and the other incoming freshman learn and get comfortable in the system and with their teammates, and I just can't guess how that will go. I do think if it clicks, though, we could be pretty good. Regardless, we won't be the presumptive favorites next year, and that actually might be more fun than the constant struggling to live up to expectations we suffered through this year.
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Highsmith
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,490
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Post by Highsmith on Mar 23, 2008 21:20:54 GMT -5
I have to say I am in the group that thinks this team can/will be better next year than this year......at least by this point in the season. I guess it depends on how much you put into the notion that we are losing the "heart and soul" of the team and the "nucleus that brought G-Town basketball back on the map". All of that sounds nice, but I don't really know how much of it wins games. All of that stuff aside, here is how I look at it-
What we lose-
1. Jon Wallace- A smart, steady guard who is a great 3 point shooter when his feet are set.....also a great FT shooter. He has trouble creating his own shot and is not particularly quick on either side of the floor. His passing abilities are slightly below average at best.....especially passes into the post. He has his moments, but certainly struggled at times with quick guards. Yes, he deserves to be on everyone's list of all-time favorite Hoyas, but he has his limitations.
2. Roy Hibbert- A 7'2" center who has a great touch and great footwork. He was also (unfortunately) the best passer on the team. He had difficulty dealing with smaller lineups (which is what he often saw). He struggled because he either had trouble establishing himself in the pivot and when he did he didn't have players that seemed able to get him the ball with regularity. As with most 7-footers, he was not a dominant rebounder......in fact he often struggled with rebounding. He did alter many shots, but was far from a great shot blocker. His FT shooting, while a strength in past years, was pretty poor this year. He also had trouble guarding/dealing with athletic and/or very strong centers/forwards (Dorsey, Blair, Onuaku, etc).
3. Patrick Ewing- Tremendous energy and defense off the bench. He was probably our second best passer and one of the better guys at creating his own shot.....he really got better at that sweeping move in front of the basket as the year went on. A solid outside shooter who struggled at the line. A player whose emotions could either bring us up or cost us a bit. H e was very versatile on defense, being able to guard many different types of players effectively. In some ways, he may be missed more than anyone.
4. Tyler Crawford- No one can question this guy's heart and commitment to the team. A team captain that doesn't play much is pretty rare and he seemed to deserve it. On the court, he was a tough-nosed player with a decent outside shot who could rebound and play some D. However, his lack of playing time.......especially over a younger player with difficulties on offense (Rivers) has to say something.
I love this class and these 4 guys........however, I wonder how much of the talk about how they will be missed is based on emotions rather than play on the floor. When Jeff left, it was emotional, but he was also our best player. I really don't think we are losing our best players here......very good players (in Roy's case probably a great player who never really fit the style we played), but not our best players.
What we are gaining-
1. A full season of Chris Wright- all the talk about how long it takes players to learn "the system" and this kid basically starts his season in the BET and despite some freshman mistakes, looks like he played all year. Again, I LOVE Jon, but Wright is also a great 3 point shooter who is able to create his own shot, is VERY quick and seems like a very solid passer. The decision making will come and the FT shooting does need to improve it seems.
2. A return to the 3-spot for Summers- Count me in with everyone who was disappointed with DaJuan's season this year. He certainly had some flashes, but I really think the burden of being "the next Jeff Green" and having to try to be THE rebounder on this team got to him. DaJuan is NOT Jeff Green. He can be a great player in his own right, but he is not the point forward/post player Jeff was. Getting DaJuan back the the 3 spot should really open things up for him. He learned how to be a good rebounder this year and hopefully that will help him contribute a lot in that area next year without the pressure of NEEDING to do it. If I'm wrong and there is another cause for Summer's season, then I guess this isn't a gain......however, I'm willing to bet it will be. Which brings me to-
3. Austin Freeman moving back to a 2 slot. Maybe this isn't the plan, but it seems to me that Freeman as a 2 and Summers as a 3 is a much better fit than having them at the 3 and 4.
4. The incoming freshman class of Greg Monroe, Henry Sims, Chris Braswell and Jason Clark!!! Now maybe I (and others it seems) are counting too much on these guys. However, based on what I know, Monroe and Sims are very talented, athletic big men who can make an impact immediately. They are both good shot blockers, rebounders and can run the floor. They both seem like MUCH better fits to JTIII's system than Roy. Braswell seems like the blue collar guy we have been missing for a long time. I'm not sure if he will be ready to contribute right away or not, but just having the option of putting one more big body in there HAS to be a plus. Clark is one I didn't expect to contribute a lot next year with our depth at guard, but he sounds better all the time......so who knows. Which brings me to-
5. Overall depth!!!! I know we went a number of guys deep off the bench, but so many of them were playing out of position that it wasn't really that beneficial.....at least to me. Heck, even 2 of our starters were playing out of position! Maybe I am mistaken with the direction this team is going, but I see next year's starting lineup as-
Sapp, Freeman, Summers, Monroe, Macklin/Sims
Wright will clearly get a lot of PT and with smaller teams we may see him on the floor with Sapp and Freeman for a similar lineup to this year. Our front court will have MUCH better depth, with the non-starter of Macklin/Sims getting PT along with (hopefully) Braswell. The we still have Rivers as a 4th guard and then whatever we get from Clark/Wattad/Nikita. Our lineup is deeper at all positions, we have better athletes who seem better suited to the style we play and we don't have to have anyone playing out of position. Also, we will be coming in with an experienced backcourt (1 senior, 1 junior and 2 sophomores who will get the most PT) and an inexperienced frontcourt..........which is much better than the other way around.
As fans, we are losing some players that we all love--not only for who they are, but for what they did for this program--bringing it all the way back to a national power in 4 years. That is an incredible feat. However, the players we are losing.........despite how much we love them...........are not and would not be the most talented players we have next year. Maybe the guys will have trouble meshing next year and we will be missing that "heart and soul factor" or that "leadership factor". Somehow, though, I doubt it. That seems to come from the top--JTIII brings that to the team, both by who he is and by who he recruits for this team. We WILL have heart and soul next year. We WILL have leadership next year. We WILL have MORE talent next year and we WILL be better next year.........and for many years to come.
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Gammo
Century (over 100 posts)
Posts: 184
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Post by Gammo on Mar 23, 2008 21:32:28 GMT -5
Nikita. No great insight, I just predict he will be a solid contributor in the coming years.
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Post by HometownHoya on Mar 23, 2008 21:32:38 GMT -5
I have a question RE: Pat...doesn't he have another year if he wants it? He had his Freshman season at IU, sat out his sophmore season (after transferring to GU), and played last year and this year. So, shouldn't he have one more year?
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chep3
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 2,314
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Post by chep3 on Mar 23, 2008 21:41:50 GMT -5
Pretty sure he played 2 years at IU.
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GIGAFAN99
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 4,487
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Post by GIGAFAN99 on Mar 23, 2008 21:44:07 GMT -5
I have a question RE: Pat...doesn't he have another year if he wants it? He had his Freshman season at IU, sat out his sophmore season (after transferring to GU), and played last year and this year. So, shouldn't he have one more year? He played two at Indiana. All next year depends on is Monroe. Wright, Sapp, Freeman, Summers, and Macklin will be fine as starters. Rivers remains on the bench as the third guard. The entire key is how good Monroe is exactly. If he's ridiculous, then he starts and we're really good. If he's good but regular freshman good, then we're OK but the drop off is bigger. Nikita, Sims, and Braswell will battle for the remaining minutes. Not a bad bunch to fight for those spare minutes.
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KHoyaNYC
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,901
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Post by KHoyaNYC on Mar 23, 2008 21:48:24 GMT -5
I think we can be as good as last year. Our starting 5 is a great nucleus. If Monroe is as good as advertised, we'll be right in the thick of the BE race.
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Post by michaelgrahamfan on Mar 23, 2008 21:52:15 GMT -5
Highsmith is spot on. The pieces we are losing are all great but did not fit together like those which we are adding. Our style of play works best with more interchangeable players in 2 through 5. We should have that next year to a greater degree than this year. BTW we probably could not have taken UCLA this year anyway.
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Post by jerseyhoya34 on Mar 23, 2008 22:00:08 GMT -5
BTW we probably could not have taken UCLA this year anyway. Did you watch the A&M game? If it was on a neutral floor, fans of Pitt of the West are doing what we are right now - wondering what could have been.
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lichoya68
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
OK YOUNGINS ARE HERE AND ARE VERY VERY GOOD cant wait GO HOYAS
Posts: 17,443
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Post by lichoya68 on Mar 23, 2008 22:34:56 GMT -5
re clark i know hell be a frosh but was poy in washington folks long,, great passere scorere rebbounder,, adn stealer he will play ALOT by next march ALOT you heard it hear if you followed him and oconnell this year hes that good like freeman and wright yup and those werent bad freeman earning the starting spot and chris not hurt oh what it mighta been but jason clark is a real deal yup POY IN THE DC METRO AREA another one go hoyas go jason THANKS SENIORS ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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blueandgray
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,808
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Post by blueandgray on Mar 23, 2008 22:37:34 GMT -5
I too think we will be pretty solid. I think we are a top 20 team and we could be much more fluid working the offense through Monroe. Just look at the +/- with hibbert in the game today. We pretty much build a 17 point lead without him... and, we all know what happened with him in the game. I'm not saying thzt today's loss was Hibbert's fault alone... but I think we our offense runs more smoothly witout the big man in the middle. The JT# system seams to work best with a 3 guard line up and a couple of rebounding point-forwards... and that's exactly what we will have next year.
Further, I think we will be a deeper team next year. Chris, Jeremiah, Jessie, Austin, Jason Clark, Summers, Macklin, Monroe, Sims and Braswell...i count 10 deep.... and that assuming nikita doesn't break into the rotation.
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jackdog74
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Posts: 343
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Post by jackdog74 on Mar 24, 2008 5:33:33 GMT -5
With Jason Clark coming in next year, Jeremiah is going to see his numbers drop significantly. I have not had the pleasure of seeing him, but from people who follow HS basketball, he is the real deal and will make us very, very happy.
Plus, O'Connell is going to be very good for a very long time with Joe Wooten (Morgan's youngest son). It's probably good that we try to start the pipeline now.
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HoyaFanNY
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Never throw to the venus on a spider 3 Y banana!
Posts: 4,995
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Post by HoyaFanNY on Mar 24, 2008 5:56:48 GMT -5
i honestly can't see freeman starting at the 2 next year unless he gets in much better shape. quick guards will eat him alive off the dribble and i hate to see us try to beat pressing teams with him and sapp as our starting backcourt. come november, i think we'll see wright, sapp, freeman, summers, and macklin as the starters. monroe, sims, clark, rivers, and braswell give us a much bigger and deeper bench than we've had in a long time.
i'm interested to see how summers comes back after a HEALTHY offseason. same goes for wright.
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Hoya06
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Posts: 406
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Post by Hoya06 on Mar 24, 2008 8:59:40 GMT -5
What happened to Summers last offseason?
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hoyasexy
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Actively engaged in extramarital saxa
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Post by hoyasexy on Mar 24, 2008 9:08:44 GMT -5
Summers had offseason surgery on his foot/ankle. He didn't spend much time on the floor all summer. I don't think he even participated in Kenner League, IIRC.
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hoyatables
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,604
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Post by hoyatables on Mar 24, 2008 9:10:26 GMT -5
Next year is going to be wild. Tons of talent, probably some surprising wins and some frustrating losses. We'll beat a team like Memphis at home only to turn around and lose to Rutgers or South Florida the next week. Our record will keep us around a 4-7 seed (if things go well) but we will be a dangerous one that will likely, once again, give the ultimate champion the "biggest scare" of the tourney.
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Post by HoyasAreHungry on Mar 24, 2008 9:10:56 GMT -5
i think way too much emphasis is put on "learning the system" yes it may be a bit more intracite than other systems that team's utilize but overall it is still just that. A system of play. Every team in college has a system. It seems that there are a lot of people here acting like this is a completely ground breaking new fangled top secret formula. In essence these kids have been learning plays their entire life. Sure it will take practice to get it running smoothly etc but these kids have all shown they can do it. The real challenge is having them buy into it as these players have and to run it smootly while letting the play come to them and not becomming too mechanical running it as we may have done too much this season. I do think that this year was the rubber year in how the system is going to be run from now on. It was a clash of the old princeton offense and the new one that will define the georgetown teams to come. This year we had a combination of the super athletic ballers and the kids that came in and turned the program around. While I am not taking anything away from our seniors with the exception of Pat can we say that athletically they are going to be near what we brought in this year and will continue to bring in in the future? no of course not. These kids really bought into the system and played it well but you could almost see the discord at times. For example, I commented earlier that with Chris in the lineup early in the season we were trying to push the ball and fast break more than we had all of 2007. This disappeared when he got injured and reemerged upon his return to a degree. We could not really do this with Roy in the lineup. Having a team that has the ability to create for themselves as well as running the offense is going to be key to this team's success. The way we play is no big secret. Last year we caught people off guard a bit at how effectively we can run it, but let's not forget we had players that took alot of focus of the team's because at any moment they could create for themselves. Alot of the time this year we all saw how stagnant our offense became when we couldn't get the ball into roy (when he was being mauled underneath). Yesterday I really think Chris was extremely effective in driving into the lane and either kicking it out or finishing. He took the focus of the defense and left our shooters open to knock down shots. I really think next year is going to be a good year for the Hoyas if these freshmen do come in as advertised. Yes they may be freshmen but come on these frosh have shown they can play against the upper classmen. Look at the stars of college basketball this season: freshmen. These kids can play and while they may not have the savy of an upperclassmen, these kids will be able to hadle it physically. Next year can't get here soon enough. Hoya Saxa
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