Wash Times on recent Hoya roster events

[DanMcQ]

Barker Davis: Calmly weathering the losses

Turnover doesn't always equal turbulence.

Replacing a class that included an All-American center (Roy Hibbert) and the most seasoned player in the college game (Jon Wallace with 136 straight starts) qualified as a major task before the surprising developments of the last three weeks. First came transfer announcements from key sophomore reserves Vernon Macklin and Jeremiah Rivers. Then came confirmation that recruit Chris Braswell, a much-needed frontcourt player, would not be joining the Hoyas next season because of ongoing academic issues.

"Obviously, we will not have the sheer number of bodies up front that we have had the past couple of years. But I have confidence in the people returning and in those arriving," Thompson told The Washington Times last week. "We'll be OK. We'll figure it out. ... That's what we do."

"Attrition is inevitable," Thompson said. "Part of it is natural when you have a lot of extremely talented kids in an extremely competitive environment. Everybody wants to play. Everybody expects to play. In many respects, you want them to have that attitude. But there are only so many minutes available. I'm not going to make promises about playing time. That's a fluid situation for every player on the roster, from seniors who have started before to freshmen who are just walking in the door. Those minutes are earned, not promised.

"Transfers are just part of the equation at this level. I'm not going to say they're an unfortunate reality, because look at Patrick [Ewing]'s situation and how well that worked out. The bottom line is that Georgetown isn't for everybody. We expect a lot on and off the floor."

"The freshman class does not have the luxury of time," Thompson said of a recruiting crop ranked No. 3 in the nation by Rivals.com. That ranking will drop a few slots with Braswell's loss, though he was the least decorated of the team's four signees (also Bishop O'Connell guard Jason Clark).

"There are some similarities to my first year here," Thompson continued. "The newcomers are going to be thrown into the fire and expected to produce."

"It's a little like my first year here when we had a group that was very young and hungry," Thompson said. "I'm really excited about this year. It should be fun."

Oddly, Davis left Bryon Jansen off his list of returning players; although he is a walk-on it is hard to imagine he would not return as a senior to a team that will clearly need practice players.

[moe09]

Ouch. Braswell is a big blow for this team. In the back of my mind I really had him becoming a Hoya this upcoming year. I guess the staff isn't the all-knowing first mover that I always thought they were. Now when I say "we're thin up front" it only means by the weight of our players. Needed that big body like his to take on guys like Blair from Pitt.

What does this mean for Bras, though? Does he go to a prep school? juco? Could he come the second semester (even though, I know that the University has a policy against this)? Will he still become a Hoya down the road? Next year?

This is a tough pill to swallow, but I still think we'll be fine next year. If anything, it's going to be an exciting one. First year in a couple that we really don't know where we stand at all coming into the season. Going to be a lot of soul-searching, identity-finding, and a real team built this year. The seniors are gone, the seed has been planted, and it's time to take this thing onward and upward. I really want to see how this team reacts. Man, is it October yet?

[prhoya]

Yeah, that one hurts. Now Nikita needs to step up and count as a playable big body.

Any JUCO transfers out there or has that window (good players gone) closed?

[HoyaFanNY]

bad news regarding braswell. i wonder if he could still enroll in january 2009??

greg and henry better hit the weights!!! ;D

[MCIGuy]

Remember back in October when it appeared we would have Summers, Macklin, Monroe, Sims, Braswell and Gilchrist as our bigs for the 2008-2009 season? Guess that was too much to ask for.

[moe09]

I suppose it was much too much to ask for.

[GIGAFAN99]

May 12, 2008 7:00:29 GMT -5 prhoya said:

Yeah, that one hurts. Now Nikita needs to step up and count as a playable big body.

Any JUCO transfers out there or has that window (good players gone) closed?

There have to be a few out there. Here's the rivals list. Only local kid is Rashawn Alexander. I know nothing about him or really anyone else on this list.

jucojunction.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=2005

[Boz]

Not that I am doubting Barker Davis (and I mean that; I'm not being sarcastic), but could someone point me to where that news regarding Braswell was "confirmed"? I didn't see it elsewhere.

Again, Barker knows his stuff. I only ask because it seems really, really early for news like that. The spring semester is over, more or less, but there are summer classes, no?

Or maybe summer was not an option for qualification purposes, I'm not sure.


On second thought, just typing the above made me feel really creepy in a Tim Floyd or John Calipari sort of way. I probably shouldn't be looking for ways for Braswell to qualify just because it will help this team. If he's having trouble with his grades, that's probably what he should be focusing on for the next year, not becoming a Hoya & taking on the likes of DeJuan Blair.

[kghoya]

it would be nice to have braswell by the time conf games rolled around

[lichoya68]

hope hes wrong about braswell sounds like a kid from report in th epost who finally got his ld diagnoses anyway I DO HAVE FOUR YEARS ELIBILBILITY IF THEY NEED A BIG but im not as big as i used to be DEPTH WILL BE A PROBLEM AS WELL AS EXPERIENCE but i trust coach and we will be ok just maybe not in the beginning in the ooc stuf go hoyas IS IT NOVEMBER YET we live in interesting times ps congrats to the graduating seniors bball and other wise GEOEGETOWN FOREVER GO HOAYS

[strummer8526]

May 12, 2008 8:48:30 GMT -5 Boz said:

Not that I am doubting Barker Davis (and I mean that; I'm not being sarcastic), but could someone point me to where that news regarding Braswell was "confirmed"? I didn't see it elsewhere.

Again, Barker knows his stuff. I only ask because it seems really, really early for news like that. The spring semester is over, more or less, but there are summer classes, no?

Or maybe summer was not an option for qualification purposes, I'm not sure.


On second thought, just typing the above made me feel really creepy in a Tim Floyd or John Calipari sort of way. I probably shouldn't be looking for ways for Braswell to qualify just because it will help this team. If he's having trouble with his grades, that's probably what he should be focusing on for the next year, not becoming a Hoya & taking on the likes of DeJuan Blair.

Yeah but you are right. The way he says "now confirmed" makes it sound like it's been a story already, and it hasn't. I'd sort of like to see something else there.

For all we know, Barker got this from the same guy who said Jeff wasn't going to classes.

If it's true, this also officially puts Dajuan at the 4 all year and Freeman back at the 3. We're going to need some creative offensive and especially defensive plans to keep competitive a team this shallow and this small. I have faith that it can happen and think this could honestly be a surprisingly good season if a few guys play to their potential.* But it'll just take more from our coaches than I think the last 1-2 years.

*Basically, Dajuan better be ready to be an NBA-caliber leader and star.

[moe09]

May 12, 2008 9:07:43 GMT -5 lichoya68 said:

hope hes wrong about braswell sounds like a kid from report in th epost who finally got his ld diagnoses anyway I DO HAVE FOUR YEARS ELIBILBILITY IF THEY NEED A BIG but im not as big as i used to be DEPTH WILL BE A PROBLEM AS WELL AS EXPERIENCE but i trust coach and we will be ok just maybe not in the beginning in the ooc stuf go hoyas IS IT NOVEMBER YET we live in interesting times ps congrats to the graduating seniors bball and other wise GEOEGETOWN FOREVER GO HOAYS

Lic... you wouldn't happen to be seven feet tall.. would you?

[williambraskyiii]

i just crapped myself. We will be thin in 08-09.

[hoyasexy]

There will be times next year when we look like Villanova. We may see some occasions when we have 4 guards on the floor.

[moe09]

That's more or less what I was thinking. We have two guys who can play the PF position, and two guys who can play the center position, one of whom can play both, making that 3 guys between 2 positions. Considering you have to sub some of these players in and out of the game at some point, and the very real possibility of foul trouble, we're going to have some very small line ups out there.

[PopeJohn2]

sure wish we had picked up anthony mcclain a few years ago when we had the chance.

[strummer8526]

Uh, what 4th guard? Are we counting Freeman as a guard still? I think with this team, he's gotta be looked at as a 3....really the only option for 3. Also, if we're running Freeman, Wright, Clark, and Sapp, all of them are getting tired. This season is coming down to MAJOR CONDITIONING for everyone. If we can keep 2-3 guys on the floor for big minutes, we can be ok.

[GIGAFAN99]

May 12, 2008 10:08:25 GMT -5 hoyasexy said:

There will be times next year when we look like Villanova. We may see some occasions when we have 4 guards on the floor.

I put this scenario under "extremely rare." We'll rotate Summers, Monroe, and Sims down low. Hard for me to believe we'll rotate Freeman down to the 4. We could see Sapp at the three on occasion to run three guards or we could see Summers, Monroe, and Sims in all at once. But Wright, Clark, Sapp, Freeman and a big? I don't know why we'd do that unless we had a strategic advantage or an injury.

You break it down and really we're just trying to absorb Ewing's minutes. Sims can ably handle Macklin's 10 minutes. Monroe replaces Roy. Dajuan gets a year older.

A possible JuCo, Nikita or Omar, more minutes from Sims, going three-guard...plenty of scenarios out there without us ever going really small.

[moe09]

May 12, 2008 10:17:19 GMT -5 GIGAFAN99 said:

May 12, 2008 10:08:25 GMT -5 hoyasexy said:

There will be times next year when we look like Villanova. We may see some occasions when we have 4 guards on the floor.

I put this scenario under "extremely rare." We'll rotate Summers, Monroe, and Sims down low. Hard for me to believe we'll rotate Freeman down to the 4. We could see Sapp at the three on occasion to run three guards or we could see Summers, Monroe, and Sims in all at once. But Wright, Clark, Sapp, Freeman and a big? I don't know why we'd do that unless we had a strategic advantage or an injury.

I don't see how this possibility couldn't come to fruition. Say Summers and Monroe get in foul trouble (they're both going to be getting a lot of minutes). Granted it could be the case that you put Omar or Nikita in at the four, but it could also be the case that you go four guards. I don't see how this is an extremely rare scenario.

I still consider Freeman a guard. He's probably 6'3". Plus, most of his game is played on the perimeter. Small Forwards can play equally inside and outside (even if they don't do it).

[Boz]

May 12, 2008 9:32:09 GMT -5 moe09 said:

May 12, 2008 9:07:43 GMT -5 lichoya68 said:

hope hes wrong about braswell sounds like a kid from report in th epost who finally got his ld diagnoses anyway I DO HAVE FOUR YEARS ELIBILBILITY IF THEY NEED A BIG but im not as big as i used to be DEPTH WILL BE A PROBLEM AS WELL AS EXPERIENCE but i trust coach and we will be ok just maybe not in the beginning in the ooc stuf go hoyas IS IT NOVEMBER YET we live in interesting times ps congrats to the graduating seniors bball and other wise GEOEGETOWN FOREVER GO HOAYS

Lic... you wouldn't happen to be seven feet tall.. would you?

I'm concerned that lic is "not as big as he used to be."

Is lic shrinking?!?!?

Get me some stem cells, dammit!! We have to inject them into lic's growth plates!!