Georgetown 72 - UConn 69 Post-Game Discussion

[Nevada Hoya]

This win is entirely due to Jahidihoya being at the same hotel as the ucons and spooking Calhoun and their team.

[williambraskyiii]

Freeman ABUSED stanley robinson on offense. exploited the mismatch to go by him on a few occasions. I don't think robinson had a second half point -- he finished with 16.

[Cambridge]

Best win in a long, long time. Reminded me of that Celtics come back against the Nets in the playoffs, all we need is Freeman to learn the Walker Wiggle.

[daytonahoya31]

Half the battle was limiting them in transition. Once that happens, UConn is an ordinary team.

Freeman's the best shooting guard in the conference. It's as simple as that.

[VAHOYA77]

We played "footrace" for 18 minutes and finally figured out what we really needed was a street brawl ... at that pace, UConn's very ordinary FG shooting and lousy FT shooting exposed them for what they are - not that great ... Dyson is good, but they're not Reggie and the Miracles ... HOYA SAXA!

[OldHoyafan]

I loved Jeff Green's play at Georgetown but This performance by Freeman tops Jeff's because he dominated this game from the 2 guard/3 forward positions when the Hoyas really did not have an inside presense. I give monroe credit for bieng more assertive in the 2nd half,. but UConn's big men for the most part either blocked or altered most of his attempts. This team belongs to Chris Wright and Freeman. JT3 has got to tweek this offense to take advantage of these guys skills from start of game rather than in desperate, down by 20 times.,

[SirSaxa]

Jan 9, 2010 14:02:55 GMT -5 sleepy said:

Well the entire comeback isn't totally on him. That was the best defensive rotation I have seen from this team in two years. Its like they finally learned how to play.

But wait... I thought this was the same team as last year and not a single player has improved a bit? One half does not a season make.

Not quite sure how you meant that Sleepy, and generally speaking I'd agree with that statement, but not this time.

No one thinks GU can come back on anyone from 19 down because of our "slow pace".
but we put up 47 on UCONN in the second half in addition to Clamping down on D.

Back to the point though, the second half was a "season changer".
Given last year, losing a tough one to MQ on the road, then getting punked in our own house in the first half by Calhoun and bunch? Had we lost that game -- especially that way -- it would have been a really bad early season BE loss and left us at 2-2.

But, coming back the way we did... the determination, the toughness! The take no prisoners attitude, today's second half DID change our season around. Now our guys KNOW they can beat anyone, and they also know they need to come out TOUGH and READY TO PLAY.

I LOVE Bennimon. TOUGH, old time Hoya who LOVES to rebound! He is our best rebounder.
Greg had 11 boards too. Gotta play TOUGH all the time.

Lastly, Freeman finally lived up to his nickname: AWESOME!
I think we just found our new ONIONS guy!

GO HOYAS!!!

[Big Dog]

This game is a tremendous positive and reflects well on this team. Greg Monroe's inexcusable lack of effort (get on the floor to grab the loose ball! don't quit on defense!) in the first half. was terrible, though it improved dramatically in the second half--but enough already on the idea that Monroe should be our no. 1 offensive weapon--more on this in the Monroe thread). I think much of the awfulness of the first half can be explained by a first half is a simple cold spell--guys missing shots in the extreme that they will ordinarily make. (I blame Greg for the lackluster first half defense, but yes, the transition D was terrible as well).

But think of all of the positives:
1. They didn't quit.

2. Freeman is THE guy. And Wright is a nice no. 2.

3. Benimon had his best game in conference play to date. The lineup with Freeman, Clark, Thompson, Vaughn, and Benimon actually triggered a defense-led mini-run in the first half to get the Hoyas the lead at 19-18 following a Freeman 3 (before the bottom fell out). A week ago, a similar interior defensive lineup was embarrassed summarily at DePaul when Mac Koshwal had 6 quick points on dunks/layups.

4. Vaughn played his tail off and made key contributions.

5. They won! 4 straight against the Huskies!

[jagtrader]

I don't know if I've ever seen a better half from a Hoya than Freeman just produced.

The last minute was crazy, and lucky, but what a terrific win against the Big East rival I dislike the most.

[grokamok]

Thrilled. Just thrilled. Loved the effort in the second half and Benimon's contributions whenever he was in the game -- he knows how to box out better than anyone else on the team. It looks like we had only 2 second-half turnovers. Halftime pep talk must have been something along the lines of, "Do you want to be the '08/'09 Hoyas or the '09/'10 Hoyas? Play the GD game. <Explicative>!"

Refs were a bit of a puzzle, starting out with tight calls and then going soft for a while before making a bunch of ticky-tack calls again. Coul've T'd up Robinson each of his dunks for pull-ups.

Note to face-painters: UConn fans paint their faces blue & white. Seton Hall fans paint their faces blue & white. DUKE fans paint their faces blue & white. Hoya fans paint their faces blue & GRAY. Silver is an acceptable substitute.

[VAHOYA77]

Notwithstanding AWESOME's 2nd half which was COSMIC! ... this has been HIS team all season - think about the offseason work he did on that body - you know this guy WANTS IT ... opponents will have to take it away because there is NO QUIT in this young man.

[sleepy]

Jan 9, 2010 14:25:55 GMT -5 SirSaxa said:

Jan 9, 2010 14:02:55 GMT -5 sleepy said:

Well the entire comeback isn't totally on him. That was the best defensive rotation I have seen from this team in two years. Its like they finally learned how to play.

But wait... I thought this was the same team as last year and not a single player has improved a bit? One half does not a season make.

Not quite sure how you meant that Sleepy, and generally speaking I'd agree with that statement, but not this time.

No one thinks GU can come back on anyone from 19 down because of our "slow pace".
but we put up 47 on UCONN in the second half in addition to Clamping down on D.

Back to the point though, the second half was a "season changer".
Given last year, losing a tough one to MQ on the road, then getting punked in our own house in the first half by Calhoun and bunch? Had we lost that game -- especially that way -- it would have been a really bad early season BE loss and left us at 2-2.

But, coming back the way we did... the determination, the toughness! The take no prisoners attitude, today's second half DID change our season around. Now our guys KNOW they can beat anyone, and they also know they need to come out TOUGH and READY TO PLAY.

I LOVE Bennimon. TOUGH, old time Hoya who LOVES to rebound! He is our best rebounder.
Greg had 11 boards too. Gotta play TOUGH all the time.

Lastly, Freeman finally lived up to his nickname: AWESOME!
I think we just found our new ONIONS guy!

GO HOYAS!!!

I was talking about the posters saying no one on the team improved worked hard or was any different from last year, in spite of the other 13 games this season, after one bad half of basketball. Basically I was saying the overall panic, throw the season out its going to be last year, was a bit premature and ridiculous.

[Big Dog]

Jan 9, 2010 14:25:55 GMT -5 SirSaxa said:

I was talking about the posters saying no one on the team improved worked hard or was any different from last year, in spite of the other 13 games this season, after one bad half of basketball. Basically I was saying the overall panic, throw the season out its going to be last year, was a bit premature and ridiculous.

That's why its always a bad idea to start cheering or venting on the board while the game is still happening. Wait until its over people! In game minute-to-minute panic is what HoyaChat is for.

[stonehandssam]

Take that Roscoe!

[SirSaxa]

Jan 9, 2010 14:32:07 GMT -5 sleepy said:

I was talking about the posters saying no one on the team improved worked hard or was any different from last year, in spite of the other 13 games this season, after one bad half of basketball. Basically I was saying the overall panic, throw the season out its going to be last year, was a bit premature and ridiculous.

Ah. OK. In that case, agree with you 100%.

But the way our guys came out in the second half and stuck it to UCONN? Priceless. And yes, I do think it is a game changer for the rest of the season, don't you?

[FrazierFanatic]

Jan 9, 2010 14:32:07 GMT -5 sleepy said:

Jan 9, 2010 14:25:55 GMT -5 SirSaxa said:

Not quite sure how you meant that Sleepy, and generally speaking I'd agree with that statement, but not this time.

No one thinks GU can come back on anyone from 19 down because of our "slow pace".
but we put up 47 on UCONN in the second half in addition to Clamping down on D.

Back to the point though, the second half was a "season changer".
Given last year, losing a tough one to MQ on the road, then getting punked in our own house in the first half by Calhoun and bunch? Had we lost that game -- especially that way -- it would have been a really bad early season BE loss and left us at 2-2.

But, coming back the way we did... the determination, the toughness! The take no prisoners attitude, today's second half DID change our season around. Now our guys KNOW they can beat anyone, and they also know they need to come out TOUGH and READY TO PLAY.

I LOVE Bennimon. TOUGH, old time Hoya who LOVES to rebound! He is our best rebounder.
Greg had 11 boards too. Gotta play TOUGH all the time.

Lastly, Freeman finally lived up to his nickname: AWESOME!
I think we just found our new ONIONS guy!

GO HOYAS!!!

I was talking about the posters saying no one on the team improved worked hard or was any different from last year, in spite of the other 13 games this season, after one bad half of basketball. Basically I was saying the overall panic, throw the season out its going to be last year, was a bit premature and ridiculous.

Sleepy - What I said at half time was that in the first half it looked like no one had worked on anything over the summer, and that we looked like last year - which I believe were accurate statements, with a little hyperbole thrown in. We were making the same mistakes in the first half, over and over again, that killed us last year. I was, of course, thrilled to see an entirely different Hoya team after half - one that was playing incredibly better than last year. And had corrected many of the mistakes.

[hoyaalf]

I'll take the W.

I hope AF can do that again when we dont need it.

[guru]

Simply: The best win since Carolina '07.

This team can go great places. That was fun

[michaelgrahamfan]

Hubert Davis commented on ESPN after the game that Greg may not want to be the type of big man "we" want him to be. Being more comfortable at the top of the key than inside. Digger (wack job) said that could not be because he has the tools. I believe desire and capability to be a big man inside may be quite different things for Greg.

[vcjack]

AWESOME FREEMAN [clap clap clap clap]