Our Lack of a Go-To Player...

[HealyHoya]

is being blown out of proportion, in my opinion.

When the Wizards are down two, with the ball, 10 seconds left in the game, we all know who's getting the rock...Agent Zero, weirdest stud in the NBA, Gilbert Arenas. Hibatchi! Most of the time (this year) the Wiz win and we're all happy. Recently, teams have been running two guys at him to take the ball out of his hands. Why? Ummm, because he's the man and everyone in the arena knows who is going to take and most likely make that shot.

So, Georgeotwn is down two, with the ball, 10 seconds left in the game and you're the opposing coach...what do you do?

Assume Wallace takes the inbounds pass. Do you run two guys at Wallace? Not a bad idea. He's been a killer from outside and is our best three-point shooter. If you do, you're leaving Green, Sapp or Summers open on the perimeter...

Do you double-team Green? Not a bad idea. He's probably the most skilled all-around player. Can hit the three, post up, penetrate, dish. If you do, you're leaving Wallace, Sapp or Summers open.

What about Summers? you wouldn't double him and he wouldn't be my first choice (see Wallace and Green, above) but I'd feel comfortable with him taking the shot. Best natural offensive player on the team as a true freshman. If you're the defender, it would be tough to leave him to double.

What about Roy? Think about the game situation. Do you double him? Probably not because that leaves Wallace, Green, Sapp or Summers open. Do you front him? Do you allow him to post? What if he receives the pass in the post? At 7'2" you're not blocking the shot. Do you foul? Do you collapse on him after he has the ball (again, leaving Wallace, Green, Sapp or Summers open)?

So, we don't have a go-to guy? You're right, we have 3, maybe 4, of them. And that, by definition, is incredibly hard to defend against.

Wisconsin? I'm running two at Tucker and taking my chances. I know that's what I'm going to do.

Texas? I'm running two (or three or four) at Durant and taking my chances.

Florida? Who are you running at? Taurean Green or Lee Humphrey or Corey Brewer? Each of them can nail a three or penetrate? And why are you doubling one of them? Because Noah can't beat you? Sure he can. What about Horford? He'll beat you, too. He's a beast.

I honestly think our balance on offense makes us a more effective and dangerous team than having one guy who averages 23ppg and is "the man."

I see Tucker and Durant coming from a mile away. A team like Florida? That's a scary prospect to defend.

We're more like Florida than Wisconsin or Texas. We're balanced. I think we would be just fine in this situation...

[SoCalHoya]

Agree on the fact that we have 3-4 guys who are good shooters and can make the shot. The question is, can we design a "10 second" play where all 3/4 will get a look in case one is double-teamed?

[TBird41]

socalhoya said:

Agree on the fact that we have 3-4 guys who are good shooters and can make the shot. The question is, can we design a "10 second" play where all 3/4 will get a look in case one is double-teamed?

Well, I would bet JT3 already has--Nothing against DJ, but I have the feeling that the play wasn't necessarily designed for him in the Sweet 16. I would bet that at least one of Wallace/Jeff/Ashanti was an option depending on what the defense did.

[SFHoya99]

I think the issue is less a lack of a go-to player as an inability of many of our players to create under defensive pressure and time pressure.

We just simply don't have a great one on one guy. When you don't have time for the offense to develop, that can be an issue.

It's an issue. It isn't insurmountable. It isn't that serious, I don't think, b/c while we don't have that killer one on one player, our players aren't awful at it either.

[SoCalHoya]

I love watching our offense work (when it is "on"), but it is slow...

[Deleted]

sfhoya99 said:

I think the issue is less a lack of a go-to player as an inability of many of our players to create under defensive pressure and time pressure.

I think that's right, and I think that our best option there is probably Jessie Sapp (the one guy HealyHoya did not mention in his analysis). Not that Sapp's great at creating, but he's probably better than the rest.

[hoyasexy]

Great comparison between us and Florida (despite the fact that it is an invitation to Hifi). Probably not a coincidence that Florida and Georgetown are #1 and #2 in FG%.

[TBird41]

cam said:

sfhoya99 said:

I think the issue is less a lack of a go-to player as an inability of many of our players to create under defensive pressure and time pressure.

I think that's right, and I think that our best option there is probably Jessie Sapp (the one guy HealyHoya did not mention in his analysis). Not that Sapp's great at creating, but he's probably better than the rest.

Sapp demonstrated said skill against St. John's, especially that RIDICULOUS shot near the end of the half

[theexorcist]

I stink at basketball, but I did do college bowl (like Jeopardy where players buzz in solo to answer questions). At the end of certain games, some teams, upon being asked a question, would have no one buzz in, because of the fear that they'd be wrong and their team would lose (one person who drove me nuts would write the answer down and then show it to me after the other team buzzed in and got it right).

Georgetown's system compounds this fear, because there's always a desire to make one more perfect pass if you're not the alpha dog. We do not have a Jimmy Chitwood - no one will say "I'll make it". This isn't a bad thing, but if we run Hibbert as the decoy, Summers has to take and make the shot - or Summers has to be the decoy and Green has to make the shot - or Green has to be the decoy and Wallace has to make ....

Sapp has the alpha dog in him, but he reminds me of the college bowl player - usually me - who would buzz in to answer "mercury" when the answer was "Guyana". Sapp's wants to be the alpha dog, but his percentages don't seem to bear that out yet - he seems to be more emotion rather than cool, assassin-like precision.

[Dhall]

Wallace has been clutch all year and I want him to take the last shot. When we've had a lead and the opponent has been threatening to get back in the game, Wallace sinks a shot. When we're down and bordering on getting blown out, Wallace has kept it close. He also hits his free throws. He should be the go-to guy.

But I agree with the original sentiment of the first post that it's nice to have balance and keep the other coach guessing.

[Deleted]

I can honestly say that I never would have expected to see "college bowl" and "cool, assassin-like precision" in the same paragraph.

[Highsmith]

I saw this as a much bigger problem earlier in the year when it seemed that no players were willing to step up and be that go-to guy when needed. Now, we seem to have the players mentioned in this thread all willing and able to step it up if needed......at least moreso than early in the year.

[hoopsmccan]

Thanks for the analogy exorcist, but I'm still a little confused. Could you break down the situation using dungeons and dragons instead?

hm

[tal1286]

lightning bolt, lightning bolt

[theexorcist]

My basketball experience consisted of being on a team in middle school that was consistently outscored and whose cheerleaders would occasionally lead cheers against us. College bowl seemed an analogy where I could actually draw from personal experience. Plus this thread needed some levity.

And for the D&D analogy - most of the current team is like the magic-user who won't use any of his spells because "we might need them later" even as six frost giants are about to crush you. Jessie Sapp is like the fighter who tries to make called critical hits to kill the beholder with one arrow even though his THACO roll is 22.

[SirSaxa]

Another way of looking at the question posed in this thread.

Our guys are not limited to having only one player to whom to go to win a game at the end.... we have a bunch of them. You might say we have a "go to team"!

[Cambridge]

theexorcist said:

And for the D&D analogy - most of the current team is like the magic-user who won't use any of his spells because "we might need them later" even as six frost giants are about to crush you. Jessie Sapp is like the fighter who tries to make called critical hits to kill the beholder with one arrow even though his THACO roll is 22.

Post of the Year candidate.

[Fan Of The Game]

I don't know how you can forget about our best go-to option at the end of a game so soon after St. John's. What about Sead?

[lichoya68]

no one go to player but alot of go to players folks alot go hoyas beat the cardinals bad ;D

[dajuan]

I like where this board is going. At first I was going to respond with the same comments that have been covered by SFHoya and a few others regarding "the emergent" Jessie Sapp. (I think it should be mandatory to say "the emergent" before saying his name.)

Anyway, I think we saw in the Pitt game that when down 9 with 3:50 left, we absolutely needed a stop, clamped down on defense, and forced them to beat us off the dribble. Turns out Antonio Graves did beat us off the dribble for a basket.

I bring this up not to harp on the defense, it was a great move by Graves. My point is to ask, who on the Hoyas could do that? If we are trailing and we need a basket, Pitt wouldn't need to double anybody. They wouldn't have to focus on one guy; they would just have to clamp down and make someone beat them off the dribble. The emergent Jessie Sapp is the one guy that I think would drive and would get off a decent shot, but there are certainly no guarantees that he would make it.

I don't mean to get be negative, because I love this Georgetown team. But I worry about its ability to come from behind. Specifically I worry about the ability for someone to score when it is absolutely necessary. Hopefully, as this team grows someone can take on that role.