Hoyas vs. Vandy Regional Semis Pre-Game Discussion

[bubbrubbhoya]

I agree with all that this will be a different group of Commodores than we saw earlier, but clearly we are different too. I'll organize this one with numbers, as I am often wont to do.
1. Our offense has improved all season, but as Bilas tells all willing to listen, it's our defense that has really transformed since the beginning of the season. When he camps in the post, Roy simply doesn't let shorter guys get shots off down low. As for 3-pt. D, it's been incredible to see the difference; at first the Hoyas' idea of 3-pt. D was running at the shooter and wildly jumping as the shot went off, but now we get a hand in the face of almost every shot...whether we are playing the switch D or not (though I like that D). There have been some good shooting performances against us...SUcks, ND, and BC in the first half come to mind...but in my opinion these have been more due to these teams' just shooting the lights out than to our D. As long as we keep doing what we've been doing, our D should match up pretty well.
2. I like that we are going against a fast paced, running team. Despite what some people say about how our slow pace theoretically matches up better against other slow paced teams, I think that Georgetown plays phenomenally in these fast games. The first Vandy game, the ND game, and last year's Duke game show this. The JTIII oafense fits great into these games.
3. Despite 1 and 2, which make me feel good, Vandy remains a good team and, more importantly, a hot team. GU does a great job not getting psyched out even when the cards are down, but we can't let a hot team jump out on top and roll from there...especially a revenge-minded hot team. GU needs to get it going right out of the gate in this game to deflate the hopes of Vandy...in other words, put it in their minds that we owned them last time and that there no reason for them to believe that it will be any different this time. Vandy plays a different style than BC, which was (haha, past tense) more of a down and dirty, grinding style team, so an early lead should translate into better mental effects for us than it did against the Traitors.
4. If all else fails, I think GU should just score more points than Vandy. If they follow this game plan, my prediction is that they will win the game.

[GUJook97]

Honestly, call me cocky or whatever, but I don't even think this will be much of a game. I give Vandy a lot of credit for hanging in against a game WSU team, but I think it was pretty clear that WSU, and even GW, were over-seeded. And, I wouldnt even call Vandy a "hot team." They lost 3 out of their last 5, were ranked #47 in the RPI and probably were even over seeded themselves as a 6 seed. My opinion is somewhat validated by the fact that none of the ESPN anaylsts picked this as a good game or even a possible upset.

[VictorSkyPage]

mapei said:

If we get past Vandy and face UNC, it could be a particular concern. Hansbrough is very effective at drawing fouls.

sorry to threadjack but,
hopefully USC can take out UNC...

In addition to Young, Pruitt, and Gibson -- D. Hackett is playing some serious ball right now, making USC even more formidable

[GUJook97]

Yeh, I think USC could really give UNC a game. The team that will beat UNC is one that is well-coached and disciplined. Floyd did a great job with USC against Arkansas and Texas.

[Big Dog]

The omnipresent Seth Davis picks the Hoyas to win two in East Rutherford:

Video Link

[Hoya50]

i'll be the biggest usc homer on the planet on friday. i want the hoyas to play a weaker team and there'll many more tix available for the game on sunday.

[hoyatmf]

wait seth davis picked us to come out of the east? the same seth davis that said we were the biggest potential bust in october/november? i just want to make sure i'm right about this before i lay into this guy. the more i think about it-this year it's national title or bust! i will be proud of this team whatever they do, but i will only be "satisfied" with a title. and i can't wait to hear "expert" analysis from gottlieb and the clowns at the washington post. ok. rant over ... it's our time. go hoyas!!!!!!!!

[Big Dog]

hoyatmf said:

wait seth davis picked us to come out of the east? the same seth davis that said we were the biggest potential bust in october/november? i just want to make sure i'm right about this before i lay into this guy. the more i think about it-this year it's national title or bust! i will be proud of this team whatever they do, but i will only be "satisfied" with a title. and i can't wait to hear "expert" analysis from gottlieb and the clowns at the washington post. ok. rant over ... it's our time. go hoyas!!!!!!!!

Give Davis credit. He used the Gottleib line about having doubts about our guards early in the year, and he is now willing to change his mind. In fact, he admitted on the video being totally wrong about Ewing, Jr. There's always room on the Bandwagon for people who undergo a change of heart.

[kchoya]

Uh oh, I think we may be in trouble on Friday:

deadspin.com/sports/college-basketball/finally-a-use-for-a-vanderbilt-center-245356.php

(I don't even know if this guy is playing or not)

[bubbrubbhoya]

Lots of potential jinx material on this page. This post is expressly for the purpose of exorcising said material.

[757hoyafan]

I would love to have Egerson for this game, like we did the last time.

[PopeJohn2]

wallace - gordon
sapp/rivers - cage
green/ewing - byars
summers/ewing - foster
hibbert - neltner/skuchas

vandy plays 9.
wallace has got to play all 40 for his offense.
byars and foster will have some tall people to shoot over! this may be the key.
we got to stay in their face and switch on the screens immediately. anticipate the screen.
gordon is a solid pg. cage is solid too.
damn, howd all these guys get so good at shooting?

[idhoya]

George Drake played big for them last game, so look for him to get major run. 6'8 PF from Calera, AL.

[1984alloveragain]

We don't have Edge for this game vs. the dore's, but last time against them, we didn't have Crawford, who started the game before (opening day). I think this is a game Crawford can get a good burn in, and be a nice wildcard for us on both ends of the floor.

[vcjack]

1984alloveragain said:

We don't have Edge for this game vs. the dore's, but last time against them, we didn't have Crawford, who started the game before (opening day). I think this is a game Crawford can get a good burn in, and be a nice wildcard for us on both ends of the floor.

We also didn't have Pat, Dajuan, or Jeremiah playing anywhere near what they have shown since, and if I remember correctly Jeff wasn't much of a presence either (although not as much as in the next game that still brings back bad memories)

It will be a battle but we can win

[Locker]

Jeff played awesome in the second half of the game in Nashville. Completely dominant.

[DrumsGoBang]

Minor advantage - we are playing in a Big East arena and have played games there this season.

[Locker]

Also, regarding the first game, remember that, from about the midway point of the first half on, we played without Green and Hibbert, who were in foul trouble. They logged only 23 and 22 minutes, respectively.

[ColumbiaHeightsHoya]

I would like to see one game where both Jeff & Roy don't get in any foul trouble. Skuchas got in foul trouble in our first match-up I think. If those two don't get into foul trouble, we dominate. The past few games they get in foul trouble, we hold on through the first half, and then kick it in. With a good shooting team, you just want to drop 'em right out of the gates.

[kchoya]

The real reason we beat Belmont:

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/17/AR2007031701433.html?nav=rss_email/components

Maybe they'll ship Vandy up to the Hotel Syracuse for the weekend.