calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 14, 2020 13:35:12 GMT -5
I think he can be a real positive for the team if he plays confidently and can avoid TOs. It gives us 3 perimeter shooters when J Harris is in the game and 4 when D Harris is playing. Also would enable the Hoyas to use Bile with either Wahab or Tim without surrendering too much offense.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 14, 2020 10:35:26 GMT -5
There have been lots of comments about Qudus not passing out of the double-teams and how that has been costing the team. So, let's give credit when it is due. This Berger highlight starts with Q smartly passing out of the triple-team that is coming. Absolutely good catch. Wahab deserves much credit here for making the quick decision to kick out and the ball movement produced a wide open 3. This should become a routine part of the offense. Hoyas actually have enough shooters if given an open look and could be a very difficult team to defend.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 14, 2020 8:56:01 GMT -5
Honestly happy with any win right now. Much to like and dislike about yesterday. After the Nova game wanted more D Harris and an opportunity for a pure shooter like Berger to get in the game when trailing. Got both and will happily take the growing pains. More opportunity for Sibley which will help in the later part of the season. Still see a significant role for J. Harris and now that minutes will be limited, maybe he can settle into a role that will help against pressure defense. Neither Blair nor Carey can provide adequate ball-handling against St. John's type pressure. Happy to see the team win when Pickett was largely taken out of the game and Blair had another very inconsistent performance. Also happy to see what Carey can bring to the table offensively and think that this will be a big boost in his confidence. Wahab making shots is critical if we are going to continue to force the ball inside as a central part of the offense. Finally, happy to see Ewing employ pressure defense at the end and also see that it worked against a decent ball-handling team. Also worked last year when Hoyas had no bench.
On the flip side--defense. If St. John's was a better shooting team this would have been a double digit loss. Although the in-bounds play with .9 seconds took years off my life, it is really only one more example of the failure of recent Hoya teams on the defensive side of the ball. Wahab's blocked shots are a very nice stat that really reflects his physical attributes and not some grasp of how to play defense. As he chased the blocks the team was left with undersized players like Bile and Carey trying to rebound. With Pickett playing further from the basket to try and defend against the 3, Wahab has to stay home more. Tim I is just not ready--and when coach has him paired with Bile there is literally no offense on the inside. Still have not given up on Bile as you can see that he is athletic and active, but if he cannot settle down and play within the system, rather than forcing shots, he needs to sit and let Sibley ad Clarke develop. Looking forward to a week off and seeing what the coach does next with what he has learned from the last few games.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 13, 2020 21:44:26 GMT -5
What a shock—this team cannot defend an inbounds pass with under a second! What a disgrace the lack of defense has become.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 13, 2020 8:38:24 GMT -5
Our Hoyas need to find a way to get some FT attempts. Hard to win when the opponent is getting 5-10 more free points at the FT line Hard to get to the line when you don’t have players who can drive to the basket and force contact. Mac was good at this and took it to the rim without fear of mixing it up. By the way, this also led to injuries. For example with Blair, you are not drawing fouls if you finish your drives with floaters and not at the rim. So true. This year's team is unlikely to see the FT line much at all unless it develops more of an attacking style. Perhaps the two Harris kids can do that, but thus far it seems the only players to draw fouls have been the two posts. Blair can expect more of the tight in your face defense he saw from Nova. Right now it is not hard to figure where the offense is coming from. Guard Blair closely, try to matchup with Pickett, double the post and take your chances with everyone else. Time for the senior transfers to step up. Carey needs to become a factor. More control from Harris and Bile or else use a very short leash and give freshmen the chance to learn. Wahab needs to become a more consistent threat and when doubled he needs to kick the ball out. Entry passes to either post seem to bring the flow of the offense to a complete halt as everyone watches while the posts tend to hold the ball while trying to make the same back to the basket move--a baby hook shot that goes in a little more than half the time. It was so much more enjoyable at the end of last year watching the ball movement on offense and seeing players functioning as if they were a coordinated unit. Cannot overstate the value of Mosley and Allen to that team. Expect the team to struggle mightily today on defense--what's new--particularly with the pace that St. Johns will try to impose.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 12, 2020 16:04:21 GMT -5
Much better St. John’s than last year even without Figueroa. Tend to be inconsistent for stretches but still more depth and better suited to their coach’s style of play.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 12, 2020 8:15:09 GMT -5
After another gut-wrenching loss, and the depression that comes with each, I am still struggling to focus on that silver lining that this team showed it can play a very good half against an overrated Nova team that was missing a couple of rotation players.
Happy with Pickett's play on both ends, though I fully expect some will find fault.
Wright showed his coaching skills in playing Blair tight throughout to make certain he had few, if any, open looks.
Senior transfers--two are often out of control and the third often invisible. Still have hope that Bile will adapt to the flow of the game and not force it, but Ewing needs a much shorter leash on Harris, who should not be allowed to have such long stretches of imploding before taken out and calmed down. When your PG cannot shoot and cannot play defense any ball distribution is of much less value. Other teams are already playing 5 on 4 when we are on offense. Carey--the stroke is there, but not enough open shots and the defense is spotty at best. Has to contribute more to justify his minutes. Still seems lost in this offense.
Freshmen--willing to take all the growing pains with D Harris and don't mind as much the mental errors if he is gaining experience. Hell we watched McClung and Akinjo kill the team with mistakes as they developed as Freshmen and never get pulled. Put D. Harris in at least as much as the senior Harris. He is short and not a great defender, but his confidence is growing and he is a threat to score--or at least shoot. Happy to see Sibley get some time against a quality opponent--he will get more comfortable out there. Need to see what Clarke can bring. Berger? Shooter on the bench cannot help in games when you are trying to catch up. Maybe try and see if he can help for short stretches and get a few open looks. This team needs shooters. If the freshmen don't play we are starting over again next year--I am sick of Groundhog Day seasons.
Posts--where is the development? Some growth on defense. Both have nice strokes at the FT line, but in the flow of the game each has exactly one move. Shooting around 50% from 3 feet is not going to cut it. Wahab with only 2 fouls but only 5 rebounds--same as Bile, half of Pickett. Playing for one of the greatest posts of all time (though he was much more athletic and mostly a defensive specialist to begin with), I expected more development by now.
Ewing--Same old mixed bag. First half--this guy can coach. Second half--can this guy coach? Not blaming him for lack of effort in trying to stem the collapse and certainly not yet ready to give up hope, but again question the use of the PG and the seeming inability to run plays to counter Nova and get some open shots for Blair and Pickett or to find a way to get Carey into the offense. Coach has to find a way to stop the bleeding--and no it does not matter that there is a lack of talent on the team. He recruited the team and there was enough talent to go head to head with WVU and Nova for 30 minutes, so that excuse needs to be forgotten.
Sunday against an improved St. Johns and memories of one of last season's collapses.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 11, 2020 21:07:25 GMT -5
Damn, lost my computer feed. You missed nothing. It was a rerun of what you have seen before—many times. Very disappointing at every level. None of the 3 transfers is justifying the playing time. Trying to understand the coach’s choice at PG. Still not buying the hype about Wahab as he has a very limited game—very raw.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 11, 2020 9:58:42 GMT -5
It's really difficult to follow Georgetown women's basketball with the comparatively little effort GU puts in to promoting them and the lack of fan base they engender. In no particular order: - The team had six transfers from last season, six. Not a single press release announced when any or all had left.
- There is no schedule posted on GUHoyas.com. Not even a list of games postponed. None: guhoyas.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule
- Just five team-specific press releases have been posted since March.
- Georgetown is consistently last or next to last in the Big East in attendance in each of the last three seasons and games aren't well promoted. Last season's teams averaged 494 a game.
- If you think Patrick Ewing is keeping a low profile with his record, see James Howard. He's coming off a 5-25 season. His three year record is 40-57, no NCAA appearances.
Women's basketball is the second largest budget in the athletic department, $3.1 million, even above football. It deserves more coverage, but with coverage comes attention, and Georgetown is not a place that pushes for attention. Is that six confirmed transfers to other programs, or 6 players not on the roster that would have been expected? I heard from someone connected to the team that several team members decided to sit out the season do to COVID concerns. Yes the Women's team has been a disaster under Howard. Time for a reset.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 10, 2020 15:28:09 GMT -5
The mistake was in recruiting both and then trying to turn McClung into the shooting guard. I always thought that they should not be on the floor together but then that would have been another point of conflict. Hopefully, the coaching staff learned something about recruiting for chemistry and not just talent. You could see a less talented group with Blair, Allen and Mosley produce a better quality of basketball than the McClung, Akinjo, Mosley trio, after the transfer/injury. They functioned more as a unit than any group we have seen since Ewing arrived. Even though Blair can shoot you into and out of games, as well, he was more committed to defense, than McClung. Allen was a better distributor than Akinjo. Mosley was the heart of the team in ways that were not as evident when saddled with the game-by-game competition between the two younger guards. I think that much of this is due to maturity and would not be surprised if both McClung and Akinjo do not evolve into less selfish and more complete players. If they don't then college will be the pinnacle of their careers.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 10, 2020 12:50:14 GMT -5
I think the only way we are going to beat top teams this year is to shoot the 3 well. We can’t trade 3s for 2s with Nova like we have tried in recent years. I think this is a game where Q needs to be limited (despite playing well against them last year), and we play a smaller lineup for longer stretches. Agreed. We also can’t foul like crazy. Nova is great at playing scrappy, hard drives and forcing teams to foul. We need to play smart, move our feet on defense and hopefully our rim protectors can step in and help. Think we are going to see a steady dose of Bile as a defender and rebounder for the Hoyas. If he can hit a couple of threes...that won’t hurt either. Hopefully the rim protectors will allow the Hoyas to extend their perimeter defense either in man or zone to guard against the 3 point shot.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 9, 2020 13:06:54 GMT -5
If the Hoyas do not play better perimeter defense or cut their TOs by at least 10 this will be a very ugly game.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 8, 2020 21:17:53 GMT -5
Outstanding game for Pickett. Very sloppy performance by Blair. Got to get Wahab to pass out of the double team. Like the shorter lineup but this team needs much more from the three transfers. Each has flashed a skill, but none has shown he’s ready to perform the role he’s been given in this offense. Where was Tim I? Nice to see Sibley get some time. Berger showed more than expected. Dante Harris not lacking for confidence but really needs to distribute more. Holloway did not get much of a chance. When the ball moves we have an offense. When it doesn’t we have a pickup game. Still no semblance of a perimeter defense as Coppin St. missed so many open shots—that will not happen on Friday.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 8, 2020 7:41:46 GMT -5
Players get better by actually playing in games. There are things you just can’t simulate in practice. You sit the freshman, you pay for it later. We are giving a ton of minutes to grad transfers who we’ve rented for a year at the expense of four-year players. These aren’t easy decisions as you want to win games, but they do impact players arcs, attitudes and team chemistry. Yes it is very worrisome. As one of the few who wanted to see evidence of improvement/development this year as a measure of Ewing's coaching chops, it will be virtually impossible to know anything if the rotation stays tight and is dependent upon 5 seniors, 2 sophomores and a freshman. Even if this is to be a lost year record-wise, there has to be some development going on or else we are locked in a cycle of starting over each year. In this new era of college basketball, kids who sit, can easily transfer. Whose to say what the impact of a "redshirt" season will be on players not getting significant time. Still early and I understand that the coach wants to win now, so let's play it out a little longer. But if a kid cannot get playing time against UMBC, Navy or Coppin State, it is going to be difficult to see it coming against the BE--unless it is in garbage time.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 7, 2020 12:33:09 GMT -5
It's Hoya PTSD. With everything that has happened to this program in recent years, including the chaos of last year that did not end until McClung's surprise move this summer, who can blame anyone for being paranoid. Not a comment on Ewing, Sibley or anyone playing ahead of him, but when the highest ranked recruit comes in and cannot get a minute of playing time in pre-conference games on a team that is clearly "rebuilding," it is going to make people nervous and fuel the speculation.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 7, 2020 12:27:32 GMT -5
Just a few musings from a guys who follows, but doesn't post all that much. I too am happy to see that the kids gave everything they had yesterday against WVU. They played hard on offense and defense...by and large one of the better defensive efforts I have seen in awhile. Tough on the boards and blocking shots. But the offensive talent is just so limited. Not a single all around player who can shoot , pass and has a legit handle. Bigs who cannot catch the ball or shoot beyond 5 feet. Wings who really cannot create their own shot. Hopefully we will steal a few wins with great effort combined with other teams looking past us. Regarding coaching, I have supported PE from day one. But Hard for me to say he is anything but a mediocre coach, based not only on the results, but the fact that I have rarely seen great in game adjustments, especially in the crucial final minutes of games. Anyway...the fact that the loss actually felt satisfying, is a bit weird...but think I need to get used to it..at least for the time being. There was a time when no Hoya fan would have been satisfied, even happy in several instances, with a good effort against a nationally ranked opponent on our home court. Yet, here we are, relieved that it was not a blowout loss, happy the team played hard and searching desperately for reasons to be positive. It is the state of the program.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 7, 2020 8:19:39 GMT -5
We had the individual talent to compete at a high level at the beginning of last season. Player retention is important. It’s hard to ask role players to step up and become stars. Yes agree with these comments, but would add that what has yet to be determined is whether Ewing can combine talent with on court chemistry. While his recruiting has been inconsistent, he has found talent. Yet, questions arise as to how he has used that talent and whether he can develop it into a cohesive unit. His decision to give McClung and Akinjo the green light during their time in the program totally disrupted the on-court chemistry. But for the transfers and injuries, Allen and Blair were afterthoughts during games and Mosley and Pickett were on the floor but more as bystanders. Still wanting to see if the transformation last year from "me" to "we" was only by necessity or part of what will be come Ewing's coaching mantra.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 6, 2020 21:45:19 GMT -5
Much improved in the effort department. At least this loss showed progress unlike the Navy game. The PG position is clearly going to be an issue all year. Neither Harris is a complete player and J Harris simply must play under control if the Hoyas are going to have a chance. His Harris counterpart needs to have some shots fall for other teams to respect him on the offensive end. If Carey isn’t getting some shots his value is greatly diminished as he is clearly not a PG and not great on defense. Blair is streaky but like Pickett needs to settle down a little and not chuck up some wild shots which can take the Hoyas out of their game. Pickett has been defending and rebounding well, but still would prefer him at the 3 and not the 4. Too sleight to play against the bigger posts. Bile? Still not sure what he brings. Seems pretty undisciplined for a senior but willing to see if he settles down and into his role. Flashes rebounding and aggressiveness but questionable decision making. Neither post has impressed me on the offensive end but both showed their value as rim protectors today. So far, Ewing’s substitutions are not a good reflection on this recruiting class. For a team that suffers from poor shooting, apparently none of the Freshmen can solve that problem. Are we to assume that Clark, Holloway, Berger and Sibley will have no role this year? Liked Ewing’s use of timeouts today and clearly had this team prepared. Maybe I am grasping at air but today gave me some hope that this team can improve if it can only find some shooters.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 5, 2020 17:23:10 GMT -5
His comment to the media supposedly referenced a difference between the Hoyas and the Raiders as being that on his current team guys hang out together which was not the case at Georgetown. Considering that the rest of his recruiting class had gone by season’s end I assume that his reference was to the entire team and not just his fellow recruiting class. In any event good luck to him. He was an exciting player to watch and he brought attention to the program. Wish he had stayed but better to have the kids who want to be here. Will say that down the stretch he was the biggest cheerleader on the bench when out with his injury. Stark contrast to the pouting from others.
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calhoya
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Post by calhoya on Dec 4, 2020 15:48:02 GMT -5
Me too. Loved those kids, their heart and their effort. Made me feel that perhaps Ewing is the right coach, after all. Particularly watching them play team ball, seemingly unconcerned with who was the hero and who took how many shots. The 2nd half collapse in the BE tourney caused some doubt that maybe this hope was not warranted. Then came the recruiting misses, signing a series of unheralded prospects with assurances that they are all vastly underrated, with athleticism that will provide the style of play that the coach wants to implement. COVID hits and all hell breaks loose --limited practice time, 9 new players, no fans (well that is unfortunately something the Hoyas have been getting used to) and a delayed schedule all added to my confusion as to what to expect. Still we had promises of a cohesive team, without massive egos and with a chip on its shoulder to prove to all the doubters that this program is still worth investing the time, money and emotion in supporting. Not a good start at all and for reasons that have little to do with practice time. Effort, intensity, team ball--all lacking after two games. Team and coaches seem overmatched against the quality of opposition they will face. Some here have written them off already and I certainly understand why. I can't and still hope, perhaps irrationally, that the posts will suddenly evolve into much more complete players, the ball movement from last season can return, the intensity will return and while defeats are almost guaranteed, it will not be because the team played without heart or effort. I want this coach to justify the accolades given him when he was recruited for the job by the Administration and seize the opportunity he still has to restore some pride to a program that has become irrelevant to all but a handful of us. I want that, but my doubts are growing and it seems unfair to take shots at any fans here who look at the situation and see no hope without yet another change in leadership. It is too early to write them off after 2 games. You have experienced players but in expanded roles. That is an adjustment. You have experienced but new faces on the roster who have to find their role on the team. Then you got the freshmen. I don't know what the restrictions are for practice due to COVID, but even without it....the team would still need time to jell. You can't do all of that even in practice. You also need live action to do it. On top of that, if we aren't a talented team and we haven't jelled, the outcome might be ugly. We all know what happened last year with the transfers. The magnitude of those departures was too great to overcome a program like ours trying to get back on its feet. Maybe at Kentucky or Duke were they just reload every year, but not us. Ewing doesn't have to justify anything. He just has to win games. People get hired with the hope they succeed. There is no guarantee. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Perhaps the word "justify" sent the wrong message. Ewing was a major risk hire. No prior college coaching experience. No head coaching experience at any level. No experience recruiting high school kids. Then given a salary higher than or equivalent to that of many more successful and experienced coaches. Ewing should not be evaluated on the basis of his play on the court or his commitment to the school. He should be judged based upon the results as a coach. As you say there are no guarantees.
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