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Georgetown Basketball: December 2006 News Archive

Georgetown 67, Michigan 51 12/31/06

Roy Hibbert scored 14 points as Georgetown used a team effort in a convincing 67-51 win at Michigan, its first non-conference loss at home in 14 games, dating to the 2005-06 season. According to the Detroit News link below, the announced attendance was the largest at a Michigan home game since 2001.

The Wolverines (13-3) led for all of 51 seconds to open the game, but Georgetown led thereafter. Despite some early setbacks for Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert scoring down low, the Hoyas set the pace of the game and forced Michigan into a number of poor offensive sets. In the first ten minutes of the half, with the Hoyas leading 14-6, Michigan missed 9 of 12 field goal attempts.

Neither team set itself apart for much of the half, as defensive pressure intensified on both sides of the ball. The Wolverines could not close the lead from outside, missing seven straight three point attempts, but Georgetown reciprocated, missing six of its nine first half attempts. The Hoyas' largest lead of the half was 11 with 1:57 to play, but Michigan worked its way back into the game at the end of the half, capitalizing on consecutive GU turnovers and hitting their lone three of the half with five seconds to play to close to six at 31-25.

The game may have been decided in the early moments of the second half, when Georgetown simply outplayed Michigan when it counted. Jonathan Wallace opened the half with a three pointer, but Michigan turned it over on its first possession. Georgetown's scored four consecutive field goals, all by assist, while the Wolverines went 0 for 4 with three misses from outside. A three pointer by Jeff Green with 17:05 to play increased the lead to 42-25, an 11-0 run.

Michigan closed to 48-39, but any hopes for a comeback faded following a Patrick Ewing Jr. free throw and a jumper from Hibbert, off a Michigan turnover, that extended the lead back to 51-39. After a Michigan score, Hibbert scored, was fouled and converted the free throw, extending the lead to 13 at 54-41, and the outcome was no longer in doubt. Green's second three extended the lead to 16 with 4:33 left, and the Hoya defense never let Michigan get any closer--not an easy task when teams tend to bring in reserves or otherwise let up late.

"Georgetown's backcourt really did make the difference today," said Michigan coach Tommy Amaker. "They came out with an early lead and dictated the tempo a little bit. I thought they played exceptionally well on both ends. They really are a load up front and they cause you to worry about that early on in a game."

There were a number of positive signs for the Hoyas entering the conference schedule. Though Jeff Green struggled early (0-7 at one point), he picked up two three pointers at critical times of the second half, and his defensive intensity remained strong. Roy Hibbert turned in another strong game, while Jon Wallace and Marc Egerson turned in underrated efforts on both sides of the ball, combining for 23 points and 10 rebounds.

Michigan's three point shooting simply failed them Saturday, shooting 1-8 in each half. One had the sense that any hot hand from outside could have spurred the Wolverines to make a run, but the run never materialized. The Georgetown stat of the game was assists, as Georgetown posted assists on 18 of its 23 field goals.

"A couple of weeks ago, we might not have gotten this win," said Georgetown coach John Thompson III. "It was great that we came here and played a team like this and got the win without the home court advantage."

The Big East season begins next Saturday against Notre Dame, winners of an unexpected 10 straight. "We have to be ready to begin conference play," Thompson added. "We don't have a choice but to be ready."

The Georgetown half of the box score follows below.


         MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:                                 
Wallace   31   2-3   2-3   2-2   3  2   4   12
Sapp      30   1-3   0-2   0-0   2  2   1    2
Summers   22   1-1   1-2   1-1   2  1   1    6
Green     23   1-6   2-3   2-2   4  4   4   10
Hibbert   32   6-8   0-0   2-5   4  3   2   14
Reserves:
Macklin    6   3-4   0-0   0-0   0  0   1    6
Izzo       1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0  0   0    0
Rivers     6   0-0   0-0   0-0   0  1   1    0
Crawford  13   0-1   1-3   0-0   2  0   2    3
Spann      1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0  0   1    0
Ewing     10   0-0   0-0   3-4   2  2   2    3
Egerson   24   2-3   1-2   4-4   7  3   0   11
Dizdarevic 1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0  0   0    0
Team Rebounds                    3
TOTALS   200 16-29   7-15 14-18 29 18  19   67

Post game links:

Hoyas Get First Win In Michigan 12/30/06

In six previous games in the state of Michigan, Georgetown had not won a game to date until today's win. Of the previous six losses, four were in the last week of December at the 1953 and 1962 Motor City Tournaments, played in Detroit.

Date Score Opponent
1/22/52 L 74 - 80 at Detroit
12/28/53 L 66 - 72 vs Detroit
12/29/53 L 48 - 62 vs Wayne State
12/28/62 L 82 - 103 vs Detroit
12/29/62 L 77 - 85 vs Western Michigan
2/3/79 L 71 - 91 at Detroit
12/30/06 W 67 - 51 at Michigan
 
Mid-Season Statistical Review 12/26/06

Here are the current player totals for minutes, points, rebounds, and assists per game:

Player Mins Points Rebounds Assists
Green 31.5 11.8 6.6 3.4
Hibbert 24.3 11.8 6.6 1.0
Wallace 29.7 11.1 2.3 3.4
Sapp 31.0 9.5 3.6 3.2
Summers 19.5 7.9 2.4 0.3
Egerson 24.1 7.3 3.8 0.8
Crawford 14.5 4.6 3.3 0.5
Macklin 12.6 3.6 1.5 0.7
Ewing 8.6 2.7 1.5 0.3
Rivers 12.4 1.9 1.4 0.8
Izzo 1.4 0.2 0.2 0.0
Spann 2.4 0.0 0.4 0.0
Dizdarevic 1.5 0.0 0.3 0.0
Total 69.4 34.1 14.3
 
Here's how GU ranks among 16 Big East schools in each category:
  2006-07 2005-06
Scoring 13th 13th
Scoring Defense 3rd 1st
Field Goal % 1st 2nd
Three Point % 9th 6th
Free Throw % 9th 9th
Rebounds 15th 15th
Rebound Margin 5th 4th
Assists 12th 5th
Steals 16th 12th
Blocks 4th 11th
 
Efficiency Ratings 12/26/06

How did individual players fare this season? One efficiency measurement is points per field goal attempt:

  2006-07 2005-06 2004-05
Macklin 1.71 NA NA
Hibbert 1.70 1.85 1.17
Ewing 1.58 NA NA
Green 1.61 1.17 1.65
Summers 1.48 NA NA
Wallace 1.37 1.15 1.17
Egerson 1.32 1.22 NA
Crawford 1.19 0.62 1.19
Sapp 1.16 0.99 NA
Rivers 1.13 NA NA
Izzo 1.00 1.00 1.00
Dizdarevic 0.00 0.80 0.82
Spann 0.00 1.10 NA

A more detailed statistic is points per possession (PPP), defined as the sum of total shots - offensive rebounds + possessions that end in a turnover. The ratings follow below:

  2006-07 2005-06 2004-05
Hibbert 2.04 1.52 1.16
Macklin 1.64 NA NA
Ewing 1.50 NA NA
Egerson 1.36 1.03 0.97
Green 1.35 1.22 1.70
Summers 1.25 NA NA
Sapp 1.10 1.01 NA
Crawford 1.09 0.57 1.19
Wallace 1.06 1.30 0.95
Rivers 0.89 NA NA
Izzo 0.50 1.00 1.00
Spann 0.00 1.22 NA
Dizdarevic 0.00 0.80 0.82

Overall, the 2004-05 Hoyas are averaging 1.34 points per possession, up slightly from its 1.32 non-conference mark in 2005-06.

The Hoyas' record in the John Thompson III era has a strong correlation to its points per possession record versus that of its opponents. In games where it had a higher points per possession total, Georgetown is 41-1 through the 2005-06 season. In games where it trailed on points per possession, Georgetown is 1-22. This season, the model has held true to form: the Hoyas are 9-0 when it has a higher PPP, 0-3 when it trails.

Opponent Score Hoyas Opp. Diff.
Hartford 69-59 1.33 0.98 +0.35
at Vanderbilt 86-70 1.41 1.21 +0.20
Old Dominion 62-75 1.15 1.56 (0.41)
at Fairfield 73-60 1.55 1.28 +0.27
Ball St. 69-54 1.25 1.00 +0.25
Oregon 50-57 1.00 1.08 (0.08)
at Duke 52-61 1.13 1.24 (0.11)
J. Madison 89-53 1.75 1.00 +0.75
O. Roberts 73-58 1.28 0.98 +0.30
Winston-Salem St. 46-32 1.58 0.60 +0.98
Towson 69-41 1.33 0.82 +0.51
Navy 65-44 1.41 0.79 +0.62
 
Georgetown 65, Navy 44 12/24/06

Jeff Green's season high 20 points paced Georgetown to a 65-44 win over the U.S. Naval Academy in a turnover filled game at Verizon Center.

Navy entered the game with a 45% shooting mark and 39% from three point range. Both failed them early and often in the game. Georgetown opened with a 7-0 run to begin the game, and Navy scored just one field goal in the first 11 minutes of the half. Free throws kept the Mids close at 11-6, but following a Marc Egerson three pointer, the Hoyas extended the lead to eight and kept it there much of the half.

With starting guards Jonathan Wallace and Jessie Sapp each picking up early fouls, it was up to Jeff Green to step up. Green had 12 first half points as the Hoyas took a 33-23 halftime lead. The two teams struggled from outside, combining for 19 misses in 23 attempts and contributing 16 first half turnovers.

The second half appeared to a curtain call for the sloppy play exhibited in the first, with another 16 turnovers between the teams. georgetown was able to move the ball inside with more success, with a number of players seeing scoring opportunities. Georgetown recovered to shoot 50 percent in a half where the Hoyas were never really threatened, but never got a run to put the Midshipmen away for good. Navy closed to 11 midway in the half but the lead fluctuated at around 15 points until the later stages of the game.

Georgetown's defense did a good job controlling Navy's efforts to score deep. Both teams had comparable two point shooting stats but the Midshipmen were simply unable to take advantage outside. Had navy had any spark from outside, this would have been a very tight game. In the end, however, Georgetown used its height (a +23 in rebound advantage) and free throw shooting (23-27) to pull away.

The Georgetown half of the box score follows below. 


         MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:                                 
Wallace   18   1-5   0-1   2-2   1  5   2    4
Sapp      33   0-1   2-5   2-2   5  3   2    6
Summers   17   0-1   0-4   6-6   5  0   4    8
Green     38   8-11  0-1   4-5   9  1   1   20
Hibbert   25   4-6   0-0   7-8   7  0   3   15
Reserves:
Macklin   12   0-0   0-0   0-0   0  0   0    0
Rivers     1   0-0   0-0   0-0   1  0   0    0
Crawford  24   1-1   0-3   1-2   3  0   0    3
Spann      1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0  0   0    0
Ewing      4   0-1   1-1   0-0   3  0   2    3
Egerson   27   1-2   1-1   1-2   4  2   2    6
DNP: Izzo, Dizdarevic
Team Rebounds                    3
TOTALS   200 15-28   4-16 23-27 41 11  16   65

Post-game links follow below.

Chris Wright Q&A 12/22/06

Georgetown recruit Chris Wright recently talked with Slam Magazine about his recruitment to join the Hoyas next season.

"I felt comfortable with the team and felt we could win a championship my freshman year," Wright said. "[Coach Thompson] didn't promise me anything, but he said I have a very good chance to play big minutes as a freshman. I don't know if I'm gonna start, but if I don't, I know I'll contribute."

Wright maintains a 3.48 grade average and has qualified under NCAA rules, according to the article.

Georgetown 69, Towson 41 12/20/06 10:30 pm

Dajuan Summers scored a career high 18 points as Georgetown defeated Towson 69-41 before 5,654 at Verizon Center Wednesday.

The game started reasonably close, thanks to some early Towson three point shooting. Georgetown led by five, 14-9, when Roy Hibbert went to the bench with his second foul at the 9:50 mark. Instead of retreating, the offense went into full attack mode, where a Jonathan Wallace three and a Jeff Green layup extended the lead to 19-13. Towson closed to 19-17, but the Hoyas answered with three threes over the next 1:52, and led by eight at the half, 36-28. Wallace ended the half with four threes and 12 points.

Georgetown went inside to open the second half, jumping out to a 38-29 lead and never looking back. Threes by Summers and Patrick Ewing Jr. extended the lead to 46-33, followed by layups by Jessie Sapp and Vernon Macklin to increase the lead to 50-33. A three pointer by Gary Neal at the 10:37 mark saw Towson close to 50-36 with 10:37, but he did not score for the next 8:58. The problem was, neither did the Tigers, who scored only one basket over that same period, as Georgetown outscored Towson 13-2 over that nine minute span.

Neal turned in a strong effort for the Tigers: 7 for 13 from the field, 7 for 9 from three, and 26 points, 17 in the first half. The problem was the rest of the Towson offense was non-existent, combining for 5 for 33 shooting, 1 for 13 from 3, and 15 points overall. The Tigers shot 6 for 23 in each half, and connected on just 8 of 22 three point shots overall, seven from Neal. By contrast, Georgetown's shooting was stellar: 60 percent from two point range, 57 percent from three.

Summers and Wallace were stars for the Hoya starting five, stepping up when Roy Hibbert's time was limited by fouls. Off the bench, Patrick Ewing Jr. (9 minutes, 6 points) played well, and Tyler Crawford (6 points, 3 rebounds) continues his return following his November illness. Georgetown's free throws (3 for 8) and turnovers (16) were the only groaners on the stat sheet, but final exams have a way of distracting a team in such matters.

The Georgetown half of the box score follows below. 


         MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:                                 
Wallace   31   1-1   4-4   0-0   2  4   1   14
Sapp      28   1-2   0-3   0-0   3  0   1    2
Summers   25   3-3   4-6   0-0   5  2   2   18
Green     35   4-7   1-1   1-4   6  5   0   12
Hibbert   17   3-6   0-0   0-0   5  1   4    6
Reserves:
Macklin   17   2-3   0-0   1-2   4  0   0    5
Izzo       1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0  0   0    0
Rivers     4   0-0   0-2   0-0   0  0   1    0
Crawford  16   0-0   2-3   0-0   3  4   2    6
Spann      3   0-0   0-0   0-0   0  0   0    0
Ewing      9   1-2   1-1   1-2   2  0   0    6
Egerson   13   0-1   0-1   0-0   3  0   4    0
Dizdarevic 1   0-0   0-0   0-0   2  0   0    0
DNP: Rivers
Team Rebounds                    1
TOTALS   200 15-25  12-21  3-8  36 16  15   69

Post game links follow below.

NBA: Iverson Traded To Denver 12/20/06

The 11 year career of seven time NBA All-Star guard Allen Iverson (ex '98) in Philadelphia has ended with a Tuesday trade that sent Iverson to the Denver Nuggets for Andre Miller, Joe Smith and a pair or 2007 first-round draft picks.

"I'd like to thank Allen for the 11 years," said 76ers president Billy King said in this link to the Philadelphia Daily News. "I think he gave us all great excitement, getting to the Finals, being MVP, being in the All-Star game. I think he's one of the greatest players ever to play the game, and from the organization, I thank him for everything he's done for us."

"We haven't won a championship [since 1983], and I think we were a long way from winning a championship, even with Allen," team chairman Ed Snider said. "It was time for us to take a deep breath and say we've got to move in a different direction."

Iverson will now be paired with former Syracuse forward Carmelo Anthony for the Nuggets, who will now feature the top two scorers in the league for a team which averages 108 points a game.

Georgetown 76, Winston-Salem State 32 12/17/06

Jesse Sapp and Dajuan Summers each scored 14 points as the Georgetown Hoyas shook off the exam week rust with a 75-32 win over Winston-Salem State at McDonough Gym Saturday.

Neither team opened the game with much precision, as the first points were not scored by either team until a WSSU three pointer with 17:01 to play. From a 14-10 score midway in the first half, the Hoyas went on a 13-0 run which appeared to be what the Hoyas needed to pull away, but the Rams continued to hang around. Georgetown's last field goal of the half was at the 3:54 mark, allowing WSSU (1-13) to close to 27-18 at the half. Although the Rams shot poorly (26%), they hit five three pointers to stay close. For their part, the Hoyas looked sluggish at best, missing 11 of 14 three point attempts and all five free throws.

The Rams turned up the heat early in the second half, scoring the first five points of the half. Aided by an offensive rebound and a steal, WSSU closed the margin to 29-23 with 17:10 to play, evoking memories of the second half run by Old Dominion on the McDonough floor just three weeks ago. On the Hoyas' next series, junior captain Tyler Crawford hit a three pointer, and the floodgates opened. Over the next 9:59, the Hoyas outscored the Rams 30-1, with a variety of three pointers, free throws, and inside play. Crawford hit three threes in the run, along with six free throws by Roy Hibbert and threes from Jessie Sapp and Dajuan Summers.

With no player taller than 6-7, the Rams were outscored 30-4 in the paint and were outrebounded 45-19. Georgetown rallied from its 0-5 free throw shooting effort in the first half and shot 15-17 in the second, and shot 70 percent (14-20) from the field in the second half.

From the Rams' opening run, they scored only two field goals the remaining 17:10 of the game, shooting 4 for 26 from the field and 1 for 9 from three. From the beginning of the Georgetown run with 17:10 to play, WSSU's only baskets were scored at the 6:21 and 1:45 mark.

The 32 points scored by Winston-Salem State marked the fewest points by any Georgetown opponent since a 77-30 win at Grambling State on Dec. 6, 1985, and the fewest points scored by any opponent at McDonough since Jan. 28, 1978, when the Hoyas ran over tiny New England College, 80-30.

The Georgetown half of the box score follows below. 


         MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:                                 
Wallace   30   2-3   1-5   2-2   3  3   1    9
Sapp      35   4-4   2-4   0-0   8  4   2   14
Summers   26   2-5   1-3   3-3   4  0   2   14
Green     20   1-1   1-4   0-0   6  1   1    5
Hibbert   25   2-4   0-0   6-6   9  1   2   10
Reserves:
Macklin   15   1-1   0-0   0-4   4  2   1    2
Izzo       2   0-0   0-0   0-0   0  0   0    0
Crawford  19   0-0   4-5   0-0   6  1   3   12
Spann      4   0-1   0-0   0-0   1  0   0    0
Ewing      9   1-1   0-1   1-3   1  1   1    3
Egerson   13   2-2   0-2   3-4   1  0   0    7
Dizdarevic 2   0-0   0-0   0-0   0  0   0    0
DNP: Rivers
Team Rebounds                    2
TOTALS   200 15-22   9-24 15-22 45 13  13   76

Post-game links follow below.

Crawford: Up To The Challenge 12/16/06

From Saturday's Washington Post, a feature on the competitive nature of co-capitain Tyler Crawford and his return from early season illness.

"He makes everybody play their hardest," said fellow captain co-captain Jeff Green. "He's like that dad that's always telling what you should do, what you can do to make this or that better. He's always trying to help you out. That's what sets him apart. He's not always about himself."

"What is important is his caring, his absolute caring about his teammates, his absolute caring about our program, his 100 percent caring about what we're trying to accomplish," said coach John Thompson III. "It's the effort he gives every day, his attention to detail, his selflessness."

1982 GU-Virginia Game Revisited 12/11/06

The 100th anniversary web site sponsored by GUHoyas.com has been posting a daily feature on great games in Hoya history.

Dec. 11 holds a special place in Georgetown lore, that of the game between #1 Virginia vs. #2 Georgetown in 1982. Here's a look back at the game with think from the Washington Times.

More on Big East TV Contract 12/11/06

Monday's New Haven Register begins a two part series on the long term impact of the Big East Conference's new multi-year deal with ESPN.

With us, the situation just added up," said Big East associate commissioner Tom Odjakjian. "Network names are so magical to people. They know CBS. They know ESPN. People go with what they know. They recognize what has been there all along. It may seem foreign at first with so many options to see our conference, but then it becomes normal."

Georgetown 73, Oral Roberts 58 12/10/06

Roy Hibbert scored 23 points and 11 rebounds as Georgetown's inside game overpowered Oral Roberts, 73-58, Saturday at Verizon Center.

The opening seven minutes followed a page from the James Madison game, as a 12-0 Georgetown run powered the Hoyas to a 14-2 lead, aided by a full court press which ORU coach Scott Sutton said was somewhat unexpected.

"We hadn't really seen that a whole lot," Sutton said. "They did it two years ago in Hawaii and it didn't cause as much problems."

For the half, the Eagles (4-4) struggled from outside as the Hoyas were picking up points on the inside, as Hibbert sank six of his first seven shots from close range. Oral Roberts closed to as few as six, 16-10 before Georgetown went on a 24-8 run, leading by as many as 22 before a 40-20 halftime score.

The halftime momentum ground to a halt early in the second, as the Hoyas led off with offensive fouls in each of its first three possessions to see its lead cut to 42-28 with 15:58 to play. ORU closed to 11, 50-39, when Jonathan Wallace posted a three pointer and an assist to Tyler Crawford on consecutive series, extending the lead to 16.

Georgetown led by as many as 17 before ORU made a second run to close the gap to ten with 5:00 to play, but Hibbert answered with an offensive rebound and score that halted the drive. Defensively, the Hoyas held the Golden Eagles to 1 for 8 shooting down the stretch, which eliminated any margin of error for ORU to make it close late.

"That's the ebb and flow of the game," said Georgetown coach John Thompson III. "Our guys have to know that sort of thing is going to happen. They have to continue to grow and get that experience.”

Hibbert's 33 minutes on the floor proved decisive in the momentum of the game. When Hibbert has been sidelined with foul trouble, Georgetown has been susceptible to falling behind. Such was not the case Saturday.

"You could tell after the first few minutes that he was very confident and they did a nice job of giving him the basketball," Sutton said. "He's 7-2 and the pick and roll he got in the second half was unbelievable. For a 7-2 guy to catch that ball down by his ankles and finish the play…very few big guys can finish that, let alone a 7-2 guy."

Thanks to Hibbert and Jeff Green, the Hoyas owned a +13 margin in rebounds, scored 40 of its 73 points in the paint, and earned 15 second chance points, with 15 points being the margin of victory against an Oral Roberts team capable of big things in March this season.

The Georgetown half of the box score follows below. 


         MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:                                 
Wallace   26   2-3   2-4   2-2   1  4   5   12
Sapp      33   1-2   0-1   3-6   5  5   2    5
Summers   15   0-0   1-4   0-0   0  0   5    3
Green     37   6-10  1-2   0-0   6  2   2   15
Hibbert   33  10-12  0-0   3-3  11  3   4   23
Reserves:
Macklin    6   1-1   0-0   0-0   0  0   1    2
Crawford  21   1-1   0-1   0-0   4  0   2    2
Ewing      6   0-0   0-0   0-0   1  1   0    0
Egerson   23   2-3   1-4   4-6   4  2   1   11
DNP: Izzo, Rivers, Spann. Dizdarevic
Team Rebounds                    2
TOTALS   200 23-32   5-16 12-17 34 17  22   73

Post-game links follow below.

Thompsons 1, Suttons 1 12/10/06

In what may be the only series of its games of its kind, two sets of brothers squared off as head coaches on the same day in two different Division I college games.

In Washington, it was John Thompson III and Scott Sutton at the Georgetown-Oral Roberts game. In San Diego, Sean Sutton's Oklahoma State Cowboys defeated Ronny Thompson's Ball State Cardinals 75-56.

The Associated Press notes that the Thompson family still holds an edge, as the elder Thompson defeated Eddie Sutton in a 1985 Georgetown game versus Arkansas. The elder Sutton did defeat Georgetown while coaching at Creighton, but it was two years before John Thompson arrived at Georgetown.

Editorial: The Third Rail 12/7/06

Thursday, December 7, marks the 55th anniversary of the dedication of McDonough Memorial Gymnasium, a time capsule in today's college basketball landscape.

Built as a result of alumni donations totalling $800,000, the gym was built to house an athletic department of five men's sports and a full time staff of three. Today, it must meet the needs of over 700 young men and women, 27 sports, and over 120 full time staff. It is the 16th oldest facility in all Division I, and the oldest without any renovation plan in place to meet its needs.

In Philadelphia, Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse is a contemporary of McDonough, and just as obsolete. "With respect to athletics, the choice became very clear," said St. Joseph president Timothy Lannon, S.J. in this October link to the Philadelphia Inquirer announcing a $25 million renovation to the Fieldhouse in October. "We could wait untold years for the $60 million necessary to fund and construct a brand new arena, or we could undertake immediate plans to leverage the...campus into the most important upgrades our varsity and recreational programs need and, quite frankly, deserve - and deserve now."

You don't hear such quotes like that at Georgetown. Why? Because, for whatever reason, fixing McDonough Gymnasium has become the "third rail" of University politics: no one wants to touch it.

As late as 2000, Georgetown athletic officials posted a press release trumpeting plans to revive the building at a cost of $20 million. The release read, in part:

"The designs will include the addition of sky suites and a renovated press box, new locker and dressing rooms, new conference rooms, and box and VIP seating. Georgetown can accomplish this design by digging down through the slab upon which the gym is built and turning the floor perpendicular to its current setup. This is a significant cost savings for Georgetown in that the roof would not be removed at all. The convocation center will serve as a hub for athletic and academic endeavors at Georgetown."

By 2002, the administration backed away from the project. In 2006, the "third rail" remains untouched.

McDonough Gymnasium still needs an overhaul, not another "coat of paint" as was discussed in a 2003 article from the news archives. It's vital not just for basketball, but for all the students, coaches and staff who must "make do" with the visible lack of training areas, locker rooms, study areas, practice space, and offices that were never envisioned in 1951.

And at 55, it's overdue.

Georgetown 89, James Madison 53 12/6/06

A fiery Georgetown team tied a school record with 16 three point shots in an 89-53 rout of James Madison at Verizon Center Tuesday.

The table was set in this game early with the play of junior forward Jeff Green. In a two minute stretch early in the game, Green connected on two three pointers, two free throws, an offensive rebound, and posted two assists as the Hoyas went on a 10-0 run to set the tone of the evening. Following Green's lead, the team rediscovered its outside shooting. From the 13 minute mark to the end of the half, Georgetown shot seven three pointers, extending the lead to 29-14, 33-16, and as many as 18 before leading at the half 47-29.

Through the second half, Georgetown extended the lead to 54-34, 61-36, 74-39 and led by as many as 40 at 84-44 before bringing in the reserves. The Dukes averted its worst loss in school history by outscoring the Hoyas late with the game well out of reach. For the evening, the Hoyas finished 16 of 31 from three point range, tying a school record set against Davidson in the 2005-06 season, and posted four players in double figures, led by Green's 17 points.

A number of players posted strong efforts throughout the game. Green, Jonathan Wallace, Vernon macklin, and and Jessie Sapp each contributed five assists, while Macklin was 4-4 from the field in 21 minutes. The Hoyas contained JMU in the middle, as the Dukes earned only one offensive rebound in the second half and shot 1 for 6 from three point range after intermission.

Tyler Crawford saw his first extended time on the court since returning from an early season illness, with two three pointers in 15 minutes of play.

The best statistic of the game? A total of 27 assists in 32 field goals--a true team effort.

The Georgetown half of the box score follows below. 


         MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:                                 
Wallace   25   1-1   4-6   0-0   3  5   0   14
Sapp      31   3-6   3-6   0-0   4  5   2   15
Summers   10   1-1   2-4   2-2   3  0   0   10
Green     24   3-3   3-5   2-2   4  5   2   17
Hibbert   16   1-1   0-0   1-3   4  2   3    3
Reserves:
Macklin   21   4-4   0-0   0-1   2  5   1    8
Izzo       2   0-1   0-0   1-2   1  0   0    1
Crawford  15   0-0   2-4   0-0   1  1   3    6
Spann      6   0-0   0-0   0-0   1  0   0    0
Ewing     11   2-2   1-2   0-0   3  2   1    7
Egerson   22   1-3   1-5   3-4   3  2   2    8
Dizdarevic 3   0-0   0-1   0-0   0  0   1    0
Team Rebounds                    2
TOTALS   20  16-22  16-33  9-14 31 27  15   89

Post-game links follow below.

MASN Announces Deal With Georgetown 12/5/06

The Baltimore-based Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) announced plans Monday to broadcast at least ten Georgetown men's basketball games games this season and will become the official regional sports network of Georgetown Basketball, per a company news release.

"Because of its rich history, tradition of excellence, and championship program, Georgetown is the crown jewel of Washington collegiate basketball," said network spokesman Todd Webster. "MASN is proud to bring home Hoyas basketball all season long to sports fans from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. This is another great Washington institution for the network."

"We are pleased to have this agreement in place with MASN" said Georgetown athletic director Bernard Muir. "This year marks the 100th anniversary of basketball at Georgetown and its wonderful to share the excitement of this season with the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network's growing audience. We want this year's celebration to be enjoyed by as many fans as possible and having MASN as our official cable network helps do that."

Remaining games expected for broadcast include the following:

Dec. 16, Winston-Salem St.
Dec. 23, Navy
Jan. 6, Notre Dame
Jan. 17, at Rutgers
Jan. 19, at Seton Hall
Jan. 27, Cincinnati
Feb. 12, West Virginia
Feb. 21, at Cincinnati

MASN was founded in the wake of opposition by Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos to the move of baseball's Montreal Expos to Washington in 2005. To break the deadlock, the Nationals agreed to participate in the new network, which is majority owned by the Orioles. MASN is locked in a battle for local viewers with Comcast SportsNet, which initially refused to carry the rival network on its many local cable systems. In college basketball circles, Comcast gave $20 million to the University of Maryland for naming rights to its arena.

Additional links follow below. MASN can be seen out of the Washington area on DirecTV channel 626. It is available on most local cable systems but not on the Georgetown campus network.

The Missing Piece 12/3/06

Much has been written in the daily press on the statistics of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert in the three losses. But are they really at fault here?

Perhaps a bigger statistic is that they are not getting help.

Through the first seven games of the last two seasons, here are Green and Hibbert's statistics. On a per game basis, the average difference of their combined points is less than one point a game.


              MIN   2FG   3FG   FT    REB  A  PF PTS
05-06 Green   218  25-43  6-18   5-10  48 14  16  76
06-07 Green   221  17-32  4-11  27-32  48 27  21  80

05-06 Hibbert 160  33-56  0-0   29-34  43  9  14  95
06-07 Hibbert 176  34-54  0-0   16-27  43  5  13  84

So what's the difference? Compare the first seven games of 2005-06 with 2006-07 for three point shooting:


2005-06 (5-2)              3FG
Seven Games                46-135 (.340)
Games Six and Seven Only   18-49  (.367)

2006-07 (4-3)              3FG
Seven Games                34-111 (.306)
Games Six and Seven Only   3-23   (.115)
Duke 61, Georgetown 52 12/3/06

The first twenty minutes was a blast from the past. The last ten minutes were present day reality.

Fast becoming a team with zero comeback skills, Georgetown scored one field goal in the last 6:27 and lost to #11 Duke 61-52, a game that Georgetown played surprisingly well for the first 34 minutes of the game. The loss was Georgetown's second straight and third in five, dropping Georgetown to 4-3 for the first time since the 1973-74 season.

Duke (7-1) opened the game as if the ghost of J.J. Redick had returned to Cameron Indoor Stadium, sinking two threes in the first 50 seconds. But Georgetown woke up a few echoes of its own, reminding the Duke fans of the skills that earned the Hoyas an 87-84 win last January. For Georgetown's part, it answered the early Duke lead with crisp passing, back door screens, and team defense, building a surprising 13-6 lead with 14:14 to play in the half. Shooting 5-6 from the field, with four assists in five baskets, this was the Georgetown of 2005-06.

The Hoyas continued to catch the Blue Devils off guard in the first half, utilizing the Princeton motion offense to considerable effect. Duke closed to within 3, but Georgetown built back the lead at halftime, 34-27, shooting 57% from the field, collecting 11 assists, and holding the homestanding Blue Devils to an unsightly 28% shooting.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski had seen this before, of course, and made some critical adjustments in the second half that opened up opportunities down low for center Josh McRoberts while focusing more offense through sophomore Greg Paulus. A third key element was shifting Duke's defenses to crowd the middle, essentially daring the Hoyas to win with its outside play. Having seen the Hoyas' guards struggle in games against Old Dominion and Oregon with hands-on guard defense, it proved successful.

The Georgetown of the second half bore no relation to its first half relation--the G-men opened the half with three turnovers in 1:10 and saw its lead cut to one with 14:28 to play. A Jonathan Wallace three pointer with 14:14 to play extended the lead to 39-35, Georgetown largest lead down the stretch and the Hoyas' only three point shot (and only assist) of the entire second half.

The crisp passing and ball control was now a thing of the past, as Georgetown increasingly was forced to create offense off the guards, with poor results, Two turnovers and a missed shot under the basket follows in GU's next three possessions, with Duke tying the score with 9:08 to play. Thus, after 11 minutes of play, Georgetown had managed 14 possessions: seven turnovers, four fouls, and three baskets.

Free throws and good defense kept the Hoyas close through the six minute mark. With 6:27 to play, Roy Hibbert scored and was fouled, but missed the free throw. Paulus answered with free throws to tie the score, 49-49 and scored on a layup on Duke's next possession to lead 51-49 with 4:57 to play. After a Roy Hibbert free throw closed the gap to 51-50, Paulus drove the lane for a second layup, 53-50. Georgetown's next five possessions told the story:

  • 3:45 to play, a turnover.
  • 3:20 to play, a turnover.
  • 2:46 to play, two missed shots and a foul.
  • 2:26 to play, missed shot.
  • 1:42 to play, missed shot.

A Jon Scheyer layup increased the lead to 56-50--in theory, a lead still in question with a three pointer here or there, but "here" was gone and "there" had left the building. After a long three missed by Jon Wallace with a 1:08, the Devils finished off the game at the line, where the usually dour Mike Krzyzewski showed a surprising bit of emotion, exhorting the Cameron crowd to give the Dukies a extended cheer at game's end.

"We respect [Georgetown’s] program and their kids," Krzyzewski said in post-game comments. "It was just one of those good Saturday nights to be in here and we were fortunate to win. We unbelievably respect Georgetown and what they are doing and their kids. It’s been a heck of a series."

Meanwhile, coach John Thompson III hasn't been able to say much more than the same refrain the last few weeks--the Hoyas are in work in progress.

"You know it’s hard to sit here after a disappointing loss and say we showed progress, but in a lot of areas I think we did show progress today," Thompson said. "Now we just have to keep moving forward."

The Georgetown half of the box score follows below, broken out by halves. Some items of note:

  • First half: Hoyas shoot 77% (14-18) from two point range; 29% in the second.
  • First half: Sapp and Rivers combined for 17 points; two in the second.
  • First half, 11 assists; second half, one.
  • In the first half, the bench contributed 4 for 5 shooting in 25 combined minutes, In the second half, the bench played a combined 29 minutes and failed to take a shot.
  • Georgetown had only three steals in the game, none in the final 22:56.

         MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
First Half Starters:                                 
Wallace   14   1-2   0-1   0-0   0  2   1    2
Sapp      17   3-4   1-2   2-3   1  4   1   11
Summers   10   2-2   0-2   0-0   0  0   2    4
Green     18   1-1   0-1   0-0   5  5   1    2
Hibbert   16   3-4   0-0   0-0   4  0   2    6
Reserves: 
Rivers     9   3-3   0-0   0-0   1  0   1    6
Egerson   16   1-2   0-2   1-2   2  0   0    3
Team Rebounds                    0
DNP: Macklin, Izzo, Crawford, Spann, Ewing,
Dizdarevic
TOTALS   100  14-18  1-8   3-5  13 11   8   34

         MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Second Half Starters:                                 
Wallace   19   1-4   1-3   0-0   2  0   3    5
Sapp      19   1-4   0-2   0-0   1  0   2    2
Summers    8   0-1   0-0   0-0   1  0   3    0
Green     20   1-4   0-0   4-4   5  0   3    6
Hibbert   17   2-4   0-0   1-3   2  1   0    5
Reserves: 
Rivers    12   0-0   0-0   0-0   0  0   0    0
Crawford   1   0-0   0-1   0-0   0  0   0    0
Egerson   16   0-0   0-0   0-0   1  0   0    0
Team Rebounds                    3
DNP: Macklin, Izzo, Spann, Ewing, Dizdarevic
TOTALS   100   5-17  1-6   5-7  15  1  11   18

Together, this is a team that is setting itself up for more losses if it continues to fail to respond to halftime adjustments by their opponents. Game recaps follow below:

Green Seeks To Elevate Game 12/1/06

An article from Joseph White of the Associated Press suggests that while there's concern over the Hoyas' poor start, there's no panic.

"Our offense was not good, and it hasn't been," said head coach John Thompson III. "We're growing. We are a young team. We have three guys out there who have experience, and everyone else is trying to get a feel for what's going on."

For the Hoyas to emerge, Jeff Green must be at the forefront. "By me being myself, it can hurt me just as much as help me," Green said in response to focusing more on team than individual play.

"We've got to get him more touches, and he has to be more aggressive," Thompson said.

 
 

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