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Georgetown Basketball: June 2007 News Archive

GU Drops In NACDA Standings 6/28/07

Despite its first Final Four appearance in 22 years, Georgetown University dropped to 76th in the Sports Directors Cup standings, a national measure of post-season competitiveness across NCAA intercollegiate sports.

Georgetown has struggled of late to get teams other than lacrosse, track, and men's basketball in NCAA post-season play, which forms the basis of the standings. Among private schools, GU finished 18th, as schools such as Vanderbilt, Texas Christian, and Pepperdine all moved past GU as a result of post-season finishes in spring sports such as baseball and golf. For the 13th consecutive year, Stanford won the all-sports title, with NCAA post season competition in 21 of its sports.

The Big East rundown is as follows. Seton Hall was the only school not to receive points for post-season competition this year.

22. Notre Dame 85. St. John's
28. Louisville 110. Syracuse
54. Rutgers 127. Marquette
57. West Virginia 132. Villanova
71. Pittsburgh 133. South Florida
75. Providence 153. DePaul
76. Georgetown 198. Cincinnati
82. Connecticut
 

Here's a recap of Georgetown's past finishes per the NACDA web site:

Year Finish Among Big
East Schools
1994 47th 3rd
1995 44th 3rd
1996 55th 2nd
1997 63rd 5th
1998 62nd 6th
1999 45th 3rd
2000 55th 4th
2001 42nd 3rd
2002 51st 3rd
2003 61st 5th
2004 53rd 3rd
2005 74th 6th
2006 68th 5th
2007 76th 7th
 
2006-07 Final Standings 6/28/07 

Here's the final recap of Georgetown teams and their performance in the 2006-07 academic year. Teams highlighted in yellow won their respective conference titles (regular season and/or tournament):

Record Conf. Finish Post-Season
Baseball 21-34 8-19 12th/12
Basketball, Men's 30-7 13-3 1st/16 NCAA-4th
Basketball, Women's 13-16 3-13 13th/16
Cross Country,Men's 2nd/14 NCAA-24th
Cross Country,Women's 2nd/16 NCAA-16th
Field Hockey 5-12 0-6 7th/7
Football 2-9 0-6 7th/7
Golf, Men's 8th/12
Golf, Women's 4th/12
Lacrosse, Men's 12-3 7-0 1st/8 NCAA-Qtr.
Lacrosse, Women's 10-8 4-1 1st/6  
Rowing, Men's Ind.  
Rowing, Women's 7th/9
Sailing, Coed Ind. ICSA-8th
Sailing, Women's Ind. ICSA-10th
Soccer, Men's 6-11 3-8 7th/8*
Soccer, Women's 5-9-2 2-7-2 7th/8*
Softball 12-41 Ind.
Swimming, Men's 10th/12
Swimming, Women's 11th/12
Tennis, Men's 12-9 3-2 7th/11
Tennis, Women's 3-18 0-7 Not listed
Track, Men's Indoor 4th/12
Track, Men's Outdoor 7th/14
Track, Women's Indoor     1st/15  
Track, Women's Outdoor 3rd/16
Volleyball 8-19 2-12 12th/15
* Divisional play.
 
The Quiet Man 6/30/07 

Despite being the fifth pick in the NBA draft, Jeff Green is taking a lower profile in Seattle to that of second pick Kevin Durant. That's OK, with him, though.

"[Durant] can have the spotlight," Green said in this link to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "I'm here to help Seattle, just like he is. I'm happy to be here, especially with him. He deserves everything he's getting. He had a wonderful season at Texas and he's a great player."

The article also takes notes of Felicia Akingube, well known to Hoya fans the past three years by student cheers of "Jeff Green's Mom". The article even notes the song dedicated to her, linked to this earlier article in the Washington Post. (The downloads to these and other songs are foubnd at the "Nodak" link to the left.)

Green Selected Fifth in NBA Draft 6/29/07 

Jeff Green became the first Georgetown player since 2004 to be drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft, with his selection Thursday evening by the Boston Celtics. His stay in the Celtics' organization was altogether brief, as the Celtics promptly traded Green's rights to Seattle in a multi-player deal that will bring the second and fifth selections to the Sonics.

"We can accomplish a lot," Green told ESPN on joining Texas' Kevin Durant with the Sonics. "We have a couple of young guys who can get it done, so I'm looking forward to it."

A sample of coverage follows below.

Associated Press
Boston Globe
Boston Herald
Boston Herald (2)
CBS Sportsline.com
GUHoyas.com
Hartford Courant
Sports Network 		Seattle P-I
Seattle P-I (2)
Seattle P-I (3)
Seattle Times
Seattle Times (2)
Sports Illustrated
Washington Post
Washington Times
Yahoo Sports
 
Green Awaits NBA Draft Updated 6/28/07

The first two picks of the NBA draft seems assured, but teams from three to 12 are in a state of flux, as these picks are receiving plenty of media scrutiny.

Because of trade speculation involving Kevin Garnett and others, it's not clear where players like forward Jeff Green will be selected--Green seems assured in the top 5-12, but exactly where is open to debate.

Dick Jerardi of the Philadelphia Daily News suggests Green should be the third pick. "In an era where so many players only look at the scoreboard to see how many points they have, Green actually looks at the score. Then, he tries to figure out the best way to help his team have more points," he writes. "I don't know what team will take Green. I do know this: The team that takes him will win and win big."

"It's funny to get all these questions about myself," Green told the Washington Post. "I've accomplished a lot and I have the right to talk about myself a little bit, now that I'm out of the system. All the hard work I've put in, I deserve some credit. But I had guys at Georgetown who helped me get to the point where I'm at, so that's why I gave them more credit because they helped me get to this point."

A sample of coverage on Green is found below.

Dizdarevic, Izzo Seek Teams In Europe 6/26/07

As Jeff Green awaits his turn in the NBA draft, Georgetown's two seniors from the Class of 2007 are preparing for a challenge of a different kind, that of making a European team.

Tuesday's Washington Post profiles the post-graduate plans of Sead Dizdarevic and Ken Izzo, each of whom are seeking an opportunity to continue their careers. Dizdarevic leaves Washington Tuesday for a invitation-only camp, while Izzo is still setting up contacts towards landing a role on a team this fall.

"I'm not going to lie -- I'm really excited about this. I'm looking forward to this challenge," said Dizdarevic, who has been working out with former Georgetown guard and NBA trainer John Duren to build up his skills. ". I've been working my behind off. This is what I was hoping for and pulling for. I'm going to go over there and do the best I can, and see what can happen."

Izzo doesn't have a tryout yet, but without a lot of statistics or videotape to show various teams, his efforts may follow what happened to RaMell Ross (C'05), who used the Internet to land a role playing in Northern Ireland.

"Now that I have stats and scored a lot of points, I'm a lot more credible," said Ross. "Also, Georgetown did so great this year. Anytime your team does well, that helps."

Mullins Selected President of WSF 6/25/07

Also, for those who did not see this article from late last week, Sports Illustrated has a feature on Aimee Mullins (SFS '98), the former Georgetown track athlete who is now president of the Women's Sports Foundation. Recommended reading.

Kenner League 6/22/07

As summer continues, fans begin to ask the question: when is the Kenner League supposed to start?

The college program, now in its 26th year, has never maintained much pre-event promotion. According to a link from the NCAA, it is scheduled to start in the second week of July, although links from Bowie State and CAAZone.com say that its teams will play on July 1.

The high school league games are underway through July 30.

Mescheriakov To Play Guard? 6/22/07

Despite standing 6-7, Nikita Mescheriakov's high school coach says the Georgetown freshman is best suited as a guard.

He was 6-foot tall two years ago, and then he sprouted up to 6-7. He was playing as a guard his whole life," coach Silas Cheung told the Frederick News-Post. "He's a three-man. He can post up, too, he's crafty around the basket, but he's got guard skills. He's got the whole package."

"They really liked me because I see my teammates, and I can pass the ball. I think they want me to be a shooter, and shoot 3-point shots more consistently," Mescheriakov said. "I kind of like facing the basket, but I'll do what coach tells me. I'll do what I can for the team."

ESPN: Good & Bad 6/22/07

Following off-season graduations and departures, this link from ESPN.com provides a quick recap of what Big East fans can expect from its teams heading towards the 2007-08 season.

"Jeff Green would have made the Hoyas No. 1. Oh, and the student store ran out of Final Four T-shirts," writes Jay Bilas. "Other than that, there's not much to complain about at Georgetown."

Report: Mescheriakov Receives Scholarship 6/21/07

Officials at St. John's Catholic Prep in Frederick, MD have confirmed that Nikita Mescheriakov will attend Georgetown this fall, the Frederick News-Post announced early this morning.

The 6-7 forward averaged 14.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.0 blocks last season, and would join Chris Wright, Austin Freeman, and Omar Wattad in the class of 2011. His recruitment was discussed as early as April by the Washington Post.

Georgetown has not issued a news release on its fall recruits. When it does, it should be able to clarify the spelling of Nikita's surname. Various media reports list it at "Mescheriakov", the spelling used by his older brother Yegor (who played at George Washington from 1995-99), while the St. John's release lists it as "Mescharakou".

Early Pre-Season Polls 6/20/07

With the final group of college players having declared for the NBA draft, various pre-season polls still rate Georgetown favorably entering the 2007-08 season. Here are links to ESPN.com and CBS Sportsline.com with their early look at the 2007-08 race.

Green Stays In Draft 6/19/07

Forward Jeff Green has announced he will remain in the 2007 NBA Draft, per GUHoyas.com and numerous media sources.

Green announced he would enter the draft on May 22, but gave the decision his full consideration before today's NBA draft deadline. Green was the highest rated pick which had not opted to sign with an agent prior to the draft, and is expected to be selected anywhere between the fifth and 14th place in the first round.

Various national columnists suggested Georgetown was a pre-season favorite to return to the 2008 Final Four with Green, but even in his absence the Hoyas will return four starters and some talented players looking to work their way into the lineup next season.

"I think we have the pieces in place, not necessarily to replace him, but we will be able to adjust, tweak and adapt with guys who are ready to step up and fill in the holes," said head coach John Thompson III in the Washington Post article linked below. "In college athletics today, I think there will always be attrition in one form or another; that's the state of the game today. It's something that you try to prepare for. Our team is in a position to move forward."

Additional coverage follows below.

CBS Sportsline: Where's The Contract? 6/16/07

At Georgetown, "no comment" is often standard procedure. The procedure is less understood at CBS Sportsline, where its lead story this past weekend takes the University to task for not completing a contract extension for head coach John Thompson III, who ended 2007 as 11th among 16 Big East coaches in salary.

"Perhaps there's a reasonable explanation for the lack of action, but I can't imagine what it could be," writes columnist Gary Parrish. "And if Georgetown doesn't alleviate this situation soon with a contract that makes a statement, the administration might find itself again negotiating after the 2008 NCAA Tournament, only it'll be with a new coach not named Thompson, and we all know how well that has worked for them in the past."

Not surprisingly, Georgetown officials declined comment to Parrish on the contract talks.

Memphis Announces Series With GU 6/15/07

The University of Memphis announced it has agreed to a four game series with Georgetown, beginning with a Dec. 22 game at Memphis's FedEx Forum.

"This Georgetown game is a big event, and it will be on national television, which allows us to showcase our university, city and basketball program,"said Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson.

The teams will play four times within the next five seasons, with Georgetown hosting the Tigers in 2008-09 and 2011-12. The teams have met seven times previously, beginning with Memphis' win in the second round of the 1983 NCAA tournament. The schools met annually from 1993-98, and last played in the 1999 Maui Invitational.

"The opportunity to get a team like Georgetown in our building this year with the team I have and the fact they'd play us for four seasons when scheduling those kinds of teams, how difficult is that? It's impossible," Memphis coach John Calipari told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "They wanted to open at our place first, and I know all four will be nationally televised. I told them, if you're willing to go four years, I'll figure out how."

"Depending on whether Jeff Green remains in the NBA Draft or returns to Georgetown -- as of Thursday, sources indicate it's still very much in the air -- it could be a showdown between the preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country," writes Gary Parrish of CBS Sportsline.com.

Big East RPI At Risk? 6/15/07

Last season, Syracuse found out the hard way that the NCAA encourages teams to play the best schedule possible. Noted statistician Jerry Palm reports that with the move to 18 conference games in the Big East, more teams may be at the risk of a weaker RPI next year.

"I crunched some numbers for each league with 18-game conference schedules based on this year," writes Palm in this link to CSTV.com. "The RPI for the Big East... dropped from fifth to eighth overall, behind the Missouri Valley and the Mountain West...While RPI is clearly not the only factor in the selection process, middle of the pack teams in these leagues will likely suffer in the ratings for playing more conference games."

Celtics Thinking Green 6/15/07

Boston Celtics officials are expected to visit Georgetown Friday for a private workout with forward Jeff Green, who will decide by Monday whether to remain in the NBA draft or return for his senior year at Georgetown. The Celtics follow visits by the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers to McDonough Gym in the last week to evaluate Green.

The Celtics, picking fifth, are projecting Green as a "power 3" forward, notes the Boston Herald. Celtics officials remain cautious, however.

"It’s tough to determine how good a workout is when you don't have people going against people,” said Danny Ainge, the Celtics' director of basketball operations.

Meanwhile, the Charlotte Observer reports that the Charlotte Bobcats, picking 8th in the draft, have rescheduled its workout with Green pending his overall decision on remaining in the draft.

More Hoyas Going Pro 6/15/07

With summer well underway, a pair of Hoyas are honing their skills for professional opportunities other than in basketball.

Shortstop Matt Bouchard was drafted by the New York Mets last week and is considering going pro through the minor leagues. He is the first Georgetown draft pick in Major League Baseball in 14 years.

In football, defensive end Alex Buzbee was signed as a free agent by the Washington Redskins and is preparing for upcoming minicamps.

Green Holds NBA Workouts 6/9/07

Forward Jeff Green held a closed door workout for the Philadelphia 76ers as he evaluates opportunities to remain in the NBA draft.

"He is a great kid and was very impressive both on and off the court," said the Sixers' Maurice Cheeks. "After talking to him, I am walking away very impressed," said GM Billy King.

Green, who has completed his junior year at Georgetown, opted to hold workouts in Washington rather than travel at his expense to various cities. The Boston Celtics, selecting #5 in the draft, will visit next week as well.

"If I come back, we're going to have a chance to win the championship. If I don't, I'm going to have a challenge on my hands to play at the next level," Green told the Washington Post. "Either way, I feel like it's a good decision for me: come back to a great team with Georgetown, or I can move on and pursue my career in the NBA. It's a tough decision, and I've got to take my time. I'm not going to rush it."

Players that have not signed with an agent have until June 18 to confirm their status to remain in the draft, which will be held June 28.

Additional links follow below:

Ewing On NBA TV 6/9/07

As the NBA Finals proceed, a familiar face is now seen on NBA TV just before the games--that of Patrick Ewing (C'85). This link from NBA.com shares some amusing moments from the broadcast, from asking Tony Parker if Ewing's invitation to Parker's wedding with Eva Longoria was "lost in the mail", to telling a producer "Tell this man to read up on me on the Internet."

Ewing even commented on the draft status of Jeff Green, saying, "He keeps talking about he might go back [to college] and that is only going to drop his stock."

SI Removes Duke-G'town Photo 6/9/07

Sports Illustrated has removed a Georgetown-related photograph from a collection praising the Duke student body.

The photo, as seen in this link from a blog at The New Republic, shows a Duke student standing near the Georgetown shooting line prior to the Dec. 2 game, holding a sign reading "You're Not Smart Enough To Run The Princeton Offense".

The photo was seen in a SI.com photo essay on the Duke fans, but was pulled without comment Friday in favor of a photo featuring, of all folks, Dick Vitale.

Hagan's comments to the Inquirer, reference his alma mater but reinforce the obvious at Georgetown: "But when you look at what it takes to recruit big-time college basketball players, you need more than charm and character," he said. "They care about what kind of facilities you have."

$10M Gift To Renovate SJU Field House 6/9/07

A pair of articles in the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News prove that you don't have to be a basketball alumnus to make a difference to a basketball program.

In December, we wrote about efforts by St. Joseph's University to renovate its aging Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, a building which was built a year earlier than McDonough Gym and, like McDonough, is wholly obsolete for the 21st century. The school had raised about 20% of the $25 million sought when Michael Hagan, a 1985 graduate who never played varsity basketball, announced a $10 million gift to get the project on track. The storied field house on Hawk Hill will be renamed the Michael Hagan Arena in his honor.

"I think the profile of the school is on a massive uptick," he told the Daily News. "Ten years ago, this used to be a school that was the best-kept secret in the Delaware Valley and the Northeast. Screw that. It shouldn't be the best-kept secret. We should take this program and this university to the next level."

Hibbert Invited To Pan Am Trials 6/5/07

Entering his senior season, center Roy Hibbert was one of 30 college players named to tryouts for the U.S. national team that will compete at the Pan American Games this summer.

Hibbert was one of two center candidates among the 30 players, who will be led by Villanova coach Jay Wright in this summer's competition. Other Big East players selected for the trials include Syracuse guard Eric Devendorf, Marquette forward Wes Matthews and guard Jerel McNeal, and Villanova guard Scottie Reynolds. The U.S. will be seeking its first gold medal in basketball at the Pan American Games since 1983 when the games are held in Rio de Janeiro from July 13-29.

Two Georgetown alumni have participated on Pan Am Games teams, with Steve Sullivan in 1967 and John Duren in 1979.

Big East Recruiting 6/5/07

While Georgetown fans are excited by the arrival of its next freshman class, they're not alone. Recruiting among Big East schools was ranked #1 among the conferences per this link at Rivals Hoops.com, with seven Big East schools among the publication's top 30 nationally.

Georgetown was ranked 5th among the 16 and 23rd overall. "Georgetown will lean heavily on [Austin] Freeman, a five-star product from the famed DeMatha program in Maryland," said Rivals.com senior writer Justin Young. " The Hoyas are in need of a scoring upgrade at the two spot. Freeman provides that."

Thompson Receives Second BCA Honor 6/4/07

Head coach John Thompson III was named Coach of The Year for a second straight season by the Black Coaches Association, per a release at GUHoyas.com.

Green: NBA Decision Not Yet Final 6/1/07

Two articles in the Friday press suggest forward Jeff Green will continue to keep his options open on whether to pursue the NBA draft.

"I haven't signed with an agent yet and there's still a chance [to go back to the Hoyas]," Green told ESPN.com. "It just depends on how my workouts go. I just have to keep working hard and hopefully get the commitment that a team wants to draft me. If I don't get that commitment that a team is willing to take me in the lottery, then that will sway my decision to come back."

"Things could change," said Green in a link to the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Something could go wrong in the workout and persuade me to go back to school."

The Inquirer also reports that "The 10 other players at the [pre-draft] conference wore shorts and polo shirts, but Green was attired in a dress shirt and tie. 'You have to present yourself well," Green said. "You are interviewing for a job, so you have to look nice.'"

Players that have not committed to an agent have until June 18 whether to remain in the draft.

 
 

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