Back for another edition of Casual Communication.  Casual Note:  Next week's Casual Communication will be a Duke-only mailbag, so if you have any Duke related questions, please email jeffgreensdad@gmail.com

Onto the questions... 

What seed does Georgetown need to be in the tournament to make a run to the Final Four?  The Situation, Jersey Shore, NJ

Realistically, I think they could get to the Final Four as a 6 seed or better.  There are no dominant teams in college basketball this year.  For a while I thought Kansas may be, but Cole Aldrich is vastly overrated and I think they have a few too many headcases.  Also, it will come out that Xavier Henry is 30 years old, trust me.  Kentucky has the athletes to run through the tournament, but they are young, Demarcus Cousins is a headcase with man boobs, and they can't play offense in the half court or shoot free throws.  Texas always underachieves with Rick Barnes, I expect the same to happen this year, and Dexter Pittman has to hibernate at some point soon.  Basically what I'm saying is I could see 25 teams realistically get to the Final Four, which is as wide open as we've seen college basketball since 2005-2006 when a 2 seed (UCLA), 3 seed (Florida), 4 seed (LSU) and 11 seed (George Mason) made it.  Expect a similar type of outcome this year.  Ultimately, I think Georgetown will have a top 3 finish in the Big East and will secure a 3 seed or better, but even if they do slip, I still think they can beat any team in the country with their combination of size, defense, and efficient offense.

I have a bunch of friends in LA that went to Syracuse that I plan to talk s&^t to via AIM/gchat during the game on Monday while we're at work. Not knowing much about Syracuse basketball, what are some cutting insults I can throw at them? I guess they don't even have to be basketball related. Just anything relevant that will make them feel small.  Vanessa, Los Angeles

General insults can revolve around the quality of education that one receives at Syracuse.  Georgetown prides itself on its foreign service, Syracuse prides itself on its broadcasting school.  I'd also focus on the location of Syracuse.  I've been there before, it's cold for 9 months of the year, always cloudy, and in upstate New York.  Upstate New York has the highest rate of suicide in the country.  I'd also bring up their football program, which is slippery considering Georgetown's program, but still worth bringing up.  Their quarterback this year was Duke point guard Greg Paulus.  The program is so bad that they needed a Duke point guard who hadn't played football since high school to run their offense.

As for basketball insults, I'd bring up Eric Devendorf's assault on a woman, Gerry McNamara and Devendorf being inbreds, and the dirty rumor that Jim Boeheim has a vagina.  Don't bring up Boeheim's wife, she's a smokeshow.

More questions after the jump.

The other night on twitter, Warren Sapp (QBKILLA) sent out that he was watching the game.

QBKILLA

How Do U Block a Bullet?? Anybody Watch G'Town?

--I (foolishly) called him out, asking if he was getting on board the Hoya wagon. His replies:

QBKILLA

@Chazperin been Hoyas Fan Since '82! Relax! Big And Crew Laid Fool Out!! Big East To The Day I Die!!!

QBKILLA

@Chazperin Sleepy Floyd And Charles Smith High socks!!

If JTIII ever needs an inspirational speaker advocating good defense, he should call on the good Mr. Sapp for his services. That and extend invitations anytime we're playing a game near where he lives. Since you guys are closer to the team than I, perhaps you could pass this along?  Charles Perin, Location Unknown

That's a good find.  I do wonder how Sapp won't call himself a bandwagon fan, when he was initially a bandwagon fan.  We went to the NCAA championship in 1982, you aren't fooling us Warren.  That's a pretty sweet reference to Charles Smith's socks though. 

Now, about this whole Casual Hoya being close to the team nonsense, well here's the thing.  We're not.  We are in fact, the opposite of close to the team.  We're pretty sure the Georgetown Athletic Department would very much like Casual Hoya to cease to exist.  Yes, sad I know, but don't you worry Casual Fans, we're not going anywhere.  Like Public Enemy, we're gonna fight the powers that be.

via dimpost.files.wordpress.com

What's up Hoya Nation!

Hope you are all doing well.  No question from me this week, but I will say this: it was a distinct pleasure watching last week's game as the Wildcats outplayed the Hoyas in the first half and Jay Wright out-coached JT3 in the second half.  There were some Georgetown alumni sitting in the seats behind me and, as the Wildcats left the court after the first half, I could hear them mumble something about how this was going to be the same as the Connecticut game.  Needless to say, it was not the same as the Connecticut game.  (I will also add that these fans lacked the class necessary to restrain themselves from at least three Hoya-Saxa chants and some chant that followed along the lines of "you, you, you, you, you, G...." to which I could only reply SMH, SMH, SMH.)  Anyway, I know the arguments for Georgetown: the last time Nova has won the G'Town/Nova game, the fact that Nova fans rely on that '85 championship as if it means something 25 years after the fact because HBO made a documentary about the game, and the whole Georgetown is a better school thing.  I get it.  But not 2010.  Villanova--best team in the Big East this year, pending the Syracuse game.

Congrats on the Pitt win, bitches...

ICEBERG PA

That wasn't a particularly nice email.  I'm going to let you in on a little secret Iceberg.  Scottie Reynolds was a 40% FG shooter for his first three years of college.  Right now he is shooting 50%.  I promise you he will cool down.  You may not know this because you strike me as a bandwagon fan, but Scottie Reynolds is a gunner.  I've watched him for what seems like 10 years, and his stat lines usually look like this - 18 points on 5-19 FG, 2-6 on 3 pointers, 6-8 FT.  He will revert back to that player, your team will be outmatched by a big physical team in the Sweet 16, and you'll be crying your eyes out.  Mark my words.  Enjoy it while it lasts.  

We are all aware of the Hoyas "Big Three;" Wright, Freeman, and Monroe.

I think it's time for us Casual Fans to learn a little more about the Global Phenomenon's Big Three.

 - Casual Hoya

 - Jeff Green's Dad

 - Hire Esherick

Feel free to share any pertinent info to us as well as which Jersey Shore member best represents you.

Casual note:  Lord Nick, please take no offense.

Baltimore Paul

I'm sure a lot of people are curious about the backgrounds of your favorite bloggers.

Casual Hoya:

via egyptsaidso.com

David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952) is an American actor, singer, television producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s U.S. series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch. Hasselhoff also produced Baywatch for a number of seasons in the 1990s up until 2001, when the series ended with Baywatch Hawaii. Hasselhoff also crossed over to a music career during the end of the 1980s and the early 1990s. He was noted for his performance at the Berlin Wall in 1989. He enjoyed a short lived success as a singer primarily in German-speaking Europe. More recently, Hasselhoff has been involved with talent shows such as NBC's America's Got Talent in 2006. Hasselhoff's autobiography, Making Waves, was released in the United Kingdom in September 2006.

On May 3, 2007 a home video clip surfaced of Hasselhoff apparently in mid-stupor. The video showed him shirtless, lying on the floor, drunkenly trying to consume a Wendy's hamburger in a Las Vegas hotel room. His daughter Taylor Ann who shot the video can be heard saying 'tell me you are going to stop, tell me you are going to stop'. The daughter also warns her father he could be jeopardizing his spot on the Las Vegas production of The Producers. In the wake of the leaked clip, Hasselhoff issued a statement saying it was filmed by Taylor Ann so that he could see how he behaved when intoxicated and was deliberately released.

As a result of the video, Hasselhoff's visitation rights with his two daughters were suspended on May 7, 2007 for two weeks until the video's authenticity and distributor were determined. On May 14, 2007 a news report headlined "Pipex in a pickle: David Hasselhoff drunken antics last straw for $1 billion sale of UK ISP" questioned whether the video had impacted negatively on the sale of the UK broadband and hosting company Pipex: a major advertising campaign in the UK for featured Hasselhoff as 'King of the Internet'.

Jeff Green's Dad:

Jeffrey Lynn Green (born August 28, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder and a former college basketball player in the NCAA. He attended Georgetown University until his junior year, before deciding to enter the 2007 NBA Draft. Green was selected fifth overall by the Boston Celtics[1], who then traded his rights to the Seattle SuperSonics in a trade including Ray Allen.  Jeff Green's Dad is his dad.

Hire Esherick:

I graduated from Georgetown in 2006.  While the favorite memory of many of my classmates would be beating Duke during our senior year, mine was actually walking across stage during graduation, reflecting on how much I had learned and grown in those four short years on the Hilltop, and realizing that Georgetown University had provided me with the essential and critical components to launch my life in any direction.  My second favorite memory was seeing some fat chick get blown over in Red Square during Hurricane Isabel.

I sit in section 118 and like to talk to ushers during TV timeouts.  The Jersey Shore character that best represents me is Snooki because every time I dance my ass falls out too.  I also have 3 types of STDs, much like our lil' Snickers.

College basketball is like high school - it's all about reputation.  As of Sunday, UNC had lost six games, but was still ranked in the top 25.  Duke makes the tournament in '07 despite going 8-8 in the ACC and losing in the first round of the conference tournament.  What can Georgetown do this year to up their status and create some sort of lasting mystique?  Matt, New York

Like many others, it drives me crazy the love that the ACC gets for being a pretty subpar conference over the last few years.  UNC has been the only team that has lived up to expectations, Duke hasn't been past the Sweet 16 since 2004, even though they seem to be a 1 or 2 seed every year.  Ultimately, the media plays a huge role in the college basketball beauty contest, especially ESPN. 

For Georgetown to create some of that mystique, we need Greg Monroe, Chris Wright and Austin Freeman to keep scoring a lot of points.  It's an easy headline for the media when one of them has 25+ points.  It's crazy to think that Jeff Green was the only player to score over 27 for JT3 before this season, yet Monroe, Freeman, and Wright have combined to do it four times already.  The mainstream media likes a lot of points and big names, thankfully for Georgetown, we have three guys putting up huge points and Monroe is a big name.

Do you think JT3 will win a national championship with Georgetown?  Ankit, Washington, DC

Yes I do.  If Monroe stays, it will happen next year.  If he doesn't, I think it will happen this decade.  As bad as last year was for the team and the fans, it was very important for JT3's evolution as a coach.  I think he got overconfident in his system and coaching abilities, and he also didn't fully prepare for what would happen after the class of 2008 graduated.  To fail like he never failed before, to lose a team so thoroughly after a hot start, was something that needed to happen.  You can see the improvements.  Just that Monroe, Freeman and Wright have scored as much as they have shows me JT3 is progressing.  There is no question that he can develop big men, look at Green, Hibbert and Vaughn as examples.  What is more important is that a guard like Chris Wright can flourish in JT3's offense.  You can see Thompson's evolution with our improved rebounding and inbounds plays as well.  Ultimately, the faster pace and success of Wright will play well to future recruits, and I'm fully confident JT3 is as good an Xs and Os guy as there is. 

What is the deal with you and Merlin Wilson's Sister?  Matt, Baltimore

I'm not completely sure.  I feel like Pauly D with the Jewish Girl.  I think she's a stalker bro.  Speaking of which, I am begging MTV to give me a reality show with just The Situation and Pauly D picking up girls and carousing throughout the country.  Call it Dumb and Dumber Does America.  I'm begging you.  I've heard that Snooki is getting her own reality show called "Snookin for Love".  If that little choad gets a reality show then The Situation and Pauly D deserve one damnit.  They are the Jordan and Pippen of reality television.

via www.mtv.com

What is your favorite color?  Number? Month?  What is your telephone number?  Your Secret Admirer

My favorite color is green.  My favorite number is 8.  My favorite month is May.  My telephone number is 60... Wait!  Is that you Merlin Wilson's Sister?

Why the F can't Henry Sims provide us with productive minutes?  Rich, New York

Hey!  This is a family blog, there is no room for your potty mouth.  But yes, Henry Sims has been an unmitigated disaster thus far.  That said, Benimon is basically doing exactly what we hoped Sims would provide us.  The key to our bench is Hollis Thompson.  If he plays like he did against UConn, Seton Hall and Lafayette, we'll be just fine.  If he plays like he did the last two games, we are in big, big trouble.  Benimon and Sims aren't capable of giving us a ton of offense, but they are big bodies that will block shots, use fouls and rebound.  Hollis is capable of averaging 7 points a game, he just needs an infusion of confidence.  Right now we have a top 5 starting lineup in the country, and we have a bottom 5 bench in the country.  Thankfully, the starters play a lot more than the bench, but it's silly to think there won't be a bunch of games where Monroe or Vaughn will be in foul trouble.  At this time last year I was worried about one of our guards assaulting his back court mate, now I'm worried about our 5 star freshman finding his swagger.  Things are much better in Hoyaland young Richard.

Besides your well documented and blissful relationship with Austin Freeman, do you have any other notable relationships with past or present Hoya basketball players? Jason, Ann Arbor, MI

Believe it or not, my closest acquaintance of any past or present Hoya is Jeremiah Rivers, who now looks a lot like Vinny from Jersey Shore with his new haircut.  Man, I hope he doesn't read this blog.  I had a bunch of funny encounters with the basketball team throughout my time at Georgetown, which is a testament to how accessible the players are and how much a part of the school they actually are.  Most of the stories aren't suitable for the family nature of Casual Hoya, but I'll give you two funny ones.

First, I had the pleasure of encountering Vernon "Big Ticket" Macklin on the first day of his freshman year.  Here's how his interaction with a female member of his class went, while I watched in awe.

Vernon:  Yo baby, you got a boyfriend?

Girl:  Yeah

Vernon:  Nah girl, you wanna be with Vernon

Second, Tyler Crawford used to date a girl who lived across the street from me.  One night we were having a party and she was there.  My roommate and I go outside to enjoy a casual cigarette to find Tyler hiding in our bushes peering into the window.  The discussion went like this:

Us:  Dude what are you doing in our bushes?

Tyler:  Um I was looking for my hat

Us:  Oh ok

Not sure who was more weirded out, us for catching him, or him for having to watch 40 kids squirting syrup and tossing full beer cans at each other.