2011-12 Georgetown Hoyas Player Profiles: Hollis Thompson

Look Back:
Last year, Hollis Thompson was asked to play out of position and guard opposing teams' power forwards with his slight 205 lb. frame and actually did remarkably well in this role. Thompson grabbed a solid 16% of the rebounds on the defensive glass, finishing the third best on the team after Julian Vaughn and Henry Sims.  On the offensive end, Hollis had an up and down season, reaching double digits a dozen times but being held to five points or fewer almost as often (10). There was no change in his performance in OOC vs. BE or as a starter vs. coming off the bench, or even when Chris Wright was injured or not injured.  He was consistently inconsistent. His breakout game was in the NCAA Tournament loss to VCU, where he scored a career high 26 points.  Hopefully this gave us a glimpse of what he has in store for us this year.

Expectations and Projections After The Jump:

Expectations:
Hoya faithful are hoping that Hollis starts off where he left off at the end of last season.  Many believe this will be Hollis' last year in the program since he tested the NBA waters at the end of last season and will most likely graduate at the end of this year due to his coming to college a semester early. If the Hoyas are to be successful and Hollis hopes to make the jump to the NBA, he will have to show a lot more consistency this year. Thompson is expected to slide over to his natural small forward position this year, which will allow him to exploit matchups and emerge as one of Georgetown's main scoring threats. Hollis is expected to be at least be the second leading scorer and a veteran presence on a very young team.

Projection (Cynical):
Twice last season we saw Hollis try to be the clutch player in end game situations (Missouri and Temple), and both times he failed miserably (even though Chris Wright bailed him out in the Missouri game). Hollis folds under the pressure of being a go to scorer and isn't able to carry this young Georgetown team.  Hollis focuses too much on his "Hollywood" image and on the NBA, which causes chemistry issues for the team. Despite unspectacular numbers and little team success, Hollis decides to leave Georgetown early for the NBA Draft as a marginal pro prospect. 

Projection (Delusional):
The main concern about Hollis is whether he'll be able to remain efficient while being asked to carry a heavier load. If the scrimmages in China are any indication that will not be a problem. Hollis upped his usage and shots taken percentages while becoming an efficient scorer.  This season, Hollis continues to work hard on both ends of the court and improves on both offense and defense.  Hollis has a breakout year, leading to a spot on the Big East first team and leads the Hoyas into the NCAA tournament.  Despite the individual and team success, Hollis decides to return to the Hilltop for his final year of eligibility, choosing to make a serious run at glory with the emerging talent around him.