Casual Hoya: FanPosts

Casual Amtrak Tomorrow

2010-03-12T01:19:11Z

If any casual faithful are headed up on the Amtrak regional departing 1:05 from Union Station, I propose a pre-pregame drink en route. NB - this is my first post, but was one of the very first recipients of the head band and will proudly display it in the club car for identification sake. Meetup around Philly in honor of Nova's early exit? Also rumor has it a special pre-game is being organized in the MSG Casual Hoya Luxury Box (Section 328) - with subsidized beer - when doors open.

Eric Prisbell Compares Terps and Hoyas Tourney Resumes

2010-03-11T14:26:07Z

Resume comparison: Maryland vs. Georgetown

Pretend you’re an NCAA tournament selection committee member and there is one No. 4 seed slot left on the board. You are looking at Maryland and Georgetown. Which team gets your vote? (All records reflect games only against Division I teams)

Maryland (22-7)
RPI: 19
SOS: 21
Nonconference RPI: 159
Vs. top 25: 1-3
Vs. top 50: 6-5
Vs. 200 or worse: 7-0
Best wins: Duke, Clemson
Worst losses: William & Mary, Cincinnati

Georgetown (20-9)
RPI: 16
SOS: 1
Nonconference SOS: 8
Vs. top 25: 5-4
Vs. top 50: 6-5
Vs. 200 or worse: 5-0
Best wins: Duke, Villanova, Butler, Temple
Worst losses: South Florida, at Rutgers

The only advantages Maryland has over Georgetown in my mind are 1) Maryland does not have a loss like the Rutgers loss and 2) Maryland is unquestionably the hotter team right now. Because the selection committee is supposed to put less weight on your record in the last 12 games this season, I am not going to place as much weight on that component.

So the Hoyas get my vote. Five wins against top 25 teams? Very impressive. The nation’s top-ranked schedule? Also impressive.

I’d give both teams No. 4 seeds today. But if there were only one slot left, I’d hand it to the Hoyas.

Agree or disagree?

I agree.

Games That Matter - March 10, 2010 (BET Quarterfinals: Georgetown v. Syracuse)

2010-03-10T23:09:25Z

Games That Matter – March 10, 2010 (BET Quarterfinals)

*As always, if you have friends who want to be added to this distribution list, please let me know and I'll be happy to add them.

Rankings:

ESPN / USA Today: 22

AP: 22

RPI: 14

Recap:

Georgetown 69, South Florida 49

Balanced scoring and aggressive defense propelled the Hoyas to a convincing victory over the pesky Bulls on Wednesday afternoon at the Garden. Behind strong performances from Chris Wright (15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 0 turnovers), Jason Clark (16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals), and Greg Monroe (16 points, 8 rebounds), Georgetown raced out to an early 12 point lead, withstood a brief USF run at the beginning of the second half, and then cruised to a solid win in the last 8 minutes of the game.

Without question, the biggest reason for today’s win was our defense. Georgetown held South Florida to 29% shooting from the floor, including 1 of 10 from three-point range, and picked up 7 steals. Constantly switching from man to zone, the Hoyas kept Dominique Jones under control for most of the game and, more importantly, did not allow any other South Florida player to reach double figures. The halftime numbers were telling. South Florida only scored 19 points as a result of a prolonged 8 minute drought midway through the half. USF players not named Jones combined for 7 of these points.

After today’s nice payback victory, the Hoyas will once again look to exact some measure of revenge – only this time, the opponent is just a tad more talented.

Some quick-hitters on Wednesday’s second round win:

The refs were just awful in this game. Monroe’s second, third and fourth fouls were a joke (especially the fourth). Vaughn fouled out with ten minutes to go. Wright and Hollis each played with four fouls for short stretches in the second half. I love when JTIII goes offense/defense midway through the second half – it really tells you something about our depth. On the bright side, I guess we should thank the refs for (1) missing Hank Sims’ blatant goaltending, and (2) allowing some of our players, especially Vaughn, to relax on the sidelines and get rested up before tomorrow’s big game.

On a day when Austin was out of sync and Greg and Julian were in foul trouble, Chris Wright was the difference-maker. From the very start, he was aggressive, he penetrated whenever he saw an opening, he hit a number of shots from the perimeter, and most importantly, he never forced anything. He looked more like a point guard in this game than he has at any other time this season. He was the floor general: breaking the press, pushing the ball when Georgetown had opportunities, and slowing things down when the Hoyas started pulling ahead. What’s most impressive is that in 35 minutes of action he didn’t commit a single turnover. Well done, C Wright. Well done.

Our defense in the last two games has been phenomenal. Reminds me of our defense from 2006-07. Kudos to Clark for staying in front of Dominique Jones and really limiting his production in the first half. Clark had one of his most complete games of the season.

Here’s a quote from today’s espn.com recap: "Even when the Hoyas' only legitimate inside threat, Julian Vaughn, fouled out with about 9 minutes remaining, the Bulls couldn't sustain a run. The lead swelled to 20 as a small contingent of sleepy fans began chanting "Let's Go Hoyas" -- no doubt unaccustomed to the early start that comes with being a high seed in the Big East tournament." Who the hell wrote that paragraph – an intern? Since when is Julian our "only legitimate inside threat"? And why is there a need to pick on the "sleepy" Georgetown fans who are "unaccustomed to the early start that comes with being a high seed" in the BET? First of all, the Georgetown fans clearly outnumbered the USF fans (obviously – I mean, it doesn’t make any sense, at least geographically, for South Florida to even be in the conference). Second, I think we know what it’s like to play noon games in the BET. We played at the same time when were a #1 seed and we’ll play again as a #8 seed. I’m not even sure what the sentence is supposed to mean. Someone should fire the intern who wrote this.

"Vaughn may have been happy to take a seat on the bench even with plenty of time left. After a timeout in the first half, the 6-foot-9 junior walked over to a bucket sitting courtside and promptly vomited. Vaughn didn't even bother to get a drink of water, wiping his face on his jersey and heading back onto the court moments later." What? Did they even show this on TV? I was at the game, so I wasn’t exactly paying attention to Julian’s sideline behavior. This paragraph leads me to two conclusions: (1) Julian is sick. I wonder if he has the flu. (2) Julian is bulimic. (3) Julian is the man. I love the attitude. Vomit, wipe your face, turn down water, and get back out there. It’s the Big East Tournament.

Preview of Thursday's Game: Georgetown v. Syracuse, 12pm

It’s time. We wanted another shot and now we have it. After two bad losses to Syracuse earlier this year (one frustrating, one heartbreaking), we’ll get another chance. February 18 was (likely) the only time all year that we lost to an opponent when our Big Three scored at least 20 points apiece. It really says something about how good Syracuse is. It also tells you something about how bad the rest of our team played that cruel night at the Phone Booth. Julian Vaughn was held scoreless. Our bench contributed a pathetic two points (thanks to Hank). We just fell too far behind and couldn’t get over the hump in the closing minutes of the game. Tomorrow at the Garden, it’s payback time.

Georgetown and Syracuse are 6-6 against each other in the Big East Tourney. The last time Georgetown defeated Syracuse (I think) was in 2000 (ironically, when the #9 seeded Hoyas defeated the #1 seeded Orange). This time around, Syracuse is coming off a frustrating loss to Louisville and will be seeking to right the ship in advance of the NCAA Tourney next week. Win or lose, the Orange are a lock for a #1 seed. The Hoyas, on the other hand, will be seeded anywhere between a #6 seed (unlikely, but could happen) and a #2 seed (if we man up and win the whole damn thing).

One of the biggest obstacles tomorrow will be the crowd. Syracuse locked up the #1 seed two weeks ago and its fans purchased tickets well in advance of the Tourney. Syracuse fans always travel well, and that is especially true whenever the Orange play at the Garden. Syracuse fans will be everywhere tomorrow. To avoid a Syracuse South situation, I urge all of you to find a way to get to the game. Beg, borrow and deal. Go on craigslist and buy some overpriced tickets from overconfident Cuse fans who would rather make some money and skip the quarterfinals. Better yet, buy $55 tickets for Saturday’s championship game from the Hoya Hoop Club and trade them to a Cuse fan for Session 5 tickets. Get to the game! No matter what it takes. I already have my tickets. I can’t wait. If you find yourself outside the Garden, trying to identify where to purchase tickets, the Syracuse fans are easy to spot. They’re fat. They look like pumpkins.

Keys to the Game:

1. Roughing up Rautins: Rautins is clearly Syracuse’s most important player. I know Wes Johnson is the most talented player, but Rautins is the most important. He’s the catalyst at the top of the Orange zone and he’s also the most consistent shooter and distributor on the team. He needs to be stopped. The last time he faced the Hoyas, he scored a season-high 26 points and pulled down 7 boards. We have to limit turnovers, prevent Rautins from leading the break, and force Rautins to shoot with one or two hands in his face. Jason Clark did a nice job defending Jones. Tomorrow, he needs to do the same against Rautins. Fun fact: did you know that Andy Rautins is the son of former Syracuse star Leo Rautins? Wow. I’m so happy tomorrow could be the last time we ever have to hear that again. I hope Julian vomits on him.

2. Limiting Turnovers: It’s easier said than done. We only committed ten turnovers in our February matchup, though Monroe had 5 turnovers and Clark had 4. We need to be equally careful with the basketball tomorrow. Syracuse thrives on deflections and steals at the top of their zone – Rautins, Jardine and Joseph love to push the ball and score in transition as often as possible. Wright and Clark need to be smart. Limit the turnovers and prevent fast breaks. I think we can do it.

3. The Foul Situation: Both of our games against ‘Cuse were heavily influenced by fouls. Monroe was limited in both games, particularly the first. Wright picked up 4 fouls in the second game and Clark fouled out. For Syracuse, Onuaku only played 13 minutes before fouling out, and Rick Jackson fouled out late in that game too. Both teams play only 7 guys regularly, so any foul is a big foul. In the first 10 minutes, we should know whether Georgetown has a legitimate chance. If Monroe and Vaughn are in foul trouble early, we’re in trouble. On the other hand, if Onuaku, Jackson and/or Rautins pick up quick fouls, Syracuse will struggle. Georgetown’s bigs need to be careful in this one.

4. Austin: We need Austin in this game. Part of me is happy that Austin picked today’s game to have a sub-par performance. We’ll need all of him and more tomorrow afternoon. We need his penetration, his outside touch and his smart passing. Bring it back, Austin. Lead your team.

5. #10: Remember when we clawed all the way back from a 20+ point deficit against Syracuse with under 12 minutes to go? Remember how we did that? Throw the ball to #10 and let him go to work. Onuaku and Jackson can’t guard him. Greg is the best center in the conference. Give him the damn ball and force Syracuse to make adjustments. Don’t wait until the second half to turn on the switch. Give it to Greg early and often.

I don’t like Syracuse. I was hoping we’d get another chance to beat them sometime in the BET. I just didn’t expect this opportunity to come so soon. As annoying as it is to have to play ‘Cuse on Thursday instead of on Friday or Saturday, just remember this: as unhappy as we may be with our path to the championship, Syracuse is even more worried. A #1 seed has to go through Georgetown, ‘Nova and WVU? Ouch. So let them be scared.

On February 18, we battled hard and fell just one or two possessions short of pulling off what would have been a monumental comeback victory. Although we lost, we sent a very important message to the Orange: we can beat you. We may not be a fancy #1 seed. We may not be the Louisville Cardinals (which somehow beat ‘Cuse twice). And we may not even be the better team this year. But come tomorrow, none of that matters. We’re Georgetown, and when Georgetown plays Syracuse, the stats and the seedings and the standings are irrelevant. When Georgetown plays Syracuse, everyone watches.

If Syracuse wants to win the BET, it will have to get through Georgetown a third time. Let them try.

We’ll be waiting.

Let's go Hoyas. Beat Syracuse.

Hoyas A Better Tournament Team Than Regular Season Team??

2010-03-10T19:37:59Z

Here's a thought. The Hoyas have won (or played well) in most of their "big games" this season. Where they have let themselves down is in their games against much lesser opponents. We have all driven ourselves crazy trying to dissect why this is the case...........but it has happened too much for it to be an accident.

So here we are at the time of the year where EVERY GAME is a "big game". Can we expect the Hoyas to outperform expectations accordingly? Are we going to actually beat Syracuse tomorrow and go on a run? Can we go deep in the NCAA tournament (Syracuse being an awfully tough test early in the Big East Tournament).

Just a thought. Perhaps delusional. Perhaps not.

With paranoia,

Games That Matter - March 9, 2010

2010-03-09T21:17:46Z

Games That Matter – March 9, 2010

*As always, if you have friends who want to be added to this distribution list, please let me know and I'll be happy to add them.

Rankings:

ESPN / USA Today: 22

AP: 22

RPI: 14

Latest edition of Facts & Bracks (3/8/10):

http://hoopgroup.com/hoopgroup/blogs/2010/03/08/facts-bracks-3-8-10-oscars-style/

Latest edition of Projecting the Field of 65 (3/8/10): http://bleacherreport.com/articles/358717-what-the-top-22-bubble-teams-need-to-do-to-make-the-ncaa-tournament

Recap:

Georgetown 74, Cincinnati 47

"This is what I love to do. I love to play basketball." -Austin Freeman

A mere four days after being diagnosed with diabetes, Austin Freeman returned to lead his Hoyas to a 27 point rout over Cincinnati in front of thousands of inspired fans at the Phone Booth on Saturday. On a seniorless Senior Day, with many Georgetown fans getting ready to throw in the towel, Freeman put on one of the most memorable performances in Georgetown history. And now, heading into the Big East Tourney, the Hoyas are once again at full strength and ready to make a statement in New York.

In the last ten days, Georgetown fans everywhere have experienced the full range of emotions -- confusion, misery, sadness, despair, cautious optimism, and finally, hope. After a befuddling loss to the Irish in which the Hoyas seemed rudderless throughout the day, last Monday Georgetown was methodically destroyed by a bigger, tougher, hungrier West Virginia team. By mid-week, the rest of the season looked grim. Austin has diabetes? Will he return this season? Can he return? If he returns, will he even be effective? At that point, many of us contacted doctor friends, diabetics, people who failed organic chemistry during their sophomore year of college, anyone really, to find out whether Austin could play. We were desperate for information. By Thursday, JTIII said he was 100% sure that Austin would return. We were hopeful, but still worried. We all prayed that Austin would come back, even if the chances were remote, because without Austin, the season was basically over.

By Saturday morning, we didn’t know if Austin would play. We didn’t expect him to start – most of us just hoped for five or ten minutes to see if he’s healthy and ensure that he’s in some sort of rhythm leading into the Big East Tourney. And then, Austin exceeded all of our hopes. He started. He scored on an aggressive move to the rim. He calmly knocked down a three in the first few minutes. He poured in 24 points to lead the team in scoring. On Saturday, we saw ol’ #15 doing what he does best. And that made all of us smile.

Over the last several weeks, we’ve heard lots of reasons why Georgetown doesn’t have a legitimate shot to win a national title. Lack of depth, free throw shooting, inconsistency and poor defense are among the more prominent reasons supplied by pundits and fans alike. Perhaps the biggest reason, however, has been the lack of a true leader -- someone to take this team on his shoulders through tough times and will the team to victory. Many have asked- is there someone in our triumvirate of stars to carry the load? When the season is on the line, who will step up to right the ship? Just last week, Liz Clarke wrote: "It matters not, at this stage of the season, whether Freeman, Chris Wright or Greg Monroe leads the team. It matters only that someone does."

On Saturday, we learned something we should have known all along: Austin Freeman is our leader. Through his calmness and composure, #15 leads by example both on and off the court. And now, this team will go as far as Austin Freeman will take it. Saturday was no different for

Austin – another day, another dominant performance, and another lesson for his Hoya brothers on how to stay cool and composed in the face of adversity.

Diabetic Austin is awesome. And the rest of the country will soon take notice.

Some quick-hitters on Saturday’s inspiring win:

- Greg Monroe quietly chipped in with an impressive 19 points and 15 boards. Against one of the best rebounding teams in the conference, the Hoyas outrebounded the Bearcats 37-26.

- Congratulations to Greg and Austin for receiving all-conference honors on Sunday – Greg was named to the first team and Austin was named to the second team. Well deserved.

- The all-important bench numbers: 2 points, zero field goals on 0 for 6 shooting. Once again, the bench failed to step up. On the bright side, it seems like JTIII is getting more and more comfortable with inserting Vee into the lineup. Vee looks pretty poised on defense; if he can knock down open shots from the perimeter on a consistent basis, that would be a very welcome development at just the right time.

- It was great to see the show of support for Austin from the media. John Saunders, Liz Clarke and Mike Wilbon – who are all diabetics – heaped praise on Austin throughout the week. Chris Wright contributed an impressive 16 points, 4 assists and only 1 turnover. He seemed to play under control throughout the game and really did an effective job in shutting down Deonta Vaughn on the defensive end.

- We limited Cincy to 38% shooting from the floor, while Deonta Vaughn (who killed us in both of our losses to the Bearcats last year) had no field goals. Only one player scored in double figures for Cincinnati (Lance Stephenson).

- Some additional quotes from last week:

"He hit every shot he threw up. Same Austin. Nothing [has] changed on the court. Literally, for a stretch there -- I'm not exaggerating -- he didn't miss a shot!" -Chris Wright, commenting on Austin’s first practice after being diagnosed with diabetes

"I felt good. It felt real good out there to be back on the floor and playing with my team." –Austin Freeman

"We're going to see a lot more games this year like that." -JTIII

- Saturday was a whirlwind. Over the course of 2.5 hours, we could have finished anywhere between 6th and 8th in the conference. Just when it seemed like we were primed to have the easiest road to the Big East championship game (through Pitt), UConn lost, Louisville won, and then Notre Dame stunned Marquette thanks to a last-second shot from none other than Carleton Scott (the same guy who torched us two weeks ago at the Phone Booth). Now, all of a sudden the Hoyas face the BET-equivalent of the Group of Death. Round 1 against a hungry and desperate USF squad. Round 2 against a hated rival and top three team in the country. And then potential matchups with Nova and West Virginia. On balance, it’s scary. But now is not the time to look ahead or throw in the towel. In the words of Jake Taylor, I guess there’s only one thing left to do. What’s that? Win the whole effing thing.

Preview of Wednesday's Game: Georgetown v. South Florida, 12pm

Entering Wednesday’s matchup, South Florida needs at least one more victory to put itself on the right side of the bubble, while Georgetown is fighting for a top 4 seed and a bit more consistency heading into the NCAA Tourney. This game should be a dogfight right from the start.

South Florida is led by the ever-improving Dominique Jones, the 6’4’’ combo guard who has an impressive midrange game and a great first step to the basket. Significantly for the Bulls, Jones has his partner in crime back – 6’10’’ big man Gus Gilchrist, who has played the last 8 games for USF and is averaging close to 9 points and 4.5 rebound per game. Gilchrist was ineffective against DePaul today, but when he’s playing well, he’s one of the better interior players in the conference. With Jones and Gilchrist, along with heady guards like Mike Mercer and Chris Howard, South Florida is a formidable foe.

Keys to the Game:

1. Stopping Dominique Jones: Jones is good. He’s a first team all-conference player who, at 6’4’’, averages an impressive 21 points, 6 rebounds and almost 4 assists per game. He is quick off the dribble, a strong rebounder and defender, and very good in transition. When Georgetown met South Florida in February, the Hoyas completely shut down Jones in the first half, but then he exploded in the second half and finished the game with 29 points. Georgetown probably won’t be able to limit Jones to 10 points or less in this game, but they also can’t let him go off again. The three best ways to stop Jones are to keep him outside, keep him off the glass, and limit his free throws. In February, Jones attempted 17 free throws – anything close to that and the Hoyas will be in for a long afternoon. Clark and Freeman need to stay in front of Jones and be patient. Make him blink first.

2. Forcing USF to the Perimeter: South Florida only shoots 29% from three-point range. Every USF player, including Dominique Jones, is a subpar perimeter shooter. Expect to see a fair amount of zone in this game, as the Hoyas try to deny Gilchrist and Famous in the paint, while forcing Jones and Mercer to knock down shots from the perimeter. Clark, Wright and Thompson have to keep their men in front of them and make them go over the top.

3. Defensive Rebounding: Now that Gus Gilchrist is back for the Bulls, South Florida will have an effective tandem of big men: the 6’10’’ Gilchrist and 6’11’’ Jarrid Famous. Both are very physical players in the paint. Monroe and Vaughn will have to limit second chance points and prevent USF from getting easy rebounds off perimeter misses.

4. Chris Wright: Mike Mercer and Chris Howard are experienced guards who rarely commit turnovers. They are frustrating players to guard. Wright needs to be patient on defense, while not taking too many chances. On offense, Wright needs to play under control, work the ball inside to Greg and not try to force anything. The last time the Hoyas faced South Florida, Wright only contributed 8 points and missed all six of his three-point attempts. Wright doesn’t need to dominate this game. He just needs to make smart decisions.

5. The Syracuse Game: We are NOT playing Syracuse tomorrow. We are playing South Florida. We’ve already looked past this opponent once this year, let’s not make the same mistake twice. With victories over Kent State, UConn, Pittsburgh, and yes, Georgetown, the Bulls have shown that they can play with some of the better teams in the country. If the Hoyas take them lightly, they will lose. Plain and simple. Worry about the Orange on Thursday. Tomorrow, we have an important game to win.

These last ten days have been a rollercoaster ride for the Hoya faithful, and yet, the fun is only just beginning. In the next four days, Georgetown has a chance to avenge four of its losses (USF, Cuse, Marquette, WVU, anyone?) and deliver a serious message to the conference and the country. Or, the Hoyas could lose to South Florida, clinch a 6 seed and continue down the same path of inconsistency that has plagued them all season.

Whenever we finally seem to be turning a corner, something brings us down. Over the last two weeks, we lost several players to the flu and Austin missed two games with diabetes. Now, we’re finally at full strength, just in time for the home stretch. Will we rally around Austin Freeman and leave our mark on the conference, or will we continue to wither in the face of inferior competition and so-called trap games? We’ll find out tomorrow at the Garden.

With Austin’s faster-than-expected recovery and top-notch performance on Saturday, the Hoyas are now the feel-good story of the Big East Tournament. People around the country want us to win. Tomorrow at the Garden, it all begins. Tomorrow at the Garden, we avenge an earlier loss in convincing fashion and get prepared for our next opponent. Tomorrow at the Garden, we are all diabetics.

The Big East Tournament. It’s the first step in the postseason.

Austin Freeman is back, New York. Watch out.

Let's go Hoyas. Beat South Florida.

Aaron Bowen (2010) Verbal

2010-03-09T20:03:18Z

3 stars on Rivals

3 stars on Scout

Nice pick-up this late in the game

http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=2&c=952569&ssf=1&RequestedURL=http%3a%2f%2fscouthoops.scout.com%2f2%2f952569.html

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/recruiting/tracker/player?page=onthetrail&recruitId=73007&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncb%2frecruiting%2ftracker%2fplayer%3fpage%3donthetrail%26recruitId%3d73007

Hopefully Gtown can meet that educational standards that one builds at "Quality Education Academy"

Welcome to the Hoya family Aarron

Iverson 30-for-30 Documentary Screening

2010-03-09T19:04:17Z

For anyone interested in the ESPN 30/30 documentary about Allen Iverson's trial, "No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson," there's a showing in Silver Spring with Director Steve James on Monday, March 29th. Link: http://www.afi.com/silver/new/nowplaying/events.aspx#nocro. Description after the jump.

On Valentine's Day 1993, 17-year-old Bethel High School basketball star Allen Iverson was bowling in Hampton, Virginia, with five high school friends. It was supposed to be an ordinary evening, but it became a night that defined Iverson's young life. A quarrel soon erupted into a brawl pitting Iverson's young black friends against a group of white patrons. The fallout from the fight and the handling of the subsequent trial landed the teenager--considered by some the nation's best high school athlete--in jail and sharply divided the city along racial lines. Oscar nominee Steve James (HOOP DREAMS) returns to his hometown of Hampton, where he once played basketball, to take a personal look at this still-disputed incident and examine its impact on Iverson and the shared community.

Relatively Comprehensive Preview of the Big East Tournament

2010-03-09T14:10:02Z

The Sports Network gives us their comprehensive review of the teams participating in the Big East Tournament

Pretty much the same old story. Good/Talented but inconsistent

Georgetown, the team that has the most conference tournament titles with seven, winning most recently in 2007, slipped up numerous times down the stretch and dropped all the way down to the eighth seed as a result. Off the court, the Hoyas (20-9, 10-8) were stunned to find out that All-Big East Second-Team member Austin Freeman was diagnosed with Diabetes barely a week ago, but he returned to action on Saturday under a physician's watchful eye and delivered a game-high 24 points in the win over Cincinnati at home. Obviously, Freeman's health is paramount and because of his condition he will be having his minutes monitored and that could spell trouble for the program if his rhythm is disrupted. However, Georgetown is not a one-trick pony because the cast in the nation's capital also includes All-Big East First-Team selection Greg Monroe, who not only averaged almost a double-double with his 16.0 points and 9.6 rebounds per contest, but was also second on the unit with 103 assists.

Former Hoya Star Iverson Having Problems

2010-03-08T19:45:34Z

Allen Iverson, former Hoya star is having serious life problems

Gambling, Alcohol, general poor decision making....

Maybe Big John can save him.

Smith, who has covered Iverson closely for years, wrote in Monday's column that Iverson needs someone with "the ideal combination of compassion and toughness" in his life. And former Temple coach John Chaney said that person is John Thompson, Iverson's former college coach at Georgetown.

"[Thompson] is the one guy who'll have a chance of slowing this train wreck down, who could wrap his arms around Iverson and have an impact, because clearly it has not been done," Chaney said, according to Smith. "But there's still this one question: Will [Iverson] listen?"

4s and 13s - Like a bad hand of Blackjack

2010-03-08T17:02:04Z

While there's still a lot of basketball left to be played before the final NCAA seedings - Eric Prisbell of the Washington Post (or what remains of it) has us penciled in for a Four Seed in his latest updated field.

Look at the potential pairings - To be honest, I would rather play Temple or Wisconsin (I fear Vasquez) than ANY of those projected 13s.

No. 4s
Wisconsin
Temple (Atlantic 10)
Georgetown
Maryland

No. 13s
Murray State (Ohio Valley) - they are a whopping 30-4, with their only losses coming to to Cal, La Tech, Western Kentucky, and Morehead State - we have much more glaring bad losses, lets just leave it at that. And they have this guy, Isaiah Canaan who can hit shots from his knees at half court

Kent State (MAC) - Odds on favorite to win the MAC tourney - maybe they're not that good but they have a guy named Tyree Evans which is too close to Tyreke Evans for my liking

Siena (Metro Atlantic) - 26-6 and provided they beat Fairfield tomorrow , the champs of the MAC- they have no bad losses, all on the road or at neutral sites - @ Butler, @ Northern Iowa, @ Ga Tech, @ Temple, neutral-St. Johns, and @ Niagara . Furthermore, they've won their first round game in the NCAAs as an underdog each of the past two years (losing to Lville last year and Nova the year before).

Cornell (Ivy) - The fear of a probable program-crippling first round loss to Cornell has already been discussed at length on this blog - it is real and need not be discussed further.

Julian Vaughn more delusional than JGD?

2010-03-08T15:24:17Z

While all of our guards seem to justifiably hate us, Julian Vaughn in a recent formspring answer said that we are funny SOMETIMES. Not sure why he thinks we are funny any of the time, but hey, I guess we should take any praise (no matter how undeserved) we can get.

Full text is:

Q: whats your least favorite message board about georgetown

A: them casual ppl....haha sike im jk i kno they gonna blast me if they see this theyre alright they kinda funny SOMETIMES

Official Casual Pre/Post Game Events for BET?

2010-03-08T02:16:06Z

Is there an official Casual Hoya pregame or post game location for the Big East Tournament in New York City next week?

Also, is anyone else watching the women's game on ESPNU? I hate to admit it but I actually have been entertained despite the extremely sloppy play so far. 23-19 at the half. Rutgers went 10 minutes without a point but it still only down by 4. Depaul also nearly knocked off West VA in the last game.

Michael Wilbon on Freeman's Diagnosis

2010-03-05T14:27:11Z

Michael Wilbon wrote a column about diabetes and athletes today in the Washington Post.

I love Michael Wilbon (especially since he picked us to go to the Final Four on PTI in the 2006-07 season before the tournament started)

Undoubtedly, the diagnosis Freeman received recentlymust have scared him half to death. It scares all of us, me two years ago at 49 when doctors told me I had Type 2 diabetes and would have to change my lifestyle forever . . . or else. Freeman, his diagnosis so new, probably hasn't even gotten to the point at which he's formulating complicated questions. But he will. And he's going to hear from doctors, from friends and neighbors and perhaps even relatives who have the disease that diabetes should not slow him down, should not limit his life's options, should not make him infirm or physically unable to pursue most, if not all, of his passions.

Who Will Earn a Better Seed: Terps or Hoyas

2010-03-02T14:29:58Z

Click Here and vote

Poll: Will Maryland earn a better NCAA tournament seed than Georgetown?
Georgetown has lost four of five games, while Maryland has won seven of eight. These are two teams heading in opposite directions right now. Which team will get a better seed in the NCAAs?

As a person who happens to live with a Terps fan this poll makes me cry. Although this a totally unfair popularity contest is it actually possible that the Terps will end up with a better seed than the Hoyas in the big dance? Say it ain't so....

help me help you...enough with boeheim

2010-03-01T22:06:32Z

Poll on http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/ today asks you who your favorite Big East coach of the 1980s was? As of 1pm GMT, and 41,944 votes casted and counted, early results were:

Boeheim 39%, JT 28%, Rollie 20% and The Sweater 13%. As a native NYer, I admit to voting for good old Lou. But I am united in your cause that Boeheim sucks...so go to the men's hoops pages on espn.com and help right what is clearly a wrong.

As an aside, day by day, I am given more reason not to cast all teh blame on Coach Broadus (former Hoya asst who recruited Jeff Green for the amatuer's out there) for the debacle that has become Binghamton athletics.

Finally big kudos to whomever on this blog started the sell out the traitors who give their seats away to opposing fans.

WHO TO BLAME FOR HOYA'S SHOWING LATELY

2010-03-01T17:16:26Z

We have been saying it all year, there is no depth on this team. You take away Freeman, and we don't rain from the three point land, and we freaking suck. What is the point of even having a bench if JTIII wont play any of them? Does he only recruit his starting 5 and then just have walk-ons for the rest of the team?

Chris Wright - not a point guard, at all

Monroe- just coasting to the NBA

Fans - you are slacking

i predict two mediocre showings in the big east and NCAA tourneys, we then lose monroe, we drop out of the top 25 next year...

Is playing sick an excuse for losing?

2010-03-01T06:47:41Z

My uncle has been really tearing into me about these losses to crappy teams. I include ND is my list of crappy teams, and that is why I was wondering if it makes sense to cut Austin Freeman slack because of his illness. The conversation went like this:

Uncle: Where's the "We Lost to RU" banner

Me: next to the "we beat nova" banner

Uncle: Is that above or below the "We lost to the Irish without Luke" one?

Me: next to the "we lost to the irish when austin freeman was sick as anything and was getting IV's" sign

Uncle: If you lace them up there are no excuses

I also talked with my friend who said that football players play through all kinds of shit to win each game. He said players will play hard and well no matter what the conditions. I don't think the case can be made that he was trying to rest up for future games, because he suited up and went in the game.

Do we give Austin a freebie for playing sick? or does that not matter?

Feeling Right at Home at the Hoyas House

2010-03-01T02:40:41Z

Section 109 Row A Seats 3-4. Front Row Seats!!!!

Thank you Hoya Hoop Club season ticket holder for allowing us to sit at the very front of one of Georgetown's lower bowl season ticket holder sections. We were well within earshot of our beloved Irish squad which helped us cheer them on to victory! We've never been able to sit this close to the team in South Bend! Wore our lucky leprechaun jackets to make double sure our boys knew ND was in the house.

Great day!!!

via assets.sbnation.com

God has spoken -- Georgetown defeats ND

2010-02-27T02:40:55Z

Through a confluence of events i've had Georgetown, Notre Dame and Catholicism on my mind in the last twenty four hours. I don't normally believe in signs from God, in fact i've only had one such event in my life...more on that later, but i can't ignore this any longer. (it might help to have 5 large beers before reading this like i did this afternoon if you really want to follow this)

Let's start at last night. I went to a Georgetown event in nyc last night. I never go to these things, but they were honoring my roomate and he's a great guy. I sat next to President DeGoia(he's very conversant on the basketball team btw.) and caught up for Father Donovan who was at the next table. I even spent a few minutes with Father Hentz who taught me about the problem of God even though i had to remind him i was a student of his many years ago.

Then this morning on the train, i passed my idle time casually reading the best blog on the internet and rereading dave marsh's springsteen biography. The casual subject today was obviously the shortcomings of the fighting Irish. It forced me to confront a long ago past conflict with the most religious person i've ever known, my grandmother. A daily church- goer, my grandmother never quite came to terms with the fact I didn't go to Notre Dame. And i mean that literally. Her health failing my first year at Georgetown, she aggresively told the doctors and nurses at the hospital two things about her only grandson -- he was a Notre Dame graduate and he was currently in Rome at the Vatican as the personal assistant to the Pope. (For fact checkers -- I was a sophomore at Georgetown during these months.)

Ok so where does God guaranteeing a Georgetown win come in....i'm getting to that. When i was at Georgetown i was a pretty serious student. How i got there had something to do with it. I applied to Georgetown as a high school senior and was rejected. I remember a nice note with the forwarding numbers to the admissions office at Villanova and St Johns as more acceptable schools for a student of my "capabilites."

After working hard at an obscure college in SW Virginia for a year, I applied to Georgetown as a transfer student. Again I was rejected with a nice note suggesting that i look at more "realistic" schools for me. Not to be deterred, I found our that a guy name Deacon was the head of admissions. So i sent him a letter explaining the obvious mistake the school had made and informing him that despite the "miscommunication" i was still willing to attend Georgetown in the fall. Of course he agreed and the letter of acceptance came about two weeks before school started.

Why am I telling this part of the story? To underline how serious a student i was. Being a serious student i was determined to ace the first big test at school. The problem...the night before the test Bruce Springsteen was playing at the Capitol Center. I had never seen Bruce, nor had i ever taken a test at Georgetown. After much soul searching I went to the concert....and it was unbelievable and it went 4 hours and it required nearly a keg of beer to get through and, much to my dismay i had nothing left for that first test at Georgetown.

Enter the divine spirit. I showed up for the test severely hungover and ready to go back to SW Virginia. As the teacher was passsing out the exams a swarm of bees, seriously, attacked the classroom. Before you knew it, everyone had to evacuate the classroom and the exam the postponed. From that moment on i believed there was a God.

So what does that have to do with tomorrow. Driving home tonight from the office I was thinking about he game, about Georgetown and Notre Dame. i put my XM radio on the E Street Radio Channel and they were playing an excellent live concert. When i looked down at the dial i couldn't believe it...it was November 2nd, 1978 at the Capitol Center...the very concert i attented 32 years ago.

Mark it down. God doesn't mess around with Bruce and Georgetown. He's decided. We win tomorrow.

Vox Pop Bashes Sims for No Good Reason

2010-02-26T19:37:03Z

Vox Pop, the "Georgetown Blog of Record since 1969" took a pot shot at Henry, "Hank" Sims today on their article covering the ugly ass jerseys that we're going to be wearing Saturday against Notre Dame

posted below an image of a model wearing the silver uniforms was this quote...

(FYI, that’s not Henry Sims, just a random model. But you’d be forgiven for forgetting what #30 looks like, he’s spent so much time off the court this season.)

and yet Henry says the team hates all of us Hoya Faithful here at Casual Hoya as evidenced by this tweet, or twitter, form spring...thingamajig...no mention of if the team hates Vox Pop...I mean lets be even handed here guys.

MajesticOne30:

Does the team hate casualhoya blog as much as I do?

lol prolly more then u

28 minutes ago

Whatup With That??