The Casual Awards: Georgetown Beats Syracuse, World Rejoices

There's really nothing left for me to add here.  You all saw the game.  As usual we here at THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON are dishing out hardware to those most deserving, and after Georgetown's riveting VICTORY last night over Syracuse in the Carrier Dome, it is my great honor to tell you that these Awards are brought to you by the dedicated heroes at CasualHoya.com.  Away we go.

The Chris Wright Heart of a Champion Award:
I really want to give this award to the entire team, but that would be kind of Hoya Talky.  This award goes to Hollis "Hollywood" Thompson, who shed his skinny jeans and stepped into the bright lights on the Carrier Dome floor and delivered his most clutch performance as a Hoya: 11 points on 4-5 shooting from the field including THREE FOR THREE ON THREES that busted Syracuse's zone.  Hollis has had a knack this season for hitting big threes, and his long ranger juicer to tie the game at 55 with just over 3 minutes left keyed the Hoyas run to end the game that sent the Syracuse fans back to Rochester and Toronto in a foul mood.

More Awards after The Jump:

John Wooden Award:
John Thompson III.  We heard all week that the key to destroying that 2-3 zone is having someone at the top of the key who can knock down jumpers and create open looks.  Last year that person was Greg Monroe, and Hoyas fans around the world rightfully got nervous picturing Julian Vaughn, Nate Lubick, or Henry Sims in the role.  So what did JT3 do?  He put CHRIS WRIGHT in there.  Brilliant!  As JGD wrote in the recap, the ball movement shredding the zone tonight was by far the best we've seen by a Georgetown team in the Carrier Dome.  The Hoyas had 20 assists on 24 made shots.  Read that again and let it sink in.  Wright's ability to slash through the zone created open looks for Freeman, Jason Clark and Thompson, while Julian Vaughn scored a gritty 12 points and added 8 rebounds.

The Syracuse Basketball Heart of a Loser Award:
Syracuse Basketball and its fans.  The end of that game was just bizarre.  Utterly bizarre.  No yelling.  No screaming. No hustle.  Just a dead quiet arena and Scoop Jardine standing around.  Did the end of the game just seem off to you?   It's a two possession game with a minute to go, the home team is trailing and NOBODY SEEMS TO CARE.  People are putting on coats, the team is half-assedly fouling.  WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU ARE STILL IN THIS GAME?  I'd heard rumors about this, how the Carrier Dome and all 500,000 people they pack into it each game can utterly disappear late in games when things look bad for the Orange.  Wow.  That was a sight to see. Poor bastards.

The Award for a Single Number that Will Bring a Smile to my Face for the Rest of the Day Award:
Three.  Syracuse has now lost three-in-a-row at the Carrier Dome.  Do you know that that is?  IT IS JUSTICE.  When your first actual away game is not until January 8 and your non-conference schedule includes Cornell, Colgate and Canisus (not to mention Detroit, William & Mary and Morgan St.), the Basketball Gods will exact their revenge deep in the throes of conference play.  Three home losses in a row for the Orange.  And on Monday - Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers.  FOUR-IN-A-ROW?  Only the Gods know...

Nurse Betty Award:
Thank you, Mr. John Saunders for taking the time to explain to the national audience not just what diabetes is, but also what exactly Austin Freeman has to do on a daily basis in order to cope with the disease.   It was almost crazy how into it Saunders was, and for a second I thought he was going to inject someone with that damn syringe. 

Balance Is Power Award:
The Georgetown Hoyas. On a night where Jason Clark and Austin Freeman were quiet for much of the game, the Hoyas were still able to win with solid contributions from Hollis Thompson, Julian Vaughn and Markel Starks. This bodes well for March.

Deer In Headlights Award:
Henry Sims and Nate Lubick. We all love Big Hank and Thundersnow, but last night was not their night. Both seemed rushed and nervous every time they touched the ball. Good news is both have played well enough to earn some goodwill with JT3 and didn't get yanked every time they made a mistake.

Document Your Lunch Award:

Cuse A Ho Award:
Jim Boeheim and Rick Jackson. Really? Complaining about the refs after the game for the loss? Give me a break. Syracuse has lost three straight at home and 5 of their last 7. Enough with the excuses, just accept that your 18-0 record was wildly inflated by a pathetic out of conference slate that left you woefully unprepared for the Big East.

Hoyasincebirth and Kent Adrian Award:
To the two most optimistic Hoya fans on the planet, we salute you. Last night continued to prove that even when there are bumps in the road, this team will rebound. The coaching staff, system, and players have all earned our trust.

Mad Men Advertising Award:
The WCAC. Washington DC's catholic conference, which yielded Georgetown Austin Freeman, Chris Wright and Jason Clark, got a ton of love from the ESPN crew last night. If it weren't already obvious that the WCAC is the best high school basketball conference in the country, last night sealed the deal.

Will Ferrell Old School Award:
What happened in the middle of last night's game? My heart was beating so fast that I blacked out. There was something about Rick Jackson and fouls, something about JT3 trying to get his first win in the Dome, and something about a rivalry. I didn't come to until Julian Vaughn fed Jason Clark for that sublime backdoor pass. IT TASTES SO GOOD WHEN IT HITS YOUR LIPS. 

Hadoken! Award: 

 
CW is an absolute magician

Barrel through three players on way to hoop? CHECK.  Hit threes with the shot clock expiring? CHECK.  Make one of two free throws on trips to the line in final minuite? CHECK.  Is there anything Chris Wright can't do?  Oh, how about being put in the spot of Zone Buster at the top of the key to destroy Syracuse? CHECK.  Chris Wright is the tits. 

Charlie Sheen Award for Inside Penetration:
Chris Wright. Everyone knows that beating a zone requires ball movement and getting inside it, and everyone knows that Cuse will play a zone. And though it's taken JT3 seven years to get the first win at the Carrier Dome, it was a direct result of having Chris Wright find the sweet spot. Continuing this painful metaphor, I guess Chris Wright is like the briefcase that penetrated Charlie Sheen's inner sanctum last week, though it is unclear if CW has a porn theater.

Rivalry Week Award:
Georgetown - Syracuse and Duke - UNC on ESPN is the best day of the year.  Has Georgetown beaten Syracuse, Duke, and North Carolina the last time the Hoyas have played them?  YES.

Ghost of Christmas Past Award:
Seth Curry.  Yes, our game was real casual, but Seth Curry scares the crap out of me.  If Georgetown happens to be placed in the same bracket as Duke and happens to face this devil Curry child in the NCAAs I am going to light myself on fire.  A really hot, burning, fire.  And I will enjoy it.

DC is Our F*cking Playground:
After a quick stop at Vapiano in Chinatown (the spicy is a lot spicier than you think), I walk past the bus stop on 6th and G just as a bus with the letter X and a random number pulls up at the red light.  The door opens, but no one gets in.  I look to the driver.  He looks above me, as if something is sitting on my head.  Ah yes, it's my Georgetown hat. He smiles.  Then nods.  And drives away.

Care Bears Friendship Award:
Georgetown Hoyas. Jesus - 20 assists on 24 baskets, with Chris Wright dropping 9 dimes? Those numbers are damn near unheard of and really exemplify how things have turned around for the team.

Michael Cooper Sixth Man Award:
Hollis Thompson. We've already given him a Microwave Award this year but maybe the more fitting comparison is to the Lakers' skinny star who would come off the bench and unleash threes on his opponents. Plenty of guys sulk when they lose starting roles but Hollis has embraced it with both arms and the team is clearly better for that.

Iron Horse.  Packed.