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:
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.
The Worst Two Minutes in Sport Award:
Syracuse. We're Georgetown grads here at THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON, so we are well schooled in the arts of critical thinking. So let's compare the last two minutes of Georgetown/Syracuse with the last two minutes of Duke/UNC. With two minutes to go, Syracuse and UNC were down six and five points respectively. Plenty of time to make up the difference in what is simply a two possession basketball game against YOUR BIGGEST RIVAL. UNC got five rebounds, attempted nine shots, committed four fouls and called two full time outs. They left it all on the floor, but Duke hit their foul shots and won by six. Good effort Tar Heels! A close loss on the road. What did the Orangemen do under the tutelage of Head Coach Jim BoeWHINE? Attempted three shots, got one rebound, committed one foul. The sorry excuse for trying was interrupted by a TV timeout. Syracuse lost at home in front of 324,000 people by eight. Pathetic. Let me write that again but with larger letters. PATHETIC. One more time: PATHETIC. I do not troll Syracuse message boards but I hear from sources familiar with the situation that there is some concern in Canada about their team's heart. Well, THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON does not share that concern, because we very much enjoyed watching you EMBARRASS YOURSELF on your home court. We enjoyed watching you embarrass yourself on your home court because in the final minutes YOU DID NOT TRY. And that is a greater sin than just being lousy and so much a worse fate than being unlucky. Do you know who tries on their home court and is lucky? Rutgers. They beat Nova. Remember them? Nova won at the Carrier Dome too. West Virginia comes to town on Monday. Four days of practice to see if Syracuse players can be taught how to give a sh*t.
The Award for the Greatest Thing Maryland Has Ever Done for Mankind:
The ACC Network. If there was one thing to get us down after that tremendous win, it would be the horrible ordeal of having to watching UNC/Duke being called by Dick Vitale. But wait! What is this? In Washington, DC, ESPN was showing Texas A&M at Colorado! LOCAL BLACKOUT!!! Thank you Maryland Terrapins! Oh, how I enjoyed the game on My20DC on the ACC Network and not hearing a single syllable from Dickie V.
The Broom Award:
Oh lord sweet Jesus how sweet is it going to be on February 26, 2011 when the Orange come to Verizon and the Hoyas go for THE SWEEP against Syracuse on Senior Day? This game was already circled on our calendar as the date for the Second Annual Casual Extravaganza, but we may need extra midgets for this one.
LULZ Award:
All our Cuse friends that mock the Georgetown offense. The game was iced on two backdoor cuts that led to uncontested layups. It looked like Georgetown was playing 5 on 3 against the vaunted 2-3 zone. This is a casting call to all gif masters out there - we want to see an animated picture of the Vaughn-Clark pass and layup. Do it for Georgetown. Do it for your country. Most importantly, do it for your blog.
The Get Off Your Knees Ref Award:
The final foul in the Nova/Rutgers game. GIVE ME A BREAK. Now, I think Jay Wright is a bit of a Foppish Dandy as much as the next guy, but COME ON! Maybe the TV in my mother's basement isn't big enough for me to see the minuscule contact on that last play but even with a 500-inch LED I don't see how you could possibly call a foul there. Get off your knees ref, you are not doing a very good job of determining whether there was contact on a game-tying shot with less that a second to play.
Old Balls Award:
Jay Wright. What happened, man? First you come out dressed like a farmer against Georgetown and next you allow Rutgers to climb back from a 13 point deficit with 5 minutes left? That's not how you get the 76ers job, Jay.
Mother's Basement Award:
700+ comments out of you guys in the largest gamethread in Casual Hoya history. Not sure whether to give you all high fives or change the name of the site without telling you. In either case, please kiss your blow-up dolls good night for me.
The Scoop Jardine Memorial Award for Not Trying in A Close Basketball Game:
Ladies and gentlemen, SCOOP JARDINE! It has been quite some time since we've inaugurated an award here at THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON and named it after a particular player (see Chris Wright and Brandon Bowman for starters), but it is time for another one and we could not be happier to create what might be our first award named after a player from an opposing team. Yes, Scoop Jardine! Even his school's own partisans think he's a sorry sack of not trying, but let's instead use a specific example highlighted by the homeless man's Jay Bilas, good old Doug Gottlieb. With three minutes and fifteen seconds to play in a TIE BALLGAME, Syracuse turns over the ball. And as Scoop slowly backpedals and watches, Austin Freeman is OFF TO THE HOOP! DOCUMENTED! (Mom let me come up and take a picture using the flat-screen TV in her bedroom. I just have a black-and-white setup down in the basement). "In a tie game you simply cannot give up an open layup." That is right Doug! And I am glad I waited through 30 minutes of Duke and NBA highlights to learn that insight.
Austin Freeman (left, trying and winning). Scoop Jardine (right, sucking)
Brandon Bowman Memorial Award:
Scoop Jardine (top of the key, guarding no one). Hollis Thompson (right, dominating)
Dedicated to the player whose questionable play down the stretch with the line in play raises eyebrows, ladies and gentlemen, Scoop Jardine! Yes, as noted above, Cuse up by three with just over 3 minutes left until Hollis hit that dagger three to tie it. But look! Scoop is a little out of position in that zone, huh? Then the turnover by Cuse, then the aforementioned run out by Freeman and there you go! Hoyas win! Hoyas win! HOYAS COVER.
The Madison Square Garden Award for Winning Three Awards in a Single Game:
Scoop Jardine! Only one way to explain this. The over/under for his awards was 2.5 and Uncle Scoop LOVED THE OVER! (ALLEGEDLY).
Jim Nantz Comments of the Game Award:
Plucking a select few out of 700+ comments in the gamethread is a tough job, but someone has to do it. Here are a sampling of the casual offerings:
Finally Conference play begins
by ghostofjoeybrown on Feb 9, 2011 5:52 PM EST reply actions
Fab
keep him in!
we look like we spent the week preparing for the way our opponent plays
I am indescribably happy.
by sanityonleave on Feb 9, 2011 7:11 PM EST up reply actions
Scoop had a little attitude problem
Is that what they call sexual assault?
SEASON OVER
Is it just this feed?
Or is the Dome….quiet?
by Vee Sanford's Next-door Neighbor on Feb 9, 2011 7:32 PM EST reply actions
starks
makes me so happy for next year.
The bench must be hot because it lit a fire under Hollis' ass!!!
Section 101.
by RileysDressLikeAHoyaJersey on Feb 9, 2011 7:47 PM EST via mobile reply actions
syracuse fans
still fugly as all hell
I feel soooo sad that you & your orange clad kinfolk can't get tickets to our home game.....
by SomebodyBuyAustinaSteak on Feb 9, 2011 7:57 PM EST reply actions
Documenting my lunch tomorrow
I will legit eat my own foot tomorrow if we win. Or if we lose. I don’t care. Whatever deal I can make with sweet baby foot-eating Jesus on this
fuck, i'm back to the Four Roses bourbon
by thejerseytornado on Feb 9, 2011 8:25 PM EST reply actions
Chris, Austin, Jason, Hollis, I don’t care. The Hoyas are playing like a bunch of complementary players right now, and nobody’s leading.
White Men CAN Jump
holy shit hollis
We are at Red Alert.
Use of adrenaline speedballs has been authorized.
Rick Jackson blocked by CW
LOVES IT!
by dominicthedonkey on Feb 9, 2011 8:52 PM EST reply actions
It could be a 30 pt lead and i would still be sweating bullets.
WE BEAT CUSE!!!!!!!!!
We're all gonna get laid!!
by who will sex dikembe tonight on Feb 9, 2011 8:59 PM EST reply actions
Casual Awards only meant to be done by Casual Hoya....SAXA!!!!
BONERS FOR EVERYONE, GIRL BONERS TOO!
by The Lorry Michel Backrub on Feb 9, 2011 9:04 PM EST reply actions
There is no sweeter sound than
A silent carrier dome
by Coach K's kneepads on Feb 9, 2011 9:10 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Congratulations and all that jazz.
See you all in a few weeks.
Gratuitious picture of Julie Boeheim Award:
Better luck next time.
The Georgetown Hoyas are a nationally ranked powerhouse.
Marquette is NeXt.
Hoya F-ckin' Saxa.
Hey, be nice.
They need that insulating layer of fat to survive the harsh winter.
"The enemy is like a woman, weak in face of opposition..." - St. Ignatius
by HoyaNinja on Feb 9, 2011 7:58 PM EST up reply actions