The Georgetown Hoyas took its first step to NCAA Tournament glory yesterday by crushing the Belmont Bruins by a score of 74-59 to advance to a showdown with N.C. State tomorrow afternoon. Though we here at THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON would love the chance to relax after the win and drink a few cold ones on this glorious St. Patrick's Day, we won't stop 'cause we can't stop so instead we're handing out some hardware to those most deserving.
Belmont University has been Casual'd.
The Chris Wright Heart of a Champion Award:
Jason Clark. It's amazing how much better this team looks when Clark is on his game. Clark put the Hoyas on his back early and often, finishing with a game high 21 points on 9-12 shooting and just two turnovers in 34 minutes. This is the Jason Clark that Georgetown will need to advance to delusional distances in this Tournament, and hopefully he has put his uninspiring Big East Tournament performance behind him.
More Awards after The Jump:
Patrick Ewing Award for Post-Season Excellence as a Freshman:Otto Porter, who through three post-season games, is averaging nearly 17 points on 66 percent shooting to go with 7 rebounds and a block. As impressive as Porter's offensive uptick has been, his defensive dominance continues unabated. What's more, the freshman seems to approach each sweet mid-range jumper, defensive closeout, rebound, as if he's a seasoned veteran. Every morning I wake up and count our lucky stars that assistant coach Robert Kirby, who led the Georgetown recruitment of Porter, apparently knows every person in the country to ever have touched a basketball.
Document Your Gamewatch Award:
Keeping it casually classy at Hooters in Richmond, Virginia
Keeping it casual at the Iron Horse in DC with a casual delicacy.
Enjoying a fresh Abita Strawberry with warm processed cheese and spinach dip in New Orleans
Ringing in St. Patty's day with a Guinness-filled Hofbrauhaus mug
Winston Wolf Award for Focusing on the Task at Hand:
Named for Harvey Keitel's memorable character in Pulp Fiction, this award goes to the Georgetown Hoyas. The Hoyas deserved to be relieved and elated for not just finally winning a tournament game, but doing so in emphatic fashion. But judging from post-game quotes yesterday, the men in blue and gray are solely focused on dispatching N.C. State tomorrow.
Doug Gottlieb Award for Excellence in Analysis:
Seth Davis, who guaranteed that Belmont would be in the Sweet Sixteen. Runner up for every boob who employed the logic that Belmont had lost every tournament game it had played in and so was due for an upset while Georgetown had lost its last three tournament games and so was destined to fail. Honorable mention to anyone who thought that Belmont should be given extra points for hanging with a Duke team that basically plays like a better (or, last night, not better) version of a mid-major team.
The WRONG Way to Relax Award:
FSU/St Bonaventure. Don't feel like the stress of Georgetown surely losing to Belmont, why not enjoy the ACC-champion Seminoles beating up on the Bonnies? WHAT A CATASTROPHE! How does that finger-lake D-3 school run even with the Noles? Isn't Leonard Hamilton paying his players enough? Thank god the Bonnies couldn't add and played for, and missed, a game-losing two-point shot or a a desk would have been out the window onto 14th street. Wait. They Hoyas won going away? Dammit. IT IS SO HARD TO RELAX.
Fat Alumni Award:
I'm not going to suggest that all of Georgetown's famous alumni are trim, but former Belmont Bruin Vince Gill has put on a lot of weight since we last throttled these guys back in 2007.
Bombs Away Award:
At one point during the game Belmont had attempted 15 field goals, 12 of which were from three point range. Belmont finished with a whopping 27 three point attempts, making 10 of them. Though I'm sure Belmont enjoyed lots of success from long distance in the Atlantic Sun all season long, GEORGETOWN ISN'T THE SAME AS LIPSCOMB YOU JERKS!
Taking Care of Business Award:
That win against Belmont was nice, but Georgetown's path to the Sweet Sixteen travels through yet another double digit seed in N.C. State tomorrow. N.C. State was 0-8 against Top 25 competition over the course of the season and though they are playing at a higher level right now, the Hoyas need to beat these guys in order to erase the memory of NCAA Tournaments past.
310.65 Miles Award:
It is approximately 310 miles to travel from Washington DC to Columbus, Ohio and I hope that Hollis Thompson's NBA-level jumper makes it to the arena on time for the game against N.C. State. Against Belmont Hollis finished with a ridiculous 6 points on 3-9 shooting and was outplayed by freshman Greg Whittington.
Speaking of Greg Whittington Award:
Greg Whittington! Ever since JT3 inserted Otto Porter in the starting lineup and began giving Greg Whittington more minutes off the bench as a result, Whittington has been one of Georgetown's most productive players. New Greg has improved his shooting touch and his length has been one of the keys to Georgetown's suddenly suffocating zone defense. Yesterday, his block against one of Belmont's tall goons led to a Jason Clark layup at the other end that helped put the game out of reach after a brief Belmont spurt.
Hey Look, That's Kobe Bryant and Former Laker Derek Fisher Award:
Cringe Award:
Nate Lubick. The stats will relay that Lubick played a pretty good game against Belmont, and maybe he did. But that stretch were he committed three consecutive turnovers on the offensive end and two fouls on the defensive end helps feed Lubick's throng of doubters who all seem to scream "NO!" whenever he touches the ball.
Banned Award:
You may or may not have noticed that bloglord Hire Esherick hasn't been around much lately. In order to shake things up around here in an effort to get this blog its first postseason win, we shipped Hire to picturesque Bali where he has been forced to watch the games via coconut while sipping on boat drinks.
Mel Gibson Award for Patriotism:
The Lehigh Mountain Hawks/Engineers, for upsetting Duke. Lehigh, you have selflessly performed an invaluable service to your country by exterminating a true threat to happiness and liberty.
Jim Nantz Award for In-Game Commentary:
1600+ comments set a new record for Casual Gamethread commentary in the shot-clock era. For me to go through them all and pull out a few for casual display would be a disservice to all who helped us achieve this monumental victory, so, eh, fuck it, here goes:
picked a bad week to stop sniffing glue
Cuse delenda est
Document your room service in Ghana
Steak, jollof rice and the largest Star bottle they have on offer. If we win I’m jumping in the hotel pool. If we lose I’m drowning myself in the Bight of Benin.
Later dudes,
I dont think I can handle being on here for the game.
by WallaceAtTheLineShooting2 on Mar 16, 2012 3:22 PM EDT reply actions
Clark
playing like he wants it
"I can't believe the game's so cas" -Maxsta
by MrAwkward'sStepson on Mar 16, 2012 3:24 PM EDT reply actions
Seth Davis can't believe
we’re still in this.
Also, he’s fat and pasty and looks about 15 years older than he is. Don’t think his TV gig will last much longer.
belmont's having a tough time getting shots
and hodgepodge cant guard hank
Clark...
EN FUEGO
"The enemy is like a woman, weak in face of opposition..." - St. Ignatius
"Only left-handers are in their right mind." - Bill Lee
Sims has 2 fouls?
SEASON OVER
by henrysimsdunking on Mar 16, 2012 3:37 PM EDT reply actions
Fuck me
in the dick
JESUS CHRIST NATE.
just stand f*cking still.
by thejerseytornado on Mar 16, 2012 3:55 PM EDT reply actions
Do these guys shoot anything but threes?
Every time it looks like we'll pull away
Some shithead hits a 3
by James Kannengieser on Mar 16, 2012 4:06 PM EDT reply actions
Still terrified
Belmont will make back-to-back threes, maybe three-of-five.
Need to keep scoring points to weather the Bruins’ inevitable hot streak.
by B. Lerner @ Hoya Prospectus on Mar 16, 2012 4:23 PM EDT reply actions
HENRY WANTS IT
AND YOU WILL NOT TAKE IT FROM HIM
"I don't know. I'm making this up as I go."
I know the score before i see the play on my computer
Courtesy of slingbox in France…
by Hoyas In a Half-Shell on Mar 16, 2012 4:50 PM EDT reply actions
I have craved Applebees for the last two months
due to these fucking commercials during basketball games.
by AnotherGtownJack on Mar 16, 2012 4:52 PM EDT reply actions
Whittington =
"The enemy is like a woman, weak in face of opposition..." - St. Ignatius
"Only left-handers are in their right mind." - Bill Lee
YOUR ONLY JOB AS A GTOWN FAN
is to be fucking nervous all the fucking time. If you give up your nervousness for one damn second, the world absolutely will end. DO NOT EVER STOP BEING NERVOUS.
"MY ENTIREING SYRACUSE FANDOM, AT LEAST FOR * I CAN REMEMBER, IS GIGANTIC DISAPPOINTMENT"
by January 21, 2006 on Mar 16, 2012 4:56 PM EDT reply actions
SENIORS LEADING THE WAY
by TouomouIsMyHomie on Mar 16, 2012 5:08 PM EDT reply actions
George effing town
by rochesterhoya07 on Mar 16, 2012 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions
oh, i meant GEORGETOWN
GEORGETOWN!!
Hey Syracuse! Hope you have a FABuLESS tournament!
by SomebodyBuyAustinaSteak on Mar 16, 2012 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions
IN THE THIRD ROUND.
oh, i meant GEORGETOWN
by thejerseytornado on Mar 16, 2012 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Watch out NC State
Gratuitous Clip of Kate Upton's Hamburger Commercial:
Indeed.
The Georgetown Hoyas are a nationally ranked powerhouse won an NCAA Tournament game!
N.C. State is NeXt.