The Van Buren Boys


The Blogosphere's best source for the latest analysis and
commentary from the world of Georgetown Hoyas basketball.


Friday, September 28, 2007

Madness Coming Soon To The Hilltop

Among a number of high-profile recruits who will be attending GU's midnight madness on October 12th will be none other than the consensus #1 recruit in the country, Greg Monroe. For a long time now, it has been reported that the Hoyas are a leader, if not in the lead, for Mr. Monroe's services. GU is really a perfect fit for him. He is a Jeff Green-type player, a versatile big man who can do it all, and unselfish to a fault according to some. JTIII can mold him into a top-5 pick, like he did Green. Further, Monroe is an excellent student and has stated that he wants to attend an academically competitive school. The other leaders all along have been Duke and LSU. Duke's profile is similar to GU's, but it doesn't have the Jeff Green model in place. LSU is his hometown school. Monroe has lined up visits for LSU for the weekend of October 5th and GU for midnight madness the following week. He has not scheduled visits with his other three finalists, Duke, UConn, and Texas. I can see the appeal of Duke and Texas, but I was really shocked that UConn made the list. Hopefully, he'll commit after he visits the Hilltop. Here is a local Louisiana newspaper's take:

Greg Monroe, a 6-foot-10, 230-pound forward from Helen Cox High School of Harvey, trimmed his recruiting list to five schools — LSU, Georgetown, Duke, Texas and Connecticut. Kansas, Baylor and Southern California were eliminated from the final pool of eight Monroe selected earlier this month. The No. 1-ranked player in the Class of 2008 by Rivalshoops.com and Scout.com, Monroe will make an official visit to LSU next weekend and follow that with an official trip to Georgetown Oct. 12-14. The other three official visits have not been set up, although Helen Cox coach Tyrone Mouzon said he expects Monroe to fill out his schedule soon. However, Mouzon also said it’s possible that Monroe could end the process if he arrives at a decision before he takes all the visits allotted by NCAA rules. Throughout his high-profile recruitment, Monroe has said he is leaning toward not signing a national letter of intent until the spring signing period. Mouzon said Monroe told him Friday he could sign during the early national signing period (Nov. 14-21).

"It could be early or it could be late," Mouzon said. "Whenever it feels right, Greg will make a decision and he’ll do so because he’s found all the answers he needs and feels comfortable. "Greg is just going through this at his own pace. He realizes what kind of position he’s in, and he knows he holds the cards. He’s not trying to hold anybody hostage; he just wants to think things out as thoroughly as he can." Monroe has been LSU’s top target from the Class of 2008 for more than three years. The 2007 Class 4A Outstanding Player and Mr. Louisiana Basketball, Monroe is considered a future NBA Draft lottery pick and is likely to play one or two years before heading to the pro level. As a junior last season, he averaged 19.3 points, 12.2 rebounds, three blocked shots and two assists per game and was voted all-state for a second straight year.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/10108586.html

Barker Says About $900K

Barker Davis reports in today's Washington Times that while financial terms of JTIII's extension have not yet been released, sources indicated that he will receive about $900,000 per year. That represents a doubling of his previous salary.

http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070928/SPORTS/109280117/1005

Thursday, September 27, 2007

FINALLY!

Men's Basketball Head Coach John Thompson III Signs Contract Extension

Sept. 27, 2007

Washington, D.C. - Georgetown University announced today that Head Men's Basketball Coach John Thompson III has signed a 6 year extension, through 2013.

"Georgetown University appreciates Coach Thompson's leadership of the men's basketball program." University President Dr Jack DeGioia said. "Off the court, he is an esteemed all-around contributor to the University community and the City of Washington. He has done an outstanding job and this contract extension means he can continue to build upon the program's tradition of success for many years to come."

Athletic Director Bernard Muir said "We're all thrilled to know that the men's basketball program will continue to develop in Coach Thompson's most capable hands."

Coach Thompson said, "I'm extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to do something that I love to do at a place where I love to do it. I truly appreciate the confidence President DeGioia has shown in me and the support we've received from the fans and the university community. This institution provides a great environment for the development of young people as students, as athletes and as complete individuals. I'm glad to be a small part of that and will continue to work as hard as I possibly can while representing Georgetown."

John Thompson III, the 17th Head men's basketball coach in Georgetown University history, was named to the position on April 20th, 2004. Over three seasons he has led the Hoyas to a 72-30 record and trips to the 2005 NIT Quaterfinals, the 2006 NCAA Sweet 16 and, last season, the BIG EAST Conference regular season title, the BIG EAST Tournament Championship and the NCAA Final Four. He was the 2007 National Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year and was named the Black Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2007.

Prior to Georgetown, Thompson was the Head Coach of the Princeton Tigers from 2000- 2004, where he won three Ivy League championships. From 1995 to 2000 Thompson served as an assistant coach at Princeton, his alma mater.

http://guhoyas.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/092707aaa.html

Friday, September 21, 2007

Hoyas Lead For Deshonte Riley

i95ballerz.com is reporting that the Hoyas are in the lead for the services of 2009 Michigan big man Deshonte Riley. http://www.i95ballerz.com/story%20-%20deshonte%20riley.html

Riley, who is 6'10, 220 lbs, told them in a recent interview that the Hoyas lead Michigan State, Michigan, Kansas, Memphis and Ohio State. He stated: "I grew up a big Hoya fan and I plan to visit them for their Midnight Madness in October." Midnight Madness visits are always a VERY good sign and often presage commitments.

Riley is ranked #13 in his class by Rivals. Both Rivals and Scout list him as a 5 star recruit. He would certainly be a nice way to kick off the class of 2009, which everyone keeps saying is loaded with talent. For more information about Mr. Riley, please visit http://www.dashonteriley.org/.

Practice Facility On The Way

As has been hinted to in this blog for quite awhile, the University has decided to give JTIII his practice facility. The Hoya confirmed this morning that it will go where the tennis courts currently are located. Why so close to McDonough, you ask. Well, I can only hope that the plans put forth by the Hughs Group (see below) and Brailsford and Dunlavey don't become an issue for the neighbors. Anyway, this is certainly good news.


University Proposes Athletics Facility

The university recently proposed the construction of a new athletic practice facility, which, if approved by the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission next month, may bring Georgetown’s largely criticized athletic facilities closer to being on par with those of its Big East competitors. The proposal comes after months of discussions between university administrators concerning the plans. University spokesperson Julie Bataille said the university plans to erect a 90,000-square-foot, five-story facility on the site of the university’s tennis courts, near McDonough Gymnasium. The facility would house locker rooms, a sports medicine department, weight-training facilities, coaches’ and administrative offices and a basketball court, University Architect Alan Brangman said during a recent Advisory Neighborhood Commission meeting, according to The Georgetown Current. The facility would primarily be used by the men’s basketball team and would help to consolidate the athletic department, Brangman said. “There’s a strong belief that we would do much better if the locker rooms and offices were all located in one building, rather than subdivided,” Brangman said in the article. The proposal is set to be voted on by the ANC on Oct. 2 and D.C.’s Zoning Commission on Oct. 22. The university anticipates that construction of the project would commence after the completion of the new science facility, which is tentatively scheduled for 2010. Georgetown hopes to be granted a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certificate, which is awarded to the owners of environmentally friendly buildings, the article said.


One would assume that this has been the reason for the delay in finalizing JTIII's extension. Let's hope we hear about that soon too! There has been no word on how this will be funded, but presumably the Board of Directors has already given it a green light. I suppose they figure the University won't have any trouble raising sufficient funds over the next three years. I know that the VBBs will certainly step up!

Thursday, September 06, 2007

2007-08 Schedule Released

2007-2008 SCHEDULE
( Click on an event for complete event information )
Date Opponent / Event Location Time/Result
11/10/07 vs. William & Mary Verizon Center 12:00 p.m. ET
11/15/07 vs. Michigan Verizon Center 7:30 p.m. ET
11/21/07 at Ball State Worthen Arena 7:00 p.m. ET
11/28/07 at Old Dominion Convocation Center TBA
12/01/07 vs. Fairfield Verizon Center 1:00 p.m. ET
BIG EAST/SEC Invitational
12/05/07 at Alabama TV Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center 7:00 p.m. ET
12/09/07 vs. Jacksonville Verizon Center 1:00 p.m. ET
12/15/07 vs. Radford McDonough Arena 7:30 p.m. ET
12/22/07 at Memphis TV Fedex Forum 12:00 p.m. ET
12/29/07 vs. American Verizon Center 1:00 p.m. ET
12/31/07 vs. Fordham Verizon Center 2:00 p.m. ET
01/05/08 at Rutgers Rutgers Athletic Center TBA
01/08/08 at DePaul Allstate Arena TBA
01/12/08 vs. Connecticut TV Verizon Center 2:00 p.m. ET
01/14/08 at Pittsburgh TV Petersen Center 7:00 p.m. ET
01/19/08 vs. Notre Dame Verizon Center TBA
01/21/08 vs. Syracuse TV Verizon Center 7:00 p.m. ET
01/26/08 at West Virginia TV Morgantown Coliseum 7:00 p.m. ET
01/30/08 at St. John's Madison Square Garden TBA
02/02/08 vs. Seton Hall Verizon Center TBA
02/05/08 vs. USF Verizon Center TBA
02/09/08 at Louisville TV Freedom Hall 9:00 p.m. ET
02/11/08 vs. Villanova TV Verizon Center 7:00 p.m. ET
02/16/08 at Syracuse TV Carrier Dome 12:00 p.m. ET
02/18/08 at Providence TV Dunkin Donuts Center 4:00 p.m. ET
02/23/08 vs. Cincinnati Verizon Center TBA
02/27/08 vs. St. John's Verizon Center TBA
03/01/08 at Marquette TV Bradley Center 2:00 p.m. ET
03/08/08 vs. Louisville TV Verizon Center 12:00 p.m. ET