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Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Great Roy Profile in The Courant

This is one of the better articles on Roy. I've read.

Roy Has Risen

"It's been a lot of work," said Hibbert, who has had nice scoring and rebounding increases in each of his previous three seasons. "People used to say things but you keep working at it, you know? I didn't get discouraged. I spent a lot of time in the weight room getting myself in shape and I'm continuing to work hard because I want to get better, but offensively I just kept working the same shot over and over. My hook shot, until it came naturally. But this year, I'd say defensively I have to step it up to help make up for what we lost with Jeff Green [joining the NBA as a junior]. "From 5.1 points and 3.5 rebounds a game as a freshman, which he could have fallen out of bed to average because he was so big, to 11.6 and 6.9 as a sophomore to 12.9 and 6.9 last season on a team that advanced to the Final Four - it has been a nice progression for anybody who has watched Hibbert's development. "His willingness from day one," Hoyas coach John Thompson III said. "He's been someone that is extremely focused as it relates to his individual improvement and our team's improvement. He's extremely intelligent. He understands what you're telling him and that, coupled with his God-given ability - he's big; I mean, he's huge, and has good hands and is a bright person with a terrific work ethic, much like I like to say about our team. He has methodically gotten better over the last four years." And I'll tell you what, he's just getting started. You're going to see him a couple of years from now and I'm confident you're going to see him even more improved because he's already significantly better now than he was last year. "Hibbert had some great games last year, but the fact that he outplayed No.1 pick Greg Oden in the Final Four has people salivating about where he could go in the draft this year. Hibbert had 19 points, six rebounds and a block to Oden's 13 points, nine boards and a block. "I guess it's nice that my stats were better but if I had my choice, I would have liked to had won the game," Hibbert said. Many expected that since Hibbert was hot - and big - that he was going to go pro. Thompson III went on a fact-finding mission for him and Green to see where NBA people thought they might go in the draft.Hibbert wasn't being considered a lottery pick and that may have had something to do with his return. Green did get selected in the lottery, at No.5, and went to the Celtics, who then traded him on draft night to Seattle. "We have a good team coming back this year so I said I want to get my degree; what's one more year?" Hibbert said. "The NBA is there but my senior year won't last forever. I feel the experiences I have had already, I'm having a good time so far and the season hasn't even started yet. "When it does, it will start in earnest because the Hoyas, based on Hibbert's return, are a national title favorite. So what can we expect from the ever-developing, ever-improving Roy Hibbert? "You'll see a lot more defensive play, blocking the shots, getting more rebounds, just making up for what Jeff Green brought us," Hibbert said. "I've been working hard in the weight room, trying to slim down a little more. I'm always in the weight room."

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