Geogetown-Jacksonville: An Introduction To The 2008-2009 Hoyas

First, of all, The VBB sincerely apologize for the pathetic state of the blog. It seems that we have all let our real lives get in the way of our collective cyber-life. How selfish of us! We also have been neglectful of all of those emails we have received from our readership. Again, shame on us. But worry not. A new day is upon us, for it is November and the college basketball season has begun. We shall make amends for our previous silence.

Last night the Hoyas took on the Jacksonville Dolphins, a team they beat by over 30 last season. This year was a little closer--and a little too close for comfort. Nonetheless, it gave us the opportunity to see what this year’s Georgetown team has to offer. Though the Hoyas are young, last night showed that they have lots of potential. Here are some initial thoughts.

THE GOOD:

First, Greg Monroe may be the real deal. I was very down on Greg based on the few previous games I saw him play in during high school. Last night he looked polished and smooth on the court. His post moves are very refined for a freshman. And he showed some real promise as a blocking threat. That being said…

He was playing against a team that did not have any starters over 6’-7”. And he began to drag fairly early on in the game. He definitely has to work on his conditioning. He also seemed soft on defense. That could be a major problem when we get into Big East play.

Chris Wright was very impressive last night. He showed flashes of brilliance last year, but the injured foot kept him from fulfilling it. Last night, he was healthy and he was great. He was quick, and he was aggressive. He slashed to the basket at will and, as a result, ended up leading all scorers last night. He will definitely help us to be more up-tempo this year.

THE BAD:

DaJuan was still too passive. He ended up putting up good numbers, but it was not because he wanted to. If the Hoyas are going to succeed this year—especially given the Big East’s incredible depth—Summers is going to have to step-up and provide some leadership. He didn’t show me that last night. It’s early, but count me officially worried.

Outside shooting. It was horrible. We couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn…and trust me were trying. Thompson actually scolded the team for taking too many outside shots. He was right to. Their shot selection was troubling. But more troubling was their inability to hit those shots. While our young big men will become a force to be reckoned with, they aren’t there yet. Plus, it is relatively easy to defend against a one-dimensional team. If Georgetown is going to be successful, they have to solve this problem. The report on Nikita is that he is supposed to be an outside shooter. He was not last night (he was just awkward). Hopefully, that was just an aberration.

Free throw shooting. They’re free shots. No one is in your face. You are relatively close to the basket. You are supposed to make them. The Hoyas, as a rule, had trouble with this simple concept last night. This is something else they will have to work on.

THE QUESTIONS:

Henry Sims only played two minutes. I am not sure why. It looked like Monroe could have used more of a blow. But JTIII was obviously reluctant to but him in, opting for Vaughn instead. Since Vaughn was not overly impressive, I am guessing that Sims is still really raw. We’ll have to watch to see how this plays out.