Boswell on Hibbert & Green

Thomas Boswell has an article in today's Washington Post about Hibbert and Green's respective decisions. Boswell believes that both players made the right choice. I think I'm inclined to agree.

Giving in to my greedy side, I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed. I would have loved for both big men to come back for their senior years. But, then again, just last week I was praying that either start would return. After all, it made sense for both of them to go to the NBA. Jeff Green already accomplished everything that one could hope for individually: Big East Player of the Year, Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player, the most outstanding player in his bracket in the NCAA Tournament. It makes sense that he would go.

I think there was also a good case for Roy going pro. Roy played an outstanding Tournament and, in most people's estimation, outplayed Greg Oden in the Final Four. You could argue that his stock couldn't get much higher. But Roy saw things differently. He believes in himself. He thinks he can be a number one overall pick. I don't know if he'll accomplish this goal, but I do know that it means Roy is coming back to the Hilltop ready to work. And that's a great thing. Just as with previous off seasons, you know that Roy is going to work his butt off this summer. That will undubtedly pay dividends for the team. Hopefully, it will also pay dividends for Roy next year.

The most interesting thing about Boswell's analysis in my mind is his focus on the players' relative maturity and the role that played in their decisiosn. As Boswell says:

[T]he bubbly Hibbert is clearly having a ball in college and doesn't want to stop acting his age. Why should he? Asked if he "kind of liked" college, including the classes, Hibbert answered, "I kind of love it."

On the other hand, ... Green is as sober and mature in public as Hibbert seems youthful and buoyant. ... "It's my time to move on," Green said. "The decision was very tough. . . . Just walking down the street people would say, 'Go get the money,' or, 'Come back and get your degree.' I'd just keep on walking, either way."

This is an underestimated component in these players' decisions to go pro or not. It's a trait that is readily apparent to anyone that has seen these two talk. Roy is obviously still just a kid. A kid who loves his life in college. It makes sense that he would hold on to that. Jeff just seems older. He is ready to move past Healy Gates.


I also thought it was really interesting that Roy appears to have taken out an insurance policy to protect him in case he gets injured next year. In our desperation to find a way to entice Jeff and Roy to return, loyal readers Joshua and I had previously mused about how to buy Jeff and Roy insurance policies without violating NCAA rules. Either someone found a way, or Roy decided to take matters into his own hands. Regardless of who is footing the bill, I think it's a good idea. The biggest reason to go pro is the possibility that you could get injured in college and lose out on all that money. I'm glad that Roy will be protected.

At the end of the day, Boswell is right. This really is a win-win situation. You have to be happy that both players made the decisions that they did. And, more importantly from the VBB's perspective, you have to be happy for the Hoya team's future. Roy's return ensures some depth in the front court. Summers just needs to continue along the course of development that he started upon last year. If Macklin works hard and develops this summer (much like Roy did after his freshman year), we're not going to miss Green too much. Especially if you consider the new speed and skill we'll have in the back court. We'll be a much more balanced team next year and, as a result, we'll be much more deadly. It should be a lot of fun to watch.

Hoya Saxa and Godspeed, Jeff.