It's very nearly Georgetown day! To celebrate, I got together with my good pal from Casual Hoya to discuss the upcoming game, the Hoyas' season to date, and some semi-related stuff because what's the point of doing this if you can't laugh?
Enjoy! And be sure to check out my half of this series over at Casual Hoya.
The Radford vs. UNC-Asheville game last night may have been the game of the season thus far. Love watching those teams, how about you?
In the words of Adele, "I wish nothing but the best, for you, too." Look, those games were terrible and resulted in the fanbase nearly lighting its collective self on fire, but things have turned around (slightly) and the Hoyas are on the up and up! 4-1 in the Big East, baby! What, you don't value 4 wins against the Conference's bottom feeders? I'm getting off track but regarding those games against Radford and UNC-Ashvlle yeah those were bad but JT3 has made some adjustments since and we're playing better. Cool? Cool. Moving on...
Georgetown's having a weird season. Some close losses to good teams early, some very bad losses to bad teams, and now they're suddenly playing well in the Big East. What's going on?
Weird is a good word for it. The Hoyas are playing well in the Big East, but I'm not sure any of us can really say with confidence that they are playing well since the wins have come against non-Tourney teams and the one chance at an impressive win (at Creighton) was a double-digit loss. The biggest reason for the ups and downs thus far have a lot to do with JT3 still trying to find the right rotations (early season injury to backup PG Tre Campbell and the season ender for Paul White have hurt), and we're currently giving big minutes to guys that basically didn't play last season in Reggie Cameron and Bradley Hayes. Be forewarned that the Hoyas did look pretty good against Maryland and Duke, beat Wisconsin and Syracuse, and seem to play to the level of our opponents, for better or for worse. Hopefully the Good Hoyas to show up on Saturday.
The Hoyas seemed to have one of the best freshmen classes in the conference - how have they fared?
In a season full of overcast skies and dark clouds, the frosh have been a bright beacon of hope. Center Jessie Govan is the real deal, and once he develops physically a bit he could be a true threat for an All-Big East nod. He has great footwork for a freshman and is shooting 50% from 3 and 90% from the line. That boy good! Marcus Derrickson is a stretch 4 and can do damage in the paint and behind the three point line. Though a tad inconsistent, he has shown flashes of being the best player on the court at times. Kaleb Johnson is a big 2 guard who is already one of our best defenders, and should play a lot against Nova chasing around one of your mutant guards.
I was going to ask you about Alan Rickman but you stole my question. So give me your favorite David Bowie album and justify.
You know, I have nothing against David Bowie but to be honest I was never really a Bowie guy. I mean, I like a lot of his popular songs and I appreciate his influence on rock and music, generally, but it's not like I have a poster of him in my mom's basement. I am, however, a big Springsteen guy, so what I will offer as a response to this question are two covers of Bruce songs by David Bowie. Here's Bowie doing "Growin' Up" and here he is on a real casual version of "It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City." #RIPBowie
Where's the big weakness to exploit on this Hoya squad?
Don't tell anyone that might take advantage of this but the biggest weakness for the Hoyas has been the defense, and specifically the rotations on the perimeter. Too often the guys have been out of place and the recovery effort seems to be flailing at an open shooter and winding up out of bounds or in another not so great position to grab a rebound. Oh, and also Bradley Hayes might be the worst defensive center in Georgetown history. Things looked better against St. John's though, so we've got that going for us. You guys are basically doomed.
Can we organize a grassroots effort to get Villanova and Georgetown on a football field together? We'll all show up, get drunk, and pretend it's really important.
No? Look, we fully acknowledge that we have basically become a soccer school that also happens to play hoops, and even though football is wonderful and the coaches and players at Georgetown give it 110%, unless the team plays well and advances to the Rose Bowl football is not going to gain any traction. But if it would make you guys happy to get the squads on a field together so that you can report on another meaningless football game over at VU Hoops, then by all means I'm down. I'll bring the Michelob Ultras, you bring the cocaine.
Is it time for JTIII to go? Who would be tops on your list to replace him?
Here we go. My answer to this question is no. JT3 has been great for the school and while a few bad losses seem to have had the effect of generating a storm of upheaval from a very vocal minority, a Georgetown without a Thompson is more likely to be a Georgetown with an Esherick again, and no one wants that shizzle to happen again. Now, I would also suggest that the argument of "well, who else would replace him?" doesn't hold much water anymore, as it's possible that a young energetic coach with a different offensive philosophy might do more with this roster that seems better suited to play at a faster tempo. But what the hell do I know? As far as names for replacements, the most realistic option is probably Patrick Ewing, who might jump at the chance to be a head coach for his alma mater and continue the (perhaps tired) Georgetown tradition of legacies and such. I mean I'd love a Gregg Marshall or perhaps an Archie Miller, but those guys aren't coming to Georgetown.
All the Big East coaches are out to dinner. Who's trying to avoid picking up the tab?
Fun question! I'm going to roll with WoJo, since he'd probably get down under the table and start slapping the floor once the check arrives. Not sure I trust that new guy Leitao over at DePaul either. He might be a better coach than Oliver Purnell but he seems to have adopted his terrible wardrobe which I believe is the reason holding that program back. Could easily see him slipping out to the bathroom when the check gets there. On the flip side to this question I'd probably offer that JT3 and Jay Wright would be the most likely to grab the tab, because Georgetown and Villanova are the best and our coaches might have AmEx black cards that they like to flaunt.
Given Villanova's arena crisis (yep, going there), I'm wondering how playing mostly all games at the Verizon Center is. Does it hurt not having a sizeable on-campus arena?
You know what, it stinks! Our game and like 2 others this season will have a really great home atmosphere, but I'd rather spend 2 hours locked in a bathroom than sit at the Verizon Center to watch the Hoyas play (and sometimes lose) to a mid-major asshat. At least you guys have The Pavilion, which I've been to and is a casual home court advantage every game. Only downside to that is no booze, which now that I think about it is a huge plus for Verizon. Verizon has a pretty solid booze selection, and nothing dulls the pain during a loss to that f-ing Monmouth bench than a bucket of Stella tallboys and a bunch of whiskey. We have a 2,500 seat gym on campus that we never have games in, which even if we lost would provide a cool atmosphere for the players and students. After all, isn't that what it's all about?
What's the deal with your arena "crisis?" I feel like we should be the only ones with an arena crisis so please don't steal our thunder.
What brand of PED is Bradley Hayes on this season?
Not sure, but hopefully it's the opposite of whatever Jeb Bush uses before these damn GOP debates.
What bar should Villanova fans hit before the game, and where should they grab a meal afterwards?
Visiting fans enjoy Clyde's, which is right next to Verizon. Good oysters there as well. I also suggest the local Hooters, which is by far the best in the country. By best I mean worst. The Iron Horse and Penn Social are also good options for Nova fans looking to drown their sorrows after the loss and trying to find some comfort in watching an NFL Playoff game on numerous large screen televisions.
Will Georgetown make the NCAA Tournament?
I think this team has a lot of talent and can hang with any team in the conference. However, hanging with and winning are different beasts, and in order for the Hoyas to start building a better resume it all starts with this game against the Wildcats. A win against Nova should give this team the confidence to make a nice run and make the Dance. A loss, and I'm not quite sure.
Final score prediction?
Hoyas 76 - Wildcats 67. Hoya Saxa.