This BIG EAST season has been turned on its head the last week or so. Notre Dame is going into The Pete and handling the Panthers, Villanova is getting demolished by Providence, Syracuse may or may not care about basketball anymore, and Georgetown is back from the dead.
And with all the snow, I can't help but think this whole 2012 mess might actually have some legs. Regardless, the Hoyas come to town this weekend, so we got to it with JGD from Casual Hoya, which is really the only Georgetown-related blog you should ever read.
Make sure to head over to Casual Hoya after to see my answers his their questions. Enjoy folks!
After 8 years in school, Scottie Reynolds has finally moved on. What are your best lasting memories of him?
Wow - so many to choose from. For me, it has got to be that loving and appreciative glance he gave Jay Wright as he walked on stage at the 2010 NBA Draft. That really did it for me.
In all seriousness, the story of him taking Metro to get to the Verizon Center early last year during the blizzards, only to end up on a train full of Georgetown students AND get beat by his teammates that took the bus an hour later is pretty hilarious. That kind of stuff is great fodder for the rivalry.
More nonsense after The Jump.
Explain that slide yall had a couple of weeks ago. Who's to blame?
It's been something of a recurring phenomenon for Georgetown teams under JT3 to have a mid-season slide but I'm not sure we can pin it on one player. Overall, the offense became very stagnant and it's unclear whether that was a result of playing teams that had seen it before or if our guys really just started getting complacent. Wright and Freeman have been together for several years now but in spite of being the team's best players, neither appears to be a leader who can right the ship when needed.
Lots of people argued that the team was simply missing shots and would be fine once they started falling again but I've always had the sneaking suspicion that the guys weren't focused. In the last game, JT3 showed a willingness to shake up the starting lineup rather than plugging ahead with something that wasn't working so here's hoping that did the trick.
Who takes over Reynolds' place as the most hated Wildcat on this year's team?
I may have been in the minority, but I didn't really hate Scottie Reynolds. I thought he got the most out of what he had athletically and I enjoyed the use of pump fakes. As for the current team, Maalik Wayns really grinds my gears. He got all sorts of tough at the end of the snow game in DC last year, after his team was getting worked up and down the court for 40 minutes. Do note that if Taylor King were still with the team, he'd win this award in a cocaine heartbeat.
What's Nikita up to?
Glad you asked as I had this discussion with another fan last night. We make fun of the guy plenty and probably go overboard at times but the guy is putting up just under 5 ppg for Wake (who, along with Auburn might be the two worst major conference basketball teams of all time). Impressively, he's knocked down 3-8 from deep so maybe that vaunted shooting touch is back.
As a former transfer athlete, I can assure you that there's one rule: GO WHERE YOU WILL GET TIME. By all accounts, he's a good kid and we wish him well but leaving Georgetown to play 10 minutes a game for a brutal Wake team? Why not transfer to a casual state school and party with the coeds?
If I'm hunting for Georgetown co-eds, where am I heading on a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night?
Thursday night, when the weather is nice, you have to go to Old Glory. The patio is a good time. Friday and Saturday nights, if you want to get really sloppy, you go to Rhino Pumphouse. The music blares, the girls get phenomenally drunk, and you will have a hard time remembering any of it.
Describe Dwayne McClain in 5 words or less.
Um, who is Dwayne McClain?
Who's the most interesting tweeter on the Hoyas' team?
I hate the fact players are on twitter. HATE IT. Henry Sims used to be pretty entertaining, but he has toned it down a bunch this year, which happens to coincide with an improvement with his play - weird, right? Right now, the best twitteroo-er is Jabril Trawick, a 2011 recruit from Philly. He called out Freeman earlier this year after a bad game and definitely hasn't caught on to how many people can read what he says. The kid is definitely passionate, but JT3 needs to sit him down when he gets to campus and explain to him some of the crap he says isn't good for the team.
How is gambling season treating you?
Believed in the Jets too much. Did fine during College bowl games. Have yet to place money on a college basketball game but FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY have been picking one or two games a week with stunning accuracy. Soon, very soon, money will have to go where the mouth is.
If you steal one member of 'Nova who would it be? Who would they replace?
Jay Wright's tailor. Then I will wrap him up and send him as a gift (tax-deductible, of course) to Bob Huggins.
How do you see this Saturday's game playing out?
Since 2007, Villanova - Georgetown games have been incredibly tight, save for two blowouts. No matter if one team is going to the Final Four and the other is struggling, these two programs always seem to bring out the best in each other. I expect it to come down to the wire. Let's call it Georgetown 76 - 73.
Thanks again to JGD for taking the time. Enjoy yourselves in Philly this weekend fellas.