Always a treat every year to talk to these freakshows, who seriously do run my favorite SB Nation blog outside of CFC, even if it is all about the Georgetown Hoyas. Took a few minutes off from checking out Australian babes to chat with the guys of Casual Hoya, and fair warning, we get away from basketball a bit.
How do you explain the success Georgetown has experienced this season with the modest preseason expectations?
One word: coaching. The fanbase has been down on JTIII over the past few years as a result of our early postseason departures, but this year he has done a marvelous job on the sideline and has gotten the most out of the roster. For this team that was predicted to finish 10th in the conference to be holding a top ten national ranking is a testament to such, and no matter what happens in March he is worthy of national coach of the year discussion. Please note that if the Hoyas lose again in the first round of the Tournament that I reserve the right to alter this answer considerably.
What the hell happened against Seton Hall?
We lost. Badly. It was never really a game. I wish I could point to one thing that went wrong but in reality there wasn't one thing that went right. Our bigs couldn't hit bunnies which led to our guards forcing shots. So our offense sucked. And then on defense Seton Hall was shooting lights out. I hate you for bringing that up.
(Editor's Note: He asked me not to in an email. I had to.)
More fun with CS after The Jump.
What's been the weirdest moment of the season so far?
From a basketball perspective, Hollis Thompson not being allowed to re-enter the Syracuse game when we were down three with a chance to tie in overtime was very bizarre. Also, Henry Sims' renaissance, particularly in the beginning of the year, was very weird. He was a dude who was more known for his Twitter feed than his basketball skills for his first three years at school. Granted, he is getting progressively worse as the season goes on, so that is getting less (or maybe more) strange by the day.
From a fan perspective, the Georgetown fans have been bizarre this year. We have 10 freshmen and sophomores, we weren't in the top 50 teams in the country coming into the season, yet here we are in late February ranked in the top 10 in the country. Yet, our fans seem to believe that this was a team destined for the Final Four the entire year and now whenever there is a little bump in the road, it turns into the freakin' apocalypse on our blog. All sorts of weird.
If you could poach any player in the Big East and put them on G'Town, who would it be?
This is the most ridiculous question you have ever asked, because the answer is the same every year. SCOTTIE REYNOLDS (clap-clap-clapclapclap)! Backcourts win championships, and pairing Reynolds with Jason Clark would be devastating to any of our opponents. Plus, I think Scottie's experience about being the first AP All-American to not be selected in the NBA Draft since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976 would go a long way in helping Hollis Thompson realize he should stick around Georgetown for another year. But if Reynolds is unavailable because he can't get his visa cleared in time from Uzbekistan, I'll take Kevin Jones on West Virginia. That dude is a beast and would add some much-needed toughness to our frontline.
(Editor's Note: We do ask this every year, to see if Andrew realizes that Scottie Reynolds is no longer in the Big East. Apparently he still doesn't.)
Who's been the biggest surprise? Who's been the biggest disappointment?
This is weird, but I'm going to suggest that Henry Sims has been both the biggest surprise AND the biggest disappointment. How is this possible, you ask? Well, I will tell you. Expectations for Sims heading into the season were so low that we would have been happy with just marginal production out of him and hope that he stayed out of foul trouble. Howevah, he managed to greatly exceed said expectations and heading into the conference slate was one of the best bigs in the country. Now though, Sims seems to have regressed a bit against the more physical Big East frontcourts, and it has hurt the offense since we run a large number of our plays through him. We may be biting off more than we can chew with Sims at this point, but we've seen his brilliance before and hope that he can rekindle the flame in time for a run through March.
What's your take on Villanova blocking Temple from the Big East?
Big East? What the hell is that? Villanova is a bunch of DUMMIES if they don't think the public DEMANDS to see Temple vs. San Diego State in football. DUMMIES. In all seriousness, I understand why Villanova doesn't want Temple in the Big East - Temple is a bigger school with a much bigger alumni population in the Philly area. Adding them to the conference will only hurt Nova recruiting and attendance-wise. But I think at this point the Big East needs to add anyone and everyone who is willing to hang out for a few years, build up their program, and pay $10 million, or whatever the hell the exit fee is now-a-days, to leave in a couple of years.
What's JT Sr. up to? Still acting like Emperor Palpatine in the the booth upstairs?
No idea, seeing how JT Sr. is JTIII's GRANDPA. Come on, don't they teach you family hierarchy in Villanova orientation? JT Jr. is still doing his thing. His radio show is coming to an end soon but you can find him doing commentary for NBA games on TNT. He is at all Georgetown home games and if often seen at local high school games. Some people say he is still involved with recruiting but I doubt it. He got burnt out by the recruiting scene in the mid-90s, when players started demanding money. I can't imagine him being involved today when family friends of cousins of baby-sitters of Top 100 recruits have their hands out.
Who has the best co-ed's in the conference? The worst?
I'm a sucker for the dirty Jersey type, so I'd say best co-eds I've seen are at Rutgers. A whole lot of makeup and not a whole lot of self-worth is a nice combination for me. As for the worst, I assume that is a rhetorical question. Syracuse, obviously. I'd say 55% of the females I've seen that go to Syracuse could start for Georgetown football's offensive line. That is both a dig at Syracuse women and at Georgetown's football team.
What's your meal of choice at the Verizon Center?
Last year, this would have been an easy question - the carved brisket on the club level. Respectable meat (though far too fatty) served with plenty of attitude and the only real weakness is the buns, which collapse under the weight of the sandwich. Carving to order really gives the illusion that the meat is prepared in a smoker some place and combats the overall knowledge that the Verizon Center's record for cleanliness is less than stellar. Of course, you combat that by stepping to the fixin's bar, where you can add chopped onion and some jalapenos that is beautifully served from a fish bowl and has likely only been sneezed into by 3 people with tuberculosis.
This year, the Verizon Center kicked it up a notch and offered "Chinatown" style chicken fingers. They've been documented in previous awards posts but it's essentially their take on DC's mumbo sauce and does its best to mix sugar and salt into a reddish paste that is IRRESISTABLE.
(Editor's Note: I may not get the concept of a hierarchy but at least I can spell.)
Huge points because you know that those fingers have been fried sufficiently to kill the rat feces lurking behind the counter.
Rank your top 5 Georgetown bars.
I am old, and despite having lived in DC after graduation, I stay the hell away from that area unless there is something going on at the University. So I reached out to more recent graduates for this one:
1. The Tombs - Awesome for Georgetown students and alums, probably not so much for others
2. Thirds - Great place to meet chicks that supposedly go to Georgetown and never see them again
3. Chadwicks - Good happy hour spot, close to the waterfront if you want to be adventurous
4. Guards - No one ever remembers why this place is great because everyone is blacked out
5. Old Glory - Very much enjoy the rooftop deck in the summertime (which is now since it 70 degrees in DC)
I can also tell you the worst bar in Georgetown. Rhino Bar & Pumphouse. Don't ever go there. Unless you are a Eagles, Red Sox, Penn St., Ohio St., or Syracuse fan. Odd team allegiances? Yes. Don't ever go there.
If Nate Lubick quit basketball, what sport would he play and why?
I think he'd be a pretty badass sweeper in soccer. He's aggressive as all hell, isn't afraid to give up his body for the good of the team, and has the haircut that fits in well with those types. If not for soccer, I assume he'd be a decent billiards player because of his reach.
Prediction for Saturday?
The game is merely an appetizer for those who are getting amped for the 3rd Annual Casual Extravaganza (http://www.casualhoya.com/
2012/2/23/2811730/cxiii-the- third-annual-casual- extravaganza-villanova- georgetown), but frankly it would suck balls if we lost to this struggling Villanova team. I don’t think that will happen though, and I sincerely hope that Georgetown has played its last worst game of the season against Seton Hall. Verizon should be bumping and the Hoyas will feed off the energy and tame the Cats, final score 76-61.
Thanks again to the CS crew - and make sure to check out my answers to his questions over at THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON their blog.