Pure Delight

October 11, 2006

One aspect of intercollegiate sport that returned to me yesterday is its capacity to delight. Most of the sponsored activities at a university appropriately are erudite, serious, and carefully planned. So too in athletics, a lot of what we do is quite proficient, challenging, and somewhat predictable. In fact, some people make a ton of money off of just how predictable it often is.

But we all know that the moments in sports that give us the greatest thrills are those that we didn't expect. Last season's men's basketball victory over #1-ranked Duke is a case in point. It works the other way too. High expectations can lead to somber lows: the 1985 NCAA Finals.

The legend of Hoya big men returning to teach their successors is true: last summer, Alonzo scrimmaged against Roy and then offered helpful instruction

Somewhat unexpected was clicking on and reading the story in yesterday's Washington Times on Hoya center Roy Hibbert. Departing school for the NBA is now all too common among the upper echelon of college players. Unfortunately, many that do leave early usually get left behind. In Roy's case, whether he was to leave early or not, there is no doubt that he has a future in the NBA.

With most pundits predicting an early departure, Roy did the unpredictable: he announced that he wants to finish what he started at Georgetown. For those that missed the quote in the Times or HoyaSaxa.com, this is it: "I'm totally committed to staying here for four years because I love Georgetown and being a student here," Hibbert said. "Plus, ever

since I was a kid I wanted to be a part of the Georgetown tradition. My dream was always to have people talk about me as one of the great ones in Georgetown's line of centers. I watch tapes of Patrick [Ewing] and Alonzo [Mourning] and Dikembe [Mutombo], and that's the epitome of what I want to be."

That's what I call delightful.

Postscript: As I look ahead to tonight's event in Gaston Hall, "An Evening with John Thompson III" and to Midnight Madness on Friday night, I am working hard to keep my enthusiasm high and my expectations low. I figure after 40 seasons of watching Hoya basketball that it may be the only way to insure an entire season of pure delight.

Back to school: Roy received a tutorial from Prof. Dikembe last summer

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Players Mentioned

#55 Roy Hibbert: Center; 7' 2"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#55 Roy Hibbert
: 7' 2"; Freshman
: Center

Players Mentioned

#55 Roy Hibbert

Players Mentioned

#55 Roy Hibbert