It's been seven months since the Georgetown Hoyas last took the court. A lot has changed since then - even the name of the arena. On October 22, many of these changes were evident at the Hoya Hoop Club Open Practice. New faces -- Patrick Ewing, Jr., Vernon Macklin, DaJuan Summers and Jeremiah Rivers. New goals -- after the Hoyas appeared in the Sweet 16 last year, the team has its sights set higher. New attention -- an increased number of nationally televised games on CBS, ESPN, and ESPN2 and a pre-season Top 25 ranking. New excitement -- a record number of student season tickets sold by Hoya Blue, increased Hoop Club and general season ticket sales and increasingly scarce single game tickets.

For the men's basketball team, this pre-season has been the most highly anticipated in recent memory. Over the past few weeks, the team has participated in two closed-door scrimmages against Division I opponents, and a steady schedule of practices and media days, among other things.

The pre-season has already seen its fair share of highlights, and, for many in attendance at the Open Practice on October 22, it is hard not to have a favorite.

During the Open Practice, fans young and old were treated to a long Q&A session with Coach Thompson, an autograph session with the players, a basketball practice and a catered dinner. All aspects of the event were met with rounds of applause. Whether it was watching the players work hard during drills or Coach Thompson's comments on everything from expectations to recruiting and coaching styles, the event was crisp and insightful.

Again, it was hard to escape the anticipation and excitement surrounding the season at the Open Practice. When it came time to escape, most Hoya fans chose to stay in the gym over having dinner.

With preseason winding down, Hoya fans now have the opportunity to address their hunger for Georgetown Basketball. The Hoyas will face off against Hartford on November 11, with tip-off scheduled for 12:00 p.m. A quick glance at Ticketmaster and Stubhub indicates that tickets are in high demand, so please make your plans as soon as possible. The best way to get tickets through Georgetown is through the Hoop Club, and you can join by calling 202-687-7159. If you have purchased season tickets, they should be arriving within the week. If you have questions, call 202-687-7159.

As we begin a new season, stay tuned to this location (itself new) for updates on game watch parties and ways to get more involved in the Hoop Club and to support Coach John Thompson III and your Georgetown Hoyas.

Stephen Fraser (F'06) and Steve Medlock (F'06)