Nov. 6, 2008
Hoop Club Open Practice Preview
As the youngest of the Hoop Club bloggers this season, I'm probably supposed to be the most in tune with the Internets and RSS feeds and the like, but remarkably, this is my first foray into blogging. Based on a small sample of the blogs I read daily, they're supposed to be about your accounts of training for the Marine Corps Marathon and posting cute pictures of your beagle puppy...maybe I should branch out beyond just my sister's blog.
Anyhow, I'll be taking up the mantle of student Hoop Club blogger this season. By way of introduction, my name is Paul Campbell, I'm a senior in the MSB, and originally hail from Chehalis, Washington. I know Generations are big with my blog compatriots. I'm caught in a liminal space between having seen a Final Four and two BIG EAST regular season championships in one generation and being the first part of a second generation, but I'll throw my hat in with Generation Roy.
It's been three weeks since the annual basketball season kickoff, which my fellow blogger John Hawkes hesitated to call Madness. Of the four Madnesses I've attended, I'd have to agree with John; something about the latest iteration of dunk lines, combined with the absence of the Class of 2008 and the arrival of a new generation of Hoyas, made it certainly unique, but not quite Mad. After the Midnight Methodical, where do Hoya fans stand now? Well, we know that NFL greats still deserve the honorific "Mr.", Groove Theory can still bring the house down at McDonough, and that for all of the skills lost when Roy Hibbert, Jon Wallace, Tyler Crawford, and Pat Ewing Jr. left the Hilltop, we might miss Pat's creativity in dunking the most.
Even if Midnight Madness was subdued this year compared to years past, the start of basketball season no doubt is making Hoya students, alumni, and fans everywhere excited. As the days remaining until tipoff against Jacksonville reaches the single digits, there's plenty to be excited about. With an influx of freshman talent, the Hoyas find themselves once again starting the season in the Top 25. Season ticket sales are stronger than ever, to the point where the entire lower bowl at Verizon is sold out to Hoya Hoop Club members. And we still have the best coach in the country at the helm of the program.
That said, I'm sure I'm not alone in being anxious to see what this team can do. Our first glimpse of the team in an environment that won't feature Omar Wattad dancing to "Cotton Eye Joe" is the annual Hoya Hoop Club Open Practice, tomorrow at 4 p.m. at McDonough.
Sure, there are still plenty of unknowns as the Hoyas approach their rematch with the Dolphins: How will the freshmen translate to college play, especially in the BIG EAST, the hands-down toughest conference in the country this year? How will the Hoyas' only upperclassmen, Jessie Sapp, DaJuan Summers, and Bryon Jansen, approach their role as on-court leaders of the team? With an impressive array of athleticism, will this team run quicker up and down the court more than previous teams under Coach Thompson?
Those questions will play out over the course of the season. The questions below, however, we can answer now:
Can I make my donation at the door Friday?
Yes, you can, but Hoyas Unlimited staff would appreciate your donation made with your RSVP before Friday for logistical reasons.
I'm going to be coming late from the office; Is this OK?
Yes, just remember that Hoop Club members only will be able to watch the practice portion.
Can students come?
Of course; You're already closer to McDonough than everyone save the Athletic Department staff, and what else do you have to do on a Friday afternoon? (Looking at you, MSB students)
What is the minimum donation to be a Hoop Club member?
The minimum suggested donation for a Hoop Club membership is $25, which will get you the benefits of Hoop Club membership, including watching the Open Practice and a subscription to the unparalleled Hoya Hoop Club email newsletter. Think of it like the weekly Hoya Blue emails, but written by someone official who knows what they're doing.
Hope to see you all there, and I hope you enjoy reading the blog throughout the season. Head honcho Hawkes has a lot of good ideas for ways to share this year with the rest of the Georgetown basketball community, and I for one can't wait to get the season started. 10 days until Jacksonville.
(Well, this blog posting thing isn't too hard. All I need now is an ironic t-shirt, a remarkable knowledge of cheese, and a fedora and maybe I can become Dan Steinberg's apprentice.)
Hoya Saxa,
Paul Campbell (B '09)
Generation Roy
