Jan. 12, 2010
WASHINGTON - It's hard enough being a freshman and getting used to a new school, new people and different classes.
You don't have the comfort, typically, of being home and having mom and dad or friends nearby. You don't have the comfort of your room at home.
When you throw playing basketball in, perhaps, the most competitive conference in the country - the BIG EAST - on top of that, it can be imposing.
And that's what the freshmen on the Georgetown men's basketball team have had to adjust to this season.
Whether it is guard Hollis Thompson, who had the benefit of enrolling at Georgetown in January 2009, or classmates - Jerrelle Benimon, Vee Sanford and Stephen Stepka - the transition can have some give and take.
After enrolling at Georgetown following high school in Los Angeles, Thompson was able to practice with the team throughout the second half of the 2008-09 season. That allowed him to get acclimated to college life and the routines of practice without the pressure of actual live game experience.
Even then, it was difficult. He appeared in the team's first three games for at least 15 minutes apiece, but then exploded for 16 points in 22 minutes during a win over Lafayette. Once BIG EAST Conference play began on New Year's Eve against St. John's, Thompson noticed the difference.
"It was definitely more of a physical game," Thompson said of conference play. "The refs allowed us to be more physical. It seemed like a faster pace than the first 10 games. It suited me just fine. I like physical, and I like the fast-paced game."
For Benimon, the adjustment took a bit of a turn because of an ankle injury suffered during the preseason. He played in the team's season opener at Tulane, but tweaked the injury and missed the next three games.
"Honestly, getting started has been tough for me," he explained. "It is totally different than high school in so many ways. The time you have to put in is a drastic change from what most people are used to and for me, getting started was a struggle because of the injury."
Once he got started, however, Benimon has started to find his niche. He's appeared in nine games overall, chipping in any way he can. Like in the win over Connecticut on Jan. 9, when he fought in the paint for a big offensive rebound and a basket, a game where he played 12 big minutes and finished with two points and four rebounds.
And that's just what he hopes to do for the remainder of the year.
"Coming in as a freshman, I just hope to help the team in any way that they need me to," Benimon said. "I don't think there is a specific thing in my mind that I need to do, but just help to bring energy when I step on the floor."
Bringing energy to the floor is something that seems to come naturally to Sanford.
He has played in nine games for brief periods - he's averaging 5.4 minutes per game - but has found a way to contribute. A key steal and two free throws against Butler during the Jimmy V Classic at the World's Most Famous Arena - Madison Square Garden in New York City - really lifted him.
"Coach put me in during a key period of the game and I was able to make a play and then hit a couple of shots that were important to us at that time," Sanford said. "It showed me that Coach has the confidence in me to put me in during an important time and that was a big help."
As the season goes along, each of them know, and hope, that their number will be called. They have gotten through one semester, two in one case, and have adjusted to their surroundings.
"The college level is tremendously different than high school because you go up against people that are better than you every day," Benimon said. "You have no option but to learn quickly. If you don't, then you be set behind so quickly in the college system.
"I thought I did most things right, but I have learned quickly that a lot of things I do won't work in the college level."
Consider it Basketball 101 - On the Job Training.
By Mike "Mex" Carey
Sports Information Director
