Feb. 15, 2011
Let the streak continue…
As a fan, it is hard to tell when Austin Freeman is excited, nervous, frustrated, emphatic, etc.… to my point, you really cannot tell what is going through that head of his. I guess it is a good thing - the difficulty to distinguish any of these emotions. No matter the game situation, Austin always looks to have control.
With that being said, as I watched Austin painfully limp off the court against Marquette on Sunday - I had every right to immediately feel my heart sink to my gut as the entire season flashed before my eyes. Okay, I know, a bit drastic but seeing Austin display true emotion, all I could think was "this is not good…"
I would have to assume that all the fans watching and attending the game were just as relieved as I was to see Austin return to the court in the second half to score 8 points in another impressive, determined, gritty Big East performance.
Aiming for the 9th straight BE win, longest since the 2006-2007 Final Four team (that won 11 BE games in a row) Freeman has been the centerpiece of this year's squad. When he plays well, the Hoyas play well. When he plays exceptional, the Hoyas play exceptional.
I have watched a lot of basketball in my day - to a point where "obsessed" and "fanatic" could very well be understatements. There are only a few other former college basketball players with the focus and determination that Austin portrays. As a die-hard Hoyas fan, I will never forget Austin's performance this year against NC State in the Charleston Classic Championship game. It could have been Austin vs. the entire NC State bench… with one arm tied behind his back… and I am convinced that Austin would have come out victorious.
We have been fortunate, heck LUCKY to have Austin represent the Hoyas the last 4 years. The first DeMatha alum in 20 years to play at Georgetown, Austin has (re)opened the doors for future DeMatha grads such as Mikael Hopkins to bleed blue and grey. Austin, thank you for your passion, hard work, determination and poise. You'll always be a Hoya that I truly admire.
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Isn't it unbelievable how quickly the 2010-2011 season is winding down? What a year in the Big East - the parity in the league is like nothing we have ever seen. The fact that St. John's, Providence, and even Seton Hall are all relevant teams shows that the is little to no margin for error. Perhaps this is sign that the tides are turning in regards to dominate teams in the BE?? But I won't even go into that conversation - we can save it for a hot, sticky Kenner League game come July. There may only be a few games left in the BE regular season, but there is a lot of basketball to be played.
On Wednesday, the pre-season Big East Player of the Year Austin Freeman charges into Hartford to face Kemba Walker's Connecticut Huskies, a viable regular season Big East Player of the Year candidate. Walker, a talented, impactful junior for the Huskies - deserving of any credit received - must have another stellar performance in order to stop the Hoyas. However, I think the seniority and "mission" driven Hoyas have what it takes to leave the XL Center 10-4 in the BE - on the heels of ND striving for second place in the league.
Okay all you Georgetown faithfuls. Head out to your local game watch bar, wear that blue and grey proudly and support your Hoyas! For local Hoyas tune into MASN or ESPN 980 for the call at 7pm EST.
HOYA SAXA!
Leslie ~ MSB 2006
