Jan. 20, 2012
Fill the Booth: "Jersey Boys!" Come to Verizon Center!!
Fresh from a successful road trip where they captured two precious Big East road wins against St. John's and De Paul, the No 10 ranked Hoyas (15-3, 5-2) return to Verizon Center on Saturday to face the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers (11-8, 3-3). This Saturday's game also marks the first 2012 home game since Georgetown students have returned to the Hilltop for second semester. So it will be interesting to see if the students can rouse themselves from their slumber for the noon game and fill the student sections to support their Hoya classmates. To date, student attendance has been less than overwhelming, but hopefully with the team doing well and Big East play underway, the current crop of students will come out in numbers reminiscent of recent classes.
Coach John Thompson III's current squad is a different breed of Hoyas! They are tall, long, quick, and athletic often employing a Venus fly-trap style of defense to snare opposing passes. Captain Jason Clark, with his seemingly endless wing span and quickness, is the prime example of this defensive tenacity. While free-throw shooting has been less than stellar in recent contests, and especially from often dead-eye shooters Hollis Thompson in the St. John's game and Clark in his otherwise sterling 31-point performance against the Blue Demons, the team has been dominant on the boards in recent outings.
Against St. John's and DePaul, the Hoyas have won the battle of the boards by 30 rebounds with a plus 22 margin over the Blue Demons. Freshman Otto Porter has led the glass cleaning surge, pulling down 25 caroms, often at critical junctures, to lead the Hoyas in this category. While some pundits had remarked, following the team's back-to-back losses to West Virginia and Cincinnati that Porter had tailed off following his dramatic early season exploits, his recent board work demonstrates that he is a multi-talented player who can help the team in so many ways even if he is not scoring as much. Nate Lubick also seems to be returning to the form that captured the fancy of many Hoya fans last season. Nate is again snaring rebounds, dishing out assists and doing the little things that a coach's son does to help the team win. Freshman Greg Whittington continues to progress, especially on the defensive end, and is a mainstay in Coach Thompson's playing rotation. Jabril Trawick consistently plays with that "little bit of nasty," which some prior Hoya teams have been missing. Markel Starks, despite sitting out the DePaul game, has been a solid team player with his all around floor game. And Henry Sims continues to anchor the team at both ends of the floor with his passing, rebounding, defense and scoring.
The Scarlet Knights are coming off a 65-58 win over Notre Dame at the RAC and have scored victories at the RAC over then-Top 10 rated opponents Florida and UConn. The Knights also routed Pitt, 62-39, at the Peterson Center in Pittsburgh, traditionally a difficult venue for an opposing team. Second-year Coach Mike Rice, aided by former JTIII Hoya assistant David Cox, hopes to return the Scarlet Knights to national prominence in a way not seen since Phil "The Thrill" Sellers led them to an undefeated season going into the Final Four in 1976. While the Hoyas have won 9 of the last 10 outings against Rutgers, the team from New Brunswick features an inside and outside presence that has proved troublesome at times for Coach Thompson's crew.
The Scarlet Knights are led by freshman guard Eli Carter, who was named Big East Rookie of the Week and to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll in successive January weeks. Carter, who played for the legendary Hall of Fame high school Coach Bob Hurley at St. Anthony's Jersey City, is averaging 15.7 ppg in Big East play. Junior Dane Miller, 6'6", who was a unanimous Big East All Rookie selection as a freshman, is averaging 6.5 ppg and 7.3 rebounds per game in Conference play and has led the team in rebounding in seven games. Finally, sophomore center Givydas Biruta, 6'8'', 240 lbs. from Lithuania by way of St. Benedict's Newark, is a beast in the middle. Biruta, who also was a first team Big East All Rookie selection, is averaging 7.5 ppg and 4.5 rebounds per game in conference play. During this past Summer, he played for the Lithuanian under-20 National Team in the European Championships in Bilbao, Spain. Rutgers also features three other players on its roster from St. Benedict's, St. Anthony's and Rice High School in New York City, another high school basketball power. Thus, Coach Rice appears to be making progress on his plan to resurrect Rutgers' program.
The Hoyas will need the full-throated support of all its fans, students and alumni against the Scarlet Knights. So come out to Verizon Center early to support the team. While Rutgers poses "big body" problems for the Hoyas, coupled with solid depth, I look for the Hoyas to win in a fast-paced, yet bruising game.
Swift Potomac's Lovely Daughter -- 70
On the Banks of the Old Raritan - 64!
WE ARE GEORGETOWN!!
Respectfully submitted,
Michael Karam, F'72, L'76, L'81
Proud Member of Generation Laughna
