Georgetown Basketball

When John Thompson Jr. coached the Hoyas, he embraced the "us against the world" mentality with his team. He used articles from the media and comments from coaches to inspire his team.

He encouraged his guys to play dirty defense and slow the game down. His teams would milk the clock.

It was good enough for him to achieve success in his Hall of Fame career.

John Thompson III took over the downtrodden program in 2004. He brought the Hoyas back to prominence by leading them to a Sweet 16 and a Final Four appearance.

The Hoyas underachieved last season, and it looked like it may happen again after losing four of five down the stretch. They dealt with the news about Austin Freeman being diagnosed with diabetes.

Everyone wondered if they were going to fall apart.

Like his father, Thompson III found something to motivate his team. He may not be blunt or outspoken like his dad, but he knew a lot from his father about getting his players to feed off of insults.

The Hoyas responded by winning the last four games, including an 80-57 romp against the Marquette Golden Eagles last night at Madison Square Garden. They can win the Big East Tournament tonight against the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Throughout the Big East tournament, most of the Georgetown players talked about how no one mentions them when it comes to being an elite team. They mentioned how they embrace being unappreciated.

It may sound like a cliché, but that's how the Thompsons operate their business.

It creates an identity for them. They want to be known as angry men on the court. That style helps them be focused on basketball.

It may be something the team needs at this junction. Even during the Hoyas' success under Thompson III, those players were nice men who won.

It helped that those guys were self-motivated back then. With this group, someone needs to get on them.

The Hoyas sent a message to the undersized Marquette team about how they were not going to be pushed around by them.

Mission accomplished.

They took an 11-4 lead to start the game. They kept shoving the Golden Eagles in a race to get to the hoop and grabbing rebounds throughout the game.

By the start of the second half, the Eagles met their match. They looked fatigued out there just by watching them exhale.

This comes after sending Syracuse message by throwing the Orangemen players on the floor. After that game, they talked about the unfair criticism they got.

The Hoyas may sound angry, but deep down, they love it.

They're laughing it up. It's therapy for them.

When they're at that mode, it serves them well. Thompson III picked the right time to get them in gear.

There's no doubt the Hoyas aren't going to be content. They will be scowling throughout the tournament. They will keep saying the same old thing.

Who can blame them? It's the culture the team set under the Thompson rule.

If a Hoya player is laid back, he is perceived as soft or uncaring. Being a Hoya means being angry, mean, and dirty.

This team has it now.

That's all Thompson III needed to see heading to the second season.

Georgetown, who looked out of sorts a few weeks ago after losing a handful of games in the regular season, has made itself quite comfy in New York City, blowing out Marquette, 80-57, in the Big East tournament semifinals Friday.

Greg Monroe, Georgetown’s 6'11" center and most dynamic player, scored a game-high 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a commanding game tonight, dishing out seven assists and blocking two shots as well.

In two, "did-you-see-that" moments, Monroe, a sophomore from New Orleans, Louisiana, revealed a plethora of skills by once hitting an accurate, all-net three-pointer on the left corner on offense, and then later by blocking a pivotal shot on defense during the second half.

The victory over the Golden Eagles sent the Hoyas to its third tournament title game in the last four years, and its 13th time overall.

Although No. 22 Georgetown has reached the tournament final almost as many times as the conference leader (Syracuse holds the record with 14 final appearances), Georgetown has won the most Big East tourney titles (seven).

Georgetown's guards again provided steady support, with Chris Wright and Jason Clark scoring 15 points each, while Austin Freeman, in his fourth game back since learning that he's a diabetic, chipped in 12 points on five-of-nine shooting, eight rebounds, and three assists.

The game remained close even after halftime (Georgetown led Marquette at the half, 37-34) until the Hoyas pulled away with a 14-1 run over the Golden Eagles with less than 10 minutes left in the second half. 

Marquette (22-11) inched closer and closer to take the lead away from the Georgetown (23-9) in the first half with a 15-5 run, thanks to players like Jimmy Butler, who led his team with 17 points.

The Golden Eagles won three consecutive games against the Hoyas over the past two seasons, but their effort was thwarted by a more determined team looking to capture its eighth title over the winner of the West Virginia-Notre Dame semifinal game Saturday night.

Marquette tried its best to give Georgetown a contest, but the former Conference USA school ran out of gas, as Butler, Maurice Acker (16 points), and Lazar Hayward (15 points) were unable to withstand Monroe and his bigger teammates at the end.

The 2010 Big East tournament final will be broadcast Saturday night at 9 P.M. Eastern on ESPN. 

If you weren't sure that Georgetown's Greg Monroe would be declaring for the NBA draft after this season, he just all but confirmed it with his performance in the first Big East Tournament semifinal game.

In an 80-57 thrashing of Marquette —who knocked No. 10 Villanova out of the tournament one day earlier—Monroe posted the most unbelievable stat line of any Georgetown player under John Thompson III: 23 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists,  two blocks—and one dagger of a three-pointer that broke what little will to win Marquette had left in the second half.

To those who suggest Georgetown's version of the Princeton offense "holds a player back," Monroe scoffs at you.

Still, to suggest that Monroe's performance was anything short of transcendent would be a discredit to how thoroughly he dominated on Friday night.  

From the opening tip, Monroe took advantage of his considerable height advantage over Marquette, driving hard at the basket for easy lay-ups all night.  

And oh, did the Georgetown guards feed him down low.  

Georgetown fans have often been able to complain about their guards forgetting to feed the post players. On Friday, the Hoyas made damn sure to get Monroe touches on virtually every possession.

Monroe rewarded their persistence all game.  When he wasn't scoring or gathering one of his 13 rebounds—two on the offensive end—he was busy in his typical point-forward role in the Georgetown offense.

The ESPN announcers and Marquette coach Buzz Williams couldn't heap enough praise upon Monroe for his passing ability—and for good reason.  ESPN's Hubert Davis calls Monroe "the best passing big man in the country"—and for a change, an ESPN announcer isn't spouting hyperboles.  

Monroe has unbelievable vision for a 6'10" post player.  He's able to lead a fast-break and dish to his open teammate.  He did that in a 3-on-2 break in the second half against the Golden Eagles.

He's able to catch the ball at the foul line, allow a guard to pick and roll around him, and dish it right back to the cutting guard for an easy lay-up.  He ran this play to perfection with Austin Freeman with five minutes left in the second half.

And Monroe put some of his less-heralded talents on display under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden on Friday night—as if a 23/13/7 box score wasn't enough to please Hoya fans.

Monroe crushed a Maurice Acker fast-break lay-up off the glass late in the first half— setting up a dominant defensive tone that the Hoyas kicked into the next gear in the final 20 minutes.  Monroe and Vaughn combined for four blocks, as they continuously harassed the smaller Marquette players when they went strong at the basket.

And in the total "Eff You" moment of the game, Monroe drilled a corner three-pointer with 6:15 left in the game, stretching the Georgetown lead to 15 and shutting the door on Marquette for good.  

The Golden Eagles never got closer than 15 points for the rest of the game—and the Hoyas cruised to a date with the Big East Tournament finals.

Bottom line: The kid is nothing short of phenomenal, and the Hoyas have been lucky to have him wear a Georgetown uniform as long as he has.  While Thompson won't add him to the list of great Georgetown centers—"I think it's too early to give him that label," he said III after the game on Friday— he's unquestionably cemented his legacy in the Georgetown big-man lineage.

While the Hoyas have likely earned themselves a No. 3 or 4 seed in the NCAA tournament based on their performance this week, those wins aren't coming without a slight cost.  

If Monroe keeps dominating like he did on Friday night, not only will he be a lock to leave Georgetown after this season for the NBA draft, but he'll also make a late push to become a top-five draft pick.

The Georgetown Hoyas just played their most complete game in over a month under the lights of Madison Square Garden today.

In a 91-84 upset over No. 1 seeded Syracuse, the Hoyas managed to exorcise their Orange demons (and torture Syracuse fans ) by shredding Syracuse's vaunted 2-3 zone like Swiss cheese.  

Chris Wright's 27 point, six rebound, six assist day was the best performance of any Hoya all season, even trumping Austin Freeman's 28-point second half in the comeback win against UConn.  Wright kept the Hoyas alive in the first half, only turned the ball over three times all game, and repeatedly found the holes in the Syracuse zone that allowed for easy points.

Most of the talk after the game has seemed centered largely on Syracuse, and whether or not this loss cost them the chance at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament (it likely didn't).  

But here's what Georgetown fans are suddenly wondering again: Are the "Good Hoyas" back and here to stay for March?

Georgetown has posted the most impressive wins of any team in the country not named Kansas this season.  They beat Temple back in November, before anyone realized that Temple was a legitimate mid-major team.  They KO'ed Butler at Madison Square Garden, beat Pitt on the road, and thrashed Duke and Villanova by double-digits at home.

They also entered the Big East Tournament on a 2-4 slide; after having dreams of a top-four seed and a BET double bye, they suddenly had to fight for the right for a single bye in their season finale against Cincinnati.

Much of that late season slide came as a result of an ill-timed flu virus, and Austin Freeman's sudden diabetes diagnosis.  Freeman could barely stand when the Hoyas lost at home against Notre Dame (and nothing against Free, but the Hoyas would have been better served by Vee Sanford taking those minutes that day), and missed the Hoyas' road loss against West Virginia.

He announced that he was back by scoring 24 points against Cincy in 30 minutes, and with a quiet 18 points against 'Cuse today, he's back up and running.

That makes the Hoyas a legitimate threat for a deep NCAA Tournament run.

Georgetown's shown an ability to ring up bundles of points on any team in the country (see: 89 against Duke, 91 against 'Cuse, 103 against 'Nova ), but they've also shown that they can lose to the Rutgers, South Floridas, and Old Dominions of the world.

Luckily, as Notre Dame seems intent on proving, a team gaining some confidence and swagger late in the season certainly never hurt come NCAA tourney time.  

Notre Dame has adapted to the loss of former Big East Player of the Year Luke Harangody by focusing on defense and halfcourt sets; they've won six straight games and counting after upsetting Pittsburgh tonight in the Big East Tournament.

Not to completely jinx Georgetown, but they've tied their longest in-conference winning streak (three games) with the win over Syracuse.  While the length of that "longest" streak might suggest a team that'll struggle getting past the Sweet 16 given their consistency, it also may reflect a Georgetown team that's mirroring Notre Dame's development.

When Freeman initially got sick (before the diabetes diagnosis), a number of his teammates reportedly came down with whatever flu virus he had.  Julian Vaughn still appears to be slightly slowed from that flu bug. (Either that, or he's fatigued, but it's no bueno either way.)

What is bueno, on the other hand, is the way that Hollis Thompson has stepped up into a larger role as of late.  Georgetown's been long afflicted with one of the least productive benches out of 300-plus Division I schools, but the freshman Thompson has been receiving more minutes and responding lately.

His 3-of-7 from the free throw line needs some serious work, especially considering that three of those misses came in the final five minutes of a nail-bitingly close game.  But Thompson's also one of the purest shooters Georgetown has on the team, and they'll need him to stretch defenses and knock down an occasional three-pointer going forward.

Basically, if he's going to have a 3-of-7 night, it's better to come now, when they're guaranteed to have another game to come regardless of the Big East Tourney outcome.

Seldom-used backup point guard Vee Sanford also earned some extra burn with Freeman sick and the Hoyas slumping these past few weeks, and that extra confidence paid off against 'Cuse.  Wright dumped off to Sanford in transition with the Hoyas down one in the second half, and Sanford knocked down a beautiful baseline jumper to give the Hoyas their first lead since 14-11 in the first half.

Does Sanford knock that shot down two months ago, in Madison Square Garden, against a team like Syracuse?  Doubtful.

Does Georgetown need its role players to be able to knock down key shots if they've got any chance of moving deep into the NCAAs?  Absolutely.

Freeman (18 points), Wright (27/6/6), and Monroe (15/10/7) have shown the ability to all blow up and have incredible games in tandem.  For the Hoyas to go far, they'll need smart, clean basketball from the rest of their players.

The Hoyas also managed to win the turnover battle against 'Cuse in a major way; 'Cuse led in turnovers, 17-11, and Georgetown turned those 17 Orange turnovers into 25 quick points.

If the Hoyas continue to play the fundamental, high IQ basketball they played against Syracuse, there's no reason to think that they can't compete with any team in the country.

And in the one-and-done NCAA Tournament, that makes the Georgetown Hoyas a very dangerous opponent.  

Coming into the 2010 Big East Tournament, fans and experts alike, had already started counting out Georgetown and their chances to even win a game in the conference tournament. Well, it looks like those so-called "experts" were wrong...

With junior stud Austin Freeman being diagnosed with diabetes just a week ago, no one thought he could come back and play at his normal level. Sure, things may not be like they once were, but it could be worse, couldn't it? Those people that thought he couldn't make a comeback were wrong as well.

And then there were those people that criticized the play of point guard Chris Wright. "He's not consistent," or "He's not a leader like Georgetown needs." After today, it looks like those people may be hiding in their shell and waiting for March Madness to end. 

Especially after Wright led the Hoyas to a victory over the top-ranked team in the conference and No. 1 seed hopeful, Syracuse.

So, does anyone else think this team can't do anything?

I have an answer for you: No!

Actually, I think we may be witnessing a great time right now for the Hoyas. A peak in their play at the right time here in March is what we seem to be seeing. Forget about the past everyone, the real season is here!

It looks like every player in the rotation on the Georgetown basketball team is ready to play, and they are playing with a great sense of urgency. Possible NCAA Tournament sleeper? Yes, of course.

In the Hoyas' first two games of the conference tournament, everyone has contributed and John Thompson III couldn't be any happier.

Even with Monroe, Freeman, and Wright playing well, right now I think the focus has to be on the bench play. Over the past two games, players like Hollis Thompson and Jerrelle Benimon, along with starters Jason Clark and Julian Vaughn have been great complements to the Big Three.

Here's a look at how those four players have done over the past two games in the Big East Tournament:

Hollis Thompson:  11 points and two rebounds in 40 minutes of play.

Jerrelle Benimon:  Four points and four rebounds in 31 minutes of play.

Jason Clark:  33 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in 73 minutes of play.

Julian Vaughn:  10 points in 17 minutes of play.

You can say, "Oh that's not that good of a bench," but when you're referring to Georgetown, those are great numbers. And what have those numbers resulted in? Wins.

The bench is what controls the destiny for the Hoyas—not Greg Monroe, Austin Freeman, or John Thompson.

I can't include Chris Wright in that list because stats have shown that the Hoyas rarely lose when he is in double-figures this season, so he is yet another part of the formula for Georgetown.

As a huge fan of the Hoyas, seeing this start to March is getting me excited. All the pieces look like they are starting to come together, and the team is starting to hit a good run at just the right time.

People may have forgotten JT3's team, but this Georgetown team is no pushover, especially with the bench producing now.

This is definitely a team to be feared for the rest of this month.

Hopefully your team won't stand in the way of the hot streak! Because I have a feeling this could really take the Hoyas a long way; by that, I mean the Final Four.

After trailing 40-37 at halftime and overcoming several attempts of shooting itself in the foot, Georgetown advanced to the Big East tournament semifinals by beating top-seeded, No. 3 Syracuse in the quarterfinals Thursday, 91-84, at Madison Square Garden.

This game was evenly matched throughout, not like the two previous regular season games that Syracuse won both at home and on the road.

However, the game probably turned in favor for the Hoyas when Syracuse’s starting center Arinze Onuaku fell down after bumping knees with Georgetown’s Greg Monroe, never to return with four minutes left in the second half.

Also, key shots made by Monroe (15 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists), guard Chris Wright (game-high 27 points on 10-of-16 field goal shooting), and guard Austin Freeman (18 points) were enough to get past pesky Syracuse, which was still within four points of tying the game, 85-81, with 51.5 seconds left on a Kris Joseph three-pointer off a Georgetown turnover.

The Orange maintained their lead from the first half on good transition baskets and timely inside-outside plays by Joseph (18 points), fifth-year senior Andy Rautins (14 points, 4-of-9 on three-pointers), and 2010 Big East Player of the Year Wes Johnson, who finished with 24 points but fouled out close to the end of the game.

A shift in the overall outcome of the game occurred when the Hoyas locked down on Rautins, preventing him from scoring on the perimeter at will and forcing the Orange to rely on its swingmen (Johnson, Joseph, and Scoop Jardine) and big men (Onuaku and Rick Jackson) to get by the battle-tested Hoyas.

That strategy worked, as it was in the second half that the Hoyas scored 54 points to the Orange’s 44, seeming to capitalize on rare turnovers by Syracuse. Georgetown avoided Syracuse’s vaunted half-court press and converted on easy layups and threes as well.

The Washington, D.C. school showed poise and patience in their second Big East tourney game, riding on the good fortunes of yesterday’s 69-49 blowout over star Dominique Jones and the South Florida Bulls.

Their composure was necessary today, as it erred in the last 300 seconds, either by failing to make some critical free throws or by turning the ball over, giving the upstate New York team a chance to close in on the Georgetown lead several times down the stretch.

The win gives the Hoyas validation in earning a high spot in next week’s NCAA Tournament, winning its third game in a row after the team rebounded from the temporary sidelining of Freeman, who was recently diagnosed with diabetes.

Despite the diagnosis, Freeman’s play has not seemed extremely affected since his return in the regular season finale against Cincinnati, as he has averaged 19.3 points in the last three games.

The loss casts doubt though on the Orange, who barely had time to stay at the top of college basketball’s top 25 rankings when it was defeated in the farewell game at Freedom Hall in Louisville, five days before the Big East tourney.

With Onuaku injured for perhaps a while, plus the possibility of not earning a No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday, Syracuse might have to manage with just Rautins, Joseph, and Johnson for the next few games.

Georgetown plays the winner of the Villanova-Marquette game on ESPN Friday evening at 7 P.M. Eastern.

Syracuse Primed for an Upset?

The conference tournaments are in full swing as all of the teams are battling it out to see who the champion of their conference is. All of the teams are attempting to make a good impression to the committee as the make a run toward the field of 65 and get ready for the best tournament of all; March Madness.

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Georgetown Vs Syracuse —Best Bet For Thursday—

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Today my best bet is in the Big East Tournament and could be one of the best games of the day. Georgetown takes on Syracuse in the Big East tournament and although Syracuse may have a slight home court advantage look for Georgetown to get the best of them today. Georgetown has had some tough games against the Orange but have come up short in both outings, the third time is the charm. Syracuse lost to Louisville in a game that didn’t matter but it will take some time to get going against Georgetown. The Hoyas looked great against South Florida in the first game and with Austin Freeman back in the lineup the Hoyas will be confident and ready to play. The Hoyas are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games and the have an edge at the free throw line that will keep them in this game. The points and the Hoyas are the way to go but there is a very good chance that the Hoyas will eliminate Syracuse and punch their ticket to the big dance early.

Play On Georgetown +5
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My picks are always 100% free so stop by and see the picks for the day. I have been on fire so far with my tournament picks, here are yesterday’s picks. Good luck in the tournaments!

Junior guard Austin Freeman, the Georgetown Hoyas' leading scorer, did not start the Hoyas' home loss to Notre Dame this past Saturday, and managed only five points in 23 minutes. While seated on the bench, he had a towel draped over his head—the classic sign of a player suffering from a virus—and he displayed no energy on the court. It was painfully obvious to the CBS audience that Freeman was sick, but he still played 23 minutes against the Fighting Irish, scoring only five points on 2-of-5 shooting.

The official word coming out of the Georgetown camp was that Freeman was suffering from a stomach virus, and it appeared to be a plausible explanation when Freeman missed the Hoyas' loss at West Virginia on Monday night. It later came out that Freeman was hospitalized back at Georgetown, and that a few other members of the team were also sick. On a side note, junior guard Chris Wright was suffering from a cold when Georgetown fell at Rutgers on Valentine's Day, and appeared to be laboring during the game.

This morning, it came out that Freeman has developed diabetes.

How will it affect Freeman?

Well, diabetics are unable to convert blood sugar to energy, because either the body can't use the insulin it produces, or the pancreas fails to produce insulin. Freeman will require daily insulin injections, or the delivery of insulin through an insulin pump. 

Stephen Clement, head of the Diabetes Center at Georgetown University hospital, said that Freeman is doing fine, as his sugars are controlled, and that it may be a month to determine which type of diabetes he has. The more common case of diabetes is Type 2 diabetes, which affects 90-95 percent of the diabetic population, and occurs when the body can't properly use the insulin it produces. The more rare Type 1 diabetes, which affects the remaining 5-10 percent of the diabetic population, occurs when the pancreas quits producing insulin.

How will it affect the Hoyas going forward?

Head coach John Thompson III has said that he is unsure of Freeman's return date, and his status for the regular season finale against Cincinnati is questionable, as is his status for the Big East Tournament, which starts next Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. 

Should Freeman be unavailable to play or at considerably less than full strength, it would be a major blow to the woefully thin Hoyas.

Georgetown has four starters averaging 33 minutes a game or more, led by Wright's 35 per game. Freeman and sophomore center Greg Monroe play 34 minutes per game, while sophomore guard Jason Clark averages 33 minutes per game. The players on the Hoyas' bench that see more than 12 minutes a game are freshman guard Hollis Thompson (20 minutes per game) and freshman forward Jerrelle Benimon (12 minutes per game). 

If Freeman is unable to play, or unable to play for extended periods of time, Thompson will likely be replacing him in the starting lineup. Thompson averages four points per game, which is a major drop-off from Freeman's 17 per game. Freeman is shooting a whopping 54.2 percent from the field this season, and 47.3 percent on three-pointers. Freeman has gone for 20 points nine times or more this year, highlighted by his 33-point effort against Connecticut, where Georgetown erased a 19-point, first-half deficit to win, 72-69. 

Most teams would be hard-pressed to replace what Freeman brings to the table, and for a team like the Hoyas, that is lacking depth, it will be extremely difficult to succeed in the post-season without a productive Freeman.  

Despite dropping four of their past five games, the Georgetown Hoyas still have the talent to beat any team in the country.  

They've proven that against Pittsburgh, Villanova, Duke, Butler, and Temple this season.  They've scared the life out of Syracuse, nearly erasing a 23-point deficit against the now-No. 1 team in the country.

The Hoyas can also lose to any (decent) team in the country.  They proved that against Old Dominion, South Florida, and recently Rutgers.

What part of that didn't we know back in January?

Right after Georgetown opened up a 20-point lead against Duke at home en route to an 89-77 win (in front of President Barack Obama), Hoyas coach John Thompson III admitted this very flaw about his team.

"I think that this group can beat any team in the country if we do what we're supposed to do,"  Thompson said . "And if we don't, we can lose to everyone else on our schedule. That's not the plan. But I think we can beat anyone in the country, and they know that."

Now that we've hit March, there's a lot of hullabullo about "momentum" and "chemistry" and "athleticism" and a whole group of non-tangential adjectives that usually end up amounting to nothingness.

The fact that Georgetown has lost four of their last five, plummeting from seven to 20th in the AP poll in three weeks, would be cause for concern in a typical year. And admittedly, the loss to Rutgers certainly dampened some spirits (mine included).

But the Hoyas were missing Austin Freeman, their leading scorer, for two of those games. They played the now-No. 1 team in the country, and again, came within a point of erasing a 23-point deficit . The Hoyas' second half will be the tape that NCAA coaches reference when they're trying to figure out how in the hell they're going to crack Syracuse's 2-3 zone.

The fact Georgetown hasn't won three straight Big East games since 2007-08 should be setting off alarms.  Or the fact that they couldn't string together three straight this year after feasting on a cupcake trio of Harvard, St. John's, and DePaul; in a normal year, I'd probably be crying myself to sleep thinking about that from now until Selection Sunday.

Georgetown fans seem unusually tense around March this year (myself not included); that NIT bid last year was a cold splash of water in the face after a Final Four two years prior.  The stakes feel higher for G'town and its fanbase—perhaps the subconscious concern of wasting Greg Monroe's talent came into play?

That kind of tenseness won't help the Hoyas if they come into the NCAA tournament as a five seed , as predicted in ESPN's latest Bracketology.

So instead, the Hoyas should loosen up, and make sure they're having fun playing basketball these final few weeks.

After all, they're still 18, 19, 20, and 21-year-old kids. 

If these are Greg Monroe's final few weeks in a Hoya uniform, then they should enjoy the time they have with Monroe and his offensive bag of tricks.

If they lose to Marquette in the first round of the Big East Tournament, the Earth will still stay on its axis. 

I don't want to hear reports of Chris Wright and Greg Monroe sniping at each other on the court during games. Either the Hoyas are being forced to Tweet with each other constantly, or they've got legitimate off-court chemistry; aka, they actually like each other. 

They shouldn't let a few losses in basketball get in the way of these potentially-lifelong friendships. 

Instead, they should be playing the loosest, most stress-free basketball they've played this season in March.  

Every player in Georgetown's starting lineup has shown flashes of greatness this season—be it Freeman's 28 points against UConn, Monroe's 12 assists against Providence, Jason Clark's six three-pointers against Villanova, Wright's never-say-die attitude, or Julian Vaughn transformation from clumsy last season to clutch this season.

And when each player was feeling it, they were showing it on the court, too.  (Besides Freeman, who gets IVs of ice-water before each game.)  Jason Clark's scream after his sixth three against 'Nova will go down as one of many Hoyas' fans favorite moments of the season.

The Hoyas have the talent.

They need Freeman to get healthy, first and foremost.

They need to play loose and unrestrained.  And JTIII needs to have a quick hook, if a player is hurting the team on both ends of the court.

If they piece everything together, they've shown that they can beat the NCAA's one and two seeds.  Not only that, they can blow them out.

In a win-or-go-home tournament with no clearly-defined favorite, the Hoyas aren't a bad horse to be backing going into March Madness.

And I apologize, in advance, for causing them to lose in the first round of the NCAA's because I jinxed them with this column.

After being blown out on the road in Morgantown, West Virginia and shown up at home by a Notre Dame squad without their best player —Luke Harangody —I am beginning to question whether the Georgetown Hoyas are a legitimate team that deserves more than a 10 seed in the tournament, or even get an at large bid.

There has been no life and no energy in the Hoyas in recent weeks, especially on the defensive end and the scoring on the offensive end has faltered lately as well. Some of this failure to produce could be the result of Austin Freeman, Georgetown's leading scorer, being out with a stomach virus over the last two games, but this Hoya team has absolutely collapsed when hit with diversity. That can't happen if you want to be considered an elite team in the nation.

Georgetown has no bench especially at guard and they can't win unless all of their starters have monstrous games, which is a big reason why they are beginning to fall off at this point in the season. The starters for this team are beginning to get worn down which is resulting in less consistent production.

Their lackluster defensive play recently could be a result of just being hurt, sick and tired, which all of these starters seem to be right now. They seriously lack an energy player that can spark a run with big plays on the defensive end, which is a quality many good teams across the nation have.

At this point, the Hoyas have no one that is a hustle player that can get you a loose ball, play solid defense, and sprint up and down the floor on every position. These kinds of players can make a giant impact a on team, especially when a team is facing adversity. These kinds of players don't rely on being hot from the field, they come and play hard every night and right now the Hoyas aren't playing hard on defense or fighting for loose balls which has seemed to hurt them.

The Hoyas have really lost a step or two over the course of the season and that is definitely beginning to show in their resume, where they have posted a mediocre 9-8 in conference so far and an overall record of 19-9, nothing special at all.

Two good wins over Villanova and Duke have carried them through this season and still give people the thought that this Georgetown team could make a run in the NCAA tournament. These are two great wins that you can’t take away from the Hoyas, however, I believe these were completely fluke wins where Georgetown shot about 65% from the field in both games.

Everything has went right for the Hoyas in these two games and it was a rarity if they missed a shot. In games where the Hoyas have actually played down to Earth, they have been unable to beat anybody including some of the worst teams in the Big East —which is a big red flag for a team who wins only when they shoot well.

Georgetown has suffered losses to Rutgers, Notre Dame and Old Dominion at home, and have been blown out by both Syracuse and West Virginia. In all of these games, Georgetown has shown major weaknesses that will kill them in the tournament.

The Hoyas Inconsistency from their starters —especially Jason Clark who has been terrible ever since the Hoyas win at home over Villanova —their non-existent bench, and their inability to overcome adversity have killed the Hoyas down the stretch this season. 

I think this team has played themselves right onto the bubble and if they continue these losing ways with a loss against Cincinnati and an early loss in the Big East tourney, this Hoya team will still get in, but undeservedly. Even if they lose their next few games, the tournament committee will still probably get them in as a six or seven seed, but I believe the holes in this basketball team will be glaring come tournament time and they will go no further than the first round of the big dance.