Change We Can Believe In

Georgetown 65, South Florida 40.  So starts the 6-0 end to the season that will propel us to the tournament... right?

In Which We Become Far Too Invested in the Athletic Exploits of 18-22 Year Olds (Myself Included) Con't

As an addendum: I realize that, at the extreme, I am advocating an incredibly tame style of fandom, one where there is only positive cheering, and never any criticism of any non-professional team.  I understand that's not likely--or maybe even desirable--but if people were to err on the side of deep breathing rather than loud screaming, they may find more enjoyment in the wins and less frustration in the losses.

In Which We Become Far Too Invested in the Athletic Exploits of 18-22 Year Olds (Myself Included)

3 straight Hoya losses have the faithful reeling, and with some justification: in the past two games, the team has been a half-step slow and 6 inches off the mark against West Virginia and Seton Hall.  It's a much different look from the team that shredded UConn on the road, or thumped Syracuse about 10 days ago, and for fans who have invested a lot of time, energy and (yes) money into their support of the team, it's unsettling.

That said, just as it's bizarre in victory to elevate college athletes to demigod status (H/T: The Plank), it's bizarre to pile on a group of college athletes in defeat (even unpleasant and unexpected ones to Seton Hall) as if their goal is to please us, The Excited Fan, and when they fail, we can express our disappointment however we please.  Obviously, no one is stopping fans from yelling out complaints from the stands or online, and we can bellow about bad shots or shoddy defense as loudly as we want.  But it strikes me as just the slightest bit odd that these 18 to 22 year olds are being held to a standard of excellence--and in college basketball and football--that is not expected of 18 to 22 year olds in college more broadly.  Lose 3 games in a row? I know people who have skipped class 3 weeks in a row.  In a shooting slump? I've been in writing slumps/testing slumps.  Groaning after missed free throws? Good thing nobody groaned when people couldn't answer questions in class (although in law school, it sometimes feels that way).  

It's a bit of a chicken-or-the-egg argument, to be sure: when college sports (particularly football and basketball) are marketed like their professional counterparts, when the coaches are paid comparably to their professional counterparts, and are played in arenas and stadiums as large, if not larger, than their professional counterparts, it's understandable that fans have reactions that resemble those at professional sporting events.  With the college sports-media industrial complex occupying such a prominent national status, it seems unlikely that the scale of the competition is going to decrease anytime soon.  Conversely, maybe we should be expecting a bit more of 18 to 22 year olds in college--certainly, when it comes to effort-based measures such as showing up to class and/or being prepared for class, the bar could be raised a bit.

Pointing out that college students loaf, coast, and generally "take plays off" doesn't make it any easier to watch our favorite teams lose heartbreakers or stinkers.  But maybe those who cheer on those college teams--particularly those who graduated from those schools-- could remember what it was like to be an undergraduate and ease up on their underage heroes.  After all, they are student athletes, and as such, not only are they busy with classes and growing up, but they're members of the alumni family.   We seem to cut a lot more slack for alums who help start unjustified wars than for those who hoist up unjustified 3s.  Just saying.

It's been so long...

... since last we beat UConn.  About a year, to be precise.  Here's hoping we can pull it off tonight.

Tough One

90-78, bad guys.  Team looked much, much better than yesterday, but the wheels fell off with about 8 minutes to go in the game.  We're a young team that just had a great learning experience--not a victory (moral or tangible), but we gained the knowledge that we can play with one of the best teams in the country.

3-0

A truly ugly win yesterday over the Wichita State Wheatshockers, but it gets the team one closer to 20 wins (the very rough rule of thumb for NCAA tournament credentials), and it gets the team a chance to face off against Tennessee.  

Despite a quiet second half, Greg Monroe still looks like the real deal.   If we start making a few three-pointers, we're going to be dangerous on offense.  We could go for a few more rebounds on both sides of the ball, but hey--third game of the year, hard to expect too much. 

Hey Georgetown: How Long Has it Been?

It's been so long...

Season opener tonight! Jessie Sapp leads the Georgetown Hoyas against the Jacksonville Dolphins at the Verizon Center.

Prediction: Georgetown 71, Jacksonville 60.  Greg Monroe with a solid 13 points and 8 rebounds in his much-awaited debut.

UPDATE: After reading Frank's prediction, I then went and made this prediction (for the score).  His excellent intuition must have so completely brainwashed me that I forgot to show him some love.  Go, Frank!

In which I channel the power of the earth to my writing by slapping the ground

In the somewhat likely chance that a graduate of a school with a rival basketball program reviews one of my applications at one point, I will do my best to refrain from singling out any one program or school by name for criticism.  I'll try to limit my exposure to my political views, which, depending on the level of fandom of a hiring partner, may not be the most controversial thing I could say.  

But, in the hypothetical sense: if I were in charge of a perennial contender for the national championship, would home games against small, newly-minted D-I schools be the best preparation for my squad?  Or would I be better served by scheduling scrimmages against fellow top-conference opponents? 

Hypothetically.

Thanks, Coach

I can’t stress this enough, and maybe it’s natural to compare him to Roy, but Greg is totally different. -JTIII

Oh, Coach was talking about Greg Monroe, 6'-11", top-rated recruit and probable starting center for the Hoyas? Whoops.

33 days until tip-off.  Can't wait.