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Georgetown Basketball: May 2011 News Archive

Big East Tournament: Super Sized 5/31/11

While UConn coach Jim Calhoun was sounding the death knell for the 16 team Big East last week, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim was taking the opposite approach, selling his fellow coaches on an expanded tournament that will accommodate all 17 teams when Texas Christian joins the league in 2012-13.

While a case could be made for a 12 team tournament or a play-in game for the 16/17 seed, Boeheim and the coaches have pushed for all teams as a means of league unity and to provide the MSG experience for all teams. In a 12 team format, TCU or DePaul might never see the Garden for years to come.

"I don't think you can have a viable league and have 12 groups of players come to New York and the other five sit home," said Boeheim, the only coach standing from the inaugural tournament in Providence in 1980. "I don't think that's good for the league, the players, or the fans of any programs to not to go to the Big East tournament. Every team deserves, every player deserves, to play in the league tournament, and that can be worked out. And I'm fairly confident that will be worked out."

ESPN.com reports that scenario being proposed by coaches follows this general format, returning to the five game opening round used in the early 2000s (three day games on Tuesday, two evening), with teams 1-4 earning a bye through Thursday and teams 5-7 earning a bye to Wednesday. The eighth seed would move into the Tuesday first round as a result:

Big East Tournament- 17 Game Scenario
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
#8 vs. #17
11:00 am		 #8/17 winner vs. #11/14 winner
12:00 pm		 Winner vs. #1
12 pm		 Semifinals, 7pm Finals, 9pm
#11 vs. #14
1:00 pm
#12 vs. #13
3:00 pm
 Winner vs #5
2:00 pm		 Winner vs. #4
2 pm
#10 vs. #15
7:00 pm		 Winner vs. #6
7:00 pm		 Winner vs. #3
7 pm		 Semifinals, 9pm
#9 vs. #16
9:00 pm		 Winner vs. #7
9:00 pm		 Winner vs. #2
7 pm
 

Of course, a 17 team conference may be a short-term proposition. Various constituencies are lobbying for a 10th football team, which seems to favor Central Florida. The Knights were 11-3 and finished #21 after a 10-6 loss to Georgia in the Liberty Bowl, and finished 21-12 in men's basketball (RPI: 74). Expanding to an 18 game tournament is still doable, but would expands the five game per day setup to Tuesday as well as Wednesday, with teams 1-3 earning a bye through Thursday and teams 4-8 earning a bye to Wednesday:

Big East Tournament- 18 Game Scenario
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
#9 vs. #18
11:00 am		 Winner vs. #8
11:00 am		 Winner vs. #1
12 pm		 Semifinals, 7pm Finals, 9pm
#13 vs. #14
1:00 pm		 Winner vs #4
1:00 pm		 Quarterfinal
2 pm
#12 vs. #15
3:00 pm
 Winner vs. #5
3:00 pm
#11 vs. #16
7:00 pm		 Winner vs. #6
7:00 pm		 Winner vs. #3
7 pm		 Semifinals, 9pm
#10 vs. #17
9:00 pm		 Winner vs. #7
9:00 pm		 Winner vs. #2
7 pm
 

And while we're at it, let's discuss the "big scenario", the so-called 12/20 league.

Many Big East football (I-A football, that is) schools strongly favor a 12 team football conference for conference championship purposes. With Georgetown already out of the picture and a questionable prognosis whether Villanova would be accepted, the Big East could add two football-only teams to maintain an 18 team basketball league (Army, Navy), drop two non-football schools and add two with I-A football (unlikely at this point) or go all-in and welcome two more schools to the mix (Houston, East Carolina) to get to 12 football schools and 20 overall. Amazingly, the Garden setup can still accommodate this without having to move games or schedule play-ins, but Big East fans would have to set an early wake-up call:

Big East Tournament- 20 Game Scenario
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
#9 vs. #20
8:30 am
 Winner vs. #8
8:30 am		 Winner vs. #1
12 pm		 Semifinals, 7pm Finals, 9pm
#12 vs. #17
10:30 am		 Winner vs #5
10:30 am		 Quarterfinal
2 pm
#13 vs. #16
1:00 pm
 Winner vs. #4
1:00 pm
#10 vs. #19
3:00 pm		 Winner vs. #7
3:00 pm		 Winner vs. #2
7 pm		 Semifinals, 9pm
#14 vs. #15
7:00 pm		 Winner vs. #3
7:00 pm		 Quarterfinal
9 pm
#11 vs. #18
9:00 pm		 Winner vs. #6
9:00 pm
 

So when is "big" too big? Some said the Big East was too big at 12. Or 13. Or 14. Or 16. Perhaps, but the expansions have brought forth the greatest single conference in college basketball history, and the MSG tournament is an event like none other. (How many other conferences could have a ninth seed win 11 straight en route to the NCAA title?) Add in the $850 million renovation now underway at the Garden, and it's clear that Boeheim speaks for those who want the conference's premier event (and its schools) to stay together.

MSG 4.1 5/31/11

Speaking of the Garden, the NY Rangers Blog has some photos of the current construction at the arena, having removed most of the lower level seats and gutting the 6th floor concourses.

"It's incredible — it looks like an old Roman coliseum," said MSG president Scott O'Neil to the Bergen Record on viewing the renovations.

Built in 1968, the fourth Madison Square Garden is the second oldest active arena in pro sports. The lower bowl (loge, 100 and 200 level) will be completed for the 2011-12 season, with the upper bowl (300 and 400 level) in 2012-13. A third phase, featuring sky boxes and a unique sky bridge suspended above the arena floor, will debut in 2013-14. Follow the changes at MSGTransformation.com.

Kenner League In 2011? 5/31/11

The Kenner League always seems to be a bit late in arriving each summer, with rosters and schedules always subject to change. This year's event appears to be in some timing trouble, however.

While last year's Kenner schedules were posted as late as May 18, the NCAA's list of approved summer events does not list the Kenner League for 2011, nor is the league on a list of authorized events that college coaches can attend.

Georgetown does not run the Kenner League but has hosted the event at McDonough Gym since 1982.

Schedule For China Trip Announced 5/27/11

Initial information has been released about the team's summer trip to mainland China, the program's first overseas visit in 18 years.

The Hoyas will play in two exhibition games each in Beijing and Shanghai between Aug. 16-22, and there will also be formal receptions in the cities with Georgetown president Jack DeGioia and various University leaders. Additional information, including possible travel opportunities for interested guests, will be forthcoming.

Big East TV Rights 5/27/11

Big East TV negotiations rights were deferred until 2012, but commissioner John Marinatto told CBS Sports.com it's for the best.

"The other conferences have already gone to the plate and been able to finalize their media contracts, but we know what the score is," he said. "All the other conferences have basically gone through the process because their contracts have expired. So they've all gone through it and done very well. We know the score and we know where everyone else is positioned. Going forward the lay of the land is out there. We're going to be bullish, aggressive and we're going to end up in a very solid spot."

More Big East Talk 5/27/11

There's been a lot of Internet talk this week on the Big East, some of it guesswork and much of it abject speculation, from Jim Calhoun's prediction that the conference will not survive into the next contract to CBS Sports' suggestion that Army and Navy could join the league. Since the school presidents did not even meet this week, consider it idle chatter.

On the record, however, Louisville coach Rick Pitino recently talked to the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram on what the Big East has meant to that school.

"When I came to Louisville we were a top 10 program...That would not be true today if we were not in The Big East," he said. "The Big East makes Louisville a top five program. It was the one thing that Louisville lacked was that established conference. We really didn't have it in the Metro or Conference USA. Now we do."

NCAA Releases APR Figures 5/24/11

The NCAA has released its annual Academic Progress Rate reports, the seventh year of a program that aims to hold colleges and universities accountable for graduation rates.

Academic Progress Rate, or APR, is a benchmark of each men's and women's sports team at NCAA member schools over the last three years. A 1,000 score connotes a 100% graduation rate. The rate consists of one point for each eligible student-athlete and one point for each graduated student-athlete, an index that penalize schools with students that either are ineligible or who leave school early.   "The APR is calculated by allocating points for eligibility and retention -- the two factors that research identifies as the best indicators of graduation," wrote the NCAA in 2005. "Each player on a given roster earns a maximum of two points per term, one for being academically eligible and one for staying with the institution. A team's APR is the total points of a team's roster at a given time divided by the total points...Thus, a raw APR score of .925 translates into the 925 that will become the standard terminology."

The single-season APR results for men's basketball are below.

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Basketball (Men's) 952 981 875 958 929 937
 

The four year average APR for Georgetown are 11th among the current 16 Big East schools. The table below compares the men's basketball APR's at the conference schools.

Connecticut has received a two scholarship penalty by the NCAA for its poor score in 2009-10, in addition to a self imposed one-scholarship penalty during the ongoing NCAA investigation into recruiting irregularities for prospect Nate Miles, who enrolled but never played at the school.

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
DePaul 865 893 918 940 987 1000
West Virginia 899 915 932 960 990 995
Cincinnati 872 838 872 902 945 992
Notre Dame 977 977 971 982 983 989
Pittsburgh 905 907 935 965 962 985
Marquette 918 927 954 970 975 980
Villanova 1000 993 990 985 980 974
St. John's 884 909 918 959 961 968
Louisville 908 920 941 965 951 965
Rutgers 933 943 953 968 963 948
Texas Christian (2012) 944 921 922 912 924 943
Georgetown 963 970 945 942 937 937
South Florida 893 898 904 818 915 937
Seton Hall 930 921 924 918 936 935
Syracuse 967 948 955 932 912 928
Providence 936 938 938 939 935 925
Connecticut 889 934 946 939 930 893

The multi-year Georgetown results are below for the period 2006-07 through 2009-10. 11 sports teams scored a perfect 1000 on the rating.. 

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 1-Yr Chg
Baseball 955 966 975 978 992 996 +4
Basketball (Men's) 963 970 945 942 937 937 --
Basketball (Women's) 957 970 969 975 982 983 +1
Cross Country (Men's) 985 991 994 1000 1000 1000 --
Cross Country (Women's) 987 991 993 986 988 992 +4
Field Hockey 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 --
Football 971 955 961 966 968 979 +9
Golf (Men's) 1000 1000 1000 1000 993 1000 +7
Golf (Women's) 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 --
Lacrosse (Men's) 989 989 985 982 987 991 +4
Lacrosse (Women's) 990 990 989 989 994 996 +2
Rowing (Men's, not an NCAA sport) * * * * * * *
Rowing (Women's) 1000 1000 1000 1000 980 968 -12
Sailing (not an NCAA sport) * * * * * * *
Soccer (Men's) 988 1000 989 991 977 966 -11
Soccer (Women's) 993 996 994 991 992 992 --
Softball * * * 1000 1000 1000 --
Swimming (Men's) 938 958 969 1000 1000 1000 --
Swimming (Women's) 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 --
Tennis (Men's) NA 923 952 957 1000 1000 --
Tennis (Women's) 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 --
Track (Men's Indoor) 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 --
Track (Women's Indoor) 989 993 1000 989 992 997 +5
Track (Men's Outdoor) 1000 1000 994 1000 1000 1000 --
Track (Women's Outdoor) 988 992 1000 989 992 994 +2
Volleyball 986 991 987 986 993 993 --
 
More Expansion? 5/24/11

More Big East expansion isn't imminent, but could be in the picture over the next 15 months, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

Big East commissioner John Marinatto told the Sentinel that the conference needs to finalize a lineup before entering into upcoming TV negotiations next September. "We need to before we go into that discussion, know what it is we are," Marinatto said. "We have to have an identity. We have to obviously have our membership squared away. And we will."

One proposal is how to get to 12 teams for a football playoff, which may involve Villanova or adding up to three more schools, such as Central Florida, Houston, or East Carolina. The conference has no interest in adding Georgetown to the football rotation along with Villanova, whose own efforts are receiving push back from other Big East schools. A variant of that proposal would be 12 football schools and 16 overall, though this would entail four schools without football to leave or be dropped from the conference altogether.

The newest member of the conference, Texas Christian, would be happy to stay at nine and 17. "I like nine for the simple reason you can play four non-conference games," said TCU football coach Gary Patterson to CBS Sports.com. "That's what we had in the Mountain West Conference and it worked well."

The Newest Alumni 5/20/11

From GUHoyas.com, some final thoughts from the four senior lettermen who will graduate this weekend:

"It's the last time you're going to be around some of these people until you come back for reunions. It's a special time."--Ryan Dougherty (C'11, economics, government)

"I know that we've all taken school seriously and Saturday is a special day. I'm the first one of my mother's kids to graduate and it's big for her. It's a lifetime achievement and it will be a very proud moment to get my degree from Georgetown." --Julian Vaughn (C'11, English)

"It means a lot. Coming in as an 18-year-old, a young kid and kind of immature and growing up and maturing on the basketball court and off it and being able to balance not only being an athlete, but a student, it shows a lot." --Austin Freeman (C'11, sociology)

"It's been a long road, but this is something I'm really proud of I said at the banquet that I put my blood, sweat and tears into this and I didn't just mean on the basketball court. I meant in school too and I know my family is proud of me for graduating and I am too." --Chris Wright (C'11, government)

Hoyas Risk "Losing Elite Status"? 5/20/11

Sometimes, it's all about a little perspective. Friday's issue of The HOYA contains a sports column titled: "GU Risks Losing Elite Status If Lack of [Basketball] Success Continues."

"As we move on from the Hilltop, we have every right to have high expectations for our Hoyas," writes senior Parimal Garg. "The last four years were disappointing, but we have a lifetime of Hoya basketball to look forward to."

Over the last four years, the men's basketball team was a combined 88-43 (.671) with three NCAA appearances and two Big East finals appearances, not to mention 19 wins over Top 25 teams, six this past season alone. Until the final week of the 2010-11 season, Georgetown was just one of four schools in the nation that had been in the Top 25 every week over the past two seasons. (If Georgetown ran into an NCAA buzz saw with Virginia Commonwealth, it wasn't alone.)

Big East-SEC Challenge Series Updated 5/20/11

Matchups for the Big East-SEC Challenge Series have been announced, with Georgetown scheduled for visit to Alabama on Dec. 1.

Playing on the road was no surprise given how few dates Georgetown has available at Verizon Center, but the same opponent might be: Georgetown last appeared in the series with a 70-60 win over Alabama in Birmingham on Dec 5, 2007.

Twelve of 16 Big East teams will participate in the event, which is scheduled for on-campus venues rather than doubleheaders at neutral sites. Marquette, Notre Dame, South Florida and Villanova will not be in this year's event.

Sanford To Dayton 5/19/11

Late on Wednesday, the Dayton Daily News reported that Vee Sanford will transfer to the University of Dayton, with two years eligibility beginning in the 2012-13 season. Sanford's transfer from Georgetown surfaced April 15.

Othella Harrington Named To Basketball Staff 5/17/11

Former Georgetown center Othella Harrington (C'96) was named to the men's basketball coaching staff, per a release Tuesday at GUHoyas.com. The title or scope of the position was not announced.

Harrington, 37, the 1992 national high school player of the year, scored 1,839 points and 983 rebounds over his four years at Georgetown, ranking him among the top five in career history in both statistics. Harrington played 12 years in the NBA among five different clubs, averaging 7.4 points and 4.4 rebounds a game.

"He brings a wealth of experience accumulated on and off the court over his career," said head coach John Thompson III. "His dozen years in the NBA in addition to his four years as a starter here at Georgetown will be a major asset. I'm excited to welcome him back to Georgetown."

NCAA Public Recognition Awards 5/17/11

In advance of the May 24 release of Academic Performance Ratings by the NCAA, 14 Georgetown teams were recognized with NCAA Public Recognition Awards, based on APR's of teams finishing in the top 10 percent in each sport

The 14 teams include baseball, field hockey, men's cross country, men's and women's golf, softball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's indoor track, and men's and women's outdoor track. Georgetown accounts for 14 of the 77 awards within the Big East conference.

Summer Pre-Season Rankings? 5/16/11

With the early entries to the NBA draft completed and team rosters stable, columnist Adam Zagoria takes a look at the early front runners for the 2011-12 Big East season, with the Hoyas placing ninth.

Zagoria's top four include Syracuse, Louisville, Pitt, and Cincinnati.

McDonough Gym: How Old is It? 5/13/11

Over at the HoyaTalk board, a question was raised about 60-year old McDonough Gym and its age relative to other facilities nationwide. The numbers aren't very good.

In a survey of Division I on-campus facilities, McDonough is the 20th oldest gymnasium of its kind in Division I, but the third oldest facility never substantially renovated, joining Fordham's Rose Hill Gym and Seton Hall's Walsh Gymnasium (both of which have updated offices and locker rooms, but not the overall facility).

School Yr. Built Substantial Renovation
Fordham (Rose Hill Gym) 1925 None
Harvard (Lavietes Pavilion) 1926 Renovated Briggs Athletic Center, 1996.
Pennsylvania (The Palestra) 1926 $2 million renovation, 2000.
Washington (Alaska Airlines Arena) 1927 Rebuilt Hec Edmundson Pavilion, $40 million, 1999.
Butler (Hinkle Fieldhouse) 1928 $1.5 million renovation, 1989.
Minnesota (Williams Arena) 1928 Remodeled in 1950's, additional work under discussion.
Tulane (Fogelman Arena) 1932 Renovated Tulane Gym, 1988.
Yale (Lee Amphitheater) 1932 Renovated Payne Whitney Gym, 1999.
California (Haas Pavilion) 1933 Rebuilt Harmon Gym, $57.5 million, 1999.
Oklahoma State (Gallagher-Iba Arena) 1938 Rebuilt for $55 million, 2000.
The Citadel (McAllister Field House) 1939 Renovated, 1989.
Seton Hall (Walsh Gymnasium) 1939 None
Duke (Cameron Indoor Stadium) 1939 Renovated, 1988.
North Carolina State (Reynolds Coliseum) 1949 Renovated in 2005 following team's move to RBC Center.
Niagara (Gallagher Center) 1949 Renovated, 1998.
Oregon State (Gill Coliseum) 1939 $7 million renovation, 2009.
St. Joseph's (Hagan Arena) 1949 Rebuilt Alumni Fieldhouse, $25 million, 1999.
Elon (Alumni Gym) 1949 Renovated, 1994.
Rice (Tudor Fieldhouse) 1950 Renovated Autry Court, $23 million, 2008.
Georgetown (McDonough Gymnasium) 1951 None
 

And among the Big East:

School Arena(s) Built Recent Activity
Louisville 2010 (off campus) Practice facility opened 2007.
Marquette 2004 (on-campus), 1988 (off-campus) Practice facility opened 2004.
Pittsburgh 2002 (on campus) Practice gym opened 2002.
DePaul 2000 (on-campus), 1977 (off-campus) Practice facility opened 2000.
Cincinnati 1990 (on campus) None
Connecticut 1990 (on-campus), 1975 (off-campus) Practice facility plans approved.
Villanova 1986 (on-campus), 1996 (off-campus) Practice facility opened 2008.
S. Florida 1980 (on campus) Practice facility and arena reconstruction underway.
Syracuse 1980 (on campus) Practice facility opened 2010.
Rutgers 1977 (on campus) Practice facility announced, 2010, fundraising underway.
W. Virginia 1970 (on campus) Practice facility scheduled for 2012.
Notre Dame 1968 (on campus) Upgrades to Joyce Center, 2010
St. John's 1961 (on-campus), 1968 (off-campus) Practice facility opened 2005.
TCU (2012) 1961 (on-campus) Practice facility opened 2004.
Providence 1956 (on-campus), 1972 (off-campus) Renovated Alumni Hall, 2003.
Georgetown 1951 (on-campus), 1997 (off-campus) None
Seton Hall 1939 (on-campus), 2007 (off-campus) None
 

The long discussed Georgetown athletic training facility continues to be in the whisper stage, but at some point there will also have to be a concerted discussion to renovate or gut McDonough Gymnasium, and it needn't take another 30 years to plan for. If Georgetown does not have the will to build a new facility, at least it should bring what it has into the next century for the good of all the 29 sports that use it.

Rebuilding For 11-12 5/10/11

How does Georgetown's rebuilding effort measure against graduation and attrition at other Big East schools? Here is the latest comparison (transfer issues may still be variable at some schools).

Team

 10-11 Record Seniors Transfers NBA Total Lost Starters Lost Pts. Lost PPG % of Total
1. Pittsburgh 28-6 4 1 0 5 3 1047 30.7 41.6%
2. Notre Dame 27-7 5 0 1 6 3 2135 62.7 83.4%
3. Louisville 27-8 2 0 0 2 1 824 23.5 31.4%
5. Syracuse 25-10 1 0 0 1 1 459 13.1 17.8%
5. St. John's 21-12 9 0 0 9 4 2072 62.7 89.5%
6. W. Virginia 21-12 5 1 0 6 3 1150 34.8 49.9%
7. Cincinnati 26-9 6 0 0 6 2 823 23.5 34.1%
8. Georgetown 21-11 4 2 0 6 3 1291 40.3 57.1%
9. Connecticut 31-9 3 1 1 5 2 1382 33.7 46.5%
10. Villanova 21-12 4 0 0 4 3 1269 38.4 53.2%
11. Marquette 22-15 3 1 0 4 2 1045 28.2 37.5%
12. Seton Hall 13-18 5 1 0 6 2 1075 34.6 51.3%
13. Rutgers 15-17 3 0 0 3 3 1021 31.9 48.1%
14. Providence 15-17 3 0 0 3 1 821 25.6 33.8%
15. S. Florida 10-23 2 2 0 4 1 352 10.6 17.2%
16. DePaul 7-24 3 1 0 4 1 399 12.8 18.9%
 
Hollis Thompson Returns For 2011-12 Updated 5/9/11

Forward Hollis Thompson withdrew his name for the 2011 NBA draft, and will return for his junior season, according to the Washington Post.

Thompson averaged 8.4 points per game this past season and is expected to be a key contributor to the Hoyas in 2011-12.

Monroe To Appear At NBA Lottery 5/6/11

His season has concluded, but Detroit Pistons rookie Greg Monroe has been given a unique honor for the club--he will represent the Pistons on stage at the May 17 NBA Draft Lottery, joining a collection of owners and general managers from the teams vying for the top of the upcoming draft order.

"Hopefully, he’ll bring us more luck,” said Pistons VP Scott Perry in this link from the Detroit Free Press. “But, actually, staying at seven ended up being very lucky for us last year. The fact we remained at seven in the lottery process and were able to draft a guy we believe is going to be one of the cornerstones for your team -- now to have him go back there the following year, hopefully, his presence there will bring the same type of good fortune during this lottery.”

Gary Williams Retires At Maryland 5/6/11

For the third time in two weeks, a local head coaching position will change, as a press conference Friday announced the retirement of Gary Williams at the University of Maryland.

Williams, 66, played at College Park under Bud Millikan from 1964-67 and began his college career as an assistant at Lafayette in 1972. He served as a head coach at American (1978-82), Boston College (1982-86) and Ohio State (1986-89) before rebuilding a Maryland program in 1989 still recovering from the loss of Len Bias and the NCAA probation which followed former coach Bob Wade. The university has only had seven head coaches in men's basketball since 1904, and Williams' 22 seasons are the second most in school history.

With no NCAA bids in his first four seasons, Williams turned the corner in 1993-94, led by freshman Joe Smith and punctuated by an 84-83 overtime win over Georgetown in the season opener, its first meeting with the Hoyas in 13 seasons. The season earned Maryland its first NCAA bid in six seasons and began a streak of 17 straight years in the post-season, a streak which ended in 2011.

Maryland reached the summit in 2002, with Williams leading the Terrapins to the NCAA championship and securing a new on-campus home, as games were moved to the $125 million Comcast Center, nicknamed "The House That Gary Built". The Terrapins were among the top 10 nationally in attendance until this season, despite six sub-.500 seasons in ACC play since 2003. Williams also dealt with criticism within the ranks that the Terrapins were being out-hustled for Washington and Baltimore-area recruits by Georgetown, Connecticut, and Duke, among others. Overall, Williams compiled an overall record of 668-380, with his 461 wins at Maryland second only to Dean Smith and Mike Krzyzewski among ACC coaches.

Williams enjoyed a frosty relationship when it came to Georgetown, claiming Maryland was owed a return game from the neutral site event held at Capital Centre, and eschewing talk of including Georgetown in the annual BB&T Classic to which Maryland is a founding partner. The The schools split a pair of unscheduled games in the 2000's, with a Maryland win in the 2001 NCAAs and Georgetown's win in the 2008 Old Spice Classic. Overall, Williams was 2-1 against the Hoyas at Maryland and 3-13 overall when including AU, BC, and Ohio State.

His struggles with former Maryland athletic director Debbie Yow were considerably more aggravating, however. Yow served as A.D. from 1994-2010.

"After Yow left, I thought I might enjoy it more this year and I really did like working with Kevin Anderson," williams told John Feinstein of the Washington Post. "But I think I’d been worn down by the previous 15 years [with Yow]. It grinds on you."

“I didn’t want to make a snap decision right at the end of the season. That’s never a good time to make a decision", Williams continued. "I mean, I’m 66. Who is older than me in the business?", he joked. "Calhoun? Okay. Boeheim? He’s spent his whole life in Syracuse; he doesn’t know any better."

This year has been a year of change in Maryland athletics. Patrick Stevens of the Washington Times noted that the school's president, athletic director and head coaches in football, men's basketball, and men's lacrosse have all turned over in the last calendar year.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Maryland officials have sought contact with Notre Dame coach Mike Brey, a graduate of DeMatha and George Washington.

Additional local coverage follows in links to the Post, Times, Examiner, and the Maryland Diamondback.

Meanwhile, At Foggy Bottom... 5/6/11

The vacant coaching position at George Washington might have a hire, as Comcast Sports is reporting that Vermont coach Mike Lonergan will be named as the Colonials' new coach on Monday.

Lonergan, 45, is 126-68 at Vermont, and is best known locally as the coach who took Catholic University to the Division III title in 2001. He played at Archbishop Carroll HS before four years as an undergrad at Catholic, and later served as an assistant at Maryland under Gary Williams.

George Mason filled its vacancy last week by selecting former Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt.

Monroe To Appear At NBA Lottery 5/6/11

His season has concluded, but Detroit Pistons rookie Greg Monroe has been given a unique honor for the club--he will represent the Pistons on stage at the may 17 NBA Draft Lottery, joining a collection of owners and general managers from the teams vying for the top of the upcoming draft order.

"Hopefully, he’ll bring us more luck,” said Pistons VP Scott Perry in this link from the Detroit Free Press. “But, actually, staying at seven ended up being very lucky for us last year. The fact we remained at seven in the lottery process and were able to draft a guy we believe is going to be one of the cornerstones for your team -- now to have him go back there the following year, hopefully, his presence there will bring the same type of good fortune during this lottery.”

Hollis Thompson Nears Draft Deadline 5/6/11

Sunday is the deadline for early entrants to the NBA draft to decommit and still retain college eligibility. Sophomore Hollis Thompson will have until this deadline to elect not to enter the draft, in order to return for his junior season.

Thompson has not commented publicly since placing his name in the draft pool on April 22.

Sanford Leaning To Dayton 5/6/11

Outbouind transfer Vee Sanford told the Springfield (OH) News-Sun he will be visiting that school on May 17, following finals at Georgetown.

"I did well in the Princeton [offense], but that’s not really how I like to play,” Sanford said. “Coach Thompson said this would be my year...but I feel it was best if I moved on."

Sanford will also take a visit to Marshall.

Prince of Wales Speaks At Georgetown 5/5/11

Off the sports pages, Georgetown University welcomed HRH Prince Charles to speak at Gaston Hall Wednesday at a conference co-sponsored by the University on sustainable food policies for the 21st Century.

“The Prince of Wales has been a visionary leader in this space for nearly 30 years,” said Georgetown President John J. DeGioia at this link to the University's web page on the event. “He has been one of the world’s most innovative and admired advocates of sustainable agriculture, ecosystem resilience and green energy sources."

The prince thanked Georgetown for inviting him back (having attended a 2005 conference on faith and social responsibility), and mused that the speech "certainly makes a change from making embarrassing speeches about my eldest son at wedding receptions and things like that."

A video of the one hour speech has been archived at the University web site.

"The prince's visit to Georgetown has been a fantastic opportunity for us to learn more about his personal experience with sustainable agriculture, as well as his proposal to shift farm subsidies toward sustainable practices,” said Rafi Goldberg (G'11), a graduate student in the Public Policy Institute.

Congratulations to the University for organizing this effort, giving its students an extraordinary opportunity to hear from a world leader on issues that will shape our collective future.

Jerrelle Benimon To Transfer Updated 5/5/11

The Associated Press is reporting that sophomore Jerrelle Benimon will transfer at the end of the spring semester.

"Jerrelle is transferring and although he has not announced where he will go, wherever it is, we wish him all of the best," said head coach John Thompson III in a brief statement.

Benimon, a 6-7 forward, averaged 21 points and 17 rebounds a game at Fauquier HS in Warrenton, VA, but only 1.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in two seasons at Georgetown. His career high was nine points in a Dec. 2010 game against Loyola, but scored only nine points combined in Big East play this season.

For his career, Benimon played in 61 games, adding a defensive presence off the bench but with limited offensive impact. With four freshman forwards recruited this year, Benimon may have found even fewer playing opportunities as a result.

Benimon joins Vee Sanford as outbound transfers for 2010-11.

Updated: Graduation & Attrition 5/5/11

With six departures from 2010-11 (four seniors, two transfers), the 2011-12 team faces a significant loss of scoring power from its predecessor. Here's a look at the largest turnover between seasons since freshmen gained eligibility in 1972:

Most Offense Lost Between Seasons, 1972-Present
Season

#

 Players Lost PPG Lost % Total Next Year...
2002-03
(19-15)
NIT		 6 3 seniors (Samnick, Wilson, Hillier)
2 transfers (Bethel, Hall)
1 to NBA (Sweetney)		 45.6 59.9% 2003-04
(15-16)
1996-97
(20-10)
NCAA		 7 3 seniors (Dia, Owinje, Gaughan)
3 transfers (Jones, Sheffey, Nichols)
1 leaves school (Page)		 41.6 59.9% 1997-98
(16-15)
NIT
1995-96
(29-8)
NCAA		 4 2 seniors (Harrington, Williams)
1 transfer (Myles)
1 to NBA (Iverson)		 47.6 57.2% 1996-97
(20-10)
NCAA
2010-11
(21-11)
NCAA		 6 4 seniors (Wright, Freeman, Vaughn, Dougherty)
2 transfers (Sanford, Benimon)		 39.6 57.1% TBD
1985-86
(24-8)
NCAA		 6 3 seniors (Broadnax, Jackson, Wingate)
1 grad student (Dalton)
2 transfers (Morris, Mateen)		 44.7 57.0% 1986-87
(29-5)
NCAA
2007-08
(28-6)
NCAA		 6 4 seniors (Hibbert, Wallace, Crawford, Ewing)
2 transfers (Macklin, Rivers)		 36.9 53.0% 2008-09
(16-15)
NIT
 
2011-12 Depth Chart 5/4/11

The departure of Benimon leaves just three upperclassmen and five players that saw appreciable time from the 2010-11 team heading into next season (points per game from 2010-11 in parentheses, freshmen in gold):

Guard Guard Forward Forward Center
Starks (1.5) Clark (12.0) Thompson (8.6) Lubick (4.0) Sims (3.6)
Trawick (New) Bowen (Redshirt, 1.0) Porter (New) Hopkins (New) Ayegba (6 games,1.6)
Caprio (4 games, 0.5) Whittington (New) Adams (New)
 
Maryland Seeking Series With Georgetown? 5/4/11

What do Mike Sweetney, Patrick Ewing Jr. and Roy Hibbert have in common? None of these former Georgetown players were even alive the last time Georgetown and the University of Maryland played an annual series in men's basketball. The new athletic director at Maryland may be wanting to change that.

Athletic director Kevin Anderson told the Washington Times with his intentions about a two year series between the schools to improve the Terrapins' non-conference schedule. “Lee Reed, the athletic director at Georgetown, is a very good friend of mine,” Anderson said. “We've talked about renewing that series and doing a home-and-home series. We're in a serious conversation now.”

The teams have met in the regular season only twice since 1979: an 84-83 overtime game won by the Terrapins at Capital Centre in 1993, and a 2008 meeting in the Old Spice Classic, won handily by the Hoyas, 75-48.

Anderson's enthusiasm may not win favor with Maryland coach Gary Williams, however. Williams has long contended that the Nov. 26, 1993 game was a Georgetown home game, despite the fact that the Capital Centre split tickets between the schools and Maryland wore the home white jerseys that day. Williams has long held he would not schedule Georgetown, in the regular season or within the BB&T Classic, without a home game at Comcast Center in return before any series would even be discussed. Williams did not comment in the Times story.

"It makes sense on all sides," writes Ben Broman at SB Nation's Testudo Times. "Maryland needs to learn how to schedule other elite programs for home games - seriously, the best [out of conference] home opponent last year was College of Charleston. Georgetown gets Maryland in the Verizon Center, which should help fill the cavernous arena (for the record, the same goes for Maryland). And the winner gets bragging rights."

The two schools played home and away from 1908 through 1914 and 1935 through 1974, whereupon games were then moved to the new Capital Centre for neutral site games. The last scheduled game in the series was played on Dec. 12, 1979 at the DC Armory, won by Georgetown 83-71.

UPDATE: Georgetown athletic director Lee Reed has responded to the report posted above on a Georgetown-Maryland series in basketball.

"Kevin [Anderson] and I are friends and athletic directors,” Reed said in this link to the Washington Post. “We’ve had conversations about scheduling possibilities, but it was far too preliminary a talk for it to be the subject for newspaper articles. It’s inappropriate to prematurely blow this out of proportion.”

Seniors Get NBA Workout Updated 5/3/11

Seniors Chris Wright and Julian Vaughn were among six players invited to a weekend workout by the NBA's Washington Wizards, reports SB Nation.

"You are presenting yourself, trying to get a job,” Vaughn told AOL's Georgetown Patch. “These are job interviews for us so you have to be on your A-game."

They're just telling me it's a grind, you can have three, four workouts in a week," said Vaughn. "You have to really be ready. Sleep, eating good. You have to dedicate your body. You're a professional now. It's you job and your body is your company. You have to take care of it."

 

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