Game One for the Hoyas wasn’t pretty, but it was effective…barely. Coach Thompson has known for a few weeks at least that this Hoya team has the potential for greatness, but also does not have a large margin for error. There were some aspects that were very promising, and a few others that could cause some problems for the Hoyas. It was only one game, and the first of a long season, but even in the first forty minutes, some things were pretty clear.

GOOD NEWS

Greg Monroe is a player. He had a little height advantage against the Dolphins’ front court, but he showed some skills that are undeniable. As his comfort level grows, his impact will too. Also, in Coach Thompson’s system, the ball has to go through the post a lot. Monroe looked very comfortable in the offense with the ball in his hands, and more importantly his teammates looked comfortable with him. Monroe doesn’t have to score to be an offensive factor.

BAD NEWS

The Hoyas are smallish. That’s not necessarily a problem, but in the case of this team, it will likely lead to a rebounding problem. The smaller players show a lot of fight and grit, but it doesn’t seem to translate into grabbing rebounds. Georgetown allowed 19 offensive rebounds to Jacksonville; that’s only three fewer than their defensive rebound total. Meanwhile, the Hoyas only collected 7 offensive boards. Jacksonville had some decent players, but none that compared to the size and athleticism of the players in the Big East. Boxing out is going to be a big point of emphasis for the Hoyas.

GOOD NEWS

The defense is very good. Jacksonville had a quick little point guard (5’10″) named Ben Smith. He finished with a game-high 17 points, but he had to work for his points. Despite his quick first step, he didn’t really break down any of the Hoyas off the dribble, which was a good sign for the Hoyas one-on-one on ball defending. Georgetown came up with 9 steals and 6 blocks, so the team defending was solid too. But even more than the stats show, the Hoyas were all over the place on defense – quick feet, fast close-outs, great help, everything. It was smothering at times. That aspect of the game was probably the most assuring, and that has to be what the players are most excited about improving, since its starting point was so high.

BAD NEWS

It was a major relief and advantage to have a player like Patrick Ewing Jr. coming off the bench for the Hoyas. Those days are gone. Coach Thompson played 10 players on Monday, but it seems like he may eventually settle on an eight or nine man rotation. The bench production was not very good: 8 points, 2-11 FG, 0-9 3PT. Julian Vaughn played 12 minutes to spell Monroe, and Jason Clark may be the quickest and fastest player on the team. Both of those players were on the court late in the second half, and Coach Thompson will continue to play them to get them ready for January and beyond.