The season officially gets underway on Friday, but before that happens, I figured I’d let you in on what’s going on with the Hoyas who’ve taken their basketball skills beyond the hilltop.

Yesterday, we got you updated with all the Hoyas on Twitter, and today, I’ll be giving you recent updates on Georgetown players in the NBA and beyond.
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Big East Media Day is today at Madison Square Garden, and the first piece of news out of the event is that the Big East coaches have voted Austin Freeman to be the conference Preseason Player of the Year.

This honor goes along with the Blue Ribbon Preseason Big East Player of the Year award and being selected to the Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 earlier this month.

[Via BigEast.org]
[Image via Vox Populi]

According to the 2010-11 Blue Ribbon Yearbook, Hoya senior Austin Freeman is the Big East Preseason Player of the Year.

The annual publication also named Georgetown as #17 in the preseason rankings and pegged the Hoyas to finish fourth in the Big East conference.

[Via GUHoyas.com]

Georgetown has just announced that Robert Kirby has joined the coaching staff as an Assistant coach under John Thompson III. Kirby has spent the last 12 years as an assistant at Mississippi State and has over 26 years of experience.

Also, with the departure of Matt Henry, Video Coordinator Darryl Prue has been named the new Basketball Director of Operations.

[Via GUHoyas.com]
[Image via MStateAthletics.com]

It’s Senior Week at Georgetown, and while there won’t be any basketball players living it up at the President’s Picnic, Convocation, or Senior Ball (okay, some of the Hoyas will probably make their way to Union Station on Friday Night), that doesn’t mean that Georgetown Basketball fans should ignore what’s going on at the Hilltop.

• This is a time to reflect on the careers of DaJuan Summers, Jeremiah Rivers, and Vernon Macklin. Though none of them lasted four years, that doesn’t detract from the contributions they provided on the 2006 Big East Regular Season, Big East Tournament, and NCAA East Regional Championship team.
• It’s also a time to look back on the career of Greg Monroe. He’s heading to the NBA next season, and even if he comes back to earn his degree, this is his last week on campus as “normal” undergraduate – though his two years have been anything but ordinary.
• And while looking back on players gone is kind of a sad thing, there’s one big positive to look forward to this upcoming weekend. On Saturday, at the College Commencement, Hoya legend Dikembe Mutombo will be speaking. Besides addressing the 2010 senior class, Dikembe will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters from the University.

[Image via Life.com]

GUHoyas has just announced that Greg Monroe will not be returning to Georgetown next season, as he will be entering his name into the NBA Draft and signing an agent.

From the official press release:

“It was mentally what I wanted to do,” Monroe said. “I feel like I’m ready to make this step after working with our coaches for two years. I’ve enjoyed being able to represent Georgetown. I’ve enjoyed my experience and while I am leaving campus, I still will always be part of Georgetown.”

[GUHoyas.com]

Today, Georgetown announced that it has named Lee Reed as the new Director of Athletics.

Reed arrives at the hilltop after being Cleveland State University’s A.D. since 2002. He replaces Daniel R. Porterfield, Ph.D. who served as the interim director of athletics this past season.

From the press release:

“Lee is committed to educational excellence and competitive success and I am confident that with his leadership we will continue to recruit and support first-rate coaches and student-athletes who maintain the University’s tradition of academic and athletic success,” Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia said. “This has been a thorough search process and we look forward to the contributions he will make to our athletics program and the lives of our student-athletes.”

Image via CSUVikings.com.

Last night was Selection Sunday, and we got our first look at the 2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket.

The good news?
Georgetown earned a #3 spot in the tournament.

The bad news?
They are in the toughest region in recent memory and could face this road to the Final Four:

• The Champions of the MAC, the Ohio Bobcats.
• The best #6 seed in the tournament, the Tennessee Volunteers who’ve already beaten #1 Kansas and #2 Kentucky this season.
• The Ohio State Buckeyes, a #2 seed that had been in the discussion for a #1 just a few days ago.
• The #1 overall seed Kansas Jayhawks.

But the Hoyas have to take it one game at a time.

First up is the #14 seed Ohio. Georgetown will take on the Bobcats in Dunkin’ Donuts Arena in Providence, RI at 7:25 on Thursday night.

Yesterday, the Big East announced the 2009-10 all-conference teams, and two Hoyas were honored. Greg Monroe was the youngest player to make it to the All-Big East First Team, and Austin Freeman was named to the All-Big East Second Team.

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Hoya alum, Jessie Sapp is celebrating his birthday today in Scotland. On Sunday, he gave himself a premature birthday present by having a triple-double in the Glasgow Rocks’ victory over the Milton Keynes Lions, earning himself a spot on the British Basketball League’s Team of the Week.

Jessie scored 23 points off of 7-12 shooting to go with 11 assists, 10 rebounds, and three steals in the game. You can read more about it on the team’s webpage.

So here’s wishing Jessie a “Happy birthday,” and a “Keep up the good work” too.

[GlasgowRocks.co.uk: Game Recap]
[GlasgowRocks.co.uk: BBL Honors]

Image via gr0don