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The last time the Georgetown Hoyas started a game with neither Austin Freeman nor Chris Wright on the court, George W. Bush was the President of the United States, The Wire was playing on HBO, and the Florida Gators were the reigning NCAA Tournament Champions. And that was just the last time they didn’t start.
So we’ve been slacking off a bit in the off-season, and we haven’t posted any updates in a while. But we didn’t miss much. It’s not like the Hoyas made international headlines for a brawl with China; we didn’t miss two longtime Big East rivals deciding to breakup the best basketball conference in the country over football; it’s not as if there was an NBA lockout and Roy Hibbert took the time off to appear on Parks and Recreation.
But with Midnight Madness starting up the new Georgetown Basketball season on Friday, we decided it’s time to start posting more regularly.
And what better way to get back in the swing of things than by looking at recent Georgetown graduate Austin Freeman and his time in Italy’s Legadue?
Austin did not get selected in the 2011 NBA Draft, and he found himself playing in Italy’s second division for Fulgor Libertas Forlì. Earlier this month, Austin put together an incredible performance, going 10-18 from the field, 5-9 from three, and 13-13 from the stripe.
Check out this video of all of Austin’s 38 points:
We at Hoya Hoops wish Vee the best as a Flyer, but we are a little upset with his decision, as it messes up our limerick.
There once was a Hoya Vee Sanford
But after two seasons he transferred.
Had a great hi-top fade,
In games, seldom played.
And next year, he’s playing at Stanford Dayton.
[Update: GUHoyas.com has just posted an article with quotes from the seniors – Six Members of Men’s Basketball Program to Earn Degrees on Saturday
The Hoyas didn’t make it to the make it to the Final Four this season, but Georgetown does have some representation in Houston. Austin Freeman will be playing in the Reese’s College All-Star Game this evening. Coverage starts on truTV at 5 PM, with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 PM. Be sure to check it out. Or at least set up your DVR and watch only the parts when Freeman is playing.
Georgetown:
The Hoyas continue to struggle without Chris Wright, losing their fourth game in a row, certainly not the streak Georgetown wanted to carry into the NCAA Tournament. The offense was stagnant for most of the game with very little cutting or ball movement. The Hoyas also could not connect from beyond the arc, making just 5 of their 22 three point attempts, 22.7%.
With the offense unable to produce, the Hoyas turned to their defense to keep them in the game, but did not happen. Georgetown gave up too many open looks and did not create turnovers that can help jump start the offense. It seems like the morale of team is very low, as once one thing starts to go wrong, the wheels fall off. If will be interesting to see if Chris Wright can return for the NCAA Tournament and provide an energy boost to lift up the team and get the Hoyas playing they way they did in January and early February.
Yesterday, the Big East announced the 2010-11 all-conference teams, and Austin Freeman was named to the All-Big East First Team. Chris Wright was also honored, being named to the All-Big East Third Team.
Ben Hansbrough was the only unanimous decision to make the First Team, meaning one of the coaches didn’t pick Kemba Walker to make the cut. For the rookies, DePaul’s Cleveland Melvin was the only unanimous decision.
Georgetown dropped its second straight, falling to Syracuse 51-58 on Senior Day.
After the game, here’s what Coach Thompson, Jason Clark, and seniors Austin Freeman and Chris Wright had to say:
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Also, here’s what Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said about the game:
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Georgetown:
The Hoyas suffered a serious setback, having one of their worst offensive nights in recent memory and losing to Cincinnati 58-46. At first glance, it seemed like this game couldn’t have been worse for Georgetown. The loss at home dropped the team back into the very crowded middle of the pack in Big East play, which was painful enough, but the manner in which the team lost made it even worse, as they couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn in the second half. Add to that the potential season-ending injury to senior leader and floor general Chris Wright, and this was an all around bad night. But, surprisingly, there are a few positives coming out of the game.
Georgetown fell to Cincinnati on Wednesday night, losing 46-58. Worse news, though, is that Chris Wright had to leave the game with a broken hand.
In the press conference, Coach Thompson broke the news, and he and Austin Freeman talked about the team’s poor performance:
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Georgetown:
The Hoyas bounced back from their mid-week loss to Connecticut to take care of business against South Florida, grinding out a 61-55 win. The win was impressive in that Georgetown was able to pull out a victory without much offensive production from Austin Freeman. Freeman played 34 minutes but scored just four points on 2-10 shooting, including 0-4 from beyond the arc, making him just 1-16 on three pointers in the past three games. Even though he was not connecting on shots he normally makes, he did contribute in other areas, and his eight rebounds were a game-high. Freeman’s scoring is certainly critical for Georgetown’s success, so while it was good that the Hoyas got the victory without it in Tampa, Georgetown fans are hoping that his slump comes to an end Wednesday against Cincinnati.
