Less than a week after winning their first America East Tournament Championship, earning themselves their first trip to the Big Dance, the Binghamton Bearcats lost to the Duke Blue Devils in the opening round of the tournament.

Former GU Assistant Kevin Broadus led his team to the America East regular season title as well as the conference tournament title, but his Bearcats didn’t have enough to match up with Duke. After the game, Coach Broadus said, “We know we belong here,” so just because their season has ended, don’t count them out just yet. I expect to see a lot more from BU in years to come.

I just got an email from someone at USNews.com linking me to this article written by John Thompson Jr. about March Madness and how it has evolved since 1984. Definitely worth a read, even if the Hoyas’ madness has already ended.

John Thompson: March Madness More Intense Now Than 1984, for Better and Worse

Teams

Georgetown:
This was both a typical and an unusual game for the Hoyas. The guys started off incredibly hot from the field and were actually 16 for 18 at one point! I don’t understand how they were only ahead by ten or so. The excellent shooting was unusual, but the typical part was the end. The team tightened up, got stagnant on offense, gave up easy shots on defense and missed critical shots, even when they got good looks at the basket. As my friend and colleague Rich Chvotkin would say, “This is a recording.”
More »

Georgetown: 72, Baylor: 74

More »

The 2008-09 season for the Georgetown Hoyas mercifully ended in the opening round of the NIT at the hands of the Baylor Bears. Baylor defeated Georgetown 74-72 in a game that was a microcosm of this torturous season for the Hoyas. The Hoyas started off in a near perfect fashion, hit a difficult stretch, responded briefly, and ultimately faded down the stretch, unable to come up with defensive stops or key baskets when needed most.
More »

Hey everybody, it’s NIT time. Or if you prefer, it’s NITT. The Hoyas are playing their first game of the National Invitation Tournament tonight in Waco, TX against the Baylor Bears.

Like the Hoyas, the Bears had a promising start to the season, only to finish off in less than stellar style. Unlike the Hoyas, however, Baylor had a good showing in their conference tournament and were only 13 points shy of the other college basketball tournament.

So I’ll be checking back in with commentary, info, and updates in half an hour. Feel free to do the same in the comments.

There is no way to salvage this season; it will forever be a disappointment. Even if the Hoyas win every game of the NIT 100-0, it won’t make up for the losses to Seton Hall, Cincinnati, or St. John’s. Nevertheless, as the old saying goes, “they turned the scoreboard on; might as well try to win.”
More »

More »

Last time we did one of these, it wasn’t too good as everyone was way off in their guesses. But the Hoyas have made the NIT, and we all get a chance to play again as long as the team keeps winning.

So in anticipation of the first round game against the Baylor Bears, here’s our question:

Who will be the leading scorer for the Hoyas and how many will he score?

That’s a nice question that hopefully will provide us with a winner (unless someone unusual steps up). We’re gonna go with Greg Monroe leading the way with 16. He might be high on the Bears’ scouting report, but we feel that Greg will have a big game on the boards, which will hopefully translate to points.

What do you think? Remember winning Pregame Predictions in the offseason counts double, so it’s anyone’s game for that Hoya Hoops t-shirt.

• Louisville defeated Syracuse 76-66 in the Big East Championship to secure their first Big East Tournament Title, one week after winning their first Big East Regular Season Title.
• There was a new ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll released yesterday, and the Big East Champion Louisville was named the new #1. There were six Big East teams in the top 25.
• Seven Big East teams made the NCAA Tournament, including three of the four #1 seeds in Louisville, Pittsburgh, and Connecticut. Three additional teams will play in the NIT. Additionally, St. John’s will be participating in the second annual CBI tournament.