Today, I got a chance to catch up with the old #10 to talk about this year’s team, former teammate Allen Iverson, and how Brendan’s been doing in the NASCAR world.

A true Hoya fanatic, his enthusiasm about Georgetown Basketball – and Georgetown athletics in general – is evident in just a few moments.

Click below to listen to the six minute interview:

To keep up with what’s going on with Brendan, follow him on Twitter. His username is @Brendan62.

[Image via Dover Speedway]

Hoya Hoops: The Verizon Center is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this season; one of the great moments of your career was the dunk against St. John’s in the final seconds to win that game. That was the first Hoya victory over St. John’s in the Verizon Center. What do you remember about that play – it was probably the most critical play that you ever made?

Courtland Freeman: Yeah it was; it was a great feeling. At that point we were desperate for wins, so any win was great. And then to be against St. John’s, somebody who for some reason we were struggling to beat, it was great.

HH: Your final season at Georgetown was a very difficult one for everybody, really. Does that leave you with a negative overall feeling when you look back at your time as a Hoya?

CF: Not at all. Of course it was frustrating and disappointing to lose so many games, but I look back at the experience here – my five years at Georgetown since I red-shirted one – it turned me into a better person. It helped me grow into a man. It’s awarded me a lot of opportunities, which I would have never gotten if I had gone somewhere else. I look back on it with fond memories, and I’m very proud that I went to Georgetown.

HH: There are a lot of former Hoyas in the coaching ranks – NBA, College and High School – are you interested in coaching and getting back into the game?

CF: At some point, definitely. I spent a summer out in Amman, Jordan. I was an assistant coach for the [Jordan] Under-17 national team out there. It was a great experience; I definitely want to get back into coaching at some point. I’ve still got the little travel bug in me; I want to travel around the world as much as possible, but I do think at some point, when I’m ready to settle down I want to get back into coaching.

HH: So tell us a little about the experience with the Jordanian team and what else you’ve been doing with basketball.

CF: It was a great experience. I got to play with a great bunch of guys. Basketball is a very popular sport there; it’s growing throughout the world. I spent a year with the state department where we traveled around the world in 36 countries and I put on basketball clinics for kids, so I got a taste of coaching then. It was just a tremendous experience, I really got the bug and I got bit by it.

That’s all we’ve got for you from Courtland Freeman. He’s at a lot of the games at Verizon Center, so if you see him, don’t hesitate to say hello. He’s always happy to talk with fellow Hoya fans.

Hoya Hoops: It’s always so nice to see the former players still supporting the Hoyas. What did you think of this team’s performance today against Cincinnati?

Courtland Freeman: I think we did pretty well. Cincinnati did a good job of trapping us, which hurt is a little bit, but for the most part – you can see the score – we did pretty well. We won the game which is the most important thing at this point of the year.

HH: I know you still follow the Hoyas very closely; what do you think about the way that the team has been able to win so many close games in the final moments?

CF: I think it shows the respect that everybody has for Coach Thompson. He’s done a good job getting the players focused. When you get into close situations at the end of the game, everybody stays focused, concentrates on what they need to do, and they’re able to pull out big victories.

HH: What was it like for you last year as the Hoyas won the Big East tournament and made that run to the Final Four?

CF: Man, it was great – I mean I was walking around with my chest up high. It was a great feeling just to know that I used to play for the Hoyas and they were doing so well. I really admire those guys and all the effort that they put in, and they had a lot of success last year and I was very proud of them.

HH: Let’s talk about when you played. The Hoyas had so much size at that time: you at 6′9″, you had Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje, Mike Sweetney, Wesley Wilson, Lee Scruggs, just a lot of good bigs. When you look at the current Hoyas, only Vernon Macklin and Big Roy are taller than 6′ 8″, is that something that could be a problem down the road?

CF: I don’t think so, just because their guards are so strong. Whenever you have a Jon Wallace out there leading the team, he’s such a wise player, he’s such a strong leader. You have [Jessie] Sapp who’s very savvy with a lot of moxie, and [Jeremiah] Rivers who showed me tremendous heart – he’s a tough little guy, he goes out there, he straps up and plays extremely hard every night. In college basketball I don’t think it will hurt you as much. I think as long as you have really good strong, guard play you’ll be okay; you’ll have a chance to win.

HH: When you were a senior at Georgetown, Roy Hibbert was a senior in high school. What do you remember about playing with him when he was younger and what do you think about how far he has come?

CF: Man, Roy should get the “Most Improved Player of the Universe” Award. I remember Roy when he was a 14-year old kid. He used to come up and play with us all the time. He’d run down the court one or two times, and he’d be done. But he worked so hard, he’s such a good person, and I’m so proud of him, because he’s a down to earth, great person, he works so hard, and now he’s become the great player that he is. I wouldn’t come close to wanting to play against Roy right now; he’s a beast.

Be sure to check back tomorrow, when Courtland talks about his days as a Hoya as well as his coaching experience and aspirations.

Hoya Hoops: You played with two of the best big men ever for the Hoyas, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo, do you see any elements of Roy’s game that are similar to Alonzo’s or Dikembe’s?

Dwayne Bryant: I think at this same point, mostly those guys were defensive players. Roy doesn’t have the athleticism that Alonzo had, but Alonzo didn’t have the post play that Roy has, at that time. Alonzo was a tremendous shot blocker and got quite a few of his baskets off of dunks. Roy is a little bit more of a finesse player; he has very good foot work, very good at getting low post position and shooting the little hook shots. The similarities are more with Dikembe than with Alonzo – just because of their size and their length, they’re able to bother people even without getting off the ground.

HH: During your days playing for the Hoyas, there were four of you that were classmates for all four seasons: yourself, Mark Tillmon, Sam Jefferson, and Anthony Allen. Do you see similar things this year with Roy, Jon Wallace and Tyler Crawford who are all four years players together?

DB: In particular Roy and Jon because they have been together for so long and playing together for so long – obviously with Tyler not playing as much. I’m sure they’re familiar with each other and they’re very confident in each other’s abilities. Jon and Roy you can see can make plays without actually having to communicate, and that’s what happens when you’ve been around someone for four years, and you’ve played with them for four years. You become very familiar with their tendencies; you become very familiar with where they like the ball, how they like the ball. I think they do a great job with that high ball screen – you know the little step back screen that Roy always sets for Jon to open him up for a three point shot. On that same token, Jon gives Roy in the post exactly when he wants it and where he wants it, which makes it a lot easier for him to score down low.

HH: There’s a long Georgetown tradition of landing some of the top players from your hometown of New Orleans. Next year, Greg Monroe will be the latest addition to that long list; how much do you know about Monroe from your contacts in New Orleans?

DB: Very little actually. I know a lot about him from my brother, and I’ve spoken to [Monroe's] uncle quite a bit who grew up with me and went to grade school and high school with me. Obviously he’s a tremendous kid, a very bright kid, the type of kid who I think will do extremely well at Georgetown because he’s a very unselfish player. He’s a very bright kid so he’ll pick up on the offense relatively quickly and be able to contribute right away. You’ve got a 6′10″ – 6′11″ kid that can shoot the mid-range jump shot, that can handle the ball, which is what that offense is predicated on, being able to handle the ball and make passes and make plays out of motion. I think he’ll fit in well. I think he’s the kinda guy that John’s looking for.

HH: Tell us about your team, the Georgetown Prep Little Hoyas. Who are some of your potential Division I players?

DB: Markel Starkes, who I think is as good as any guard in this area – possibly in the country – averaging about 15 points and 9 assists a game. Garvey Young has already signed to play with the University of Vermont. And we have a senior Alvin Tucker who is as good as any player we have on our team right now, who I think is also a Division I talent that kind of fell through the cracks because he’s not an AAU player. He’s a kid that can play Division I as well.

HH: If Hoya fans want to come out and see your team, do you have any advice on when is a good time to come out to North Bethesda?

DB: Anytime. I think we play a very exciting brand of basketball – we get up and down the floor. We play a five out motion which is somewhat of an extreme hybrid version of what they do at Georgetown with the Princeton offense. We have five guards basically that play, so we get up and down the court, we press a lot, and we shoot a lot of threes.

And for all of you Georgetown fans thinking about getting out to catch Dwayne’s team in action, you can check out the Georgetown Prep Varsity Basketball schedule right here, or download a copy.

Hoya Hoops: How much credit do you deserve for the player that Roy has become, probably quite a lot?

Dwayne Bryant: I wouldn’t say a lot of credit. I think Roy’s work ethic has gotten him where he is. He’s always been a kid that works extremely hard to get better and I think now he’s reaping the rewards of all of that hard work. If there’s any credit I deserve it’s just giving him an opportunity to play.

HH: Roy made that game winning shot from long range against UCONN a few weekends ago. Was he allowed to shoot those kinds of shots in high school?

DB: Actually he was. He actually shot perimeter shots quite a bit, especially from the foul line area. He’s always had a great touch, but typically when you’re that big you don’t stray too far. I think anyone who saw him shoot that shot in the game saw that he shot it with a lot of confidence, he didn’t hesitate, he turned and let it go.

HH: We know that even as a freshman at Georgetown Roy was a little bit unpolished as an offensive post player, what can you say about the progress he’s made over the past four seasons?

DB: It’s obviously a tremendous amount of progress. His first two years at Georgetown Prep, he suffered foot injuries that kind of slowed his progress down. Again, it’s a testament to his work ethic. A lot of kids would have given into the fact that they were injured and wouldn’t work hard to get back or work hard to get better, but Roy didn’t. Even after his foot injuries, he continued to work and get better and better, and now that he’s at Georgetown he’s able to get some work with other big guys and you see the progress he’s made has been tremendous.

HH: Besides his scoring and shot blocking, Roy is a very good passer. At times it looks like he’s in a great position to score, but he’s still looking for open teammates. Are you surprised that he is so unselfish?

DB: He was that way in high school. He was a very unselfish player in high school. I mean people forget that he averaged 20 points and 17 rebounds a game as a senior in high school. He also averaged 5 assists and 6 blocks a game as a senior. He was never a selfish player. He was never a guy that would force up shots or anything like that. He was always willing to make the extra pass or, as I like to say, the right pass. So it doesn’t surprise me that he’s become a good passer and unselfish player on the college level because he’s playing with better players, he’s playing with Division I caliber athletes – some would even say professional level athletes – so it’s not surprising that he’s still very unselfish.

That’s all we have for today. Check back tomorrow for Part II of our discussion with Coach Bryant. He’ll be talking about similarities between this team and those of year’s past, about his Little Hoyas, and a little bit about Georgetown’s newest recruit.

Hoya Hoops: Hoya fans should know that your team comes to the D.C. area to take on the Maryland Terrapins just after New Year’s. Would it be nice for you to see a bunch of Georgetown fans crash the party and root for the Tigers at College Park?

Horace Broadnax: Oh yeah, that’d be great. If a lot of people come out and show up, that would be super-duper! Anybody that can come through that’d be great; we need all the help we can get. I know Gary Williams might want to avenge some of those losses against a former Hoya player. It’s going to be a good challenge for the kids. It’s a good experience to see how the other half of college basketball lives.

HH: I don’t know how many Hoya fans have blue and orange shirts to wear to the game, though.

HB: It used to be a rivalry – I know that when we were there, everybody wanted us to play Maryland. I think in the early 1970’s, late 70’s, Maryland and Georgetown played, and Maryland was the Big Dog in the city, and I think they got upset a couple of times. We never played when Lefty [Dreisell] and Coach Thompson were there, but hey, they can come out and wear the blue and gray and taunt the Maryland fans.

HH: I can’t let you go without asking you about the 1984 National Championship game, what sticks out about that game for you after all of these years?

HB: Houston had a tremendous, talented team. I think it was their third Final Four and their second final game in two years. I know that Akeem [Olajuwon] got in foul trouble early, and I remember scoring two points because he couldn’t pick up his third or fourth foul, so I took it and laid it in and he got out of the way. I knew that if he didn’t have those fouls he probably would’ve batted it into the tenth row. It was a great game, but that year, what I remember most – I mean winning the championship was great – was winning that semifinal game against Kentucky, where in the second half we held them scoreless for about 10-11 minutes. I try to instill some of this – or at least tell some of the stories – to these guys about cohesiveness and defensive effort, how we always covered each other’s back. Those were some good times.

Hoya Hoops: What are some of the challenges you face at Savannah State since the school is an independent team without a conference?

Horace Broadnax: Without a conference it doesn’t allow you to establish rivalries. At the same time, recruiting battles go on with teams that are in conferences, and basically they say, “Hey man, at the end of the year this program is not going to have an opportunity to win three games and go to the NCAA playoffs.” From a recruiting standpoint that’s tough because most kids want to at least go to a program where if they’re doing bad, at least at the end of the year they get the feeling of getting an opportunity to dance in the NCAAs if they win three games. Also, as the season progresses, guys don’t have something to play for. It’s kind of tough to motivate guys toward the last six or seven games because they know there’s really nothing to play for except for personal pride and trying to better the record.

HH: For most small schools the goal is to become conference champions, what are some of the things you and your players are looking to accomplish?

HB: If we can get better and better and keep working, maybe not this year, maybe next year as some of these guys get older, we’ll try to get above .500, get 20 [wins], and you might get an at-large NIT bid. That’s kind of down the road, but things need to be in place, guys need to continue to work hard. It’s kind of like Knute Rockne speeches with these guys, try to get them to transfer the things that they learned in basketball to life, because they’re not going to be playing basketball all their life.

HH: You haven’t shied away from tough competition – your schedule includes 7 games against teams from the big 6 conferences. What’s the value of those games?

HB: It’s a necessary evil. Here at Savannah State and a lot of smaller colleges where the bigger colleges pay the guaranteed games, it’s an opportunity to offset some of the costs of running the athletic department. But, I tell my guys, “If you play well during these games – over a four year period you’re probably going to play anywhere from 25-30 of these games – if you play well in these games, you’re going to have an opportunity to play at the next level whether it’s the CBA, NBA or overseas.” I think if we prepare for these games all the time, then we should be able to take care of everybody else that we play. It’s tiring for these guys because it’s a lot of games. We went to Nebraska and got hit upside the head, we went to Wisconsin and got hit upside the head, so it wears on these guys psychologically and physically, so hopefully we can scale back on some of these games.

That’s all there is for today. Check back on Monday for Part II of the interview where Coach Broadnax talks about his upcoming game against Maryland and about the 1984 Championship team.

With Alonzo Mourning, you never know what to expect – many people thought his career was over after his kidney disease. Mourning has already said he won’t return next season, and as focused and proud as he is, it’s impossible to believe that he’d return to the court if he was unable to contribute.

With that in mind, Hoya Hoops spoke with some people who knew Alonzo in different capacities. Dwayne Bryant, his former Georgetown teammate, Rich Chvotkin, long-time Voice of the Hoyas, and Dave Johnson, radio play-by-play announcer for the Washington Wizards were all gracious enough to share their thoughts on Alonzo Mourning.

On Alonzo’s impact arriving at Georgetown in the fall of 1988

Rich Chvotkin: He was such a tremendous high school basketball player, and at that time Georgetown was in the need of another center. People were really looking forward to him because John Thompson in 1988 was the Olympic coach, and Alonzo had spent a lot of time in tryouts even to make the Olympic team. He never did make that final cut, but he practiced with them all that summer, so basically he was getting himself prepared for college basketball, playing against some of the better players prior to that.

Dwayne Bryant: I think he was the player of the year coming out of high school, and I think he wanted to show everybody why he was the player of the year. He was obviously the centerpiece of the success we had those two years that I played with him. I was always amazed at how hard he practiced and how he brought it everyday.

On Alonzo’s recovery from kidney disease

Dave Johnson: From a financial standpoint, he could’ve gone off into the sunset and enjoyed a nice retirement, but clearly his desire and his love of the game was that strong; and I think in an age where so much is focused on how much money NBA players are making, he demonstrated that the money’s nice, but there was more that he was in the game for.

Rich Chvotkin: The tremendous will and perseverance to fight through that just shows what a great warrior he was, and it was more than just basketball that he stood for; and he continues to be a champion for that. In all fairness, he did things both on and off the court that were very memorable.

What has been the most impressive part of Alonzo’s Career?

Dwayne Bryant: I think people list Alonzo at 6′10″ or something like that, but a guy his size, I’d probably say 6′9″, to be able to be [NBA] Defensive Player of the Year, playing against guys that are much bigger than he is night after night just gives onus to the fact that he was a warrior. He was a guy that brought it every night; it didn’t matter who he played against. As a basketball player playing against him going to the basket, if he was in the game, you knew you had to make a spectacular play to get a bucket on him.

Dave Johnson: He was just a dominant player; he had a tremendous will and desire. Being a part of a championship team, puts him in a position where he’s leaving a legacy as a true winner and someone who was determined to get that goal of a champion. As much as we talk about great teams and great players, when you really look at the history of the NBA, there are really not that many championship teams. He goes out leaving a legacy as a determined winner and a champion, and that’s something that many, many great players exited the game without accomplishing. If this is it for him, he can look back at all the numbers and the wins and losses, but he’s also defined as a champion – that alone separates him.

Rich Chvotkin: I’ll never forget this, when I went to the Gulf War – right before I went, he put his arm around me and he said, “I hope things work out well for you.” And when I came back, he said, “I’m glad to see you back alive.” Just that little extra 10, 15, 20 seconds means so much, that he thinks more than just basketball; he thinks about you as a human being, and I think they’re the kinds of things that make the difference between an individual who’s just there, and an individual who is more involved.

Hoya Hoops: Let’s talk about the Big East Conference now. It seems like by the end of last season, The Big East, unusually, was a little top heavy. Georgetown, Pittsburgh, and Louisville were really the three main horses in that conference. This year, you look up and down and there are really no easy games for the Hoyas. What do you think about how the season is going to pan out this year?

Rich Chvotkin: I think you’re going to have possibly eight to nine teams getting in the NCAA, and I mean that seriously. I was looking the other day at the teams that have players coming back – Providence is loaded, Villanova, even though they lost a couple of studs is still going to be a very good ball club, Notre Dame has three starters back and then you have to add Kyle McAlarney. Then you look at the top of the conference. Pittsburgh is going to be very good, Marquette is going to be very good, Louisville is going to be tremendous. How about Syracuse? How about Connecticut? I mean, the list goes on and on. And don’t count out teams like Seton Hall and Rutgers – most of them have a lot of kids back, so they’re going to be very tough. And then you have DePaul, did I forget anybody? West Virginia! It’s just scary! Don’t forget there are 18 league games this year, and in that league they all play for keeps. So on any given night, you better lace ‘em up because you’re going to have a war on your hands!

HH: Rich, you’re very loved by the fans all around the city. Everybody who listens to the Hoyas has a great deal of fun listening to your broadcasts. What is one thing you think the fans can look forward to about the season that’s about to begin?

RC: I think it’s going to be exciting. When you have players like Patrick Ewing, Jr., who can high-fly, he can dunk, he runs the floor, Roy Hibbert, the pre-season Big East Player of the Year, you have Wallace, who is just a steady, heady kid shooting the threes, Jessie Sapp coming back, the exciting freshmen, I think it’s going to be a great season for the Hoyas, and the competition is going to be tough too. So, the fans aren’t only going to see a great Georgetown team, they’re going to see teams around the league that have some tremendous talent. You’re talking about the marquee teams in this country – Louisville, Marquette, Michigan is coming in, you have to play Alabama in Birmingham, so it’s going to be an exciting schedule. I’m getting pumped up already! And we don’t even play for another week or so! That’s what makes it fun, Tony. Each year, you lose a guy like Jeff Green who was a mainstay, they went to the Final Four, but I think this year’s going to be another exciting campaign. And if the kids stay healthy, they’re hard workers, it’s a good system, they’re well coached, it should be an exciting season.

HH: Rich, thank you so much for the time, have a great season.

RC: Thank you, Tony. I appreciate it.

That’s Rich for you. Always very passionate about our Hoyas. Be sure to listen to Rich Chvotkin’s radio coverage of the Georgetown Hoyas all season long.

Hoya Hoops: All right everybody, Tony Limarzi with you, this is HoyaHoops.com and our first interview. What better way to get things going than with the long-time voice of the Georgetown Hoyas, Rich Chvotkin? Rich, thanks a lot for being with us.

Rich Chvotkin: Tony, always a pleasure, I’m getting excited for this upcoming hoops season.

HH: What do you think is the most important factor for the Hoyas building on last year and not having sort of a let down after the great year this past season?

RC: One of the things John Thompson’s teams traditionally have is consistency. They don’t get too high, they don’t get too low, they take care of the basketball, they play good defense. Now obviously, with the loss of Jeff Green everybody’s wondering, ‘How are they going to replace him?’ Well, I think you replace him with your system. They have a lot of kids coming back, they have four starters returning, they have a couple of excellent freshmen coming in – Austin Freeman and Chris Wright – and again Vernon Macklin coming in off the bench like last year is going to be counted on to give some minutes. So they have a lot of weapons, and in John Thompson’s system, it’s not so much the players, it’s the system and how he works the offensive and defensive sets.

HH: We expect that Roy Hibbert and Jonathan Wallace are going to be the main guys for the Hoyas; who do you think is going to have the most impact of those guys a little further down the depth chart?

RC: Well, I think the way you’d look at it, Tony, is that you’d have a shared responsibility. I think DaJuan Summers last year at times took over games; he’s going to be counted on heavily this year, in his sophomore year. Jessie Sapp played very well last year, took care of the basketball; his assist to turnover ratio is very good. He can stroke the threes, he’s a strong penetrator, he was the third leading rebounder last year behind Hibbert and Green – that’s pretty good numbers. So he’s going to be counted on. And then, you’re going to have Patrick Ewing, Jr. who played a lot of minutes towards the end of the year, so he’s going to see a lot of time this year. Again, I don’t want to over stress this point, but I think these freshmen are really going to help a lot.

HH: Let’s talk about the freshmen then. Probably the two biggest names are guys that are right here, homegrown in the D.C. area: Chris Wright and Austin Freeman – one from St. John’s the other from DeMatha. What do you think about the impact they can make at the beginning part of the season? We know Wright is still dealing with that injury.

RC: These are very skilled players. Any time you go to schools like DeMatha or St. John’s, play in the WCAC with the kind of tradition that league has had and the teams that they’ve played, and these kids have been playing AAU ball since they were probably 9 years old. So these kids have been around the flagpole a few times. They’ve played in tough tournaments, they’ve played against great competition – McDonald’s All-Americans – so these kids are battle-tested. And I think John is going to count upon them to step right in. You’re probably going to see a lot of three guard offense between Sapp, Wallace, and either Freeman or Wright. You’re going to see a lot of help from these kids, and I think John expects that. That’s why you recruit these kids, knowing that they can step right in and play.

That’s all for this week. Check back on Monday for Part II of the interview.