BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: GEORGETOWN

April 29, 2009


Commitment ALERT: Jerrelle Benimon, 6'8 F from Fauquier (MD) High School

Georgetown continues to work at adding depth for their 2009-2010 roster to rebound from the disappointing 2008-2009 season amd improve their college basketball odds of returning to the NCAA Tournament in 2009-2010. The latest addition to the Hoyas is somewhat of a surprise as Georgetown Offers, Jerelle Benimon Accepts (Fauquier.com) and commits to the Hoyas.

Projected 2009-2010 Roster:

Seniors: None
Juniors: Austin Freeman (SG), Chris Wright (PG), Nikita Mescheriakov (F), Julian Vaughn (PF)
Sophomores: Jason Clark (G), Henry Sims (BF/C), Greg Monroe (BF)
Freshman: Hollis Thompson (SF), Vee Sanford (G), Jerrelle Benimon (PF)
Early 2010 Commitments: Markel Starks (PG), Nate Lubick



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With just a roster of eight players currently slated for 2008-2009, John Thompson III and his staff have been diligently beating the bushes this spring for additions to their roster. On the strength of an excellent senior season, Vee Sanford went from a mid-major priority to a player with high-major interest. Georgetown won out in the battle for his services as the Hoyas gained the commitment this week. JT III followed that commitment up quickly by adding little-known Jerrelle Benimon to the mix as well. With little exposure outside of his immediate area, mostly because the lack participation in the AAU scene, Benimon wasn't recruited by Division I programs until recent months. Georgetown, Old Dominion and Longwood all offered Benimon with Tulsa, Clemson and Mississippi also showing some interest.

Benimon had been coming to the Georgetown campus alot of late to play with the Hoyas in spring pick-up games and felt he could fit in and help in the Big East.

“At first I was kind of nervous, but I know I can handle my own now,” Benimon told Fauquier.com.

Benimon averaged 22 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, three blocks and 1.6 steals per game this past season for coach Wayne Brizzi and the Falcons. He was named Cedar Run District player of the year for the second consecutive season andn was a 4th-team all-Met selection by the Washington Post this past season.

Sanford averaged 22.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.4 assists a game for coach Brandon Salsman this season. The Hoyas' interest in the 6-foot-3 guard began to pick up when Sanford scored 31 points in a District playoff game with Georgetown and other high-major coaches watching. Sanford can score in a variety of ways and will help fill a much-needed void on the Georgetown roster.

Sanford and Benimon join Hollis Thompson as commitments in the class of 2009. Thompson came come across country from De La Salle High School in the Bay Area of California to join the Hoya program last December as he enrolled early. Thompson recently had transferred from Loyola High school in Los Angeles to De La Salle before graduating early to get a head start at his new home with the Hoyas. The 6'6 wing is long and lean at his position and is a player with tremendous upside to grow as he works to put all his natural tools together with a developing skill set.

With the graduation of Jesse Sapp, DaJuan Summers signing with an agent and foregoing his senior season for the professional ranks and Omar Wattad deciding to transfer, the Georgetown roster will be thin and pretty inexperienced once again next season. They did receive good news when Greg Monroe passed up the opportunity of being a near certain lottery pick in the 2009 draft to return for his sophomore season.

Springbook senior forward Jamal Olasewere left quite an impression on observers in leading his team to a state championship by averaging 24.5 points and 14.5 rebounds in the two games on the Comcast Center floor in the Maryland state final four. Coach Thompson was so impressed with the 6-foot-6 forward's efforts against elite 2010 prospect Roscoe Smith that he made it a point to watch more of Olasewere in the finals, showing the Hoyas are interested in the prospect. However, with their decision to offer and accept a commitment from Benimon, it likes like they have moved on from Olasewere.

The Hoyas have also shown spring interest in forwards Latavious Williams, currently attending Life Center Academy (TX), and Roscoe Davis, who is at Laurinnburg (NC) Institute. Williams is a highly touted forward who could try his hand professionally in Europe if he does not achieve a qualifying status for college next year. Davis has been bouncing around of late, but the former DC Assault member is close to members of the Hoyas' staff and if he is qualified for college in the fall, Georgetown could be a possible destination. The Hoyas have also been linked to Florida transfer Allen Chaney who is looking for a new home after playing one year with the Gators.

Skilled power forward Nate Lubick is one of two Georgetown commitment from the class of 2010 as the 6-foot-8 forward from the St. Mark's (MA) School made a verbal pledge to the Hoyas last fall. Playing for his father at St. Mark's and former NBA coach John Carroll with the NE Playaz on the AAU circuit, Lubick has improved rapidly and turned himself into one of the most coveted players in the class of 2010. This past summer he showed the NBE Basketball Report his effecient and versatile offensive game with a strong showing at the Adidas Super 64 in Vegas.

Lubick had made a couple trips to Georgetown already and chose the Hoyas after strongly considering Michigan as well. Virginia and Stanford had also been involved in his recruitment as strong academics played a role in his decision.

Lubick is an athletic player at 6-foot-8 with a quick and accurate shot from the perimeter. His versatility and high basketball IQ will fit in very well with the intricate Georgetown system utilized by John Thompson III.


DC-area guards were flying off the shelves in the class of 2010 as Kendall Marshall has previously committed to North Carolina, Tyler Thornton chose Duke recently and Josh Selby has picked Tennessee. Georgetown Prep point guard Markel Starks joined the fray last fall when the 6'1 guard chooses the Georgetown Hoyas on a campus visit.

It was evident very early last spring in the Boo Williams Review that Starks was headed toward high major status with his tremendous handle and ability to score and distribute from the point guard position for the DC Blue Devils. Playing his high school ball for former Georgetown Hoya guard Dwayne Bryant also made sure he had year-round tutoring of the finer points of the game. As a sophomore, Starks averaged 18 points a game playing for coach Bryant.

We will continue to follow the Hoya recruiting efforts as they try to rebound from their disappointing 2008-2009 campaign by adding talent on the recruiting trail.

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BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: GEORGETOWN

April 21, 2009


Verbal Commitment ALERT: Vee Sanford, 6'3 G from Lexington (KY) Catholic

Projected 2009-2010 Roster:


Seniors: None
Juniors: Austin Freeman (SG), Chris Wright (PG), Nikita Mescheriakov (F), Julian Vaughn (PF)
Sophomores: Jason Clark (G), Henry Sims (BF/C), Greg Monroe (BF)
Freshman: Hollis Thompson (SF), Vee Sanford (G)
Early 2010 Commitments: Markel Starks (PG), Nate Lubick

The Georgetown roster, thin already, has seen two more players with eligibility leave this spring, but they added their first commitment in the spring signing period earlier this week with the news of Vee Sanford Committing to Georgetown (Louisville Courier-Journal). The Lexington (KY) Catholic guard chose the Hoyas over Baylor, Iowa, Georgia and Charlotte, according to the Courier-Journal.


Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!


With just a roster of eight players currently slated for 2008-2009, John Thompson III and his staff have been diligently beating the bushes this spring for additions to their roster. On the strength of an excellent senior season, Vee Sanford went from a mid-major priority to a player with high-major interest. Georgetown won out in the battle for his services as the Hoyas gained the commitment this week.

Sanford averaged 22.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.4 assists a game for coach Brandon Salsman this season. The Hoyas' interest in the 6-foot-3 guard began to pick up when Sanford scored 31 points in a District playoff game with Georgetown and other high-major coaches watching. Sanford can score in a variety of ways and will help fill a much-needed void on the Georgetown roster.

Sanford joins Hollis Thompson as commitments in the class of 2009. Thompson came come across country from De La Salle High School in the Bay Area of California to join the Hoya program last December as he enrolled early. Thompson recently had transferred from Loyola High school in Los Angeles to De La Salle before graduating early to get a head start at his new home with the Hoyas. The 6'6 wing is long and lean at his position and is a player with tremendous upside to grow as he works to put all his natural tools together with a developing skill set.

With the graduation of Jesse Sapp, DaJuan Summers signing with an agent and foregoing his senior season for the professional ranks and Omar Wattad deciding to transfer, the Georgetown roster will be thin and pretty inexperienced once again next season. They did receive good news when Greg Monroe passed up the opportunity of being a near certain lottery pick in the 2009 draft to return for his sophomore season.

The Hoya recruiting news of the day does not end with Sanford's commitment as word is the Hoyas are Adding a Local Forward (Washington Post) to the 2009 recruiting class with 6-foot-8 Fauquier HS forward Jarelle Benimon is bound for the local Big East program. Benimon was a 4th-team all-Met selection by the Washington Post this past season.

Springbook senior forward Jamal Olasewere left quite an impression on observers in leading his team to a state championship by averaging 24.5 points and 14.5 rebounds in the two games on the Comcast Center floor in the Maryland state final four. Coach Thompson was so impressed with the 6-foot-6 forward's efforts against elite 2010 prospect Roscoe Smith that he made it a point to watch more of Olasewere in the finals, showing the Hoyas are interested in the prospect.

The Hoyas have also shown spring interest in forwards Latavious Williams, currently attending Life Center Academy (TX), and Roscoe Davis, who is at Laurinnburg (NC) Institute. Williams is a highly touted forward who could try his hand professionally in Europe if he does not achieve a qualifying status for college next year. Davis has been bouncing around of late, but the former DC Assault member is close to members of the Hoyas' staff and if he is qualified for college in the fall, Georgetown could be a possible destination. The Hoyas have also been linked to Florida transfer Allen Chaney who is looking for a new home after playing one year with the Gators.

Skilled power forward Nate Lubick is one of two Georgetown commitment from the class of 2010 as the 6-foot-8 forward from the St. Mark's (MA) School made a verbal pledge to the Hoyas last fall. Playing for his father at St. Mark's and former NBA coach John Carroll with the NE Playaz on the AAU circuit, Lubick has improved rapidly and turned himself into one of the most coveted players in the class of 2010. This past summer he showed the NBE Basketball Report his effecient and versatile offensive game with a strong showing at the Adidas Super 64 in Vegas.

Lubick had made a couple trips to Georgetown already and chose the Hoyas after strongly considering Michigan as well. Virginia and Stanford had also been involved in his recruitment as strong academics played a role in his decision.

Lubick is an athletic player at 6-foot-8 with a quick and accurate shot from the perimeter. His versatility and high basketball IQ will fit in very well with the intricate Georgetown system utilized by John Thompson III.


DC-area guards were flying off the shelves in the class of 2010 as Kendall Marshall has previously committed to North Carolina, Tyler Thornton chose Duke recently and Josh Selby has picked Tennessee. Georgetown Prep point guard Markel Starks joined the fray last fall when the 6'1 guard chooses the Georgetown Hoyas on a campus visit.

It was evident very early last spring in the Boo Williams Review that Starks was headed toward high major status with his tremendous handle and ability to score and distribute from the point guard position for the DC Blue Devils. Playing his high school ball for former Georgetown Hoya guard Dwayne Bryant also made sure he had year-round tutoring of the finer points of the game. As a sophomore, Starks averaged 18 points a game playing for coach Bryant.

We will continue to follow the Hoya recruiting efforts as they try to rebound from their disappointing 2008-2009 campaign by adding talent on the recruiting trail.

Read more!

MONROE TO RETURN, TRANSFERS CONTINUE AT GEORGETOWN

April 17, 2009


Georgetown had already lost one to the NBA when junior DaJuan Summers declared and did not even look back for a second by announcing he will be hiring an agent right off the bat. The Hoyas also saw sophomore G/F Omar Wattad decide to transfer and had been waiting on highly touted freshman Greg Monroe's decision to enter the draft or return for his sophomore season.

Despite being projected as a top 10, or maybe even a top 5 pick, John Thompson III got very good news this week as Monroe Will Be Back (Washington Post) next season to continue his development under JT III.

Wattad joins a list of Vernon Macklin, Jeremiah Rivers, Octavius Spann, Marc Egerson and Josh Thornton as players who were recruited to Georgetown by JT III and transferred out of the program the last few years.

Also, a potential incoming transfer has surfaced, Allan Chaney, a frosh from Florida, indicated that he would consider PC, URI and Georgetown, among other schools, for a new home after one season with the Gators.

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WITH HOYA SEASON OVER, JTIII HITS RECRUITING TRAIL

March 18, 2009


As reported yesterday by Ron Bailey for the NBE Basketball Report in his Maryland State Final Four Player Notes Springbook senior forward Jamal Olasewere left quite an impression on observers in leading his team to a state championship by averaging 24.5 points and 14.5 rebounds in the two games on the Comcast Center floor. One very interested onbserver was Georgetown head coach John Thompson III who returned for the finals to get a second look at the 6-foot-5+, 200-lb Olasewere. According to the Recruiting Insider at the Washington Post, Olasewere Will Visit Georgetown either later this week or early next week.

Long Island, Fairleigh Dickson and Hartford, among others have shown recent interest and Ron Bailey noted in yesterday's article that Mount St. Mary’s and Quinnipiac have offered previously.

Another under the radar player has the Hoyas very much in the mix and that is Lexington (KY) Catholic senior Vee Sanford. The 6-foot-3 guard averages 22.3 points a game and has visited Bradley and soon will visit Georgetown. According to the Louisville Courier-Journal article, Sanford is expecting John Thompson III and South Florida head coach Stan Heath at practice this week to see him in action. It will not be the first trip for JTIII to see Sanford practice.

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GEORGETOWN LOOKS TO START MIRACLE BET RUN

March 10, 2009


For the second time in a week, Georgetown and St. John's meet at Madison Square Garden. The Hoyas will hope for a different result this time around after dropping a 59-56 overtime decision to the Redstorm after letting a double-difit second-half lead slip away. The game was a microgosm of the Hoya season that has gone so wrong the last two months.

St. John's is back in the Big East Tournament on their home floor at Madison Square Garden, although they will be in the road uniforms as the 13th-seed taking on No. 12 Georgetown.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on the game:

Norm Roberts, St. John's Back to Make Big East Tournament (NY Daily News)
St. John's Faces Georgetown in Big East Tournament (Newsday.com)
A Staggering Season (Washington Times)
Hoyas Hope for Big East Miracle (Washington Post)

In their loss a week ago to the Redstorm, Georgetown was outrebounded 54-31. It has been the theme all season as the Hoyas have been pummelled in the paint by Big East counterparts. What has made this so shocking was how the Big East season started, with Georgetown going into Connecticut and waxing the Huskies, 74-63. They played with passion, intensity and out-rebounded UConn solidly. After an offensive clinic in a win over Syracuse, the Hoyas were a top 10 team and nobody could foresee what was next...

Georgetown limps into the Big East Tournament after losing 10 of their last 14 games and seeing their 2009 NCAA Tournament hopes resort to Georgetown pulling off an improbably run of five wins in five nights against some of the toughest competition in America.

In their last 14 games, only one of the 10 losses came against teams in the top four of the Big East (Louisville) as they did not play either Pitt or UConn in that span. One of their wins was at Villanova, but they followed that win with a loss to St. John's. That is the Hoya season in the Big East.

St. John's will certainly enter the game this afternoon with some confidence, although they are still being shown little love by the oddsmakers who have listed the Hoyas as a solid 5 1/2-point favorite according to the early college basketball odds this morning.

In the win over GU on March 3rd, Paris Horne and Ron Thomas each had 16 points. The SJU defense kept the Hoyas in check all game, which is a common theme. Georgetown has not scored more than 58 points in a game in their last four outings.

With a traditional Big East rivalry and the 'home' team making their tourney experience, this game should have a little extra life to it. The Georgetown offensive struggles will make this one to watch as it is hard to see them putting much distance between themselves and the Redstorm, especially the way SJU will rebound and play with some life, something we are not sure Georgetown has much of left.

The talent on Georgetown should be enough to pull the game out, but it is likely to be a close game, again.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 63
St. John's 59

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: DEPAUL @ GEORGETOWN

March 7, 2009


Georgetown will look to avoid being the ‘one’, the ‘only one’ this time. Three years ago, in the last regular season game of the year, Georgetown lost at South Florida and the Bulls avoided a Big East o-fer with the win.

This year, on the season finale, DePaul, who is 0-17, will make their last play of the season for a conference win and it will come at Georgetown.

The Hoyas have been one of the biggest disappointments, especially since they knocked off UConn to open conference play and climbed into the top 10 of the national rankings. It has been a steep free fall since they were 3-2 in the Big East and coming off an impressive win over Syracuse. The Hoyas are now 6-11 in the Big East and likely headed to an 11th place finish in the conference.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on the game:

What Happens to College Coaches Who Can’t Win a Conference Game (Daily Herald)
Sapp Departs as Georgetown’s Heart & Soul (Washington Times)
Wainwright Under Fire, But DePaul AD Preaches Patience (Southtown Star)

Georgetown will look to avoid the season’s biggest embarrassment and keep DePaul winless in the Big East. The Hoyas certainly have the talent to do so, even with Austin Freeman banged up.

Chris Wright should find the match-up with the DePaul backcourt to his liking and Greg Monroe and DaJuan Summers should dominate the Blue Demons frontcourt.

DePaul has been getting a big scoring lift from Will Walker and Dar Tucker continues to put up big offensive numbers, but Walker’s surge seems to have come at the expense of any interior production, an area that if lacking makes wins in the Big East hard to come by, especially on the road.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 73
DePaul 55

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HOYAS WATCH LEAD, NCAA DREAMS EVAPORATE IN LOSS

March 4, 2009


Even with their win over Villanova last weekend, an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament was a severe longshot for Georgetown. The Hoyas still might have had a chance with factors such as the #1 rated schedule in the country, road wins against UConn and 'Nova and a little momentum with expected wins over St. John's and DePaul heading into the 2009 Big East Tournament where anything could happen if the Hoyas picked off another win or two, which wouldn't have been that unheard of.

Instead, In the End, Hoyas Just Fade Away (Washington Post), blowing a 15-point second half lead as St. John's Rallies, Forces OT and Tops Georgetown (Newsday), 59-56, in front of nearly 10,000 fans at Madison Square Garden.

The Hoyas led 45-30 with 10:42 left in regulation before the Storm embarked on their comeback. Georgetown looked like they were going to run over SJU, racing away from a two-point lead at the half, 31-29, with an early run as the Redstorm seemed like they could not get out of their own way. The 21-6 run was completed with a pair of Rob Thomas free throws with 2.3 seconds left to force overtime.

The St. John's Comeback Stuns Georgetown (SNY.tv) and a Justin Burrell dunk with 10 seconds remianing in OT provided the final score as a DaJuan Summers desperation three-pointer was off the mark.

The Hoyas played without starting small forward Austin Freeman who suffered a hip-pointer in practice Monday. However, the major problem again was toughness as St. John's dominated Georgetown on the class, outrebounding the Hoyas 46-25.

Greg Monroe had a agme-high 18 for Georgetown. It was the Hoyas' 10th loss in their last 13 games and is likely to send the Hoyas, who were once ranked in the top 10 in the country, onto the NIT.

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