Despite our somewhat contentious history with the folks over at the Casual Hoya blog, we decided to put aside our differences (or have we?) and do the Q&A exchange that we blogs are sometimes known for. Since Country Roads decided to be a lazy ass with his blog duties this week and go gallivanting around the country for New Years and the Orange Bowl...I'm here to pick up the slack. So let's get to it...
TSM: What do we need to know about this Hoya team? Strengths, weaknesses, players to be aware of, etc.
Casual Hoya: This Georgetown squad features four starters that are averaging in double digits, so it's tough to focus on one player to be aware of. Georgetown has been getting what I'll call unexpected yet refreshing strong play from senior center Henry Sims, who is likely to cause West Virginia some matchup problems in the post. If WVU opts to double Sims down low, he'll find shooters Hollis Thompson, Jason Clark, and Markel Starks who can punish teams from outside. Off the bench the Hoyas look to its freshmen, led by Otto Porter. Porter is a Jeff Green-type of player who is likely one of the top 10 freshman in the country. Fellow freshmen Jabril Trawick and Greg Whittington bring energy and defensive intensity to the floor, two components that were distinctly lacking in years past. So, pretty much you guys are screwed.
TSM: Based on some of the early results I have caught for the Hoyas and the league power rankings I've read, they do seem to be clearly among the top 5-6 (possibly better) in the BE, so far. Where do you see them seeded at MSG?
CH: If Georgetown continues to play at this level, 12+ wins in the Big East is certainly a possibility, which will put them in the running for a top 4 seed and a bye in the Big East Tournament. Considering the Hoyas were tabbed to finish 10th in the conference before the season began, that's not too shabby!
TSM: Will there be a John Thompson IV in the future of Hoya hoops? V? Perhaps a Craig Esherick, Jr.?
CH: There very well may be a Craig Esherick, Jr., but Lil' Craig has a better chance of coaching the Palestinian National Team than he does having anything to do with the Georgetown bench. As far as the lineage of the Thompson family goes, JT, Jr. and JT3 have brought and restored the program to national prominence respectively, so the more the merrier as far as I'm concerned.
TSM: It is a real shame that the greatest hoops conference ever is going to be torn apart soon. How do Georgetown fans view the situation? Are they supportive of the moves being made to reconstitute the conference, even if the moves being made are for football?
CH: It's tough for Georgetown fans because I think we're resigned to the fact that football decisions have ruined everything, and as a hoops school there's nothing we can really do about it. Syracuse leaving was stunning, sort of like for Yankees fans if the Boston Red Sox just up and moved to the National League. As far as the moves to maintain the conference's BCS bid, I mean yeah that's fine, but replacing Cuse, Pitt and you dudes with UCF, Houston and SMU is a mess. In an ideal world I'd like to see Georgetown join the ACC in a basketball only universe, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. Leaving the Big East to form some sort of Catholic Hoops League is silly as well, so basically we're resigned to just hanging around and dealing with whatever happens with the football schools.
TSM: How does Marinatto still even have a job with the Big East at this point? Do Hoya fans have the same disdain that Mountaineer fans do?
CH: Georgetown's biggest gripe with Marinatto is that he tossed aside the rich basketball tradition of the conference in order to preserve football strength, invited a bunch of totally random programs to join the Big East, seemingly has no leadership qualities or support within the conference, and managed to destroy Georgetown's biggest basketball rivalries by sitting on his ass while other conference commissioners made bold moves. Other than that, he's been a gem. He's also fat.
TSM: Casual. I like the theme (if that's an appropriate moniker). What is the story behind it?
CH: Casual was born at The Palms in Vegas when someone had the bright idea to do some "casual gaming" in the afternoon which resulted in the greatest blackjack whitewash in history at the hands of an evil Asian dealer. But on CH we attempted to define it and came up with this: Casual - Like aloha, casual means a lot of things. Best described as a lifestyle choice, casual can be applied to many facets of life. Certain people are casual. Certain foods are casual. Certain things are casual. And certain Big East teams that play at the Verizon Center can be both casual and not casual depending on the game. Casual is a living, breathing, ever-expanding and all-encompassing way of life.
Since we started the blog it's been important to maintain a "casual" outlook, as otherwise the forces of delusion and cynicism that encompass Hoya fandom would destroy everything. Does this make sense?
TSM: Best place near the Phone Booth to eat, drink and be merry?
CH: I'll you the same answer to this question as I gave our friends from Providence who came to visit last week.
The very best place to go is Hooters in Chinatown right by the Verizon Center. The girls are top-notch, the service is excellent, the beers are cold, and the wings are plentiful. Let me emphasize that the girls are top-notch, and that I would never steer a fan of a Big East rival wrong. If for some reason you manage to tear yourself away from the top-notch girls at the Hooters in Chinatown, you can join some friendly Hoyas at The Iron Horse which is also right by Verizon and has been home to numerous Casual Gamewatches including the epic 2nd Annual Casual Extravaganza last season. But really, the girls at Hooters are top-notch.
TSM: How do you see the game playing out? Score?
CH: I respect Huggins as a coach so I don't see this game being a blowout like your game against Seton Hall. Ultimately I think Georgetown's size, length and experience will be too much for what is a relatively young Mountaineer squad, so I'll roll with a final score of Georgetown 74 - WVU 66 in a game that will be relatively tight throughout.
You can see my answers to their questions over on their site. Thanks to the Casual Hoya for the exchange and assuming his info on Hooters isn't a set up, we may have to join them for a few libations in the future while gawking at scantily clad waitresses in the Nation's Capital. This could mark a new era of tolerance between Hoya and Mountaineer bloggers. Or will it?
