Write On Sports LLC - "Georgetown has the ingredients of a champion" by Leslie Monteiro

Georgetown has the ingredients of a champion

2007-03-22 10:33:02 | By: Leslie Monteiro

When college basketball fans fill out their brackets every year, they pick the teams based on research and gut feeling. Everyone loves how Ohio State, North Carolina, Florida, Kansas and UCLA are playing right now which is why those teams are many peoples' favorite to win their respective pools.

These are good choices, but has anyone notice how well Georgetown is playing? They have hit their peak at the right time. They made quick work of their opponents in the Big East Tournament. They followed up in Winston-Salem by convincingly beating the Belmont Tigers and the Boston College Eagles. By gut feeling and watching them all season, the Big East champions have to be my favorite to win it all.

They have what it takes based on several factors. They have big guys who can score in the paint. Their guard play is efficient. They have players who can defend and wear out other opponents (evidenced on Saturday against Boston College). They are well-coached. Most importantly, these guys have the experience to get it done. They learned a lot from an exciting run last year to the Sweet Sixteen where they lost to the Florida Gators, who went on to win the national championship, 57-53 last year in the Minneapolis Regional Semifinal.

Georgetown has three big men for opponents to deal with in Roy Hibbert, Patrick Ewing, and Jeff Green. It is no day at the beach for teams that have to defend the three of them. They can score at sheer will easily with their height and size. If a basketball team can get the big men, odds are they will have success.

Georgetown's guard play is also productive. They do a great job of feeding the ball to the big men while scoring when they need to. Jessie Sapp, in the first day of the tournament, scored a career-high 20 points in Georgetown's 80-55 rout over Belmont. Jonathan Wallace is another lethal shooter when he is beyond the arc. on their guards.

The team's biggest strength is their defense. They can defend as well as anyone. They have shot blockers in Hibbert and Green. They are great at getting defensive rebounds. And, they do a terrific job of fighting for loose balls. This style of play had been a staple for Georgetown during their glory years under John Thompson II. It is no surprise that the current coach emphasizes defense as an important principle.

Everyone knew Georgetown would be back to national prominence when Thompson was hired in 2004. He replaced Craig Esherick, who was inept and overmatched as the head coach of a big-time program. Thompson comes from a very good coaching background. He learned from the best in his father, who knew a thing or two about winning big games. Thompson was very successful when he coached the Princeton Tigers from 2000 to 2004 where he won three Ivy League titles.

Thompson is very passionate about his job. He is a good teacher. He can get the most out of his guys. He is a very good recruiter. He has done a good job in incorporating the Princeton offense along with a good defensive system. The best part about him is that he wins the big games when it counts. He has put himself in the list with guys like Jim Boeheim, Rick Pitino, Tom Izzo, Jay Wright, Ben Howland, Lorenzo Romar, Billy Donovan, and Roy Williams as great basketball coaches.

This is a team that is hungry. They have been there and done that. They tasted success last year. Now, it's championship or bust to these guys. From watching them play, they seem determined. This is a team that came close to the Final Four last year.

The only question is, what is there not to like about the Hoyas chances of winning a championship?

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