Archive for the “Sports” Category
Better than a cup of coffee, the Morning Digest will provide you with what you need to be prepared for the day: a daily round-up of links, local news, and important events on campus and around D.C.
Note: Due to the looming shadow of finals, Vox will be operating at a reduced posting schedule until the end of the semester. Be sure to check back for the Morning Digest and other updates designed to tempt and delight you in these times of darkness.
 The weather today will be cloudy in the morning and clear later in the day, with a high of 70.
To masticate today:
What to look out for:
- $10 million dollar gift to National Mall from Volkswagen: Volkswagen planned to announce a $10 million gift today to to the Trust for the National Mall in order to help fund its plans for an aesthetic renovation.
- Capital Bikeshare adds new options for infrequent users: A new membership option allows users to pay $10 for the key, which is like the traditional annual and monthly membership keys. But, with this key, users only have to pay $7 for a day pass to use a bike for a day.
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 Hello, populi of Vox!
Over my many years as a student and writer, I’ve come to realize that generic introductions are the bane of most people’s existences, so I’ll spare you. I’ve been graciously handed the keyboard keys to the gates of Vox Populi. I’ve reported before for this blog, as well as done the occasional thing for the print edition, but the future we have together is steeped in dark mystery.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, that as the editor of the blog of a student newspaper, I am burdened with glorious purpose. Along with me on this quest are my brave assistant editors Ryan, Izzy, Laura, and Minali.
In this terrifying time of transition, in which I hopefully learn how to use WordPress, I understand that some questions and doubts will arise—how has this blog been able to cover serious, hard-hitting issues with such grace and aplomb? Will you continue to use aggressive blingees to tempt me away from schoolwork? What’s it like to be the first openly Japanese-American female to edit Vox?
I’ll be sure to keep you posted. At this point, I actually have no other option. In the meantime, if you’d like to join us, give us a tip, or just check in, please do so! Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and grab a copy of the print edition at various locations on campus, including your dorms, the ICC, Leavey, or at your local barbecue.
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 According to multiple reports, Georgetown forward Otto Porter Jr. will announce his intention to leave school early and enter his name for the 2013 NBA Draft this afternoon at McDonough Gymnasium.
“I mean it was hard,” Porter said in his opening statement. “It was a tough decision. I love Georgetown. I love my coaches. I love my teammates. I would like to come back and finish my degree [at some point].”
With head coach John Thompson III by his side, the sophomore is expected to announce what many draft experts have been speculating for some time now, as the versatile forward is projected to fall in the top-10 of the draft. If he decides to sign with an agent, he automatically forgoes his final two years of collegiate eligibility. CBS Sports’s Jeff Goodman was the first to report his decision.
“I think he is ready as much mentally, emotionally, as it relates to basketball,” Thompson said. “I thought he went about the process in an educated manner. He didn’t make a rushed decision one way or the other. He had two good choices. It is a process. He is prepared.”
Porter’s stock escalated rapidly this past season, since he started off as a probable lottery pick and is now firmly entrenched near the top five selections this June. He raised his play over the course of the year and has been deemed an ideal NBA small forward for his versatility.
“A lot of people come into this, young players, with the attitude that they will leave as soon as possible,” Thompson said. “They walk in the door thinking about walking out the door. That has never been the case with him.”
“What has been consistent with him and what he will take with him to the NBA, and once those days are over, is his caring, his work ethic, his commitment to what he is a part of,” Thompson said. “He is completely committed to this institution, to our program, to our team.”
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 On Thursday, sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr. continued to rack up post-season awards as he was named a First Team All-American by The National Association of Basketball Coaches. The last Hoya to be named to the First All-American was Allen Iverson during 1995-1996 season.
Michigan’s Trey Burke, Creighton’s Doug McDermott, Indiana’s Victor Oladipo, and Gonzaga’s Kelly Olynyk round out the First Team All-America Team.
Porter is also a finalist for the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award. You can vote for him for the Naismith Award here.
He has also been awarded the Big East Player of the Year and was the only unanimous selection to the All-Big East First Team.
Porter emerged as one of the most versatile players in college basketball this year. The sophomore forward led Georgetown in scoring (16.2 points per game), rebounding (7.5 rebounds per game), and steals (1.8 steal per game). He was second on the team in blocks and steals as well. Porter was even better in Big East play posting 18.1 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game.
He was amazingly consistent, scoring in double figures in every game he played in but three. The versatile forward scored over 20 points in 8 games. Porter also recorded seven double-doubles.
On February 23, he had his most memorable game of the year in the last Big East game against Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. He totaled a career-high of 33 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 5 steals. It remains unknown if Porter will declare for the NBA Draft. In every mock draft, he is projected to be taken early in first round and is likely to be a top-five pick.
Photo: Abigail Greene/Georgetown Voice
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 Davidson, Baylor (NIT), Ohio, Virginia Commonwealth, North Carolina State, and now, Florida Gulf Coast. The list is damning, an indisputable condemnation of John Thompson III’s postseason failures since that astounding run to the 2007 Final Four.
Just one week after taking home Big East Coach of the Year honors for leading his young Hoyas to a share of the Big East regular season title, Thompson’s team crumbled when it mattered most, as they were summarily undressed by No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast 78-68.
All of a sudden, Georgetown’s stalwart leader was a shell-shocked version of himself. “More than anyone on this earth I’ve tried to analyze it, think about it, look at it, think about what we should do differently, and I don’t know,” he said of the recent postseason failure.
Thompson won the award for instilling a sense of toughness unparalleled in the Big East this year. The old school Hoya defense of his father’s day was on full display this season. Until Friday.
A team composed mainly of sophomores and freshmen, with just two juniors and no seniors, played beyond their years. A great deal of the time, we forgot there was a supposed youth void on this team. Until Friday.
A national player of the year candidate in sophomore Otto Porter Jr. looked close to unstoppable and the pieces around him looked to be perfect complements to his all-around game. Until Friday.
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 A No. 2 seed, while a significant honor, does not mean all that much for these Georgetown Hoyas. Their unceremonious exits to double-digit seeds over the past three seasons have made sure of that.
But rather than discouraging the Hoyas, the past results have lit a fire under them, indicating just how difficult it is to get past that first weekend.
“We on a mission,” sophomore guard Jabril Trawick said. “We definitely thought we should have won the Big East but now we trying to make a deep run in the tournament, starting with Florida Gulf Coast. We got to handle business.”
Needless to say, they will not be taking this evening’s opponent—Florida Gulf Coast—lightly, despite their limited résumé. The Fort Myers school is entering just its second year of postseason eligibility and won the Atlantic Sun conference to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.
They’re so small that their media contingent for the tournament featured just one beat reporter on Thursday: Naples Daily News’s Adam Fisher. “This is a huge deal for this school that didn’t exist 17 years ago,” Fisher told Vox.
The majority of Georgetown’s attention will be on senior forward Sherwood Brown, this season’s Atlantic Sun Player of the Year. In some respects, he is similar to Otto Porter Jr. with his do-everything style. But Brown, of course, is nowhere near the talent level of Georgetown’s Wooden Award candidate.
According to Fisher, the Eagles are balanced, with a number of players leading a balanced scoring attack. They do most of their damage in transition, as head coach Andy Enfield (married to a supermodel) throws a number of defensive sets at opponents to force steals.
“They don’t have a traditional big man in the middle,” Fisher said. “But they like to shoot the three and they love to run.”
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 The Georgetown Hoyas were named a two seed, as the 68-team NCAA tournament field was announced yesterday. Though fans in Charlottesville, College Park, and Lexington may be irate with the decisions of the tournament committee, everything looks just fine here on the Hilltop. Georgetown is firmly on the two-line, seeded seventh overall with their first matchup on Friday against upstart Florida Gulf Coast.
Big East compatriot Louisville, riding their ten-game winning streak, grabbed the top overall seed, playing in the Midwest region. The other one seeds were Indiana, Kansas, and Gonzaga. The Hoyas are in the South region, Kansas’s section of the draw, along with three and four-seeds Florida and Michigan. This region has its share of quality matchups, the most notable being a pair of first round meetings between powerhouse programs. In an eight-nine matchup, North Carolina plays Villanova for a shot at either Kansas or Western Kentucky. UCLA plays Minnesota, who comes into the tournament underseeded on the eleven-line.
Head Coach John Thompson III said, “I don’t go into it worrying about what we’re going to be seeded, it’s the opposition.”
The Hoyas first opponent, FGCU, is no pushover. FGCU is dangerous for a fifteen seed, having beaten ACC Champion Miami earlier this year. Lurking in the Hoyas half of the region is the third-seeded Florida Gators, the favorite in Vegas to advance to the Final Four from the South. If both teams advance to the sweet sixteen, this would provide a rematch of the season-opener on the USS Bataan, which was cancelled at halftime due to condensation while Florida held a 4-point lead.
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 It is difficult to beat a team three times in one season. Georgetown found that out on Friday night. The No. 5 Hoyas (25-6, 14-4 Big East) fell to the No. 19 Orange of Syracuse (26-8, 11-7 Big East) 58-55 in overtime of the Big East Tournament. It was the third time Georgetown faced Syracuse this year, with the Hoyas winning the two other match-ups.
“Obviously we will learn from this experience,” junior guard Markel Starks said. “Obviously it hurts right now. At the same time, we just didn’t execute when we really needed to.”
It was only right that the final game of one of the fiercest rivalries in college basketball had to go to an extra period.
“Yes, It’s fitting it went into overtime,” Georgetown Head Coach John Thompson III said. “It is a shame they are heading down to Tobacco Road for a few dollars more. This is rivalry that has meant a lot to our program and their program.”
The Blue and Gray fought back from a 12-point deficit in the second half to tie the game with seven seconds remaining in regulation. Sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr. sent the contest to overtime with two clutch free throws that tied the game at 51-51.
In overtime, Brandon Triche’s lay-up on the first possession gave Syracuse a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
A few plays later Starks fouled out. Without him in the game, the Hoya offense stalled and mustered only one field goal in overtime.
Nonetheless, with the Orange up by 3, the Hoyas had a chance to tie the game twice with under a minute remaining. First, Syracuse swarmed Porter Jr. outside the three-point line and forced him to make a bad pass and turn the ball over.
With 3 seconds remaining, Syracuse’s C.J. Fair missed two free throws giving the Hoyas one last chance to tie. Sophomore guard Jabril Trawick heaved a shot from half-court at the buzzer but it banged off the backboard.
“I thought it was going in,” Thompson said.
“Definitely,” Porter agreed.
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 Could there be a more perfect match-up?
Well, maybe if it were the finals, but that would be too perfect.
Could the stakes be any higher?
A shot at the Big East Tournament Championship. A shot at a number-one seed in the NCAA Tournament (for the Hoyas). Bragging rights at last Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden. A chance for Georgetown to sweep the series against Syracuse this year. Most importantly, a chance to end the Syracuse-Georgetown rivalry on top.
A more than 30-year Big East rivalry will officially end tonight at Madison Square. No. 5 Georgetown (25-5, 14-4 Big East) will battle No. 19 Syracuse (25-8, 11-7 Big East) in the Big East semi-finals to decide who goes to the Big East Championship game. Georgetown is 7-6 against Syracuse all-time in the Big East Tournament.
“It would be a great game,” sophomore Otto Porter Jr. said after Georgetown’s victory over Cincinnati. “I’m pretty sure they would a rematch against us.”
Those are wise words from the National Player of the Year Candidate. Syracuse most certainly would like a rematch since the Hoyas have embarrassed the Orange so far this year. First, on February 23, Georgetown visited a Carrier Dome full of 35,000 people rooting against them and left with a 57-46 triumph. Two weeks later the Hoyas thumped the Orange 61-39 at the Verizon Center. It was Syracuse’s worst loss to Georgetown since 1985 and Syracuse’s lowest point total since 1962.
What has changed since Georgetown walloped Syracuse six days ago? The Orange have shown signs that they are getting out of their slump. On Wednesday, Syracuse defeated Seton Hall 62-59 and then beat Pittsburgh 62-59 last night. Over the past two games, senior forward James Southerland has looked liked the scorer everyone expected him to be. He posted 20 points in both games and shot a sizzling 7-of-10 last night against Pittsburgh. Against Seton Halll, sophomore guard Michael Carter-Williams set a Big East Tournament record with 14 assists.
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 Memories of last year’s Big East Quarterfinal started to creep into the heads of Hoya fans early in the second half. Georgetown (25-5, 14-4 Big East) trailed Cincinnati (22-11, 9-9 Big East) 33-31 at the start of the half after losing a 16-point lead. Head Coach John Thompson III even admitted he was nervous.
“Yes, [when you lose that lead] you’re worried,” Thompson said. “On the first four possessions of the second half we looked extremely flat.
The Hoyas didn’t panic, though. They clamped down defensively and advanced to the semi-finals of the Big East Tournament with a 62-43 victory over Cincinnati. The semi-finals will be a rematch with arch-rival Syracuse.
“For the most part, this group doesn’t get rattled,” Thompson said. “They went to a match-up which threw us off. It didn’t take too many possessions for us to get settled into what we were trying to do.”
Sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr. led all scorers with 18 points and went 11-of-11 from the free throw line. The Wooden Award candidate also recorded 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Junior guard Markel Starks shot 6-of-10 from the field and finished with 14 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
Georgetown’s bench was crucial once again for the victory. Freshman guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera added 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists.
“Otto is getting a lot of attention and he should,” Thompson said. “But we have a very good team. During the same stretch, Otto played well, Markel, and Nate played very well.”
After struggling with his shot for much of the year, Smith-Rivera seems to have found his stroke. He knocked down 5 of his 11 shots in the game.
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The weather today will be cloudy in the morning and clear later in the day, with a high of 70.
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