Photos: Lucia He

In a game that ended just as we expected, the Georgetown Hoyas blew the NJIT Higlanders out of the Verizon Center 84-44. The Hoyas were paced early by a career-high six three pointers from junior Hollis Thompson, who finished with 20 points on the afternoon. All 12 players saw action on the day, including extended minutes for Tyler Adams and Mikael Hopkins. The two freshmen finishd with 8 and 12 points, respectively, while controlling the glass against a smaller NJIT team.

Big Tyler and Company

Thus far this season, John Thompson III has not utilized Tyler Adams or Mikael Hopkins very often. With just Henry Sims and Nate Lubick down low, however, it definitely falls on Thompson to get his two freshmen comfortable to provide the Hoyas with depth in the paint. The coach admitted as much after the game, appreciating the opportunity to give these players extra minutes and focusing in specifically on Adams’ play.

“Big Tyler.. Big Tyler showed just a little bit of flash”, the eighth-year coach said. “He’s still no 100 percent, but big fella showed us a little flash of what we’re going to see.”

Adams dominated the paint on the offensive and defensive end during his 11 minutes on the floor. The Highlanders may not have the equivalent of a Thomas Robinson or JaMychal Green, but they did have some height. His play, coupled with Hopkins’ presence in the paint, shut down any opportunities down low for NJIT. Both players also showed an array of strong offensive moves, in addition to some grit. Adams added six rebounds and three blocks, a very promising footnote for the Hoya season as he works to get back to full health.

No Letdown, No Dropoff

While no one at the Verizon Center expected a loss, one couldn’t necessarily expect the Hoyas to perform at full throttle the entire game. Despite a sparse crowd, including an entire half empty from the student section, the Hoyas did take it to the Highlanders from start to finish. Though they did experience a short lull during the middle of the first half, Georgetown came out after halftime firing on all cylinders to break the game open with a 16-0 run. Hollis Thompson continued his sweet shooting during the contest, with his coach adding a remark that six would not be Hollis’s career-high by the time he’s done as a Hoya. On the day, the Hoyas hit on 50 percent of their field goals and three-pointers, while holding the Higlanders to a mere 17.2 clip during the second half. The Hoyas suffocating interior defense really shone through, as they dominated in the paint with 47 rebounds and 13 blocks.

After the Hoyas guaranteed themselves the win, Thompson turned to his bench, as the last ten minutes of the game showcased the Hoyas’ depth. Thompson noted that there is very little dropoff for this group when they turn to their bench, a group that he’s been confident in since their summer trip to China. Jabril Trawick, Otto Porter, Adams, and Hopkins were all able to contribute seamlessly on both ends despite their relative inexperience. Read the rest of this entry »