The next time you have a chance to watch a Georgetown basketball game on television, sit back, relax, and listen to every broadcaster announce to the world that Greg “The Doctrine” Monroe is the best freshmen in the country. Monroe-mania has taken hold of announcers like Dick Vitale and Jay Bilas, among others, who yak on and on about Monroe’s superb court vision and ability to facilitate Georgetown’s Princeton style offense.
They’re not lying. Monroe is the best freshmen in the country. But he’s in a weak freshmen class.
Offensively, few players in the country—from any year—have the skill set that Monroe possesses. His court vision is astonishing, and he seems to make the right pass at the right time every game. Monroe is never too selfish, but he seems to have a knack for knowing when to drive and when to shoot. His mid-range jumper has a silky touch to it; even when Monroe misses, it’s a near miss. He fits into the Hoya system like the missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle, and few can deny his impact on the team thus far.
But there is one noticeable flaw in Monroe’s game. He has been outplayed by some of the best big men in the country, a trend that the Hoyas need to put a stop to if they want to reach the upper echelons of college basketball.
Granted, Monroe outplayed Hasheem Thabeet in Georgetown’s walloping of then second-ranked Connecticut by holding him to four points and seven rebounds. Thabeet, however, is traditionally known as a defensive player, even though he has improved his offensive numbers from last season.
Monroe was not the difference in the Connecticut game, however. Yes, he produced an impressive 16 points, four assists, and three rebounds, but Connecticut was playing catch-up for the majority of the game and put their offense into the hands of guards A.J. Price and Craig Austrie and swingman Jeff Adrien. Monroe was left with the miniscule duty of guarding a forgotten Thabeet who only attempted four field goals, an easy task for the big man.
Against Pittsburgh and Notre Dame, two Big East games that required flawless defense from Monroe, he was overmatched. Pittsburgh center DeJuan Blair scored 20 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, seven of which were on the offensive glass. Blair’s effort propelled Pittsburgh to hand the Hoyas their first loss in the Verizon center in 29 games.
Blair is clearly one of the best centers in the country and a reasonable stat line was expected from the 6’7’’, 265 lb. wall of humanity. But Blair’s complete dominance of Monroe was even more impressive than the Pitt inside man’s typical performances. In the biggest game of his young career, Monroe was overmatched defensively, and his inability to contain Blair was the difference in the game.
Monroe’s defense against Notre Dame was more of the same. Luke Harangody, a pre-season first team All-American selection, put up a ridiculous 31 points and 11 rebounds on the young Monroe, and his performance put the nail in the Hoyas’ coffin for the second straight game.
Harangody, a 6’8’’, 255 lb. center, is built a lot like DeJuan Blair. Both players used their strength advantage to punish Monroe inside and create short, high percentage shots for themselves and their teammates. Monroe’s kryptonite thus far has been these large, block-shaped players who can overpower him in the paint.
Monroe is still just 14 games into his already-heralded collegiate career, but it seems that he will not cut the savior-like figure of Derrick Rose or Carmelo Anthony. Instead, the Hoyas will have to settle for a Greg Monroe who learns from his early-season mistakes and hopefully by Tournament time has the ability to shut down the likes of Harangody and Blair.
He may be the best freshmen in the country, but Monroe has far to go.
