Coming into the basketball season, the question on the minds of many nervous fans was how the Hoyas would replace Roy Hibbert. Time and again, Coach John Thompson III deflected the question, emphasizing that every year is a fresh start.
“We’re not going to dwell on who’s not here, we’re going to dwell on the guys who are here,” was his preseason mantra.
On Monday, Greg Monroe found his own way of answering those questions.
It took him only thirteen seconds to score his first points as a Hoya, and with the jitters out of his system, he never looked back. The highly-touted freshman finished with fourteen points and seven rebounds in his college debut, a nail-biting 71-62 victory over Jacksonville. His presence at the defensive end was impressive as well. He blocked three shots and affected many more, challenging driving guards all night long with agile footwork and active hands in the lane.
Monroe showed impeccable quickness at both ends of the floor, rotating deftly to the weak side on defense and earning easy buckets in the pick-and-roll on offense. His best moment came just after the midpoint of the first half. With Georgetown leading 13-12, Monroe received the ball in the high post with a man in his shirt. He shook the defender with a head and shoulders fake before bounding down the lane in two dribbles and dunking it home at the rim. Check the archives for a similar highlight from Hibbert-you won’t find one.
But the Hoyas looked vulnerable at times against the Dolphins, whom they routed by 32 points last year. Junior forward DaJuan Summers, a preseason Wooden Award nominee who many expect to be Georgetown’s offensive catalyst this year, got into early foul trouble and sat out most of the first half. In his absence, it was Monroe-along with sophomore guard Chris Wright-who stepped up.
There were three other Hoyas making their debuts on Monday as well. Freshman Jason Clark, a wiry guard from Arlington, made the most of his twelve minutes on the floor, scoring four points and pulling down three rebounds. Clark’s long arms and freakish hops will allow him to provide some much needed rebounding support this season. He displayed tenacious on-ball defense as well, and fans should expect to see more and more of him as Thompson thins out the rotation leading up the Big East season. Sophomore transfer Julian Vaughn showed defensive brass as well, rejecting two shots while anchoring the post with Monroe.
Less impressive was 2008 Parade All American Henry Sims, who played only two minutes. He looked lost on the offensive end of the floor, camping out on the perimeter on consecutive possessions before misfiring an ill-advised three-point attempt in transition. His hasty return to the bench indicates that Thompson prefers a six-foot-ten player to earn his chops a little closer to the basket.
In the end, one game is one game, and Monroe’s successes, like Sims’ relative shortcomings, are to be taken with a grain of salt. The Hoyas will next host perennial mid-major contender Drexel on Saturday, a game that could prove troublesome if they repeat the paltry 5-23 three-point shooting performance they put on for Monday. A better approach may be to get Monroe more touches down low-after all, they don’t call us Big Man U for nothing, and as far as freshman go, this guy looks nothing short of spectacular.
