Sports

Coverage of Hoya sports.



Sports

A conference in a league of its own

Believe the hype. The Big East, which sent a record-setting six teams to the 2006 NCAA tournament and tied that record last season, could send seven or even eight teams into the thick of March Madness this year. If the AP preseason rankings hold true, seven Big East teams will be ranked in the top twenty-five. The conference could, in the words of Louisville Coach Rick Pitino, go down as “the strongest league in the history of college basketball.”

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DaJuan Summers enjoys a summer of growth

Junior forward DaJuan Summers always shows up when it matters. When the Hoyas needed one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the program to beat North Carolina in a 2007 NCAA Regional Final, he answered the call, scoring a then career-high 20 points. When they needed a late three-pointer to beat Louisville and clinch a second straight Big East title last year, he was there, nailing a game-winning twenty-five footer with 40 seconds left. So when Summers didn’t show up this June for Kenner League—Georgetown basketball’s unofficial summer school—people took notice.

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The Sports Sermon: Father Mac’s House

On the eve of the 25th anniversary of his ordainment and just days before his death, Father Vincent S. McDonough, S.J., had only one request for the school that he had served so dutifully.

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Georgetown captain takes on a brand new role

Senior guard Jessie Sapp arrived at Georgetown near the end of what might charitably be called a rebuilding period. His January 2005 commitment came partway through John Thompson III’s first year as head coach, a season that began without rank or expectation and ended in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament. Craig Esherick’s thirteen wins the year before were the fewest since 1974, and the squad that Sapp and fellow recruits Tay Spann, Marc Egerson, and Josh Thornton were set to join lacked the sense of pride and tradition that had characterized Georgetown during its dominant years in the 1980s. Only the strong freshman class of future Hoya stars Roy Hibbert, Jeff Green ,and Jon Wallace hinted at what was to come. When Sapp and the 2005-2006 Georgetown squad stepped onto the court for the first time, it was a sign that Hoya basketball was back; after a decade of appearing in the National Invitational Tournament, the team would go to three NCAA tournaments over the next three years.

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Hoyas play host in Big East opener

The Georgetown men’s soccer team won ten games in the regular season, finished third in its division, and earned a first-round home game in the Big East tournament. It has been by all measures the best season the Hoyas have had during head coach Brian Wiese’s three-year tenure. But don’t think Wiese is satisfied yet.

Sports

Welcome to the NBA’s new era

While you were sleeping, or studying, or scrambling to find a last minute Halloween costume last week, the NBA kicked off its 2008-2009 season. It will inevitably play second fiddle to college and pro football for the next three to four months. For many, the NBA is a shell of its former self, a sloppy, me-first league that pales compared to the heyday of Jordan, Bird, and Magic

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Fast Break: Women’s soccer awaits post-season fate

After last Sunday's 2-1 semi-final loss to the University of Connecticut and subsequent elimination from the Big East tournament, the Georgetown women's soccer team (13-4-2, 8-4 BE) finds itself in limbo, despite coming off one of its most impressive regular seasons ever.

Sports

The Sports Sermon: Kicking It with the homeless

As the owner of both the NHL's Capitals and the NBA's Wizards, Ted Leonsis (COL `77) just may be the biggest professional sports fan in Washington. While both teams are beginning their seasons, neither team will be the topic of conversation when Leonsis comes to campus next Tuesday. The occasion for his return is a screening of the film Kicking It in Gaston Hall. The documentary, produced by Leonsis earlier this year, tells the story of seven soccer players participating in a tournament in South Africa in 2006. There is one very significant difference between these players and those that will descend on Cape Town for the World Cup in 2010, however: they are all homeless.

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Georgetown volleyball’s Hardy dose of offense

The Georgetown volleyball team (12-11, 5-5 BE) is fulfilling its mantra of “growing to greatness.” After a disappointing 2007 season, the relatively small and inexperienced Hoyas have turned things around with junior outside hitter Jessica Hardy as their offensive leader, and the Hoyas are in a position to reach the post-season for the first time in six years.

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Wade leads Hoya rush

After letting a winnable conference game against Lehigh turn ugly, the Georgetown Hoyas football team will attempt to rebound against the 3-6 Marist Red Foxes on Saturday.

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The Sports Sermon

Last weekend saw one former Hoya basketball player exit the court to a chorus of boos, while another left to a standing ovation and an arena-spanning chant. Fortunately, the boos... Read more

Sports

Brady, Hoyas look to exploit Lehigh secondary

Six games into its losing streak and a week after a 48-point thrashing at the hands of Richmond, the Georgetown football team will need to reanimate its listless offense to beat Lehigh (2-5).

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You just got served: Hoyas take on Louisville

Hot off of last Sunday’s win against Rutgers, the Georgetown volleyball team (12-9, 5-3 BE) is looking to rack up another conference victory against the University of Louisville. But the Cardinals (10-10, 6-3 BE), with their dominating size and solid offense, will certainly offer a stiffer challenge than the fledgling Scarlet Knights.

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Candy, sports, slutty Randy Johnson

Across campus this week, Georgetown students were struck, often literally, by the falling leaves and frigid gusts of air that told us fall has arrived in full force. Gone are the carefree games of corn hole and volleyball on the lawn; here to stay are basketball and the dreaded hall sports. But even as students in layered clothing speedwalked between classes this week, anticipation of one sporting event kept everyone warm: Halloween.

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Men’s soccer falls to Irish

With the regular season drawing to a close and the Blue Division standings still largely unsettled, every point has great implications for Big East tournament seeding. The Georgetown men’s soccer team (9-4-3, 4-3-3 BE) let valuable points slip away yesterday afternoon, falling 2-1 to Notre Dame (10-5-2, 6-2-2 BE) in its penultimate conference match.

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Sports Sermon: MLS president discusses the league and the economy

I’ve used this space several times in the past to discuss the progress of soccer in the United States and, quite frankly, I’m embarrassed that until recently I didn’t know that one of American soccer’s key figures is a Georgetown alumnus. Mark Abbott (SFS `86), the most recently featured speaker of the Michael Jurist (SFS `07) Distinguished Alumni Roundtable Series, is the president of Major League Soccer and the principal author of the league’s original business plan.

Sports

Nasty turf burn

If you’ve played soccer or flag football on Kehoe Field lately, you know about the landmines. You’ll be in the midst of a great run down the left wing, or backpedaling toward the end zone to break up a game-winning touchdown pass, when one of them sneaks out of nowhere, grabs your leg, and twists. You’ll writhe on the ground for a minute, stand up, and try to walk the injury off. No such luck. Whether it’s a sprained ankle, pulled hammy, or twisted knee, you’ve been bested again by one of those tricky Kehoe specials—the bumpy irregularities that litter Georgetown’s only recreation field for student use.

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Umar, Hoyas aim for upset

A week after its 27-24 loss to a mediocre Bucknell squad, Georgetown’s football team will need a superhuman effort to compete with the championship subdivision’s ninth-ranked team, Richmond University.

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Georgetown notches ninth shut-out of the season

Head coach Dave Nolan’s Hoyas (11-3-2, 6-3 BE) have prided themselves on getting big plays from many different players this season. After dropping two overtime heartbreakers over the weekend, Georgetown needed one of those plays on Tuesday against St. John’s (7-4-4, 3-3-3 BE). This time, they got it from sophomore defender Courtney Kent, whose first career goal gave the Hoyas an important 1-0 victory.

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Mountaineer net-minder offers stiff challenge

With just four games remaining in the regular season, the Georgetown men’s soccer team (8-3-3, 3-2-3 BE) is looking toward the playoffs. The Hoyas, currently third in the Big East’s Blue division, are in prime position to move up to the top two and earn an important first-round bye in the conference tournament.