I can feel your pain if you stayed up late to watch Georgetown’s 67-63 loss to No. 14 Kansas in Maui. (Nobody will have to do the same thing today – see below.) Three thoughts afterward:
The gap between the Hoyas and solid ranked teams like the Jayhawks isn’t great, but it still exists. It comes as no surprise that Georgetown really had no answer inside for Kansas forward Thomas Robinson (20 points, 12 rebounds), who dunked the ball seemingly at will, off alley oops and establishing his position in the lane. Neither Nate Lubick (four points, four rebounds, two turnovers) nor Henry Sims (eight points, six rebounds, two blocks, two turnovers) could match Robinson’s physical presence, and that deficiency became exposed over the course of the game. Robinson scored nine points during the crucial stretch in the second half when Kansas reclaimed the lead and held Georgetown without a field goal for more than eight minutes after the Hoyas had pushed back and gone in front just after halftime.
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Tyshawn Taylor (16 points) was also the best guard on the floor, the proof being how much Kansas missed him when he was out with leg cramps in the second half. Jason Clark (15 points, five rebounds) and Hollis Thompson (14 points, five rebounds) both showed hints of veteran savvy and skill that will allow them to take over games this season, but both players require more support and aren’t built to shoulder the load themselves. The freshmen can’t grow up quick enough, and last night’s game showed them why they must for Georgetown to have a successful season.
Maybe Georgetown’s poor start was nerves; maybe it was John Thompson III’s offense at its worst. The Hoyas are lucky that their 0-for-6 opening from the field, including four atrocious three-point attempts by four different players, didn’t hurt them worse. Instead, they were only down 6-0 before Clark’s driving layup finally got them on the board with nearly four minutes already elapsed. The problem is that it’s all too familiar. When Thompson’s players start hot, they get out to big leads early. When they don’t, it’s a grind for 40 minutes and they tend to fall short. The percentage play here doesn’t work, and ill-advised 3-pointers (7-for-24, including 2-for-10 in the second half) hurt Georgetown all night.
Time is short to regroup and figure out what else can be gained while in Hawaii. Anything less than a dominant victory over Chaminade later today – tip time is 4:30 p.m. ET – will be seen as a massive disappointment, and then a difficult test remains against either Tennessee or No. 8 Memphis, with a game against the latter setting the stage for an odd rematch at Verizon Center on Dec. 22.
