Two-game skid helped provide some lessons In the first half of Georgetown’s loss to Cincinnati last week, Hollis Thompson was 5-for-5 from the field in the first half but missed his only shot after halftime as the Hoyas lost their second game in a row.
On Sunday, Thompson reversed course, missing all six of his shots in the first half before bouncing back by going 7-for-7 from the field, including five 3-pointers, to put up a game-high 20 points in Georgetown’s 69-49 victory at St. John’s.
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It’s hardly the type of balance that coach John Thompson III is seeking from his best shooter, but it’s proof that the Hoyas (14-3, 4-2 Big East) are starting to make adjustments after learning some hard lessons during their two-game skid.
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| No. 10 Georgetown at DePaul |
| When » Tuesday, 7 p.m. |
| Where » Allstate Arena, Chicago |
| TV » ESPN2 |
“That happens as you play well. As people realize whatever your strength is and or weakness as the season progresses, teams look to exploit it and pay attention to it more,” Coach Thompson said last week. “There is an adjustment, but at the same time, we don’t say, ‘Ooh, they know what you’re doing so stop doing that.’?”
Georgetown’s commitment to the progressions of its offense remains unwavering, a belief that Hollis Thompson’s long distance prowess and Jason Clark’s ability to penetrate will surface at the appropriate time.
“We have some plays where we can put people in different spots where we know the shot that is coming that we feel is unguardable,” Clark said. “It shows up in plenty of games, but our offense is read-and-react. I think we just go through our offense, run our cuts, and that’s how we’re going to win games.”
The same unwillingness to deviate from the scheme goes for Henry Sims as the Hoyas’ facilitator in the middle, though the senior center’s efficiency has dropped while his turnovers have crept upward since late December.
In the last seven games, Sims (11.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists per game) has shot 31.7 percent from the field and committed 3.9 turnovers per game. For the season, he’s shooting 46.9 percent, and he turned the ball over just 1.8 times per contest over the first 10 games of the year.
“I think I’m still playing pretty well,” Sims said. “I need to tweak a couple of things. I just have to keep up the same level of intensity. I’m still playing hard, but [in] conference play things change. Scouting reports change. Everybody knows everybody. I’ll figure it out.”
Georgetown’s leader in assists, Sims has started to see defenders play him to pass the ball from the elbow or baseline, often prompting an early jump shot. Coach Thompson is less concerned about Sims’ range as a shooter than with when those shots go up.
“He took several shots that were too quick for the level of which he was open, if that makes sense,” Coach Thompson said. “I don’t mind quick shots, but I want good shots, not just because you can get them off.”
