By ADAM ZAGORIA & ALEX KLINE
At 6 feet 10 inches and with natural shot-blocking abilities, Nerlens Noel may well be the best defensive player in the Class of 2013.
“Nerlens has cat-like reflexes, incredible instincts, quickness, reflexes for a guy his size,” said Tilton (N.H.) School coach Markus O’Neil. “He has uncanny shot-blocking ability.
“He can do a lot just naturally on defense. He’s got a decent frame on him. He needs to continue to get stronger and build his offensive skills.” (more…)
Otto Porter, a 6-foot-8, 190-pound forward from Sikeston, Mo., has verbally committed to Georgetown.
The No. 18 power forward in the nation per Rivals.com, Porter chose Georgetown over Missouri, which recently underwent a coaching change.
“He liked what they had to offer,” Otto Porter Sr. said Tuesday by phone, referring to the family’s visit this past weekend.
“He’ll be able to handle the ball some, score some, they are looking at him to play two or three different spots.” (more…)
Here’s a one-on-one interview with St. John’s coach Steve Lavin leading up to Thursday’s UConn game at MSG.
Below are highlights from last night’s Villanova-Rutgers and Georgetown-Syracuse games.
The Big East Conference named Georgetown guard Austin Freeman and Providence guard Gerard Coleman the winners of the league’s weekly men’s basketball honors for the week ending Jan. 23.
Freeman captures Big East Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career after scoring a game-high 28 points to lead Georgetown to an 80-75 win at Seton Hall in the Hoyas’ only game of the week.
He shot 10-of-13 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range. Freeman made all five of his free throw attempts, pulled down five rebounds and dealt three assists while committing only one turnover in 35 minutes. Freeman, who is from Mitchellville, Md., is averaging 18.5 ppg, which ranks third in the Big East. (more…)
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — John Thompson III is in his 11th season as a head coach. On Tuesday night, he went with a particular strategy for the first time and only because of a promise from one of his players.
No. 23 Georgetown had a three-point lead over Seton Hall with 8.7 seconds to play. Rather than give the Pirates a chance at a tying 3-pointer, Thompson ordered his players to foul well before a shot could even be attempted so it would be a 1-and-1 situation.
It all worked out when the Hoyas grabbed the rebound of the missed free throw with 5.2 seconds left and added two more free throws for an 80-75 victory.
By MIKE VORKUNOV
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Austin Freeman has had a rough go of it in the Big East.
Just like his team, he has struggled.
Georgetown lost three straight and floundered under the burden of being a top-10 team with their annual January swoon.
Freeman hadn’t played up to the expectations of a pre-season Big East Player of the Year.
But Saturday at the RAC, both parties woke up from their winter hibernation. (more…)
Mike Rice was so thoroughly disgusted with the lack of leadership from Jonathan Mitchell and his other seniors in Tuesday’s 67-53 loss at UConn, he put the walk-ons in during the second half.
“When you do that, it’s that you’re not going to tolerate their lack of intensity, energy or fight,” Rice said on Thursday’s Big East conference call.
“They get that glazed look. At halftime there was just no buzz. We’re facing a Top 10 team and the nation’s best player [Kemba Walker], we’re down five and there wasn’t a buzz, there wasn’t an energy…If that happens I’m not going to stand for it. I’ll let the walk-ons represent us.” (more…)
Tyler Adams, a 6-foot-9, 270-pound center from Brandon, Miss.. who initially committed to Duke, is now headed to Georgetown.
“I just felt like it was the best fit for me,” Adams said by text. “And it was the college that could help me get to the next level because of their history with bigs. And I love the coaching staff.”
“Basically the situation was we felt that Georgetown would be a better fit for him [than Duke],” Lonnie Adams, Tyler’s father, added Monday by phone.
He added that the family liked “the reputation of the program [and] all of their big men.
“Also it’s a great school. Obviously, it’s a good program. We like what they do.”
Adams, the No. 5 center in the Class of 2011, chose the Hoyas over Mississippi State. (more…)
NEW YORK — Georgetown guard Austin Freeman was named the 2010-11 Big East Preseason Player of the Year by a vote of the league’s head men’s basketball coaches.
“It’s an honor,” the 6-foot-3 Freeman told SNY.tv. “It’s a real big honor, just to be in the category with other players of the year.
“But also I know that I’m going to have a bulls-eye. Everybody’s going to come at me so I’m going to have to be prepared for it and real focused.”
Freeman averaged 16.5 points last season, when the Hoyas finished 23-11, 10-8 in the Big East. He led all Big East guards in field goal percentage, connecting on 52.5 percent of his attempts last year.
In this video interview he talks about the preseason honor, his battle with diabetes and Georgetown’s team this season.
Brandon Bolden, a 6-foot-10, 205-pound big man from Sumter, S.C., verbally committed to Georgetown Friday night during Midnight Madness.
“Yes, I did,” he said by phone.
“They have a great staff. They’re real genunine and make you feel at home. I liked the atmosphere. The players just welcomed me and made me feel like you’re at home.”
Bolden is the No. 14 center and No. 81 prospect in the Class of 2012 according to Rivals. (more…)
“Adam Zagoria sees the story behind the daily happenings.”
~ St. Anthony Coach Bob Hurley
Zagoria covers the New York Knicks and Big East hoops for NBA.com and SNY.tv. He also appears as a Big East Basketball Insider on SNY and 1050 ESPN Radio.
He is an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, SI and Basketball Times.
