Greg Monroe picks Georgetown

[greybeard]

The scuttle in DC (which I can't confirm, just something I heard) is that he is planning to attend Midnight Madness at Georgetown. In related news, JT3 just signed a long-term contract extension this week.

I too am surprised that Kansas dropped off the list.

Georgetown has done well with kids from down there. The two lefties, McDonald and the big who is still in the pros. Have to think that they bring out Big John for this one.

BTW, Mai, I never got the story behind this stuff with Ron's departure from Ball State--racial stuff and all. The old man was going wild about it on the radio yesterday. Only caught a tad of it. What's up with that?

[mapei]

I read a bunch about it at the time, but frankly I can't remember it except that it did seem that Rony was at least somewhat at fault. Recruiting issues. Apparently there were some nasty notes left in his office. But he's young and can learn from his mistakes. I think he will land on his feet.

I honestly wish Big John would just go away at this point. He is someone with both strong positives and strong negatives. He did a lot for the kids in his program, and it was clean and honorable for the most part. It was certainly successful on the court and in the classroom. He brought credit to the university and the community. But he has so much baggage, and his radio show is just awful. He sounds like he's 100 years old.

He should back off and let JT3 run his own program, like Bush 41 did with Bush 43. I have confidence it would turn out a lot better in JT3's case, though.

[Waynne]

The visit to Georgetown makes me nervous. This is a very good program in an attractive city with a young, charismatic coach in a top league that gets a ton of East Coast coverage. Big John probably will make a pitch if the school lets him. Monroe will get more exposure and better coaching at G'town than at any of the other schools in which he is interested, except Duke. I hope he doesn't decide after the G'town visit.

[greybeard]

The visit to Georgetown makes me nervous. This is a very good program in an attractive city with a young, charismatic coach in a top league that gets a ton of East Coast coverage. Big John probably will make a pitch if the school lets him. Monroe will get more exposure and better coaching at G'town than at any of the other schools in which he is interested, except Duke. I hope he doesn't decide after the G'town visit.

JTIII, like his mentor Carrill, is one terrific coach of pivot players (no I do not call them centers).

Maipai, I was only "fussin" (don't you want to barf when he continues to say that) with the Dukies here by raising the specter of Big John. Most people still underestimate just how terrific JTIII is in his own right.

[mapei]

I know. It's just a minor peeve of mine to get III out from Pops's formidable shadow.

[Ignatius07]

I'm just reading between the lines, but the order of his visits seems very interesting since most agree Duke and LSU are the teams to beat (even though Monroe downplays this), with G'town making a strong push. If Duke is his 3rd visit after LSU and G'town, and we make a very good impression, my guess and hope is that he will decide on Duke and not take his remaining visits to Texas and UCONN.

According to a UConn blog, which was linked by Blue Devil Nation, Duke will actually be visited fourth, on the October 27-28 weekend. Monroe will apparently be making the five visits in consecutive weeks starting this weekend, so the order will be: LSU, Georgetown, Texas, Duke, and UConn.

I think this is positive news, and for anybody who is unsettled by not being visited earlier in the process (which probably means nothing anyway), Duke probably wanted it that way: if the above is true, Monroe will be visiting for the Blue-White Scrimmage, and thus is assured of a packed and excited Cameron. We can rest assured that he'll get the best experience possible.

[VaDukie]

According to a UConn blog, which was linked by Blue Devil Nation, Duke will actually be visited fourth, on the October 27-28 weekend. Monroe will apparently be making the five visits in consecutive weeks starting this weekend, so the order will be: LSU, Georgetown, Texas, Duke, and UConn.

I think this is positive news, and for anybody who is unsettled by not being visited earlier in the process (which probably means nothing anyway), Duke probably wanted it that way: if the above is true, Monroe will be visiting for the Blue-White Scrimmage, and thus is assured of a packed and excited Cameron. We can rest assured that he'll get the best experience possible.

If he's coming during Blue-White we need everyone in CIS to be chanting his name!

[ACCBBallFan]

If he's coming during Blue-White we need everyone in CIS to be chanting his name!

According to primacy and recency theory, ideal placement is first or last.

However, Greg will see better competition in the Blue-White game than he will in the UCONN-Buffalo game now that Calhoun used back room tactics to get Holy Cross out of the Coaches vs Cancer event UCONN is hosting.

Holy Cross slow down style would not have made UCONN look attractive either. A little late for foliage season Nov 8th too.

Of course, if he commits the weekend of Oct 27, or any time in 10 or so days before Nov 8 that would be his last visit.

Some are clinging to hope that Terrence Jennings commits to UCONN after de-committing from MD.

I view that as a wash just as I did the Olek Czyz commit since Greg Monroe may have the Patrick Patterson gene and fear being chained to the post. If he is #1 2008 recruit, he has no competition from other recruits to fear.

That and Jennings may not qualify academically at UCONN either, though it is not the toughest place to get into. UCONN and Pitt may be the toughest place to get disqualified from though.

[VaDukie]

Or maybe based on this article, Georgetown and us.

http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/content.asp?cid=722758

[JasonEvans]

Or maybe based on this article, Georgetown and us.

http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/content.asp?cid=722758

If he is still taking visits then all 5 schools are in it. Visits quite often change everything. It sounds to me like the recruiting guru for Rivals thinks Monroe's order of preference entering the visits is:

1. Georgetown
1a. Duke
2. (space left empty to indicate a gap)
3. LSU
4. UConn
5. Texas

--Jason "Georgetown has a nice team, but with Hibbert and Wallace graduating after this season, they don't figure to be nearly in the national title hunt next year the way Duke should be" Evans

[gw67]

The Hoyas' cupboard will not be bare when Hibbert leaves. Macklin, Summers, Wright, Rivers, Freeman and Sapp are fine players and 3-4 of these youngsters have the potential to be very good. In addition, Thompson is bringing in some local youngsters next year (Braswell, Clark and Sims) who should add some good depth. I expect them to be very good this year and next.

gw67

[JasonEvans]

The Hoyas' cupboard will not be bare when Hibbert leaves. Macklin, Summers, Wright, Rivers, Freeman and Sapp are fine players and 3-4 of these youngsters have the potential to be very good. In addition, Thompson is bringing in some local youngsters next year (Braswell, Clark and Sims) who should add some good depth. I expect them to be very good this year and next.

Yup, I said they had a nice crop of youngsters and I do expect them to be good. However, I don't think they are likely to be a top 5 team next season... more likely mid-teens or lower... with them losing clearly their two best players in Hibbert and Wallace (their center and their PG, the two most difficult positions to replace).

Duke, OTOH, is very ikely to be considered one of the elite teams in the land next season. If part of Monroe's decision is paying for a team that gives him maximum exposure then a team that is on TV virtually every single game they play and a team that will be one of the favorites to reach the Final Four would seem to be a smart choice for him.

--Jason "JTIII is really bulding a nice program at GTown-- but he's not K" Evans

[Patrick Yates]

Of the 5 teams that Monroe is considering, only Duke is considered a national contender in 08-09. LSU definitely won't be. UCONN will lose Thabeet this year, and maybe some others, so they may not be a power either. I can also see that possible/highly probably defections will hurt Texas as well. Personally, I think G-Town will be good next year, but with Monroe they definitely would be a national power (indeed, maybe top 5-7 next year while reliying on youngish players, and morphing into an elite power by March, a la OSU last year).

Maybe Monroe doesn't really care about the national relevance of the teams he is considering. If he were, Kansas and Kentucky would not have been dropped in favor of two of LSU, TX, and UConn (not saying the last two don't have great potential next year, just probably not nationally relevant NEXT year).

I have said this till I am blue in the face. Many kids would like to be on national powers. But, it is obvious that not every kid considers this to be the most important factor. Playing time, shot availability, and playing style ALL come into play.

If competing for the NC were all that Monroe cared about, G-Town and Duke are the only schools on his current list that would have made the cut, and KU and UK would still be there.

Patrick Yates

[kydevil]

Of the 5 teams that Monroe is considering, only Duke is considered a national contender in 08-09. LSU definitely won't be. UCONN will lose Thabeet this year, and maybe some others, so they may not be a power either. I can also see that possible/highly probably defections will hurt Texas as well. Personally, I think G-Town will be good next year, but with Monroe they definitely would be a national power (indeed, maybe top 5-7 next year while reliying on youngish players, and morphing into an elite power by March, a la OSU last year).

Maybe Monroe doesn't really care about the national relevance of the teams he is considering. If he were, Kansas and Kentucky would not have been dropped in favor of two of LSU, TX, and UConn (not saying the last two don't have great potential next year, just probably not nationally relevant NEXT year).

I have said this till I am blue in the face. Many kids would like to be on national powers. But, it is obvious that not every kid considers this to be the most important factor. Playing time, shot availability, and playing style ALL come into play.

If competing for the NC were all that Monroe cared about, G-Town and Duke are the only schools on his current list that would have made the cut, and KU and UK would still be there.

Patrick Yates

Maybe Monroe does care and that is what sets us apart from the other schools. It could be the final factor in his decision, come on down Greg.

[Patrick Yates]

Maybe Monroe does care and that is what sets us apart from the other schools. It could be the final factor in his decision, come on down Greg.

but I still think it would be all teams likely to be dominant in 08-09 (with possibly the hometown LSU thrown in) on his list if that were one of the key factors. Instead, there are 3 teams that will be OK to good with Monroe, 1 team that would be pretty good to great with Monroe, and one team likely to be great with Monroe.

Patrick Yates

[mapei]

Discerning GM's intentions is a little like trying to read Alan Greenspan's oblique remarks a decade ago. Much significance attached to the tiniest of clues. I'm really going to annoyed if he chooses neither Duke nor Georgetown.

[jaimedun34]

I admit I'm somewhat out of the loop when it comes to projecting the success of other teams, but I think Texas has a good chance to be very good in the next few years with DJ Augustine.

[Ignatius07]

There's a good chance Augustin will bolt after this year - some people thought he might even leave after last year. He'll be the focal point of the offense now, in terms of both scoring and distributing.

[SilkyJ]

I admit I'm somewhat out of the loop when it comes to projecting the success of other teams, but I think Texas has a good chance to be very good in the next few years with DJ Augustine.

I admit that I will never understand how Rick Barnes ever got the Texas job.

I do understand, however, how we SPANKED them in the meadowlands when lots of people were calling for the upset...b/c even though their jerseys are the color of fire, we still had DY-NO-MITE!!

[watzone]

Monroe set to visit Georgetown this weekend for midnight madness.

http://myblogdevils.eponym.com/blog/...9/3280278.html