Rothstein Files: Five Observations From Georgetown-Memphis
By Jon Rothstein
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1. CLARK KENT?
Jason Clark may not be Superman but he is one of the better players in the Big East and could wind up putting himself in the conversation for conference player of the year. The senior combo guard finished with 18 points and shot 7-12 from the field in Thursday's 70-59 win over Memphis. With the departures of Austin Freeman and Chris Wright, Clark has emerged as the Hoyas' unquestionable leader and is showing he's capable of beating opponents in multiple ways. Whether it's a strong drive capped off by a floater in the lane or a deep three-pointer at the end of the shot clock, Clark is always an assassin.
2. HOYA POISE
There will be times this season when Georgetown loses games in the Big East but it will never be self inflicted. Approaching each possession with a meticulous focus, the Hoyas always seem to be calm no matter how high the level of chaos around them.
3. OH HENRY
No college player may have benefited from the NBA lockout more than Henry Sims. Georgetown's senior big man regularly worked out with former Hoya stars Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert who were regularly at the school's DC campus and it's helped Sims lay the ground work for a memorable senior season. After being a marginal contributor during his first three seasons, Sims is third in scoring for Georgetown and is leading the Hoyas in assists. Don't be surprised if this is the Big East's improved player.
4. INSTANT OTTO
It takes most freshman at least half a season to adjust to college basketball but Georgetown's Otto Porter has made a seamless transition. The 6-foot-8 forward is a perfect fit for the Hoyas Princeton offense and is an exceptional passer from the high post. Porter will be a quality reserve all season long for John Thompson III.
5. CHEMISTRY ISSUES
Memphis may have more talent than most teams in America --- but they don't have chemistry. The Tigers rarely seem in sync on offense and haven't showed the type of fluidity that most hoped for when the season began. In Thursday night's loss to Georgetown, Josh Pastner's team played their best basketball with Antonio Barton and Chris Crawford together in the back court, something we could see more of in Conference-USA.
BY THE NUMBERS
0-7
What Memphis guard Joe Jackson shot from the floor in 27 minutes.
17 and 9
The number of points and rebounds for Georgetown's Hollis Thompson, who is thriving as the Hoyas' second offensive option behind Jason Clark.
6, 4, 2, 22.
The number of points, rebounds, blocked shots, and minutes played for Seton Hall transfer Ferrakohn Hall in his second game eligible for Memphis.
THEY SAID IT
"We expected him to be this good. We saw it this summer when we went to Beijing," Georgetown coach John Thompson III on Hoyas freshman Otto Porter.
"We don't try to be at a certain place at a certain time. We just try and attack every day the same way and work on our flaws," Thompson on if Georgetown's 10-1 start is ahead of where he thought they'd be entering the Big East.
"We're not happy to be 6-5. We need to change things and get on a streak. Now." - Memphis coach Josh Pastner on the state of the Tigers.
