Final Four 2007 Preview Part Two

Did you know that Patrick Ewing played for Georgetown back in the 80's? Did you know that his son plays for Georgetown now? How about John Thompson, Ewing's old college coach, whose son, the aptly named John Thompson III, is the current Hoya coach? If, by chance, you didn't know, the millions of Ewing and Thompson montages over the course of this week will make sure that you never forget. But, aside from these storylines, the Georgetown-Ohio State National Semifinal game is packed with a variety of other important subplots. For instance, both teams boast a top flight center (a real rarity in the college game), as well as a variety of wing players and guards that many teams would love to have. Before taking a look at the individual matchups, lets first examine how each team progressed through the bracket.


#2 Georgetown Hoyas (30-6, Big East Champions)
Tournament wins over: #15 Belmont (80-55), #7 Boston College (62-55), #6 Vanderbilt (66-65), #1 North Carolina (96-84)

Last year, a similar Georgetown team led a renaissance of sorts of the once great program, reaching the sweet 16. While they don't overwhelm physically and aren't a very high-flying team, the Hoyas are successful by playing good defense, and doing just enough on offense. The offense runs through center Roy Hibbert, the guy Patrick Ewing probably wishes his son was. When Hibbert goes out of the game, Big East POY Jeff Green takes over the attack. Theres some other role players (Jonathan Wallace and freshman DaJuan Summers are particularly of note) who are capable of having an impact. Summers is really developing, with 15 points and 7 boards against Vandy in the sweet 16, and 20 and 6 against UNC to get to the Final Four. However, none of these guys, Ewing Jr. included, will have as much impact as the two faces of the revival, Hibbert and Green. This team has been on fire of late, having won 19 of their past 20 games, allowing a stingy 58.6 points over that span. Key for the Hoyas will be keeping their best players out of foul trouble; Hibbert getting into early foul trouble will allow 42-year old Greg Oden to wreak havoc against a smallish front line.

Best Player: F Jeff Green
While the Georgetown offense and defense run through Hibbert, he isn't exactly a polished scorer or defender. Green is the total package: a 6-9 small forward who can guard 4 positions on the court at any time. Also impressive is his offensive game, as he has the speed to get to the rim as well as the size to back down smaller guards. Add in the fact that he has been very clutch this tourney (see the ridiculous shot over two Vanderbilt defenders to win in the second round), and you get a player that is essentially unstoppable. He will be the greatest mismatch for the Buckeyes.

X-Factor: F Patrick Ewing Jr.
The Indiana transfer has had a rocky career so far, but he finally has settled in as a sixth man type of player for the Hoyas. He is still raw, but you can't possibly tell me that an Ewing playing for Georgetown will be a non-factor in the NCAAs.


#1 Ohio State Buckeyes (34-3, Big Ten Champions)
Tournament wins over: #16 Central Connecticut State (78-57), #9 Xavier(78-71), #5 Tennessee (85-84), #2 Memphis (92-76)

Ohio State has been, simply put, a juggernaut this season, with losses coming only to UNC, Florida, and Wisconsin. That means that if you weren't ranked number one at some point this year, you didn't beat the Buckeyes. It is hard really to find weaknesses in this team, which boasts two of the best freshmen in the country in Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. This team plays with a much looser style than Georgetown, making more than 7 threes per game. In spite of the mammoth Oden, who would be the best freshman in college almost every year (except for years with Kevin Durant), this team relies more on its guards than its post presence. One of the few flaws in this team is their inexperience, as four freshmen contribute significant minutes. However, Upperclassmen Ron Lewis and Jamar Butler provide leadership, having experience from the tournament last year.

Best Player: C Greg Oden
Oden will most likely be, as much as it pains me to say, the first pick in next year's NBA draft. (On a side note, I get it that it's much harder to find a true center than a forward in the NBA, but how can you objectively take Oden over Kevin Durant, who has proven this year that he is far and away the best freshman in college basketball. When you look at the top 5 in scoring this year in the NCAA, Durant sits in fourth, behind players from VMI, Jackson State, and Rice. These teams are not exactly powerhouses. Texas, however, plays in the Big 12, against good teams night in and night out. Every team in the Big 12 has at least one big athletic stopper, and some have many (see: Kansas). Durant is often double teamed, by good players, and still has enough raw talent to put up 25.6 a game, as well as pull down 11.3 boards. Its not like he flew under the radar either, being the only freshman at the Big 12 media day. Oden is good, and maybe has the potential to be better than Durant at some point, but Sam Bowie was considered a dominant prospect as well, and we all know that passing over Michael Jordan to take Bowie was less than genius. Durant is as close to can't miss as anything we've seen in a long time, and any NBA team with half a brain will take him first. But I digress.) He's long, strong, and can score with his back to the basket, something that Hibbert has trouble doing. He is a defensive menace, and takes away any chance opponents have of getting clean drives to the basket. He has lately gotten into foul trouble, but it hasn't been a consistent problem. He's also finally playing with two wrists, which makes him even scarier.

X-Factor: G/F David Lighty
All of the other star guards get the publicity, but Lighty has been the spark plug for the offense in the past few games. He is 6-6, with a huge vertical, and has pulled down key boards during the tournament. Also, he has range out to the three point line, and he is just as likely to score on a deep jumper as a foray into the lane.


All in all, Georgetown looks overmatched. Hibbert won't be able to get his easy 8 points a game on cheap alley oops with Oden in the game, and likewise Green and Co. will be forced to take a lot of threes. While they shoot well from deep, its not a facet of the offense that should be a major part. While Green will not be able to be handled one on one, this is one of the few games where he will be double teamed often, since Oden should be able to account for Hibbert without a lot of help. This will help shut down Georgetown's offense. Ohio State has too many people who can run and shoot, and odds are that somebody is bound to catch fire at some point in the game. Look for Oden to have a quiet offensive game, as he will be spending the majority of his time locking down Hibbert, although OSU will try to get Hibbert in foul trouble early by going right at him. Likewise, Georgetown's best strategy is to go directly at Oden, to try and get him on the bench. Expect this game to be in Ohio State's control for the duration.

Ohio State wins, 76-67.