Sports Talk: Georgetown's Thompson Seeks Urgency

JOHN THOMPSON III HAD SEEN ENOUGH. For the past month, his Hoyas had not played their best basketball but found ways to win.

Then came a 77-70 loss to Big East rival Syracuse last Saturday in which then No.8-Georgetown trailed by double digits most of the game.

"This team just hasn't [shown] the hardness that's necessary to win against a good team on the road," the coach said. "There's still time left to get that, but we haven't gotten there yet. That keeps rearing its head."

The statement was an open acknowledgment of what many national critics have said about Georgetown, which slipped to No. 12 in the Associated Press rankings. Yet it was still noteworthy, for Thompson rarely, if ever, publicly criticizes his team.

After another sloppy half the next game at Providence, the coach turned to his seniors to snap Georgetown (20-4, 10-3) out of its funk.

A group featuring Roy Hibbert, Jonathan Wallace, Patrick Ewing Jr., and Tyler Crawford broke open a close game for a 68-58 victory.

"They understand what time of year it is," Thompson said. "You realize that your playing days wearing a Georgetown uniform are finite, and they played with a sense of passion and urgency in the second half that was really fun to sit there and watch."

The good news for the Hoyas is that they remain in a first-place tie with Louisville entering Saturday's game against Cincinnati. Lowly St. John's follows before another road test, at No. 25 Marquette.

By then, Thompson hopes they will have found their toughness.
"We have to [be] more strong with the basketball, we have to be more aggressive on offense and defense," Wallace told The Washington Post.

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