Sports Talk: Wallace is Hoyas' Hot Shot

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WHEN JONATHAN WALLACE'S COLLEGE CAREER comes to a close in either March or early April, the records will show no better 3-point shooter in Georgetown's history.

With a school-record 246 long balls (and counting), the senior point guard long ago earned coach John Thompson III's complete trust.

"I feel good every time the ball leaves his hand," Thompson said after Monday's 55-53 victory over Villanova, in which the guard hit a crucial 3-pointer two minutes and 13.9 seconds before his two game-winning free throws.

Wallace, who scored a team-high 15 points, was the hero of the game. It's a position the Harvest, Ala., native has been in before — just not recently.

Mired in the worst shooting slump in four years entering Monday's win, Wallace had not made a 3-pointer in three consecutive games and had not scored in double digits in five straight contests — longer streaks than he'd had in either of the previous two seasons.

Part of the slump could be attributed to bad luck. Another cause is a change in defensive focus. Wallace is a key target now that former teammate Jeff Green is in the NBA.

To hear Wallace say it, breaking the cold streak was a relatively simple process.

"I didn't think about it," Wallace said. "Shooter's shoot."

A career .425 shooter from beyond the arc, Wallace found his form with three tries to help ensure the eighth-ranked Hoyas (19-3, 10-2) will enter Saturday's game at Syracuse atop the Big East standings.

Somewhat ironically, Thompson was more eager to talk about Wallace's defense on star guard Scottie Reynolds, whose Wildcats made just four shots in the second half.

"That was one of his best defensive efforts in four years," Thompson said. "He was absolutely terrific."

Photo by John McDonnell/The Washington Post