Casual Hoya

Casual wiseman sleepyhoya hands out some awards at the midpoint of the Big East season:

Ladies and gentlemen, the State of our Hoyas is strong.

It's hard to believe but we've already reached the midpoint of our Big East Schedule and are two thirds of the way through our season. With the week off and not much to talk about other than whether Kristen Wiig is actually good-looking, it seems like a good time to hand out some midseason awards.

So here goes.

The Sleepy Awards after The Jump:

Most Valuable Player:
This is a hard one. Hollis Thompson has singlehandedly won a couple big games for us. His last minute three pointers are the highlights of the season so far. But Hollis also sometimes disappears for a half or more, so it can't be him. We would not be 16-3 if Henry Sims had not transformed his game. Rebounding, shot blocking, passing and scoring all show off the charts improvement. But Henry still spends pretty long stretches on the bench with JTIII seemingly constantly trying to send him a message about consistency. You could even make a case here for Otto Porter as the missing ingredient for Georgetown's success.

In the end, the MVP has to be Jason Clark. He does whatever the team needs to win. Some games it's scoring, others assists, defense, or rebounding. Jason is the only guy on the team who literally can take over a game and sustain it for two halves. More importantly, as our offense sometimes gets stagnant, he really is the only player who can break down the defense by himself and in turn open up our offense again.

Most Improved Player:
I think most people will immediately award this one to Henry Sims and it's hard to argue with that. He's gone from a non-factor on both ends of the floor to an essential element of Georgetown's success. His shot blocking ability strengthens our defense in a way we really could have used last year. And his passing has been a revelation.
You could even make an argument here for Markel Starks. Beating Louisville on the road is the biggest true road win of the year...until we go to the Carrier Dome. Markel won that game for us. More to the point, with Markel out, we almost lost to DePaul because we couldn't break the press.

Both Sims and Starks are worthy winners but my most improved player is again Jason Clark. Jason actually regressed a good bit last year. He lost confidence in his outside shot and that really affected the rest of his game. A shutdown defender as a sophomore, Jason was an average defender at best last season getting torched on a regular basis. All that has turned around this year with across the board improvement. He's regained confidence in his outside shot. More importantly, when he's missing, he relies on his slashing ability to score and distribute. He's like Chris Wright's wrecking ball with strong finishing ability that Chris lacked.

Best Defensive Player:
Otto Porter. The weakest part of our defense last year was terrible defensive rebounding. It makes little difference if you play solid defense for 30 seconds and then give your opponent second and third chances. Otto has changed that. He leads the team in rebounds and leads the team in getting the tough contested rebounds. He is averaging close to a double double in Big East play, but it's his rebounding that is making us a much better defensive team.

Coach of the Year:
Mike Anderson of Arkansas. Before Mike Anderson decided to leave Missouri for Arkansas, young Otto Porter had his heart set on playing for the Tigers. But then Anderson made an excellent coaching move and heading out of Mizzou. Porter saw the light, signed with Georgetown and the rest is history. Thank you Mike Anderson.

Best Male Cheerleader:
There is only one who has done nothing to distinguish himself thus far so no award will be given out this year.

Best Recruiter:
It's hard to know on the outside who should get credit for reeling in the top recruits. So, let's make this a team award for the whole coaching staff. While everyone else was chasing the kids who get all the ink, our team focused on bringing in high quality, talented, proven winners that could thrive in our system. Very well played, team.

Best Freshman:
Gotta be Otto Porter. Most talented recruit we've seen in a long time. Getting better every game. One of the top five freshmen in the country.

JT Jr. Award:
Like it or not, JT III teams are more finesse than the physically intimidating teams of Dad's. Over the last decade we've not had the likes of Gene Smith or a Michael Graham. Jabril Trawick is a throwback to earlier Hoya days. Shorten the shorts and he plays like a Hoya circa 1982. He plays with all out intensity and with a mean streak. He could play for any of John Thompson Junior's teams.

We Take Care of Our Own Award:
As Bruce Springsteen prepares for his first tour without the Big Man with a stop at Casual JazzFest in New Orleans, this award is given to the Republic of China. Having thug professionals attack our young team in China was a brilliant move to bring the team together. Anyone who doesn't think that trip didn't add to this team's toughness hasn't been watching the last couple of years.

Last Shot Award:
There is one second left on the clock and we're down by two. Whose hands do you want the ball in? This one is easy - Hollywood Hollis Thompson. Imagine how different this season would feel if he missed those last second shots.

If I Had One Wish Award:
When Pitt announced they were leaving the Big East, many of us surely wished they'd never win another Big East game. Well sometimes wishes do come true. Karma is a bitch. Maybe some of us wished that on Syracuse. I wished Syracuse would win 23 straight, be #1 in the country and the Hoyas went to the Carrier Dome and destroyed them. Too bad Notre Dame ruined that wish for me.

I'm sure I've missed some and gotten a lot wrong. I'm equally sure I'll be aggressively corrected in a casual way.

Then again, what else do we have to do until Saturday?