Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
March 30, 2007, Washington Post

Georgetown: Lucky and Good

By George, another Washington area men's basketball team has made the Final Four. Last year, George Mason University surprised everyone to advance to college basketball's biggest show. This year, Georgetown is in.

Too bad the George Washington women's team lost to North Carolina in the Sweet 16, or maybe another local "George" would still be playing.

So can the Georgetown Hoyas win it all in the men's tournament? Let's take a look.

Admittedly, the Hoyas were lucky to make the Final Four. They beat Vanderbilt on a last-second shot by star forward Jeff Green. Television replays showed that Green might have taken too many steps on the game-winning shot, so maybe the basket should not have counted. The referees did not make the call and Georgetown won, 66-65. But, hey, the referees' calls, even close ones, are part of the game.

In their next game, the Hoyas trailed North Carolina by 11 in the second half but came roaring back by playing tough defense to beat the Tar Heels in overtime, 96-84. North Carolina helped the Hoyas by sinking just two of its final 25 shots.

Lucky or not, Georgetown is very good. The Hoyas are led by two terrific big men, 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert and Green, who is 6 feet 9. Hibbert was a big, clumsy kid when he arrived from Georgetown Prep in Rockville. But he has worked hard to become one of the best centers in the country. Green is a do-everything player from Hyattsville. He can score, rebound and play defense.

Georgetown's big guys had better be good, because the Hoyas play Ohio State in the semifinals tomorrow (6 p.m. on CBS). The Buckeyes are led by 7-foot Greg Oden, a freshman sensation who has the face of a 40-year-old man and the body of a superhero. Oden might be too athletic for Hibbert to handle. Ohio State has another fabulous freshman, guard Mike Conley Jr., who seems to play his best in big games.

In the past, Georgetown has had plenty of great big men, including NBA stars Patrick Ewing (whose son, Patrick Jr., is on the current Georgetown team), Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo. But this season's Hoyas also can shoot three-pointers. Jonathan Wallace makes more than 48 percent, including the huge shot that sent the North Carolina game into overtime.

Wallace, a junior guard, was a walk-on at Georgetown. That means he tried out for the team even though the coaches did not think he would play much. Wallace didn't give up. Now his shooting ability might be the key to Georgetown's chances to beat Ohio State.

If Georgetown does win, the Hoyas probably will play Florida on Monday night in the finals. I think Florida, the defending national champion, will beat UCLA in Saturday's other semifinal. The Gators have all five starters back from last year's team and have won their past eight games.

Can the Hoyas knock off the champs and win the NCAA championship? Maybe, but they will need a little luck.

Fred Bowen writes KidsPost's sports opinion column and is an author of sports novels for kids.

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