G L I D E H O Y A S: Hoyas glide to Piscataway looking to change course against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights

TURN THAT SWAG BACK ON HOYAS

SOULJA BOY!

vs.

It's that time Hoyanation and friends, I feel it. It's that time. It's time for a new start, so what better to do get this new start on a crucial road game. The Hoyas (12-5 1-4) have been through it all so far this season. At the top in a tough nonconference schedule that was ranked #1 in the country, and now at the bottom of their conference ranked #13. Georgetown is hungry, it's like a bad taste in their mouths and they just wanted get rid of that bad taste anyway they can. If they can win on the road, which I think they can then so be it, and it would be even better if they did so. What better to changes courses for the better on a big road game "WIN!" Senior Austin Freeman is the leader in scoring for the Hoyas at (17.5 pts.) per outing, and senior point guard Chris Wright is leading the team in assists (5.8).

Truly, it is unbelievable to think that an upperclassmen-laden team that started the season 11-1 against perhaps the toughest non-conference schedule in the nation now is in almost must-win territory just five games into Big East play. Logic says the Hoyas' perimeter shooters will find their way, but there is nothing logical about the breadth of the team's current shooting woes. The Hoyas is one of the best shooting teams in the country, and even on a day when Chris Wright and Austin Freeman struggled, it still managed to knock down 50% of his shots against West Virginia.

Free-throw shooting has not been the Hoyas' problem, though they missed 10 of 14 in the first half against the Panthers. Getting to the line in the first place is where their troubles lie. Through five Big East games, Georgetown has taken 42 fewer free throws than its opponents, or just over eight fewer per game. The Hoyas have to be a lot more aggressive and go to the basket. There are no excuses of guards not being able to get the cup. None. It's all about finding a way, digging down deep and saying, "I've got to find a way to get to the cup and finish, where there is a "WILL" there is a "WAY."

I would love to see my Hoyas start out with a "PRESS" right off the bat and catch our opponent off guard, and also it wakes my team up from the start. I guess you could say it's like waking up in the morning to go running or exercise. It also gives my team a "sense of urgency." We can also do this during the game when our opponents least expect it. We have to be "AGGRESSIVE" and ENERGETIC" and "COMMUNICATE/POINT COMMUNICATE" all the way through the game. As a coach, my philosophy is, "I'm going to make you work from baseline to baseline especially when I have the personnel." This gets my team loose and ready to rock and roll especially on the offensive end. Our defense will feed into our offense, it's almost like playing basketball the right way, "INSIDE, OUT." - Glidehoyas

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are (10-6 1-3) and ranked 12th in the Big East conference. Based on its performance against Connecticut on Tuesday, the Scarlet Knights are halfway toward their goal of being a team that can contend with the best in the Big East. In the Scarlet Knights last game on the road they lost to #10 UConn 67-53. Rutgers kept itself in the game against UConn with a strong performance on the glass against the taller Huskies. The Scarlet Knights were out-rebounding the Huskies, 21-17, at halftime, and the teams finished the game with 37 boards apiece.

Rutgers leading scorer is senior forward Jonathan Mitchell (12.4 pts.) from Mount Vernon, NY. Sophomore Dane Miller leads his team (6.1 rebs.) a game. Senior Mike Coburn (4.1 assts.) is the leader in distributing the rock for the Scarlet Knights. It's a work in progress for Rice, and much of his work this season is trying to fill the two roles of getting his young people experience for the future and giving his seniors their best chance to end their college careers on a high note.

"This team is getting better defensively. They're starting to instinctively jump to the ball, instinctively communicating on some of the switches, instinctively doing some of the things that are part of our formula. It's hard to see sometimes in the Big East, but this team is improving. That is why I'm excited about it." -- Coach Mike Rice, following the team's victory over Providence.

"We're in a place where we don't want to be right now. Everyone in that locker room from myself on down has to figure out how to get us out of this place. We're the same group of guys who were in there two or three weeks ago and now we just have to find out how to get back there." -- Coach John Thompson III said after the loss to West Virginia.

"LET'S DIG OUR WAY OUT OF THIS HOYAS, SO WE CAN CHANGE COURSE IN THE "WRIGHT" DIRECTION!" - Glidehoyas

YES WE CAN, YES WE CAN, YES WE CAN HOYAS!