Sports Talk: Show No Weakness

IT COULD HAVE BEEN a nightmare scenario for the Georgetown Hoyas.

Senior Roy Hibbert, the 7-foot-2 center who the Hoyas' offense is built around, got himself into foul trouble early and finished with no points and four turnovers. Yet Georgetown adapted without its big man, making a Big East tournament record 17 3-pointers en route to a 82-63 victory over Villanova.

The next night in New York, Hibbert scored 25 points — one shy of his career high — and was the driving force behind a 72-55 win against West Virginia.

In those two games, the Hoyas demonstrated a versatility on offense that they will need as they make their way in the Midwest region of the NCAA tournament beginning Friday against the University of Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers.

"I've said all along, we can play and have success different ways," said coach John Thompson III. "Yes, ... the big fella is the hub; he's the focal point. We have other guys that can step up and make plays."

One new player Georgetown can use is freshman point guard Chris Wright, who returned from an ankle injury that sidelined him two months just in time to contribute during the Big East tournament.

His combination of speed and 3-point shooting ability added a new wrinkle to the offense that was more potent in the league tournament than it had been all season.

Extra offense could be key for the No. 2 seeded Hoyas (27-5), whose opponents will likely try to take Hibbert out of the game by playing a zone defense similar to what Georgetown has faced most of the season.

As a result, the Big East regular season champions won several low-scoring, close affairs in what could be good practice during their quest to go to the Final Four for a second straight year.

"It's just people don't understand our offense and the things we do as far as the little things," said junior guard Jessie Sapp, who made the all-tournament team last weekend. "We're not looking for one person or two people to just score 25 points a night or this or that. It takes a lot to win a lot of close games."

Even the coach who has beaten Georgetown twice this season is impressed with the different looks the Hoyas can give.

"If you're looking for a weakness in Georgetown, you are not going to find one," said Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon. "I dare say they will do very well in the NCAA tournament."

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images