Q&A With Casual Hoya

--Tell us about Otto Porter. Why's he so awesome?

Otto is simply a complete basketball player who can impact the game from everywhere on the court. He has a great handle for a kid his size, he has excellent post moves, is a great finisher beneath the hoop and he's shooting a whopping 45% from three this season. Plus, he comes through in the clutch, as evidenced by the game-tying basket against Indiana to force overtime, the utter destruction of Syracuse and recently the game-winner in the final seconds against UConn. Yes, he's that ridiculous and we’re very happy to have him. Overjoyed, really.

--We've heard about Otto Porter. But tell us more about the Hoya team? Who else should Rutgers worry about? Who picks up the slack if Porter has a bad night?

Georgetown trailed UConn by only three after the 1st half in its last game, which is notable in that Otto Porter didn’t have a field goal. Picking up the slack doesn’t fall on any one individual as Georgetown truly plays team basketball. Freshman D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera has really come on during Greg Whittington’s suspension, point guard Markel Starks has been steady, sophomore guard Jabril Trawick has made a smooth transition into the starting lineup and has added toughness and does everything right, and the three-headed center-power forward guys in Mikael Hopkins-Nate-Lubick-Moses Ayegba can all contribute as well.

--Georgetown lost to USF. Even Rutgers beat USF. What's the story there?

Not really sure, but since Georgetown hasn’t lost ever since that game I’ll go ahead and say that it was the best loss of all-time.

--Also, what caused the turnaround? Why is this Hoya team so good right now?

A lot of that has to do with the team concept noted above. All of these guys have bought into John Thompson III’s system and this team is a great example of everyone playing within themselves and as a unit. A great example of this was the UConn game when the Hoyas were down 7 with less than two minutes to play but dug in defensively to shut down the Huskies and went on an 8-0 run to end the game. Defensively this team has become one of the best in all of college basketball, so even on nights when the offense isn’t clicking the Hoyas are always in the game. Also, having the Big East Player of the Year on the team hasn’t exactly hurt us.

--What do you think about the Catholic 7 move? Good or bad in the long run?

I know not of what you speak when you say "Catholic 7", but if you are referring to THE BIG EAST, then damn spanky it was a great move. Keep the name, keep MSG and get paid more by Fox so we can chill with Gus Johnson and Erin Andrews. Yes please!

--Why did the Pope really leave?

Maybe he just wanted to relax. Can you really fault a guy for just wanting to relax?

--Best DC area Brewery?

Any place that serves CasuALE, our very own blog beer, is where you want to be. However, no such places exist just yet, so I can’t tell you specifically where to go for it. However, if you’re in DC for the game and want to find an excellent bar in the area of the Verizon Center, numerous Casualties congregate at The Iron Horse before and after games, and if you want to pop into what is perhaps the worst Hooters in the nation, it’s right there as well.

--Predictions for the game?

Though the first contest between us was tight, with Eli carter now hurt I suspect the Hoyas will bottle up Myles Mack and I have no idea how Rutgers is going to find enough offense to beat these Hoyas. The game could be back and forth early but I suspect Georgetown to win this one in double digits, call it Hoyas 76 – Rutgers 65.

--How far will the Hoyas go in both the Big East Tournament and the NCAAs?

One game at a time, mon fraire, one game at a time. But if you’re asking what my expectations ae at this point, I’d say a Big East semifinal spot and a Sweet Sixteen appearance.

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