This and That: DePaul in DC '24

Having outlasted and eventually dispatched visiting DePaul 68-65 yesterday, Georgetown (8-7/1-3 in BIG EAST) avoided an ignonimous achievement - they prevailed in what barbershop's would call the Bum Bowl, a battle to stay out of the cellar in BIG EAST standings. Ed Cooley and his program are now firmly in control of 10th place, Depaul owns 11th or last. Oh yeah, it's Cooley's first BIG EAST win Blue and Grey, a challenge he started this year.

Below are observations and anecdotes.

Postgame pressers can be found here.

The game thread is accessed, here.

While not necessarily sanguine, head Hoya coach Ed Cooley was nevertheless palpably pleased in defeating DePaul, a squad now with three wins, 11 losses and a penchant for finding ways to lose. it's not a sexy win, but was crucial nonetheless.

Why?

"I think we all needed (one). Let's be open. Let's be candid" started Cooley, on what this win, one in prosperous times would be standard operating procedure, meant. "Georgetown basketball needed that. Georgetown University needed that. The District needed that.

"I mean, when you're building and growing, you need games like that in order to instill confidence in one another. And just to feel good. Our men are working hard. They're going to practice. The league's tough. But at the same time nobody is going to feel sorry for you. Nobody".

Ever a professional coach, Cooley later returned to this victory, yet infused his response with reality: "We were good enough to win. Can we sustain that to have multiple victories..I always tell the players, in any sport, toughness wins...doesn't have to be physical, can be mental, emotional. The tougher team won today".

In his estimation "I thought our toughness grew. I thought our chemistry grew up today, and I thought our ability to deal with adversity - lost three in a row, hadn't really played well. I was proud of our men".

Demonstrating "resilience" was and is key to Cooley

A key aspect to all involved was rebounding, where G'town prevailed 35-28. No one was more involved in cleaning glass than junior forward Dontrez Styles, he of 13 game best rebounds while scoring seven points. What happened?

Per him, "To be honest, just playing harder. We watched the film last game, to be honest I could barely watch it i was so disgusted in me.

"So i knew this game just go out and play has hard as i could. And that's what i did".

Cooley applied coaching perspective to his team winning the board battle, revealing "What i was happy and excited about, with that, is we showed a lot of film...a lot of standing around (occurred). . And especially with these two guys here (Styles, senior forward Ish Massoud, 13p/7r). Lot of portrait watching.

"You gotta be engaged more when you are 3, 4, 5 position for us. You should wake up, go to beat, eat, sleep, talk going to the glass. eat, go to. It's somebody's opportunity...why not ours"?

in Cooley's opinion, "I thought that was key. His (Styles') tip in was game, set, match", a reference to Style's stick back of a Rowan Brumbaugh (10p, 3a) miss with one minute, one second to play, pushing the Hoyas' lead to 66-61 with just 57 seconds in regulation.

Tony Stubblefield, DePaul's embattled head coach highlighted offensive caroms specifically as key to his team's setback, sharing "We gave up two or three critical offensive rebounds", all conspiring to usher defeat. G'Town bested his guys 21-18 on defensive boards while pulling down 14 offensive rebounds to DePaul's 10.

Following Styles on the rebound leader board was teammate and senior forward Ish Massoud with seven rebounds, a mark equaled by DePaul senior forward, DeSean Nelson.

For stretches both team's exhibited top level ball/people movement, unsurprisingly leading to offensive success during those times.Doing so is desired by Cooley et al.

"I tell the players when the ball sings the music is unbelievable. And it's unbelievable results that come from ball movement and body movement" revealed the coach, who was quick to add "it's gotta go in". He nevertheless highlighted "And i even thought one of the biggest shots we missed was the best shot of the game, was his (Styles') corner three late in the second half...He normally makes that.

"If you have a high assist game, you'll find yourself in a lot of W columns".

Stubblefield's Blue Demons went to work sharing the pill late in the first half, with him saying of the swath of time "I don't know if it's the best stretch" of passing they've mustered all year, yet acknowledging "i did think the ball was moving, had some energy".

Unfortunately as Stubblefield said "the ball started stopping in the second half, we weren't moving the basketball as much".

DePaul (3-11/0-3/11th) won the assist battle 16-12, while committing nine turnovers to G'Town's 11. Subblefield's guys shot slightly better from the field - 46% to 45% - though trailed Georgetown 38%-28% on three balls.

Nelson paced all scorers with 19 points. Being absent from competition due to foul trouble limited him to 25 minutes, though he still exceeded his 11-plus point season average.

Cooley expects no quarter from foes.

"They want people to be hurt. They want teams to play bad, right? And we have to withstand that".

Styles on focus being on top of the 1 3 1 zone.

"Just trying to be active. Do what we practice everyday in practice, to the best of my ability".

How did Stubblefield approach that 1 3 1?'

"We just wanted to attack it. Guys did a better job of attacking it the second or third time that they saw it. I thought we did a much better job of attacking it, inside out.

Cooley on what needs to be constant.

"Toughness travels. Defense travels"

As the season stands at it's midway point for G'town, the pivot position has been set and continues to evolve. Cooley has essentially decided on Cook and frosh big Drew Fielder. Both are starting to establish pros and cons.

"They are two of our bigger energy givers in terms of emotion, and that's something we see everyday in practice" is how Cooley described the pair, generally. From there he commented on them individually.

A 6'10", 216 pound rookie, Cooley said of the long, talented and mobile Feilder "And we're playing Drew more and more as he gets accustomed to the physicality of our league. He came here as Bambi, just a colt learning, he's always on the floor (ground)..

"He's (now) not on the floor as much, working in the weight room, dealing with his knees. He's growing in front of our eyes. I'm really proud of how patient (he is), and continuing to grow".

Cook, listed as 6'9", 225 pounds, is a transfer from Fairfield, one known to be an around the rim finisher, voracious rebounder and stout interior defender. Cooley wants to see even more rugged play from Cook, sharing "He's someone who should get three or four rand ones with his physicality and his toughness. Hopefully that's something that's coming".

Against DePaul, Cook managed 14 team best points, four rebounds in 27 minutes, while Fielder put up nine points, three rebounds, in 17 second hand trips around the dial.

One center that has fallen from favor and contention is junior Ryan Mutombo. Son of Dikembe last name and a Georgetown/Basktball Hall of Fame pivot, Mutumbo didn't see any time against DePaul. He's played in 11 games this year, and the eight consecutive times he saw clock prior to yesterday, Ryan scored two points, pulling down six rebounds.

For the season his statline stands less than a point per game (.6) and 1.5 rpg in four minutes each time out. Despite struggling, given being around the season's halfway mark, there will be opportunities for Mutombo to gain Cooley's confidence and secure minutes.