Nov. 30, 2011
From Tide Immemorial
The passage of time is most keenly felt through milestones, whether foreseen or unexpected. We recall what things were like at a particular moment in time and take stock of all that has changed - and all that has endured. Memorable moments and events act as exclamation points, punctuating the ebb and flow of life.
For me, Georgetown vs. Alabama is one such milestone. Just a few days short of four years will have passed since these two teams last faced off in the Big East/SEC Challenge, when the Hoyas came away with a 70-60 victory on December 5, 2007. Having grown up in Mobile - as an Auburn fan and devoted Alabama basher, no less - the prospect of my beloved Hoyas taking on the hated Crimson Tide was a matter of great significance, so much so that I convinced my family to postpone Thanksgiving by two weeks and instead assemble in Birmingham for a feast of college basketball. It was a nervewracking game, one that saw the Tide clinging to a one-point lead with four minutes left. Crunchtime belonged to the Hoyas, however, as the Boys in Blue & Gray finished on a 14-3 run on the strength of back-to-back threes from DaJuan Summers and Jessie Sapp and clutch free-throws from Summers and Jonathan "The Alabama Rainmaker" Wallace.
Much has changed since that night in Birmingham, and not just the inevitable cycling of college rosters that ensures no one who takes the court this Thursday was on the floor of the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center four years prior. Back then, Georgetown was unbeaten and following on a Final Four season, while Alabama was 4-2 and coming off of a derailed season that began with multiple weeks in the national top ten and ended with a first-round NIT loss. Now it is the Crimson Tide that is the unbeaten team, on the heels of a 25-win season and an appearance in the NIT finals, while the Hoyas look to improve on a season that saw both top ten rankings and first-round exits.
Back in '07, Alabama was coached by Mark Gottfried (with whom I share an alma mater in UMS-Wright Preparatory School), who was in his 10th season there and whose lengthy tenure stood in stark contrast to the coaching carousel that had afflicted the Bama football helm. Today, John Thompson III is the undisputed elder statesman among DC-area high-profile coaches, following the dismissal of Ralph Friedgen, the retirement of Gary Williams, and the southward migration of Jim Larranaga. The Tide, meanwhile, is now managed by third-year coach and former Miami Tropic Anthony Grant, a month and four days Thompson's junior.
Finally, in 2007, if either side was liable to be looking past this matchup and ahead toward later in the schedule, it was the Hoyas. A December 22nd showdown with #2 Memphis was looming for the Blue & Gray, while Alabama knew it would have no greater showcase than hosting then-#4 Georgetown in-state on national television. In 2011, the Hoyas once again have a December 22nd date with a top-25 Memphis squad, but this time around it will be one they've already bested this season. There is no looking ahead on our side: I overheard one Georgetown undergrad at Monday's game against IUPUI game excitedly telling his companion that Georgetown was playing Alabama, AT ALABAMA, THIS THURSDAY. If anything, the Bammers might be forgiven for looking past GU and toward their upcoming game against the Old Spice Classic champion Dayton Flyers.
There is some continuity between these two meetings, of course. The Crimson Tide remain determined rebounders, particularly on the offensive glass, and JaMychal Green has proven to be a worthy successor to Richard Hendrix. The Hoya southern connection continues as well: while today's Hoya roster lacks anyone from the state of Alabama, the drive to Coleman Coliseum would be only 10 miles further from freshman Tyler Adams's hometown of Brandon, MS than from Jonathan Wallace's Harvest, AL farm. Georgetown is once again anchored by a senior guard and center, and if this season's first six games are any indication, Messrs. Clark and Sims are determined to establish themselves as team leaders in the mold of Wallace and Hibbert. The most important constant is Coach Thompson himself, who now guides a 2011-12 squad that has already logged as many frequent flyer miles as the '07-'08 team did over the course of their entire season (trips to China and Maui will do that).
Hopefully, there is one more carryover from the last showdown to this one: the outcome. If the Hoyas do pull it off, perhaps they will be rewarded with a more prime location to bear the name Georgetown, Alabama. The current two - one a mere half-hour from my house and the other apparently not near anything - would probably not qualify for "memorable moments" status.
Dmitriy Zakharov (F'09, MA'09)
Proud Member of Generation JWall
