A Double Hoya's Return to the Dunkin Donuts Center

Since that awful game against Ohio in the 2010 NCAA tournament I have been dying to return to the Dunkin Donuts Center to erase the memory. This trip to Providence was a great weekend filled with the Hoya Spirit throughout New England. I met a nice couple from the University of Rhode Island and I mentioned to him how Nate Lubick was one of the few players we have ever successfully recruited from Massachusetts. He came right back and said to me, "What about Patrick Ewing!" How could I ever forget the man from Cambridge, Massachusetts. I am getting ready to tour Newport before returning home to New York city. Hoya Saxa and it is off to Seton Hall and New Jersey.

We are Georgetown!

Dr. Thomas A. Wong

Hoya Hoop Club VP & Director of Communications

Proud Member of Generation Ewing

A Journey to the Steel City! Hoya Saxa!

It has been 5 years I believe since my trip to the Steel City, PA. I cannot believe the Pitt Panthers have had a 1-7 start in the Big East Conference. They have arguably been the most consistent top program in the Big East over the last dozen years. However, with their point guard healthy and a big win over the Providence Friars the Pitt Panthers look like a Top Ten team again, especially at the Pitt Zoo--one of the top venues in college basketball today.

I enjoyed a wonderful dinner last night with a great Hoya, a good friend, and Pitt native Art Murphy. Art is a regular at Verizon Center driving 4 hours back and forth to almost every game at Verizon Center. So playing at Pitt is certainly a timesaver for him. I am getting ready for a pre-game gathering of Hoyas before the 4:00 PM tipoff. I have always had great respect for Jamie Dixon and the tremendous job he has done taking over for Ben Howland and keeping their program at such a high level. Georgetown--Pitt games are throwbacks to the old Big East--Physical play, defense, and rebounding will decide the game as it does most games. Stay tuned for further updates.

Dr. Thomas A. Wong

Hoya Hoop Club Vice President--Communications

Proud Member of Generation Ewing

Meet Me at Verizon Center--Hoya Saxa!!!

Oh what a season this has become. This Hoya team continues to impress. An excellent Marquette team probably still has no idea what has hit them. Jason Clark willed us to win. Henry Sims was a tower of strength, and Hollis Thompson knocked down the big 3 pointers. I love watching this team! We are Georgetown!

Verizon Center--Our House

Arrive Early & Wear Gray is the motto I try to live by for Georgetown home games. As the traffic worsens in DC this gets more and more difficult. The area around Verizon Center is growing by the minute as it has now become the hotbed for restaurants. I have a feeling this will be a very exciting season. I encourage everyone to try Luke's Lobster. They have the best crab and lobster rolls you will have anywhere! Hoya Saxa!

Walking Tall in Maui

Maui is truly one of the most beautiful places on earth. I have to go back when I have more time to vacation, but I really saw some great college basketball. Most basketball fans know the story of the Tennessee sheriff, Buford Pusser, immortalized by Bo Svenson in the 1970’s, and more recently by Dwayne “The Rock Johnson” in the movies and television series: “Walking Tall.” It was certainly more Hollywood than fact, but it made me think of our Georgetown Hoyas coming to this prestigious, highly competitive tournament with so many questions. After the tournament, and an opening heartbreaking loss to Kansas, the young Hoya Team indeed held their heads high and “Walked Tall” in the 50th state of Hawaii. Jason Clark really lit the arena up with his shooting, defense, and hustle. The freshmen left notice that they are here to compete. However, what really stood out to me was the standout performance of senior Henry Sims--Where are you LicHoya? Especially in the last game against Memphis, Henry Sims was a tower of strength offensively, defensively, and on the boards. The Hoya fans were very vocal as the cheers Hoya Saxa resounded throughout the Lahaina Civic Center. Memphis is indeed a power in college basketball, but on that afternoon Henry Sims would not be denied as he shot the ball in rhythm, and thwarted each Memphis run with key plays. Yes, this Hoya team made important progress as the Big East season approaches. Memphis will be a formidable foe on December 22nd at Verizon Center so please come out to the game. You will enjoy seeing the pre-game video of Henry Sims, Jason Clark and the rest of the Hoyas as they tower over Washington DC--Georgetown’s Playground. On this Thanksgiving week, the Hoyas indeed were indeed Walking Tall on the island of Maui! I certainly hope we go back again soon!

On my way home I spent some time in Honolulu and ran into Hoya fans at the Pearl Harbor, USS Arizona Memorial, and Ralph Dalton in the Sheraton Waikiki. I also got to watch the Lady Hoyas defeat the Georgia Bulldogs in Las Vegas on my way back East with former Hoya alumni Chico Church, and Greg Monroe! I cannot wait to get back to Verizon Center!

We are Georgetown!

Dr. Thomas A. Wong

Hoya Hoop Club Vice President--Communications

Proud Member of Generation Ewing

Maui Invitational 2011 Day 2

When you visit Maui you marvel at the beauty of nature, and you respect the great traditions of Maui, HI. It seems like almost yesterday when the Chaminade Silverswords shocked the #1 ranked college basketball team in the nation, led by player of the year Ralph Sampson, the University of Virginia aka the University of Ralph. It was the ultimate trap game for the UVA Cavaliers. I expect it to be another battle as our young Georgetown Hoyas face Chaminade in their backyard later this afternoon. Last night in losing a hard fought battle to the Kansas JayHawks I was encouraged by the great effort made by our young team. I am not fond of moral victories, but loved seeing Nate, Jason, Hollis & others dive after lose balls. I was a little concerned when I saw Henry Sims dive head first over the scorer’s table--we all admired the effort.

When yesterday started I was nervous all day as I am on most game days. I researched our history against the Kansas JayHawks on John Reagan’s Georgetown History Project and saw that we have only played Kansas once, on March 20, 1987 defeating Kansas in the Sweet Sixteen 70-57. True Georgetown basketball historians will know that this was the legendary Georgetown team known as “Reggie & the Miracles.” It seems like yesterday that I saw Reggie Williams, and Perry McDonald dominate the Derrick Coleman led Syracuse Orange and the Rick Pitino Providence Final Four team in Madison Square Garden winning another Big East Tournament Championship.

My day started as I hung out at the Westin Ono Grill by the pool enjoying my Hoya Blue drink and Maui Chili Dawg. The next thing I know is that I hear the cheer Hoya Saxa as a WAG shirt flies over my head. It was my friend Rich Chvotkin, the voice of the Georgetown Hoyas! It was great to see Rich as we were both staying in the Westin Maui which is a great hotel, but the HQ for the Kansas JayHawks. We were greatly outnumbered. Rich filled me in on his radio broadcast timetable as well as his history in Hawaii at the Maui Classic in 1999, and Georgetown’s many trips to the island of Oahu where he stayed at the Sheraton Wakiki. I will be at the Sheraton Wakiki on Thanksgiving Day for two nights before heading back East. I then took a walk to the Hyatt Regency along the beach walk hoping to find more Hoyas. I found some friends at the Hyatt Pool, and ran into Kim Curry, the GU MBB academic coordinator. Kim has that great smile, and wonderful outgoing personality that makes you want to be around her. As the afternoon was flying by I decided to take a drive to the arena so I would know my game route later that evening. TIme flew and I got to the pre-game reception meeting Steve Alleva to get my game day tickets. It was great to see the GU family including Blanton Jones, former Hoyas Unlimited Associate Director Mara Vandlik, Chris Haines (SB Nation), and many other Georgetown friends. It is always great to be surrounded by your Georgetown family. I met a few new friends, but did not get a chance to meet Jennifer Dotson from the GU Hawaii Club. I was hoping to see her but I needed to get to the arena--I need to arrive early to games for those who do not know me! Time was passing and I got a ride from my HHC Communications team member Joannah Graham and her husband Kevin. We got to the game very early and purchased some T shirts, and had some Cool Cat Cafe burgers. The Lahaina Civic Center let’s you buy and bring food in, but does not sell food in the arena. I was impressed by the organization as they brought the UCLA-Chaminade crowd out of the arena, and moved us in. There were no bad seats in the house in this tiny gym. As I mentioned we made a great effort, but the result was not what any Hoya fan wanted. Still the season is early, and I love this young Hoya team. Everyone gave a maximum effort, and I know Coach JT III will make sure his young players learn from this experience. We headed back to the Westin, and am now preparing for an 11:30 AM game against Chaminade, Hawaii Time (4:30 PM ET). As we say at Georgetown, we will live to battle another day. Chaminade will be another hard fought game. Hoya Saxa!

We are Georgetown!

Dr. Thomas A. Wong

Hoya Hoop Club VP--Communications

Proud Member of Generation Ewing