Georgetown Wins One and Loses One

Georgetown had a great basketball season in 06-07, largely in thanks to the play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert. I think they would have been frontrunners for the National Championship next season if both guys came back next season, because Ohio State lost Oden and Conley, while Florida's starting 5 are all gone. Yesterday it was announced that Hibbert will return for another year while Jeff Green will enter the draft. While it certainly won't help Georgetown to lose the current Big East POY, it seems to be a good decision by both players.

Green is ready for the NBA. From what I've seen in draft write-ups, experts think he will go between 10 and 20 in the draft. While I think it would be more advantageous for a player to come out next year instead of now because of the Oden-Durant effect, Green's game doesn't have a ton of room for improvement. He is a polished player who is likely to have a similar draft potential next year as well. He can handle getting minutes off of the bench in the NBA next season, and won't have to risk getting hurt in college before his pay day.

Hibbert is a slightly different story. While some people have him ranked higher on draft charts than Green, he still has more room to develop than Jeff. He has a lot of skill for a guy his size, but he wouldn't be able to get away with a lot of his moves with the athletic big men in the NBA. Another year in school will provide him with a chance to hone his skills while getting stronger. The possibility of earning National POY will also increase his exposure before next year's draft. I don't think there are a combination like Oden and Durant who will be draft eligible next season, so Hibbert will also have less competition next season for a top draft spot.

Both of these guys seem like quality guys and quality players. Its great to see two Maryland high school products get the chance to star close to home, and also move on to the Pro level. Either one would probably be successful with any decision they made, but I think they both chose well for where they are right now.