Today will be the last home game for the first class recruited by John Thompson III to Georgetown. It was a four man class that, after transfers, is down to just a one man class.
That man is Jessie Sapp. The Mayor of Onion Town.
He didn't play that much as a freshman but he hit some huge shots with the biggest being a three point dagger against Northern Iowa in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament. The Hoyas hadn't been in the tournament since 2001 and he made sure that there stay was longer than 40 minutes.
The next season he replaced Ashanti Cook in the starting lineup and would go on to be a steady force on a team that would win the Big East Regular Season title, Big East Tournament Championship, and go to the Final Four. This was the best season of Hoya Hoops in 22 years. Sapp was a big part of the Elite 8 comeback against UNC in the East Regional Final.
My personal highlights: I still have visions of him just taking Lawson to the hoop without any opposition from 'ol Ty. Who could forget his 60 foot heave at Villanova? I had just gotten up to start my walk down to the concession stands for another beer when Jessie decided to swish a three point dagger from Downtown. Or how about his performance against Belmont down in Winston Salem in Round one of the NCAA's?
Year 3 was THE YEAR for Jessie. Already being a staple in the Hoyas starting lineup, Jessie really upped his accuracy from three point range, hitting on more than 40% of his shots. He helped the Hoyas successfully defend their Big East Regular season title and got them back to the Big East Tournament final.
My personal highlights: I guess Jessie decided that with Jeff leaving for the pros it was up to him to come through in the clutch. The best moment was his last second three at West Virginia that sent about 12,000 hillbillies into a drunken temper tantrum. He just crossed up Ruoff and found nothing but the bottom of the net. He also brough the Hoyas back from dead at home against UCONN and Syracuse to help perserve the home court winning streak.
Year 4 hasn't gone the way anybody would have liked. Looking back at everything it seems as if Jessie was caught in the transition. He will always be linked with the guys from one class ahead of him. An intregal part of bringing back Hoya Paranoia, Jessie wasn't able to carry the load by himself. We could sit around and try and figure out what went wrong for hours but what's the difference really?
My personal highlights: Shutting down Vasquez and making Maryland look like the JV's down in Orlando. How about finishing off the Huskies at UCONN? I also admire the way he has handled his role off the bench. I know it's not where he wants to be. It's not where he should be. But it is what it is. I'm hoping that I can add some memories during the Big East Tournament. We shall see.
It's been a great career for the Mayor of Onion Town. Every program needs guys like Jessie Sapp. He was never going to go pro early. He's been tough as nails and a solid contributor all four years, three of those as a starter. I don't know him personally but I would like to thank him for all his efforts on the court. After all the wins and losses it's all about being proud of a team that has provided fans like myself some enjoyment and escape from our daily lives, if only for a couple of hours a week. The amount of time and effort that the players put into this during their 4 years in school is unbelieable.
Thanks brah.
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