Georgetown’s Greg Monroe came into school filling the large shoes of center Roy Hibbert, now two years later he is leaving and will surpass Hibbert in terms of draft status. Monroe isn’t widely considered a top 5 pick, but I think he is well worth the investment and will end up being one of the 5 best players from this draft class. A lot of teams and pundits try to knock him for one thing or another, and while some of the knocks are real, they are overblown.

Most experts argue that Monroe lacks the explosiveness and athleticism for the NBA. While he’s not as athletic and explosive as some, he also isn’t just a body out there. He does well in transition and can get to the basket and finish. The other knock on Monroe is that he isn’t strong enough and not a tough enough rebounder. And I understand that somewhat since he will be facing a much tougher breed of big man in the NBA, that adding strength is a must. But Monroe isn’t exactly a weak man in the middle out there. He increased his rebounds by over three boards a game last season, and didn’t really get pushed around too much in college.

All-in-all, I love Monroe and think his strengths outweigh his weaknesses. Monroe has excellent basketball I.Q., which is why he can get by without top notch athleticism. He also is a very unselfish player, who has great ball handling ability for a big man. He can be a dangerous passer in the paint and should set up a lot of open shots. Monroe has prototypical size and wingspan, and with his I.Q. he knows how to use them. He has good range for a big man, and a pretty advanced offensive game. And the best thing that Monroe brings to the table is his work ethic. Monroe really refined his game between his freshman and sophomore campaigns, and has been impressive on the workout trail this season. While many teams may prefer DeMarcus Cousins (who really could be an exceptional player if he puts his mind to it) or Derrick Favors (who is a bit of a risk in my opinion) , Monroe is a the safest and smartest choice. His attitude and work ethic make up for any minor athletic discrepancies.  In many ways Monroe reminds me of Tim Duncan, and while I don’t know if he will reach that pinnacle, I don’t think he will be far off.

By Contributing Fanspeak writer Geoff Nelowet

A year ago the Georgetown Hoyas fell to a disappointing 16-15 on the season and a birth in the NIT. That 2008-09 team was built around a freshman center, and they were lead by a freshman point guard. In other words, last year’s squad was deplorably inconsistent. This year’s team loses two starters in F DaJuan Summers and G Jessie Sapp, but expect a huge turnaround this year from a more seasoned core of players.

Fortunately for Georgetown, that freshman center – Greg Monroe – is a definite all-American candidate, and he will likely be in the NBA this time next year. Monroe averaged nearly 13 points and 7 boards as freshman a year ago. He may be the most dominant big man in the Big East this season, and he is now surrounded by a solid collection of talented and experienced players. Guards Chris Wright, Austin Freeman, and Jason Clark are all a year older, and they will be key contributors averaging double figures this season.

The biggest obstacle for the Hoyas this season will be the difficulty of the Big East Schedule. Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia, Cincinnati and Connecticut are all ranked in the top-20 nationally, and Georgetown sits behind all but Cincinnati. Let us not forget the wealth of talented unranked teams in the Big East as well such as Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Louisville. Rankings, of course, mean nothing, but the Big East is ostensibly one of the deepest, most talent-rich conferences this year, and any Big East win will be a major accomplishment. Georgetown will be facing an uphill battle all season.

Georgetown is going to make major strides this season, and they have the talent and experience to make a run in both the Big East and NCAA tournaments. Winning the Big East, though, will be a daunting task, and it is in all likelihood not within this team’s grasp. The Hoyas should expect to win 20 games this year, and they should aim to finish in the top 5-6 in the conference. There are simply too many powers this year for Georgetown to dominate the conference, as they may be one of 8-9 Big East teams in the NCAA tournament.