Hibbert, a 7-2 center, looms large for Georgetown

	Hoyas center Roy Hibbert's game highs of 20 points and 14 rebounds were well above his season averages of 11.2 and 6.6. Andy Lyons/Getty Images

DAYTON, Ohio -- "Was this any more special because your dad was here to enjoy it?" a reporter asked John Thompson III in his postgame news conference.

"Was he here?" the Georgetown coach replied semi-sarcastically.

"Right here," bellowed a low, familiar voice from the back of the room.

Big John Thompson was in fact courtside for the Hoyas' 70-52 second-round demolition of No. 2 seed Ohio State on Sunday, calling the game for Westwood One radio, and the performance he saw from his son's team had to be pleasantly familiar to the original architect of the "Beasts of the East."

Following in the footsteps of ex-Georgetown giants Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo, 7-foot-2 sophomore Roy Hibbert turned his matchup with Big Ten MVP Terence Dials into a national coming-out party, torching the Buckeyes for 20 points and 14 rebounds. He averaged 11.2 and 6.6 on the season.

"As I've said all year," said Thompson III, "he's just getting started."

Along with Hibbert's classmate, 6-9 Jeff Green, who had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists, the Hoyas controlled the game nearly from start to finish, shooting 46.6 percent from the floor and outrebounding Ohio State 37-24. It wasn't all the work of the big men, however. Credit guard Ashanti Cook for some dazzling entry passes, including a lightning-quick feed to Green for a three-point play that put Georgetown up 59-48 with 2:59 remaining, quashing any last hopes of a Buckeyes comeback.

"Their size definitely mattered today," said Ohio State guard J.J. Sullinger. "It's always in the back of your head when you're driving through the lane and there's a 7-2 guy weighing 285 pounds who can move."

Afterward, neither Thompson III nor his players seemed particularly surprised or euphoric about the result -- perhaps because they'd previously defeated No. 1 Duke, among others. That they took most other observers by surprise, not to mention fell to a No. 7 seed in the first place, was a direct result of a late-season funk that saw them lose five of their last nine games coming into the tournament, including a stunner at last-place South Florida on March 4.

The team that showed up Sunday, however, could hang with just about anyone. The Hoyas ran their Princeton-influenced offense crisply, working the ball around with ease, and their advantage in quickness was obvious throughout. They'll need another big game from Hibbert next round if they hope to survive Florida and its own vaunted big man, Joakim Noah.

"Someone asked me if this was Roy's best game; it was because of the stage," said Thompson III. "So now I expect him to do it again next week."

Player Who Impressed Me

While Hibbert was the obvious star, Green was equally impressive, particularly with his versatility. Late in the first half, after Ohio State had cut a 10-point deficit to 27-23, Green ignited an 11-2 half-closing run with two long jumpers and blocked a Matt Sylvester 3-point attempt at the buzzer. Then, when the Buckeyes got back within seven, 43-36, with 14:54 remaining, Green threw a beautiful entry pass to Darrel Owens for a layup, then drained a 3-pointer to get the lead back to 48-36.

Courtside Confidential

In a sweet if somewhat awkward moment, John Thompson interviewed his son for Westwood One after the game. He gave him a bear hug and rubbed his bald dome, which Thompson III promptly wiped with a familiar-looking white towel. ... The heavily partisan Ohio State crowd began filing out when the Hoyas went up by double digits with less than three minutes remaining, leaving the Georgetown contingent to fill the thinned-out arena with its chants, including "Sweet 16 ... Sweet 16" and "Let's keep dancing." ... In the lone bright spot for the Buckeyes, senior guard Je'Kel Foster broke out of his recent shooting slump by hitting 3-of-5 3-pointers.

Big Picture

The Hoyas are certainly capable of continuing their run, but they're not exactly getting help with their draw. While other brackets have been ravaged by upsets, the Hoyas walk into a still-loaded Minneapolis regional where they'll face third seed Florida and, if they can win that, either top seed Villanova (who they lost to 75-65 on Feb. 19) or fourth seed Boston College.

Ohio State's loss completes an embarrassing NCAA tournament for the Big Ten, which saw all six of its entrants eliminated in the first weekend. Don't expect the Buckeyes to feel sorry for themselves for too long, however. A conference championship was more than most imagined possible for this year's team -- and Greg Oden and Co. arrive in the fall.