LINKS: National Media Rubbernecks Ewing, Georgetown during BIG EAST Dumpster Fire

Mar 9, 2023 - 4:00 PM

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Your Georgetown Hoyas finished their 2022-23 season and, like much of the year for loyal Hoyas followers, the job status of Patrick Ewing is in question, at best. At this time, however, national journalists are taking some of their precious time to aim their faux sympathies towards Ewing and Georgetown in a celebration of this epic collapse of a proud, historic program. The question posed by this humble lunch blogger—who, along with a handful of other folks, followed and wrote about the Georgetown Hoyas regularly during this dumpster fire—is “Where the hell have you been?”

This overkill coverage was needed when the Hoyas overtook the DePaul streak, or even last year after the 0-19 debacle. This sort of drive-by national sports journalism attention is not conducive to change on the Hilltop.

Yes, Georgetown has not officially pulled the plug and, yes, maybe articles in the New York Times, The AP, The Athletic, The Philadelphia Inquirer, etc. put enough pressure on President Jack DeGioia and the Board to expedite the transition process. But isn’t it more likely that Georgetown doubles-down on their the-press-is-evil-we-must-circle-the-wagons philosophy?

Isn’t this exactly why John Thompson Jr. wouldn’t let freshman Patrick Ewing (or any other freshmen) speak with the media?

Here are the links:

Patrick Ewing, Georgetown and a Bitter End at the Garden | New York Times

It was only two years ago when a joyous and victorious Ewing strolled into the Georgetown locker room at the Garden singing Drake lyrics. After being picked to finish last in the conference’s preseason poll, the Hoyas had just upset Creighton in the Big East tournament final, earning an automatic bid in the N.C.A.A. tournament — the program’s first berth since the 2014-15 season.

But that optimism was short-lived. The Hoyas lost in the first round of the N.C.A.A. tournament and carried a 29-game losing streak in regular-season Big East play into late January of this season.

“It’s the same stuff that Ewing talks about all the time — we just have not been able to close games,” Rich Chvotkin, Georgetown basketball’s radio voice for 49 seasons, said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. “And in the Big East, if you can’t close games, you’re in trouble.”

Ewing’s exit? Hapless Hoyas blown out of Big East Tournament | AP

Last-place Georgetown (7-25) was eliminated by sixth-seeded Villanova 80-48 in the first round of the Big East Tournament. School officials have given no indication of whether Ewing will be back for a seventh season, but he fell to 75-109 as coach of the program he lead to three Final Fours and a national title as player.

“No thoughts about my future,” Ewing said. “The (last) two season’s been rough. Disappointed in the outcomes of these last two years. My future’s in the hands of our president and our AD and the board of the directors.”

Athletic director Lee Reed declined to comment on Ewing’s status.

“My thoughts are with those kids right now,” Lee said outside of the Georgetown locker room. “It’s been a long year.”

Hoyas Fall in BIG EAST Tournament First Round | GUHOYAS

The Hoyas could not contain a hot-shooting sixth-seeded Villanova squad as the #11 Georgetown men’s basketball team fell 80-48 to the Wildcats in the first round of the 2023 BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Tournament, presented by JEEP. With the loss, Georgetown concludes its season with an overall record of 7-25. Villanova advances to the second round with a record of 17-15.

ON THE RECORD ... “They hit some tough shots early and we didn’t get to them. We were trying to switch everything in the first half and our bigs didn’t get up on some of those threes or they contested late. We work on contesting high and we weren’t able to do that and they knocked down shots.”

“The result is all I’m thinking about right now. It’s always good to be back in New York, but I’m very disappointed in the fact that the season is over for us and we didn’t accomplish the things that we wanted to accomplish.” - Head Coach Patrick Ewing

Patrick Ewing was a god at Georgetown. Villanova’s win showed his time as Hoyas coach is over | Philadelphia Inquirer

Wednesday was the 10-year anniversary of the announcement that the Big East would remake itself as a 10-school league built on the premise that basketball, for its members, came before football. Villanova’s dominance — its two national championships especially — through the conference’s subsequent half-decade acted as a tide to lift several of the new Big East’s boats. Marquette, Creighton, Xavier, Providence: They’ve all thrived. Georgetown has sunk like a stone, the latest sign that a coaching name that tickles Baby Boomer and Gen-X alumni doesn’t necessarily make a difference in the modern age of college basketball.

St. John’s tried the same trick with Chris Mullin in 2015, and he lasted just four years, went 59-73, and never got the Johnnies past the NCAA Tournament’s First Four round.

Villanova buries Georgetown with Big East Tournament opening round barrage in 80-48 win | VUHOOPS

While the first two Villanova-Georgetown meetings had moments where it was close, this higher-stakes rematch had little doubt.

“They hit some tough shots early, we tried to switch on everything in the first half,” Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing said. “Our bigs didn’t get on some of those threes or they contested late. We talk about contesting high and they weren’t able to do that, and they hit those shots. ... Their defensive intensity picked up and then they started making shots and it was like the floodgates.”

The Hoyas never had an answer for the Wildcats’ big first half, and Villanova continued to ride the momentum the rest of the way.

Eight different Wildcats hit from deep at least once in Wednesday’s win. The Wildcats surpassed their previous season-high mark of 14 three-pointers in a win over St. Joe’s on Dec. 17...

Defensively, the ‘Cats clamped Georgetown and held them to a 19-of-56 (33.9%) shooting clip overall and a 3-of-20 (15.0%) mark from long range.

Wildcats Move Past Georgetown 80-48 at BIG EAST Tournament | Villanova.com

Villanova never let Georgetown’s offense – which scored 73 points in the last meeting between the teams’ on Jan. 16 at Finneran Pavilion – get untracked. The Hoyas were just 19-of-56 from the field (.339) and 3-of-20 from beyond the 3-point arc (.150). The Wildcats owned a 43-27 margin on the glass as well.

Cam Whitmore, named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year earlier in the day, posted a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Justin Moore scored 12 of his 13 points in the first half, helping Nova craft a 41-20 halftime lead.

“I thought we played really hard from the beginning tonight,” stated Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune. “They didn’t really score on us in the halfcourt. We got back and got stops in transition. That was something we really talked about in our gameplan. Proud of our guys’ effort.”

Have you met Jack? Georgetown University’s big dog on campus | WUSA9

Jack is Georgetown University’s live mascot; an English bulldog that knows how to capture attention. Whether it’s during his daily walks around Georgetown’s campus, or sitting courtside during Georgetown men’s basketball games, Jack is undeniably a show stopper. “Its fantastic getting to see him walking around. He’s the best live mascot in the United States in my opinion,” says Georgetown student, Conor Murphy.

Georgetown students, Murphy and Jesse Ryno were quick to tell us, Jack is the most popular figure on campus. “Everyone sees him, they go crazy, he gets everyone rallied up at sporting events,” adds Ryno.

“I know a lot of people who say just seeing Jack, makes their day, or makes their week, and no matter what’s going on can just bring everyone together,” says Georgetown student and Jack Crew member, Grace Hardymon.

Georgetown, Patrick Ewing and one more demoralizing loss in an era of them | The Athletic

This school has to — has to — let someone else create a Georgetown basketball identity.

It has to do things differently, and everyone knows it. The days of insulation and entitlement must end. Reboot it all. Georgetown has to start acting like a functional, modern college basketball program. Like the kind of program it aspires to be. Allow the entire breadth of the athletic department’s staff to help. Use athletic director Lee Reed — who is well-respected in the league, whatever Georgetown faithful think of him — as an actual resource. Open all the doors. Let the air in. It’s what elite programs do.

Every arrow fired in the general direction of Georgetown basketball has been earned. Well earned. No program, let alone one with this much potential, goes this bad without bad management and at least a minimal dose of toxic culture.