Hoya axe-a?
With G’town struggling, time to ask if Ewing’s days are numbered
IT WAS 11 months ago that Patrick Ewing and Georgetown were back on top of the Big East. Another losing season became something very different, the Hoyas pulling off one stunner after another to claim the conference tournament crown for the first time in 14 years. Then the offseason came, and familiar problems resurfaced. Ewing couldn’t keep his best player on campus. Star big man Qudus Wahab transferred to Maryland. His best transfer, Tre
King of Eastern Kentucky, never appeared in a game. And now, less than a year after that crowning achievement at the Garden, it is fair to wonder if Georgetown should make a change. In Ewing’s fifth season, the Hoyas are clearly the worst team in the Big East, suffering through one of the uglier winters in the program’s 115year history. They may not win double-digit games for the first time since the 1971-72 season. They are 0-10 in conference play, dropping those 10 contests by an average of 13.5 points, and 6-15 overall. They are ranked 206 by KenPom. That would be the sixthbest ranking in the MAAC.
This year was always going to be a step back, even had Wahab returned and King produced. Georgetown was rebuilding with a top-20 recruiting class.
But even more has been asked of the building blocks of that class, five-star guard Aminu Mohammed and fourstar center Ryan Mutombo, and the duo have not lived up to expectations. Muhammed, in particular, has struggled in the Big East, averaging 12.4 points on 38.1 percent shooting. This team is last in the Big East in field-goal percentage, last in field -goal percentage defense and last in scoring margin.
This isn’t exactly Chris Mullin’s failed tenure at St. John’s, a first-time coach who was unwilling to put in the necessary time and hire the right people. Ewing spent 15 years in the NBA as an assistant coach. He has worked hard and recruited well. But it is clearly not working. This isn’t even a conversation if not for the Hoyas’ miraculous Big East Tournament title run last March. Ewing’s record is 26-54 in league play, a dismal .325 winning percentage.
Those four wins in as many days, however, can’t hide the obvious. Player retention is a problem that isn’t going away under Ewing. If you can’t keep the best players in your program, it doesn’t matter how well you recruit unless you’re landing the very best high school prospects and transfers on a yearly basis.
Think about this: Georgetown hasn’t been nationally ranked in seven years. Under Ewing, it hasn’t finished with a winning league record in five seasons, and has been over .500 overall just once. This program is too good for that, too strong of a school in too fertile of a recruiting ground.
I think Ewing is a quality coach who cares deeply about Georgetown basketball. I just don’t believe college is for him. The results, aside from one four-day stretch, speak for themselves. I doubt Georgetown would outright fire the legendary player, especially after giving him a contract extension last April. But an amicable parting ways would be the best thing for both parties.
RAC your brain
At home, Rutgers edged Iowa, beat No. 4 Purdue at the buzzer and overwhelmed No. 13 Michigan State. On the road, it has lost to the likes of Northwestern, Penn State (by 17 points), Minnesota (without three of its starters) and UMass.
There are two Scarlet Knights teams. At Jersey Mike’s Arena, they look like an NCAA Tournament team capable of doing damage. On the road, Steve Pikiell’s squad is one of the worst power-conference teams in the country. The home victories have given them an outside shot to go dancing for the second straight season after a 30-year drought. The road losses have undermined that pursuit, leading to a woeful NET ranking of 100.
This, of course, isn’t new for Rutgers. Two years ago, it was 18-1 at home and 2-8 on the road. It is glaring, though, and somewhat bizarre.