Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing
AP
It was 11 months in the past that Patrick Ewing and Georgetown had been again on high of the Large East. One other shedding season turned one thing very completely different, the Hoyas pulling off one stunner after one other to assert the convention event crown for the primary time in 14 years.
Then the offseason got here, and acquainted issues resurfaced. Ewing couldn’t maintain his greatest participant on campus. Star massive man Qudus Wahab transferred to Maryland. His greatest switch, Tre King of Japanese Kentucky, by no means appeared in a recreation. And now, lower than a yr after that crowning achievement on the Backyard, it's truthful to surprise if Georgetown ought to make a change.
In Ewing’s fifth season, the Hoyas are clearly the worst staff within the Large East, struggling via one of many uglier winters in this system’s 115-year historical past. They could not win double-digit video games for the primary time because the 1971-72 season. They're 0-10 in convention play, dropping these 10 contests by a median of 13.5 factors, and 6-15 general. They're ranked 206 by KenPom. That might be the sixth-best rating within the MAAC.
This yr was all the time going to be a step again, even had Wahab returned and King produced. Georgetown was rebuilding with a top-20 recruiting class. However much more has been requested of the constructing blocks of that class, five-star guard Aminu Mohammed and four-star heart Ryan Mutombo, and the duo haven't lived as much as expectations. Muhammed, specifically, has struggled within the Large East, averaging 12.4 factors on 38.1 p.c capturing. This staff is final within the Large East in field-goal share, final in discipline -goal share protection and final in scoring margin.
This isn’t precisely Chris Mullin’s failed tenure at St. John’s, a first-time coach who was unwilling to place within the essential time and rent the fitting individuals. Ewing spent 15 years within the NBA as an assistant coach. He has labored arduous and recruited properly. However it's clearly not working. This isn’t even a dialog if not for the Hoyas’ miraculous Large East Event title run final March. Ewing’s document is 26-54 in league play, a dismal .325 profitable share.
These 4 wins in as many days, nonetheless, can’t cover the plain. Participant retention is an issue that isn’t going away underneath Ewing. For those who can’t maintain the perfect gamers in your program, it doesn’t matter how properly you recruit until you’re touchdown the perfect highschool prospects and transfers on a yearly foundation.
Take into consideration this: Georgetown hasn’t been nationally ranked in seven years. Underneath Ewing, it hasn’t completed with a profitable league document in 5 seasons, and has been over .500 general simply as soon as. This program is just too good for that, too robust of a college in too fertile of a recruiting floor.
I believe Ewing is a top quality coach who cares deeply about Georgetown basketball. I simply don’t imagine faculty is for him. The outcomes, except for one four-day stretch, converse for themselves. I doubt Georgetown would outright fireplace the legendary participant, particularly after giving him a contract extension final April. However an amicable parting methods could be the perfect factor for each events.
RAC your mind
At residence, Rutgers edged Iowa, beat No. 4 Purdue on the buzzer and overwhelmed No. 13 Michigan State. On the street, it has misplaced to the likes of Northwestern, Penn State (by 17 factors), Minnesota (with out three of its starters) and UMass.
There are two Scarlet Knights groups. At Jersey Mike’s Area, they seem like an NCAA Event staff able to doing harm. On the street, Steve Pikiell’s squad is likely one of the worst power-conference groups within the nation. The house victories have given them an outdoor shot to go dancing for the second straight season after a 30-year drought. The street losses have undermined that pursuit, resulting in a woeful NET rating of 100.
This, after all, isn’t new for Rutgers. Two years in the past, it was 18-1 at residence and 2-8 on the street. It's evident, although, and considerably weird.
Recreation of the Week
No. 18 Illinois at No. 4 Purdue, Tuesday, 9 p.m.
Will probably be an old-school showdown within the paint when Kofi Cockburn and Illinois face Zach Edey, Trevion Williams and Purdue. Foul hassle restricted Cockburn of their first assembly, gained in double time beyond regulation by Purdue. In his three video games since, Cockburn is averaging 25.3 factors and 9.6 rebounds, as Illinois has taken excessive spot within the rugged Large Ten.
Seedings:
1: Auburn, Gonzaga, Purdue, Kansas
2: Duke, Baylor, Kentucky, Wisconsin
3: Houston, Texas Tech, Arizona, UCLA
4: Windfall, Illinois, Marquette, Villanova
Inventory Watch
Chet Holmgren — Up
It didn’t occur instantly for Gonzaga’s stud freshman. He didn’t wow us in November and December. However he’s hitting his stride now, and so is Gonzaga. The 7-foot phenom had one of many extra ridiculous stat traces you will note in Saturday’s 33-point pasting of BYU: 20 factors, 17 rebounds, six assists and 5 blocks. That got here after the projected top-three NBA draft decide went for 23 factors, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks in a rout of San Diego. He has reached double figures in eight straight video games, and the Zags have gained 12 in a row by a median of 29.3 factors.
Jordan Walker — UP
Walker confirmed very temporary flashes of promise as a freshman at Seton Corridor 4 years in the past, glimpses of what he may someday develop into. UAB is seeing that firsthand. The 5-foot-11, Port Washington, N.Y. native has blossomed in Alabama, keying the Blazers’ robust season. He scored a program-record 42 factors in a win on Saturday and is likely one of the extra dynamic little guards within the nation, averaging 19.4 factors and capturing 42 p.c from 3-point vary Led by Walker, UAB is a March menace. It's only a recreation behind Convention USA West chief North Texas and dropped tight video games to event contenders West Virginia and San Francisco by a mixed eight factors.
Hubert Davis — Down
North Carolina wished to maintain the job within the household. It wished somebody with Tar Heels bloodlines changing Roy Williams. That narrowed down the choices, a transfer that — albeit very early within the course of — has backfired. North Carolina is in actual hazard of lacking the NCAA Event. It's 0-7 in Quad 1 video games after it was embarrassed at residence by Duke on Saturday night time, and has misplaced these contests by a whopping 130 factors. There's a truthful quantity of expertise on this roster, particularly in a frontcourt that includes Armando Bacot and Brady Manek, however Davis has but to get it to mesh. The protection, specifically, is a sieve, barely ranked within the high 100 in effectivity at 96.
UConn — Down
Lower than per week in the past, the Huskies had been thought-about a Large East title contender. After two ugly losses, they don’t even seem like a lock to get a bye within the convention event as one of many high 5 groups within the league. After falling at residence to Creighton, offensively challenged UConn was manhandled by Villanova regardless of the absence of star guard Justin Moore. Danny Hurley’s staff is within the midst of a brutal stretch in its schedule, having to host No. 24 Marquette on Tuesday and go to No. 21 Xavier on Friday earlier than a visit to the Backyard to face St. John’s on Tremendous Bowl Sunday. It solely has one league win of notice, a victory at Marquette, and will simply tumble down the standings if this poor stretch mushrooms.
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