Post by hoyalawyaup on Apr 6, 2017 16:23:14 GMT -5
Hope the Hoyas coaching change spurs a revival! Still remember some of the train wreck games when fortunes were in decline under Esh (a painful loss at the RAC in Piscataway, not too far from where we were making a long time home in Somerset County, NJ).
As far as the coaching change, would preach only the virtue of patience on the part of the fans as Ewing will no doubt try mightily to stage a turnaround. Zags have been blessed with a coach who has spurned some very tempting financial offers from major conference teams to just stay rooted where he's happy and connected to the outdoor life he loves. Rumor mill was that Georgetown had made an overture, but after he passed up the opening at Oregon, 99% of us figured he'd be a lifer - synonymous with the institution and program he's built.
The school this year, with Zachary Collins, got its first McDonald's All-American to arrive fresh out of high school and not as a transfer student-athlete from teams in mightier conferences. Also got lucky with Jordan Matthews, to buckle down to complete the last of his credits last summer at UC Berkeley so as to get his degree and come into immediate playing eligibility for the Zags as a graduate student putting in his 4th year. It was kind of rare at Gonzaga to find a team that had more new faces than returning players, given it's typical tradition of making the most with lesser talent through redshirt years.
Team bonding exercise out in the woods of North Idaho last fall, recounted in this article, was a pretty good way to set the right tone and get the fellas functioning together off the court. That Jesuit "men for others" thing.
My son-in-law was a scholarship athlete in track at Oregon, and keeps in touch with people back on the campus in athletics. Says there's high hopes for how Georgetown's transfer will fit into next year's plans after sitting out the past transfer ineligibility year. Hopefully, Ewing's arrival will bring an end to Hoya departures.
In women's hoops, where an Idaho stand out (Destiny Slocum) signed to play for the Terps and won freshman of the year accolades this past season, but is now transferring, the speculation is that she might be eyeing the Oregon team that beat Maryland in the women's NCAA's. That squad is coached by Kelly Graves, who earned his chops staging a major turnaround of WBB at Gonzaga, making them perennial NCAA competitors after years of languishing in the cellar of the WCC and the shadow of the men's team. Now back at his alma mater in Oregon.
Kids that age want to join winning programs that will further develop them as good players and give them a reasonable shot at higher level competition in NCAAs and "maybe" the pro's. I'm optimistic that Ewing will attract some good ones; although, it's unfortunate that the nepotism rule poses a problem for Patrick Jr. staying on the coaching staff.
www.si.com/college-basketball/2017/04/04/gonzaga-march-madness-national-title-game-north-carolina-mark-few
As far as the coaching change, would preach only the virtue of patience on the part of the fans as Ewing will no doubt try mightily to stage a turnaround. Zags have been blessed with a coach who has spurned some very tempting financial offers from major conference teams to just stay rooted where he's happy and connected to the outdoor life he loves. Rumor mill was that Georgetown had made an overture, but after he passed up the opening at Oregon, 99% of us figured he'd be a lifer - synonymous with the institution and program he's built.
The school this year, with Zachary Collins, got its first McDonald's All-American to arrive fresh out of high school and not as a transfer student-athlete from teams in mightier conferences. Also got lucky with Jordan Matthews, to buckle down to complete the last of his credits last summer at UC Berkeley so as to get his degree and come into immediate playing eligibility for the Zags as a graduate student putting in his 4th year. It was kind of rare at Gonzaga to find a team that had more new faces than returning players, given it's typical tradition of making the most with lesser talent through redshirt years.
Team bonding exercise out in the woods of North Idaho last fall, recounted in this article, was a pretty good way to set the right tone and get the fellas functioning together off the court. That Jesuit "men for others" thing.
My son-in-law was a scholarship athlete in track at Oregon, and keeps in touch with people back on the campus in athletics. Says there's high hopes for how Georgetown's transfer will fit into next year's plans after sitting out the past transfer ineligibility year. Hopefully, Ewing's arrival will bring an end to Hoya departures.
In women's hoops, where an Idaho stand out (Destiny Slocum) signed to play for the Terps and won freshman of the year accolades this past season, but is now transferring, the speculation is that she might be eyeing the Oregon team that beat Maryland in the women's NCAA's. That squad is coached by Kelly Graves, who earned his chops staging a major turnaround of WBB at Gonzaga, making them perennial NCAA competitors after years of languishing in the cellar of the WCC and the shadow of the men's team. Now back at his alma mater in Oregon.
Kids that age want to join winning programs that will further develop them as good players and give them a reasonable shot at higher level competition in NCAAs and "maybe" the pro's. I'm optimistic that Ewing will attract some good ones; although, it's unfortunate that the nepotism rule poses a problem for Patrick Jr. staying on the coaching staff.
www.si.com/college-basketball/2017/04/04/gonzaga-march-madness-national-title-game-north-carolina-mark-few