ESPN (1/25): Why Georgetown’s Return to Glory Has Failed…

[daveg023]

Top story on the front page of the NCAAM page on ESPN.   Story by Myron Medcalf:

Why Georgetown's return to glory has failed to launch under Patrick Ewing

[sweetness]

That last quote from Kemp is very interesting.

[kettlehill]

Jan 25, 2022 12:37:57 GMT -5 sweetness said:

That last quote from Kemp is very interesting.

My thoughts exactly...

[boxout05]

Jan 25, 2022 12:29:44 GMT -5 daveg023 said:

Top story on the front page of the NCAAM page on ESPN.   Story by Myron Medcalf:

Why Georgetown's return to glory has failed to launch under Patrick Ewing

No chance to read right now. Is the answer “the fans”?

[hoya9797]

Jan 25, 2022 12:37:57 GMT -5 sweetness said:

That last quote from Kemp is very interesting.

It's the hope that kills you.

[hoya9797]

It looks like Ewing did not, in fact, “shut everyone up” last year. It’s very shocking that a small four game sample was not more indicative of the kind of team he can build and his coaching than the 100+ that came before.

[njhoya78]

The article is hard to read...and much harder to criticize. This can't be the way any of us want to make the front page of espn.com.

[hoyaboya]

Kudos to ESPN for writing this article, though some of me wonders if it may have been planted with Ewing's permission, as he looks to ease his way out of this thing. Most revealing parts of the article, in my view:

1) Father Raymond Kemp, who was Thompson's high school classmate and friend and has been closely involved with the program and its players for 50 years, says the former Georgetown star understands his predicament.

"I think he sees it as a work in progress and as a process kind of a thing," said Kemp, who presided over Thompson's funeral Mass last year. "And he is very well aware that the pressure to win is on."

2) "I'm still getting to know them, and they're still getting to know me," he said about his new team that day. "And what I've been telling both them, and the folks in D.C., is that it's a building process. We're laying the foundation."

After his official duties ended, the 7-footer stretched out in the stands and talked about the assignment he had accepted at his alma mater.

"I have to get on a plane and go recruiting now," he said.

He did not seem excited.

3) That's when Big John, a one-man search committee, called. His son, John Thompson III, had just been fired by Georgetown after missing the NCAA tournament in back-to-back seasons. He wanted Ewing to consider the opportunity.

"His blood, sweat and tears -- my blood, sweat and tears -- and the people that came before me, some of the guys on this wall, they laid the foundation for Georgetown to be where it was, and where we're on our way back to," Ewing told ESPN last month. "[Thompson] called me when I was in the NBA and told me I need to apply for this job or try to get an interview for this job because, he said, 'One of us needs to be the coach here.' And I'm part of his legacy and that's written in stone."

Yet, Ewing admits, he wasn't initially sold on the idea.

"He had to convince me," he said.

4) LAST MONTH, EWING sat at a table outside his office at the newly christened John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletic Center and held an iPhone that wouldn't stop ringing. It was 11 a.m., but he already seemed tired, taking a deep breath after the start of a long day, and another long season.

"Give me a minute," he said, staring at his phone.

After sending a few texts, he placed the phone back on the table.

"Recruiting," he said, "never stops."

In the first stretch of the 2021-22 season, there was clear tension around the program as Ewing tried to avoid the tumult of previous years. In moments like this in the past, he says, he would call Thompson, whose mark is illustrated across the campus.

5) "Just get better," Ewing said last month, about what he tells his team. "You hear my voice is gone. Because I'm always trying to yell and scream, trying to get them to do the things I know we need to do to be good. We have talent. It's not about the talent. It's about us locking in to accomplish the things we want to accomplish."

6) If Georgetown can't drastically change its season in the weeks ahead, then the school will face questions about its next steps and the future of arguably the greatest player in its history. John Thompson III was fired for less, proving that an appetite for struggles is conditional, even with a coach who has close ties to Big John.

When you sit across from Ewing, you can tell he's trying. He's trying to figure it out. He's trying to motivate his players. He's trying to win games. And, above all, he's trying to make Big John proud. It's a pressure only he fully understands.

"The weight that he's got of Thompson on him ... it's a 'Let's see how this all works out' [situation]," said Kemp. "I think he's aware that he doesn't have forever to see how that works out. But I think he's giving it his damnedest and I think they've got a good relationship, [he and school officials]. I also think he's very well aware of the business side of college athletics. That, 'If we got it going, we'll keep it going. If we don't have it going, maybe it's time for me to think about doing something else.'"

CONCLUSION:

As I've stated many times before, and as articulated by Fr. Kemp at the end of the article, the most likely way out of this thing is for Ewing to hang it up. This article makes crystal clear, in case people hadn't been paying attention, that Ewing took the gig at JT2's bequest and he doesn't particularly enjoy many aspects of the job, such as recruiting and communicating with his players. He clearly isn't having fun and while he thinks the talent is there, he recognizes his coaching has not gotten the talent to succeed. With JT2 dead, there's no longer a guilt associated with disappointing the old man and quitting. At this point, I wouldn't be shocked if Ewing hangs it up before the season's even finished, given the rate this thing is going.

[hoyaroc]

Jan 25, 2022 14:28:45 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

Kudos to ESPN for writing this article, though some of me wonders if it may have been planted with Ewing's permission, as he looks to ease his way out of this thing. Most revealing parts of the article, in my view:

1) Father Raymond Kemp, who was Thompson's high school classmate and friend and has been closely involved with the program and its players for 50 years, says the former Georgetown star understands his predicament.

"I think he sees it as a work in progress and as a process kind of a thing," said Kemp, who presided over Thompson's funeral Mass last year. "And he is very well aware that the pressure to win is on."

2) "I'm still getting to know them, and they're still getting to know me," he said about his new team that day. "And what I've been telling both them, and the folks in D.C., is that it's a building process. We're laying the foundation."

After his official duties ended, the 7-footer stretched out in the stands and talked about the assignment he had accepted at his alma mater.

"I have to get on a plane and go recruiting now," he said.

He did not seem excited.

3) That's when Big John, a one-man search committee, called. His son, John Thompson III, had just been fired by Georgetown after missing the NCAA tournament in back-to-back seasons. He wanted Ewing to consider the opportunity.

"His blood, sweat and tears -- my blood, sweat and tears -- and the people that came before me, some of the guys on this wall, they laid the foundation for Georgetown to be where it was, and where we're on our way back to," Ewing told ESPN last month. "[Thompson] called me when I was in the NBA and told me I need to apply for this job or try to get an interview for this job because, he said, 'One of us needs to be the coach here.' And I'm part of his legacy and that's written in stone."

Yet, Ewing admits, he wasn't initially sold on the idea.

"He had to convince me," he said.

4) LAST MONTH, EWING sat at a table outside his office at the newly christened John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletic Center and held an iPhone that wouldn't stop ringing. It was 11 a.m., but he already seemed tired, taking a deep breath after the start of a long day, and another long season.

"Give me a minute," he said, staring at his phone.

After sending a few texts, he placed the phone back on the table.

"Recruiting," he said, "never stops."

In the first stretch of the 2021-22 season, there was clear tension around the program as Ewing tried to avoid the tumult of previous years. In moments like this in the past, he says, he would call Thompson, whose mark is illustrated across the campus.

5) "Just get better," Ewing said last month, about what he tells his team. "You hear my voice is gone. Because I'm always trying to yell and scream, trying to get them to do the things I know we need to do to be good. We have talent. It's not about the talent. It's about us locking in to accomplish the things we want to accomplish."

6) If Georgetown can't drastically change its season in the weeks ahead, then the school will face questions about its next steps and the future of arguably the greatest player in its history. John Thompson III was fired for less, proving that an appetite for struggles is conditional, even with a coach who has close ties to Big John.

When you sit across from Ewing, you can tell he's trying. He's trying to figure it out. He's trying to motivate his players. He's trying to win games. And, above all, he's trying to make Big John proud. It's a pressure only he fully understands.

"The weight that he's got of Thompson on him ... it's a 'Let's see how this all works out' [situation]," said Kemp. "I think he's aware that he doesn't have forever to see how that works out. But I think he's giving it his damnedest and I think they've got a good relationship, [he and school officials]. I also think he's very well aware of the business side of college athletics. That, 'If we got it going, we'll keep it going. If we don't have it going, maybe it's time for me to think about doing something else.'"

CONCLUSION:

As I've stated many times before, and as articulated by Fr. Kemp at the end of the article, the most likely way out of this thing is for Ewing to hang it up. This article makes crystal clear, in case people hadn't been paying attention, that Ewing took the gig at JT2's bequest and he doesn't particularly enjoy many aspects of the job, such as recruiting and communicating with his players. He clearly isn't having fun and while he thinks the talent is there, he recognizes he's not gettng the talent to succeed. With JT2 dead, there's no longer a guilt associated with disappointing the old man and quitting. At this point, I wouldn't be shocked if Ewing hangs it up before the season's even finished, given the rate this thing is going.

Who the hell are you to speculate on coach Ewing hanging it up. All you do is criticize the Hoyas Men Basketball and the coaching staff. Go find another team to support. “We Are Georgetown”

[johnnysnowplow]

Jan 25, 2022 14:38:22 GMT -5 hoyaroc said:

Jan 25, 2022 14:28:45 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

Kudos to ESPN for writing this article, though some of me wonders if it may have been planted with Ewing's permission, as he looks to ease his way out of this thing. Most revealing parts of the article, in my view:

1) Father Raymond Kemp, who was Thompson's high school classmate and friend and has been closely involved with the program and its players for 50 years, says the former Georgetown star understands his predicament.

"I think he sees it as a work in progress and as a process kind of a thing," said Kemp, who presided over Thompson's funeral Mass last year. "And he is very well aware that the pressure to win is on."

2) "I'm still getting to know them, and they're still getting to know me," he said about his new team that day. "And what I've been telling both them, and the folks in D.C., is that it's a building process. We're laying the foundation."

After his official duties ended, the 7-footer stretched out in the stands and talked about the assignment he had accepted at his alma mater.

"I have to get on a plane and go recruiting now," he said.

He did not seem excited.

3) That's when Big John, a one-man search committee, called. His son, John Thompson III, had just been fired by Georgetown after missing the NCAA tournament in back-to-back seasons. He wanted Ewing to consider the opportunity.

"His blood, sweat and tears -- my blood, sweat and tears -- and the people that came before me, some of the guys on this wall, they laid the foundation for Georgetown to be where it was, and where we're on our way back to," Ewing told ESPN last month. "[Thompson] called me when I was in the NBA and told me I need to apply for this job or try to get an interview for this job because, he said, 'One of us needs to be the coach here.' And I'm part of his legacy and that's written in stone."

Yet, Ewing admits, he wasn't initially sold on the idea.

"He had to convince me," he said.

4) LAST MONTH, EWING sat at a table outside his office at the newly christened John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletic Center and held an iPhone that wouldn't stop ringing. It was 11 a.m., but he already seemed tired, taking a deep breath after the start of a long day, and another long season.

"Give me a minute," he said, staring at his phone.

After sending a few texts, he placed the phone back on the table.

"Recruiting," he said, "never stops."

In the first stretch of the 2021-22 season, there was clear tension around the program as Ewing tried to avoid the tumult of previous years. In moments like this in the past, he says, he would call Thompson, whose mark is illustrated across the campus.

5) "Just get better," Ewing said last month, about what he tells his team. "You hear my voice is gone. Because I'm always trying to yell and scream, trying to get them to do the things I know we need to do to be good. We have talent. It's not about the talent. It's about us locking in to accomplish the things we want to accomplish."

6) If Georgetown can't drastically change its season in the weeks ahead, then the school will face questions about its next steps and the future of arguably the greatest player in its history. John Thompson III was fired for less, proving that an appetite for struggles is conditional, even with a coach who has close ties to Big John.

When you sit across from Ewing, you can tell he's trying. He's trying to figure it out. He's trying to motivate his players. He's trying to win games. And, above all, he's trying to make Big John proud. It's a pressure only he fully understands.

"The weight that he's got of Thompson on him ... it's a 'Let's see how this all works out' [situation]," said Kemp. "I think he's aware that he doesn't have forever to see how that works out. But I think he's giving it his damnedest and I think they've got a good relationship, [he and school officials]. I also think he's very well aware of the business side of college athletics. That, 'If we got it going, we'll keep it going. If we don't have it going, maybe it's time for me to think about doing something else.'"

CONCLUSION:

As I've stated many times before, and as articulated by Fr. Kemp at the end of the article, the most likely way out of this thing is for Ewing to hang it up. This article makes crystal clear, in case people hadn't been paying attention, that Ewing took the gig at JT2's bequest and he doesn't particularly enjoy many aspects of the job, such as recruiting and communicating with his players. He clearly isn't having fun and while he thinks the talent is there, he recognizes he's not gettng the talent to succeed. With JT2 dead, there's no longer a guilt associated with disappointing the old man and quitting. At this point, I wouldn't be shocked if Ewing hangs it up before the season's even finished, given the rate this thing is going.

Who the hell are you to speculate on coach Ewing hanging it up. All you do is criticize the Hoyas Men Basketball and the coaching staff. Go find another team to support. “We Are Georgetown”

I’ve spent a lot of time telling boya to get a new hobby. I don’t always agree with his approach to getting his point across but this is one of his better posts and, even even if you haven’t even read the article, highlights some major takeaways with regards to how Ewing himself feels about the job, not even about how others feel he’s performing. I think it’s perfectly reasonable to read between the lines as boya did. A bit speculative, sure, but there’s plenty of nuggets in the article that could easily lead one to some speculation that isn’t exactly unfounded.

[TC]

Jan 25, 2022 14:38:22 GMT -5 hoyaroc said:

Who the hell are you to speculate on coach Ewing hanging it up. All you do is criticize the Hoyas Men Basketball and the coaching staff. Go find another team to support. “We Are Georgetown”

I'm not sure "We are Georgetown" means the thing that you think it means when you tell someone to go find another team to support before saying it.

[prhoya]

Jan 25, 2022 15:24:11 GMT -5 TC said:

Who the hell are you to speculate on coach Ewing hanging it up. All you do is criticize the Hoyas Men Basketball and the coaching staff. Go find another team to support. “We Are Georgetown”

hoyaroc, are you an alum? I find it comical when a non-alum tells alumni to go find another team to support as if Georgetown is some sort of pro team that you can root/not root from season to season, and not our alma mater. WE ARE GEORGETOWN!

[SSHoya]

I also assume that if Fr. Kemp is truely a longtime friend of Coach Ewing, Fr. Kemp would have sought Ewing's okay for that interview. I can't imagine otherwise.

[the_way]

The wolves are howling.

[Deleted]

Jan 25, 2022 14:28:45 GMT -5 hoyaboya said:

Kudos to ESPN for writing this article, though some of me wonders if it may have been planted with Ewing's permission, as he looks to ease his way out of this thing. Most revealing parts of the article, in my view:

1) Father Raymond Kemp, who was Thompson's high school classmate and friend and has been closely involved with the program and its players for 50 years, says the former Georgetown star understands his predicament.

"I think he sees it as a work in progress and as a process kind of a thing," said Kemp, who presided over Thompson's funeral Mass last year. "And he is very well aware that the pressure to win is on."

2) "I'm still getting to know them, and they're still getting to know me," he said about his new team that day. "And what I've been telling both them, and the folks in D.C., is that it's a building process. We're laying the foundation."

After his official duties ended, the 7-footer stretched out in the stands and talked about the assignment he had accepted at his alma mater.

"I have to get on a plane and go recruiting now," he said.

He did not seem excited.

3) That's when Big John, a one-man search committee, called. His son, John Thompson III, had just been fired by Georgetown after missing the NCAA tournament in back-to-back seasons. He wanted Ewing to consider the opportunity.

"His blood, sweat and tears -- my blood, sweat and tears -- and the people that came before me, some of the guys on this wall, they laid the foundation for Georgetown to be where it was, and where we're on our way back to," Ewing told ESPN last month. "[Thompson] called me when I was in the NBA and told me I need to apply for this job or try to get an interview for this job because, he said, 'One of us needs to be the coach here.' And I'm part of his legacy and that's written in stone."

Yet, Ewing admits, he wasn't initially sold on the idea.

"He had to convince me," he said.

4) LAST MONTH, EWING sat at a table outside his office at the newly christened John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletic Center and held an iPhone that wouldn't stop ringing. It was 11 a.m., but he already seemed tired, taking a deep breath after the start of a long day, and another long season.

"Give me a minute," he said, staring at his phone.

After sending a few texts, he placed the phone back on the table.

"Recruiting," he said, "never stops."

In the first stretch of the 2021-22 season, there was clear tension around the program as Ewing tried to avoid the tumult of previous years. In moments like this in the past, he says, he would call Thompson, whose mark is illustrated across the campus.

5) "Just get better," Ewing said last month, about what he tells his team. "You hear my voice is gone. Because I'm always trying to yell and scream, trying to get them to do the things I know we need to do to be good. We have talent. It's not about the talent. It's about us locking in to accomplish the things we want to accomplish."

6) If Georgetown can't drastically change its season in the weeks ahead, then the school will face questions about its next steps and the future of arguably the greatest player in its history. John Thompson III was fired for less, proving that an appetite for struggles is conditional, even with a coach who has close ties to Big John.

When you sit across from Ewing, you can tell he's trying. He's trying to figure it out. He's trying to motivate his players. He's trying to win games. And, above all, he's trying to make Big John proud. It's a pressure only he fully understands.

"The weight that he's got of Thompson on him ... it's a 'Let's see how this all works out' [situation]," said Kemp. "I think he's aware that he doesn't have forever to see how that works out. But I think he's giving it his damnedest and I think they've got a good relationship, [he and school officials]. I also think he's very well aware of the business side of college athletics. That, 'If we got it going, we'll keep it going. If we don't have it going, maybe it's time for me to think about doing something else.'"

CONCLUSION:

As I've stated many times before, and as articulated by Fr. Kemp at the end of the article, the most likely way out of this thing is for Ewing to hang it up. This article makes crystal clear, in case people hadn't been paying attention, that Ewing took the gig at JT2's bequest and he doesn't particularly enjoy many aspects of the job, such as recruiting and communicating with his players. He clearly isn't having fun and while he thinks the talent is there, he recognizes his coaching has not gotten the talent to succeed. With JT2 dead, there's no longer a guilt associated with disappointing the old man and quitting. At this point, I wouldn't be shocked if Ewing hangs it up before the season's even finished, given the rate this thing is going.

My man, I never thought I'd say this ... but you might be on to something.

Would be very on brand for Georgetown (and JD) to back channel something.

[daveg023]

The more I think about it, the more this logic makes sense. Kinda the way Mullin was able to bow out and save face rather than the school be forced to fire their favored son.

It always seemed to be a round peg in a square hole, and Ewing’s heart always seemed to be in the NBA.

[the_way]

Again, Mullin's best year was his last year and he put them in the NCAA tournament. He resigned that same year for personal reasons. He had lost his brother.

[daveg023]

Jan 25, 2022 18:24:36 GMT -5 the_way said:

Again, Mullin's best year was his last year and he put them in the NCAA tournament. He resigned that same year for personal reasons. He had lost his brother.

Fair. But “best” is a relative term as they were the last team in. It came on the heels of 4 years of underachieving and at the end you could tell his heart wasn’t in it either.

[iowa80]

The optics are not good. Is PE “tired” of the college grind? Did he take the job only out of respect for Big John?

Without knowing anything about the author, one ray of hope is the fact that what often passes for “journalism” these days consists of starting from a preconceived theme and working the story and quotes around that.

[the_way]

Pulling for our Hoyas. Coach Ewing wanted to be an NBA coach. He toiled for years as an NBA assistant to fulfill that dream. G-town was home and he has tried his best to get this program back into a winner. As the article pointed out, it looked that way after year 2 going into year 3.

Only for the bottom to fall out in year 3 with the departures and injuries. Even with that year, you saw the fight and teamwork from the guys with a heavily undermanned 6-man rotation.

In year 4, we won the Big East tournament title and got to the big dance. That was cool.

Here we are in year 5 and we are struggling. Building a winner isn't easy. Some do it quickly. Some take time. Either way, pulling for Coach Ewing and the guys. He is just as much of a Hoya as the players.

Go Hoyas!