concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Mar 10, 2022 9:01:10 GMT -5
Hats off to the players for sticking with it to the end. They didn’t quit or turtle. They acquitted themselves admirably. I can’t criticize any of them for assessing their options in the offseason. I hope this time next year, we all feel more positively about the direction the program is heading in terms of results, development and so forth. From the top of the university down, I hope there is some serious self-reflection about how we failed our MBB student-athletes this season.
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Mar 5, 2022 20:30:21 GMT -5
If Coach blames the players after the game, I’m truly done.
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Mar 5, 2022 20:10:17 GMT -5
One of the most poorly coached and managed teams I have ever had the displeasure to watch. How can anyone involved in taking money from the university to run this disaster sleep at night?
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Mar 4, 2022 16:25:11 GMT -5
This is exactly what I figured to be the case. Who else would it be? And, herein lies the problem. If Patrick Ewing is allowing Ronny to reshuffle the staff (or if the university is telling him to do this), why would we expect anything to improve? Ronny Thompson is simply not qualified to be doing this, and if Patrick Ewing is farming this out to Ronny, then Patrick Ewing is not qualified to do it either. Obviously, I am not advocating JT3 coming back (though it'd be miles better than Ronny), but if you were going to pick a Thompson to essentially serve as the General Manager of the program, it would be JT3, not Ronny. I don't say this lightly, but this is just an incompetent way to run a program. The program is being led by a coach who has shown little success outside the Big East Tournament, who has not made any changes to his staff over the last 5 years despite significant struggles. The program cannot retain its players. And now, Lee Reed says the program is going to evaluate every aspect of the program to put us back on the path of success, and it seems like the one thing we are doing is letting the current Chief of Staff (whose role has been shrouded in secrecy) who is at least partially responsible for the current state of affairs, make decisions or be involved in charting the path forward? While I think there cannot be a Ewing-led scenario where things turn around (and there is literally no precedent in the history of sports for such an approach working), if you were going to try, the way in which the university is going about it is all wrong and destined for failure. In my view, the best case realistic scenario IF Ewing stays is that there are minor changes, we see a lot of roster turnover, maybe a minor improvement like 5-15 (500% improvement!), and another horrible hopeless season where the fan engagement is an all time low. And, we are basically in exactly the same position we are in now in March 2023, except that there will likely be fewer of us around as fan apathy grows even further. As for Patrick Ewing, I don't blame him for wanting to come back. There's no way to sugar coat it - this season has been a huge embarrassment, and I am sure he would much prefer to go out in a better scenario (hard to get worse than this year unless we go 0-20 next year). If I were Ewing, I would not want to walk away either. But, that's why the decision-makers usually make the tough calls in this scenario. No coach wants to be fired, but sometimes that's what is necessary. This entire situation is an indictment of the university president who is squandering the university's funds on a sinecure for Thompson family members and cronies while embarrassing anyone else invested in the school's athletic brand and success on the court. A reality that is not lost upon any alumni observing this dumpster fire. I truly hope they know what they're doing because it really doesn't look like it.
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Mar 2, 2022 12:39:47 GMT -5
I am an extremely positive and easygoing fan. I have enjoyed aspects of the Ewing tenure. This season has broken me and I’ve totally stopped watching games. Why watch some random benchwarmer hit 10 3s against us for the umpteenth time, or endure a 20-0 run by the likes of DePaul?
How can they watch our team go 0-for-the-big-East and not make wholesale changes?! After the offseason exodus that we all KNOW is coming, what’s next? Are the Hoyas even going to win a game next year?
Nobody would be happier than me to see Ewing/Reed pull this off and get back to .500 in the Big East or whatever. But I have zero belief that it will happen.
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Dec 15, 2021 20:38:02 GMT -5
If you showed me Aminu’s stat line before the game I’d have assumed we got smoked. Shout out to Tyler Beard for a fantastic performance!! I’m sure this is somewhat an “eye of the beholder” thing but I feel like Ewing’s teams always play best when they’re shorthanded, counted out, have their backs to the wall.
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Dec 15, 2021 12:23:32 GMT -5
I have to credit Ewing and the staff for consistently finding impact transfers. Rice is another example and his 3 against Cuse (even on a cold shooting night) was utterly massive. The ability to scout the NCAAs for guys that can help your team and bring them in and help them develop their skills—including, maybe, league-average defense??—is just so critical in this era of college hoops and it’s something our staff does well.
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Dec 15, 2021 12:06:45 GMT -5
I think everyone is right here, in some sense. Yes, speaking purely in terms of Hoya victory chances, the longer Aminu stays the better. A Porter/Monroe style 2 year stint would be ideal. The team would be extremely competitive next year if we retained Aminu and the core around him.
But, the reality is that Aminu, like so many of his colleagues, ultimately seeks to make a career of basketball and to start as soon as feasible. If he can be a high first rounder in the next draft, he’ll go for it. And then, the silver lining is that Ewing can say he knows how to turn a 5 star into a lottery pick, rather than “you’ll make a fine UDFA/scrappy G Leaguer after your time on the hilltop.” And conversely, it helps neutralize the negative recruiting angle. Plus, if he plays well enough to justify a high pick it would *tend* to correlate with a better than expected Hoya season this year.
All I know is that it’s FUN to watch Aminu take the court for the Hoyas and I hope to be rooting for him for many years to come!
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Dec 11, 2021 15:34:09 GMT -5
My dissatisfaction is real and enduring based on the horrible athletic department GU athletics as a whole are not horrible for an elite academic university. Most of the pertinent issues seem confined to the men's basketball program, which seems to be almost an autonomous operation...basically, I don't think it's fair to blame Lee Reed for any problems with men's basketball when he doesn't have hire/fire authority Would you take a perennial Sweet 16 team without DMV recruiting? Would you be fine with the current run of results if all the players were from the DMV? It's not like the DMV is some undiscovered region that no other programs know how to recruit and we're fumbling away winnable recruiting battles—we are losing players to stronger programs. Nor is Gtown really a true hometown institution for the DMV if we're being honest, I seem to recall more students from Long Island and New Jersey than anywhere else in my time on the Hilltop. I'd love to have a team of 5-star DMV guys as much as anyone else but that's way secondary to overall results in my opinion. I'll take another Otto Porter or Dikembe Mutombo anyday, even if they don't rep the DMV! attrition from the program agreed with you there. We can't take another exodus, especially with the freshman class showing so much promise. Leaving for the pros is one thing, but losing starters to other programs, nah. Let's hope the staff has learned a thing or two along the way to keep the core together from what is shaping up to be a very promising team!!
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Dec 11, 2021 14:09:23 GMT -5
Hoya Saxa. I like where this roster is headed
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Dec 11, 2021 13:58:14 GMT -5
Aminu is my favorite Hoya player in quite some time
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Nov 3, 2021 19:41:37 GMT -5
I am a fan of this kid’s game and his outlook, and the latest “air on the hilltop smells great” post from Coach Crouch has me feeling optimistic.
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Oct 15, 2021 14:30:04 GMT -5
Welp, looks like the outcome of this season is gonna hinge on whether the big man coach of Big Man U can do an all-time big man coaching job. Fingers crossed!
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Sept 16, 2021 15:12:01 GMT -5
Does frequently being in top 3-5 for a 5* only to miss hurt us more than not being listed? Gets back to the parents’ preference question and the “student-athlete legitimacy” question. I'd argue a very strong "Yes" as it means that resources aren't being spent on other players who we might have a better chance of landing. Ewing's had 5 recruiting cycles and landed one 5-star recruit. That is putrid performance on the recruiting trail, particularly for a guy who when he was hired, many thought recruiting would be a strength. I can't speak to what "many thought" but I absolutely recall that "But will he actually be able to recruit though? Is he really going to put in the work on the trail?" was one of THE top critiques of the Ewing hire. My least favorite sportswriter Pete Thamel, for instance: "The hire could be a total disaster, as Ewing’s lack of head coaching experience, absence of recruiting expertise and unfamiliarity with the college game could keep Georgetown lodged near the bottom of the Big East." www.si.com/college/2017/04/04/georgetown-patrick-ewing-thompsonWashington Post also questioned Ewing's total lack of college recruiting experience: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/dc-area-recruits-take-a-wait-and-see-approach-to-patrick-ewing-hire-at-georgetown/2017/04/05/8ccbe9c0-1a13-11e7-bcc2-7d1a0973e7b2_story.htmlThere's no question Coach Pat has put in the effort. Might be that we need some better recruiters on the staff, from my POV. But it's hard to get too exercised about making the final 3 for a 5-star and losing them to Kentucky. There's no shame in that.
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Sept 13, 2021 18:42:28 GMT -5
RIP. Love to all.
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Aug 15, 2021 10:15:10 GMT -5
I had hoped that Jamorko would stay on the Hilltop for another year but man, he is obviously ready for pro ball. This run has been awesome to watch!
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Apr 21, 2021 12:12:22 GMT -5
Unite the Patricks. I wouldn’t get my hopes up, except a mysterious and low key recruitment is probably our best chance to get a player of this caliber. Fingers crossed (and just constantly, constantly refreshing this thread)
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Apr 21, 2021 12:10:15 GMT -5
Farewell, Berger Madness!
Seems like this probably makes sense for both sides, at least as we sit here in April 2021. Hope he finds a new home where he can play a lot and rain 3s remorselessly.
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Apr 12, 2021 12:49:19 GMT -5
So many paths forward from here (new players hitting the portal daily!) but this is an outstanding fit for our team. Eager to see what happens next!
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concord
Century (over 100 posts)
The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps.
Posts: 232
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Post by concord on Mar 27, 2021 21:24:11 GMT -5
Much love and well wishes to a Hoya legend!
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