Georgetown Basketball: Patrick Ewing more comfortable in year two with Hoyas

Yesterday’s Georgetown Basketball Media Day looked nothing like it did the previous year when Patrick Ewing was named head coach. And that’s a good thing.

Last year, the media room was packed with a who’s who of reporters and big names in the industry. There was a feeling of uncertainty. With no book on Ewing as a head coach the opinion of whether this would work or not was wide-ranging. This led to a lot of questions that seemed more appropriate for someone who had never been a coach of any kind.

He was asked about recruiting, dealing with young players and the dreaded out of conference schedule.

What a difference a year makes. None of those questions were asked yesterday. Heck, it never crossed anyone’s mind to ask. He had answered that question in year one, despite a 15-15 record.

So when the Coach of the Hilltop came in with a smile that’s becoming more and more customary of his presence, there was an ease that came over the room.

He was asked about what he learned after year one and his response was perfect. “The learning process is ongoing,” said Ewing.

Nothing could be truer in the case of the Hoyas. For the players who played under John Thompson III, it must have felt like night and day when Ewing arrived. Going from a “Princeton” style offense to an NBA based offense couldn’t be more different. Players were asked to do things that hadn’t been asked to do in the college careers. But, all involved persevered. What’s the telling is that at some programs there would’ve have been a mass exodus of transfers. At Georgetown that wasn’t the case.

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The Hoyas lost Marcus Derrickson to the NBA draft. Derrickson earned a two-way contract with Golden State Warriors. Though losing Derrickson was big, Ewing acknowledged Derrickson’s successful move can be used as a recruiting tool.

As much as X’s and O’s are important, the Hoyas needed a cultural facelift. The perception of the Hoyas playing a style that not only kept them close in games but also kept their opponent close wasn’t selling well enough in today’s college basketball landscape.

That starts with recruiting. It was something Ewing was asked time and time upon his arrival. Bringing in a solid recruiting class led by James Akinjo has quieted those who were concerned about Ewing as a pitchman. With the NBA being as young as it is, Ewing should be comfortable dealing with 18-19-year-old prospects. Not only can he sell his own NBA experience but he can sell the fact that he was an NBA coach, not just a big man coach. This shows in the NBA-style offense he’s running which has the guards play a prominent role.

The non-conference schedule is no longer the punchline of every bad joke imaginable. Out of conference games at Illinois (Gavitt Games), at Syracuse and a home date with SMU will provide a solid test. Recently the Big East conference announced a four-year deal with the Big XII. This will provide even more of an offseason test for the Hoyas. Looking back, it wasn’t a bad idea to ease the new coach into the world of college basketball.

The product on the court will be better along with an improved out of conference schedule. Count on the Big East being as tough as it has always been with Villanova sitting at the top in the Preseason Coaches Poll. Georgetown sits seventh. A little lower than anticipated but understandable with Marquette, Providence, and St. Johns looking so strong.

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So as Ewing and the Hoyas prepare for year two, maybe being under the radar is where they want to be. But be careful not to underestimate them. There’s a reason why the Coach of the Hilltop has that inviting smile.

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