In his four years as a player at Georgetown, Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing experienced the highs of the 1984 National Championship and three Big East Tournament titles, as well as the heartbreak of two National Championship Game losses.
In five years as head coach of the Hoyas, Ewing has seen highs such as 2021’s four-day run to the Big East Tournament Championship and the lows of last season’s 0-19 record in conference play. In response to that season, in which the Hoyas suffered the most losses (25) in program history, Ewing has revamped his roster and changed his entire coaching staff.
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“When you’re not successful, you have to change,” Ewing said last week at the team’s media day. “So I’ve made the changes that I believe that I’ve needed to make. Sometimes you have to relinquish some of your authority if you want to be successful.”
While the coaching staff is technically brand new, it’s not a complete swap-out. Clinton Crouch was promoted to the staff, having been special assistant to the head coach; Louis Orr remains with the program as special assistant after having served on Ewing’s staff the last five years. Former Howard coach and LSU assistant Kevin Nickelberry and ex-Wisconsin-Milwaukee coach Pat Baldwin round out the new bench.
The roster will look quite different from last season, with two incoming freshmen plus eight transfers, although some of those transfers, such as D.C. native Jay Heath (Arizona State) and Germantown product Brendan Murray (LSU) are familiar with the area.
One of the four players back from last winter — junior guard Dante Harris — is not on the team at this time, Ewing said. Harris, who was the 2021 Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player as a freshman and averaged 12 points and four assists a game as a sophomore, will be missed if he does not return, but of the 10 newcomers Primo Spears (who led Duquesne in scoring as a freshman) might be the one to take Harris’ mantle as the playmaker for the offense.
“Coach has expressed that I need to be a leader for this team for us to go far,” Spears said. “Just [be] a coach on the floor, making sure everybody eats before me. We have some great pieces, so [I’m] just making sure I put them in the right places.”
Returning transfer
And in the same way the “new” coaching staff isn’t completely foreign to the program, one of the eight transfers will have an easier transition than the others — he’s already been part of the program: Senior center Qudus Wahab averaged nine points and six rebounds over 58 games with Georgetown before transferring to Maryland in 2021, and after a year with the Terps is back on campus in the District.
Ewing missed Wahab’s low-post presence greatly last winter. “Very happy to have him back — still a work in progress. All of them still have to get used to playing with each other,” Ewing said. “But I stressed to the group that he is someone that we are going to need once the season starts.”
And the work in progress knows where he has to progress: “Just being more versatile on defense, moving faster,” Wahab said. “Being able to switch on guards if I have to — trying to get better at that and protecting the paint more.”
Akok Akok, a 6-foot 10 forward, has made his presence felt during preseason practice, Ewing said. The coach is impressed by his effort — “His effort has definitely surprised me, and his athleticism and his ability to block shots, and also knock down shots.”
The UConn transfer has been hampered by injury in his career and is happy to be on the floor in a program where he can contribute. “There’s a level of excitement throughout the program; everybody just wants to get their feet wet and get the first game under their belts,” Akok said. “I can’t wait to put the Georgetown uniform on and represent the (program) right way.”
The season tips off Tuesday, Nov. 8, when the Hoyas host Coppin State. Other notable early games include a trip to Montego Bay for the Jersey Mikes Jamaica Classic (just a recommendation: In the Caribbean sun, do not get extra mayo) as well as games with local foe American and former arch-rival Syracuse.
The 20-game Big East regular season marathon begins Dec. 16 against Xavier — the Musketeers were one of four league schools receiving votes in the Preseason AP Top 25 Poll (Creighton is No. 9 while Villanova is No. 16).
But the new-look Hoyas will be ready and embrace the challenges ahead. “Everybody wants to win. Everyone works hard, everyone just grinds out every single day,” Brandon Murray said. “It’s a domino effect. If one person works hard, then the next person’s gonna work hard, then the next person’s gonna work hard. And then we all trust each other in the game.”
