Georgetown Basketball

The Mecca of basketball will be at the epicenter of the 2021 men's NCAA tournament bubble Saturday night when Georgetown takes on Creighton at Madison Square Garden for the Big East championship.

For those who haven't been properly indoctrinated in the lexicon of bracketology, here's a phrase you're going to want to get comfortable with for the next 24 hours: bid thief.

A bid thief is a team that would not have earned an at-large bid without winning its conference tournament, and that wins that tournament to "steal" the automatic bid in a conference that had at least one lock to make the NCAA tournament. As a result, the number of spots available to at-large teams shrinks by one.

Thus far this week, those bid thieves have been nonexistent, which is fantastic news for teams on the bubble.

Gonzaga and Loyola-Chicago won the West Coast and Missouri Valley conference tournaments, as expected. Both the Atlantic 10 and the Mountain West have championship games between teams that were likely to make the Big Dance anyway. The ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC are all down to teams that were, at worst, on the bubble heading into this week.

Oregon State has emerged as a potential bid thief after knocking off Oregon in the Pac-12 semifinals, but we'll see if the Beavers can knock off Colorado.

And then there's the Big East, where 12-12 Georgetown is one win away from crashing the party.

Let the record show that Georgetown was my sleeper pick to win the Big East tournament. (Kindly ignore those Kentucky in the SEC and Stanford in the Pac-12 picks, though. Can't win 'em all.)

After a brutal 3-8 start to the year was followed by a lengthy COVID-19 pause, the Hoyas won six of their final 10 regular-season games, including a road victory over Creighton and home wins over Xavier and Seton Hall (that more or less popped those Big East teams' bubbles).

The post-COVID breakout of Chudier Bile was the biggest reason I was buying the Hoyas.

The transfer from Northwestern State made little impact in Georgetown's first 11 games, but he was arguably the team's most valuable player down the stretch. Out of nowhere, he scored at least a dozen points in eight out of 10 games, emerging as a key perimeter weapon on both ends of the floor.

But, incredibly, the Hoyas have knocked off Marquette, Villanova and Seton Hall without getting much out of Bile on offense.

He shot 1-of-11 from the field against the Golden Eagles, finishing with five points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Against Villanova, he missed each of his four field-goal attempts, committed five turnovers and fouled out in 21 minutes.

In lieu of the guy who had become their leader, everyone else has come through.

Jahvon Blair and Qudus Wahab couldn't miss against Marquette.

Freshman point guard Dante Harris capitalized on Collin Gillespie's absence for Villanova to the tune of 18 points and five assists with no turnovers.

And against Seton Hall, it was Jamorko Pickett's time to shine with a team-high 19 points. (Bile also had a tie-breaking and-1 layup in the final two minutes.)

Throw in senior wing Donald Carey—who doesn't shoot a ton, but does make 42.2 percent of his three-point attempts—and Georgetown has a formidable six-man rotation.

It's almost certainly not a Final Four-caliber six-man rotation, but it's a whole heck of a lot better than what was expected from the Hoyas when they were predicted to finish dead last in the preseason coaches poll.

And it's a rotation good enough to knock off Creighton in Saturday's championship.

After all, the Hoyas just won 86-79 at Creighton a little over a month ago.

It wasn't even a bad night for the Bluejays, either. They made 10 triples, shot 47.4 percent from the field and scored 79 points. They were just unable to keep pace with Georgetown on a night where each of the six main Hoyas played well.

There's no good reason Georgetown can't repeat that formula to shock the college basketball world.

Now for the fun part.

If Georgetown wins the game, some bubble hopeful gets pushed out of the NCAA tournament field.

Squeezed like an Orange, one might say.

While we cannot say with certainty until the Selection Show which team is right on that cut line, it very well could be former Big East (and still loathed) rival Syracuse. The Orange are currently my last team in the projected field, so they would at least be falling out of my bracket if Georgetown wins, for whatever that's worth.

How sweet would that be for the Hoya Saxa faithful?

Since becoming the head coach at Georgetown, Patrick Ewing has just a 1-3 record against the 'Cuse. One of those losses was the one that dropped the Hoyas to 3-8 overall back in early January. But winning this game against Creighton, snapping a five-year tournament drought and potentially knocking Syracuse out of the dance in the process would be like winning the lottery and getting a new puppy on your birthday.

If that happens, maybe the MSG security guards will stop accosting Ewing for his credentials.

               

Kerry Miller covers men's college basketball and college football for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @kerrancejames.

If you work in Madison Square Garden, you should know Patrick Ewing when you see him.

This was apparently not the case for the Georgetown head coach while navigating the arena during the Big East tournament.

Patrick Ewing says he’s going to have to call James Dolan because he keeps getting asked about what passes he’s wearing and keeps getting stopped in the hallway. “I thought this was my house! They should know who the hell I am!” - Ewing on The Garden pic.twitter.com/0RfztaIJ7v

— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) March 11, 2021

Marc Stein of the New York Times passed along a statement from Madison Square Garden Entertainment, confirming that Ewing and Knicks owner James Dolan talked about the issue: 

Madison Square Garden Entertainment issues a statement saying Knicks owner James Dolan and Knicks legend Patrick Ewing spoke today after Ewing said he had difficulties today with MSG security during the Big East tournament: pic.twitter.com/e3ZJckyS36

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 11, 2021

Ewing spent 15 seasons of his Hall of Fame playing career with the New York Knicks, and his No. 33 hangs in the rafters at MSG. For good measure, he won the Big East tourney twice at the Garden during his college days at Georgetown, taking home tournament MVP in 1984 and 1985.

The 58-year-old, now in his fourth season as the Hoyas head coach, improved to 11-12 with Thursday's quarterfinals upset win over Villanova.

It's obviously difficult for arena security guards to keep track of 11 different teams during a conference tournament, let alone during a pandemic. However, Ewing should be near the top of the list of memorable faces in the New York City venue.

Before Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing starred on the 1992 Dream Team, they made their Olympic debuts with the 1984 U.S. men's basketball squad. However, Ewing almost didn't make it to the Summer Games.

Head coach Bob Knight wanted to send the Georgetown center home because of some horseplay with Jordan.

"He and Jordan are roommates," assistant coach C.M. Newton told then-Notre Dame head coach Digger Phelps, per Doug Haller of The Athletic. "They were wrestling in their room, and Ewing has a twisted neck."

Phelps, a friend of Knight's, was working with ABC as an analyst during the Olympics. Phelps insisted to the coach that he needed Ewing on the roster, and Knight refrained from making any changes.

Ewing averaged 11.0 points per game during Team USA's run to the gold medal and topped the squad with 18 blocks in eight games. Jordan led the team with 17.1 points per game.

The Georgetown Hoyas landed an impact player for the 2021 class with the commitment of Aminu Mohammed.

The shooting guard announced his decision Monday:

The decision is in! @AthleticsGls standout Aminu Mohammed picks @GeorgetownHoyas

He also announces he will stay at Greenwood for the remainder of the season, choosing not to early enroll pic.twitter.com/qZFIvOihcG

— Matt Vereen (@MattVereen) December 21, 2020

The Washington, D.C., native is a 5-star recruit and the No. 16 overall player in the class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

Mohammed has excellent athleticism, helping him to attack the paint and consistently finish at the rim. He has a good enough handle to create opportunities for himself and others, allowing him to play on the ball at the next level.

At 6'5", his strength manifested on both ends of the court. It's helped him to dominate at the high school level for Greenwood, causing headaches for opposing coaches.

"You can't stop him, and it is unrealistic for me to expect my guys to stop him," Purdy coach Ryan Stokes said of Mohammed, per Jared Lankford of the Monett Times.

His high level of play got the attention of numerous college coaches, but he decided to play for the Hoyas.

Mohammed has the chance to make an early impact with his new team before potentially moving on to the NBA within the next couple of years.

Several Black college basketball head coaches are set to honor the late John Thompson by wearing a towel over their right shoulder during their season openers.

Myron Medcalf of ESPN reported some coaches will carry out the gesture throughout the 2020-21 season. None of the coaches who are participating have been publicly identified.

"We've talked about the ways to honor him and his legacy," one head coach said. "I'll have [a towel] every game."

Thompson died Aug. 30, three days shy of his 79th birthday.

The iconic Georgetown coach wore a towel draped over his right shoulder throughout his career, leading the Hoyas to three Final Four appearances and the 1984 national championship. Georgetown made the NCAA tournament 14 consecutive seasons from 1979 to 1992 and reached the Dance 20 times overall in Thompson's tenure.

Beyond his coaching acumen, Thompson was also known as a fiercely protective father figure to his players and a champion of racial justice. Allen Iverson credited Thompson for saving his life by taking a chance on him at Georgetown.

Numerous other players and coaches have pointed to Thompson as an inspiration, for both his success on the court and his grace off it.

Ryan Mutombo, the son of Basketball Hall of Fame center Dikembe Mutombo, committed to play college basketball at Georgetown.

https://twitter.com/RyanMutombo/status/1312911544385183754

I am so happy that my son, @RyanMutombo committed to Georgetown University. @GeorgetownHoops @HoyasUnlimited https://t.co/JwSpNDTkON

— Dikembe Mutombo (@officialmutombo) October 5, 2020

Mutombo is a 4-star prospect and the 80th-ranked player in the 2021 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He's also listed as the 14th-best center and the No. 4 player coming out of Georgia among next year's incoming group.

The Atlanta native already features an impressive combination of size (6'11", 235 lbs) and athleticism, the same attributes that helped make his dad an NBA star, but he's also been working to expand his play to fit the modern game. It's helped elevate his long-term outlook.

"The next step for me in college is definitely to become at least a 35-percent three-point shooter," he told 247Sports' Evan Daniels in June. "That's the next step for me, and I think that's going to take my game to the next level I think."

Mutombo put together a strong junior season at both ends of the floor, and then he watched as the scholarship offers from Power 5 programs started to roll in.

"I'm assuming the offers came from schools watching my games from this year," he told Rivals' Dan McDonald in April. "Now that everybody is stuck in quarantine [because of COVID-19] and not able to go out, the coaches are starting to watch film this from this year."

He's also worked to add more strength to his frame, which is usually a multiyear process for seven-foot post players who grew at a rapid rate throughout high school:

https://twitter.com/RyanMutombo/status/1268241382155653125

The entire development package made the center one of the fastest-rising prospects in the 2021 class.

Mutombo's biggest initial impact with the Hoyas, his father's alma mater, figures to come defensively. His ability to block and alter shots has already reached a near-NBA level, and the weight gain will go a long way in helping him contend with collegiate post players.

The other areas of his game are still in progress, which may make him more of a two-year project for Patrick Ewing at Georgetown than a one-and-done prospect. That said, he's showcased all the tools to eventually become a lottery pick in the NBA draft if his progress continues at its recent rate.

Allen Iverson, Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning and other Georgetown alumni served as the pallbearers at the funeral for legendary Hoyas coach John Thompson Jr. on Wednesday, per NBC Sports. 

REMEMBERING JOHN THOMPSON, JR: Friends and family, including Allen Iverson, Patrick Ewing, and sons John and Ronny gather to remember the life of the legendary Georgetown basketball head coach @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/ICeRh1Y8WP

— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) September 9, 2020

In Thompson's 27 years as Georgetown's head coach, he won 596 games, reached the NCAA tournament 20 times, won a national championship in the 1983-84 season, reached three Final Fours and coached a number of future NBA Hall of Famers, including Iverson, Ewing, Mutombo and Mourning.

In total, 26 of his former players reached the NBA. 

In guiding the Hoyas to the national title in 1984, Thompson became the first Black head coach to win an NCAA men's basketball championship.

The Hall of Famer died in late August at the age of 78.

"We are heartbroken to share the news of the passing of our father, John Thompson, Jr," his family said at the time in a statement. "Our father was an inspiration to many and devoted his life to developing young people not simply on, but most importantly, off the basketball court. He is revered as a historic shepherd of the sport, dedicated to the welfare of his community above all else."

Georgetown men's basketball coach Patrick Ewing said on Friday that he'll try to make sure the legacy of John Thompson, the Hoyas' former coach who died Sunday at the age of 78, lives on within the program.

The 11-time NBA All-Star, who played under Thompson, returned to his alma mater to take over the coaching staff in April 2017.

"His legacy will always live on," Ewing told reporters. "Through me, through Alonzo (Mourning), through Dikembe (Mutombo), through all of the people he's coached. He has done a great job of teaching us not only to be great athletes but also great human beings. Now it's my role, my responsibility to keep doing those things to the kids I'm teaching."

The 58-year-old explained he recently visited Thompson when he returned home from a hospital stay, but he didn't know it'd be the last time they would meet.

"I was able to go over there the Friday before he passed," Ewing said. "We sat and talked and just laughed. I didn't know it was going to be goodbye because I was planning to go back. Then I got the text late on Sunday that he had passed."

The Jamaica native added: "His teachings continue to guide me. I will definitely miss the opportunity to pick up a phone and call him with whatever questions I might have. Not only just coaching but also my life."

Ewing added the Hoyas will explore trying to add Thompson's name on its basketball court at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., and they will probably wear a patch on their jerseys during the 2020-21 season in remembrance of the Hall of Fame coach.

Thompson, who played professionally with the Boston Celtics and won two NBA titles, took over the Georgetown program in 1972. He transformed the Hoyas into a national powerhouse.

The program reached new heights during Ewing's college career from 1981 through 1985, reaching the national championship game three times in four years and winning the 1984 title.

Thompson, who stepped down in 1999, was there three years ago when Ewing returned to campus to take over as head coach.

"Great job," Thompson told Ewing during an embrace. "Great job."

The program is in different hands, but Georgetown basketball has long maintained Thompson's imprint, and Ewing will work to make sure that doesn't change.

Legendary Georgetown men's basketball coach John Thompson died Monday, according to ESPN's Myron Medcalf.  

He was 78.

No cause of death was made public. Thompson retired from Nike's Board of Directors in May, a position he had held since 1991.

A statement released on behalf of the Thompson Family pic.twitter.com/UKfVd4LPRP

— Georgetown Hoops (@GeorgetownHoops) August 31, 2020

A center drafted in the third round by the Boston Celtics in 1964, Thompson won two NBA championships during a brief two-year professional career before moving into coaching. He dominated at St. Anthony High School in Washington, D.C., from 1966-1972 before being hired at Georgetown at just 31 years old—a move that would stabilize the next three decades of Hoyas basketball.

A mediocre program with little history of postseason success before Thompson's arrival, Georgetown became a juggernaut after joining the Big East in 1979. With Thompson recruiting and developing an assembly line of dominant big men that included Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo, the Hoyas became a consistent fixture, making deep runs to the NCAA tournament.

In 1984, Ewing and Thompson led Georgetown to the program's first and only national championship. Thompson became the first Black head coach to win a national title. Georgetown also reached the championship game two other times in Thompson's tenure, in 1982 and 1985.

Georgetown University, the sport of basketball and the world has lost someone who I consider to be a father figure, confidant and role model.

We will all miss you, Coach Thompson - but we will never forget you. 🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/1nP8YHLU4x

— Patrick Ewing (@CoachEwing33) August 31, 2020

While Thompson's success was more limited on the floor in the 1990s, he was also instrumental in turning around the life of Allen Iverson after bringing him to Georgetown in 1994. Iverson had lost nearly every scholarship offer after he was given a 15-year prison sentence after an incident at a bowling alley. He served four months in prison before being granted clemency; his conviction was later overturned. 

"I want to thank Coach Thompson ... for saving my life," Iverson said during his Hall of Fame acceptance speech. "For giving me the opportunity. I was recruited by every school in the country for football and basketball. And an incident happened in high school, and all that was taken away. No other teams, no other schools were recruiting me anymore. My mom went to Georgetown and begged him to give me a chance. And he did."

....May you always Rest in Paradise, where there is no pain or suffering. I will always see your face in my mind, hoping that I made you proud. “Your Prodigal Son”. #Hoya4Life pic.twitter.com/PberF54UqN

— Allen Iverson (@alleniverson) August 31, 2020

Michael Jordan, who made the game-winning shot for North Carolina against Thompson's Georgetown team in the 1982 national championship game, released a statement on Thompson's death, via Marc Stein of the New York Times:

Statement from Michael Jordan on John Thompson’s passing: “Coach Thompson was a truly great man ... I admired and loved him dearly.” pic.twitter.com/iCa7XDZilh

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 31, 2020

Duke's Mike Krzyzewski also released a statement, saying he will miss Thompson "dearly."

A message from Coach K on the passing of legendary Georgetown coach John Thompson Jr. pic.twitter.com/Nka2T39FL0

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) August 31, 2020

An imposing 6'10" man, Thompson was known for his fiery temper, no-nonsense attitude and loyalty to his players. While it wouldn't be a surprise to see Thompson angrily chastising his players on the court, he was just as protective of them off it.

When some Georgetown players, including Mourning, befriended dangerous drug kingpin Rayful Edmond in the 1980s, Thompson brought Edmond into his office and demanded he stay away from his players. Edmond is believed to have never had contact with Georgetown players again after that meeting.

Thompson resigned from coaching midway through the 1998-99 season, concluding his career with a 596–239 record. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999, just nine months after his retirement from coaching.

Georgetown men's basketball coach Patrick Ewing says he is doing "much better" after being diagnosed with COVID-19 but cautioned people to take the virus "seriously."

"I'm doing better. ... Just still taking it a day at a time," Ewing told John Fanta of the Big East Conference on Thursday (h/t Adam Zagoria of Forbes). "For those folks who are not taking this coronavirus seriously, please do."

NEW: Patrick Ewing joins me for his first on-camera interview since his battle with COVD-19. The Georgetown head coach gives the latest on his health, and a message to everyone:

pic.twitter.com/CksdWbwXbA

— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) June 25, 2020

Ewing was hospitalized because of complications from COVID-19 last month.

He told Fanta:

"I don't really even know how I caught it, but I did. And I'm doing much better today than I was. ... Everyone's experience is different. My older daughters had it, who lived in New York. They lost their taste, sense of smell. Mine, I had the chills, I had high temperature, shortness of breath. Of course, you feel crappy, you don't feel yourself. But I'm just happy that I'm better, and I say thank you to all the people at Georgetown University Hospital [who] took care of me."

Ewing is heading into his fourth season as Georgetown coach. The Hoyas are 49-46 under the Hall of Fame center, who won the 1984 national title at the school. Ewing said he advocates continued social distancing. 

"Just be safe," he said. "Don't take it for granted. Just continue to practice social distancing. Wear your mask, wash your hands, do all the things that everyone is telling you to do. Even with doing all that, you still might get it."