Georgetown University hired Patrick Ewing to replace John Thompson III as their head men’s basketball coach on April 3. Thompson was fired after thirteen years with Georgetown. Ewing is a 1985 Georgetown graduate, and he played a successful four year career at Georgetown. Ewing has spent the last thirteen years as an assistant coach in the NBA with the Orlando Magic and the Charlotte Hornets.

Ewing was chosen over Minnesota coach Richard Pitino, Harvard coach Tommy Amaker, and Rhode Island coach Richard Hurley. Pitino, Amaker, and Hurley all have experience coaching at the college level, but have no affiliation to Georgetown.

Ewing has been and will continue to be an excellent recruiter. The product Ewing will be selling is one that he has purchased for himself. Ewing has landed class of 2018 recruits Mac McClung, Josh Leblanc, and Grayson Carter.

Ewing has also guided the Hoyas to a better start in 2018, and a 15-13 (.536) record. Georgetown finished below .500 the last two seasons. Ewing had a great start to his college coaching career, winning his first eight games.

It will take time for Georgetown to develop into an elite program, roughly 2-4 years. Ewing will need to continue recruiting well and developing players to reach their full potential.

Ewing being a former Center who stands at 7’0”, has helped develop Hoyas’ power-forward Marcus Derrickson and Center Jessie Govan. Both Derrickson and Govan have seen a statistical increase this season. Govan averages 16.7 PPG this year, up from 10.1 PPG last year. Derrickson averages 16.2 PPG this year, up from 8.3 PPG.

Ewing will also be able to relate better to his players. He knows what it’s like to wear the blue and gray, and be a student-athlete at a prestigious university.

Ewing holds two Georgetown basketball records, in blocked shots (493), and rebounds (1,316). Ewing also led the Hoyas to three national championships, including a 1984 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship victory.

Ewing has been recruiting former McQuaid Jesuit student-athlete Isaiah Stewart. Stewart and Ewing are both of Jamaican descent, and Stewart wears number 33 just as Ewing did.

Overall, Georgetown without a doubt made a great decision in hiring Patrick Ewing.