Georgetown University’s men’s basketball program is a storied program and one of the first big members of the original Big East. Since the fall of the old Big East however, the Hoyas’ program has fallen off.
The fall of Georgetown men’s basketball has gotten to a point where the future of head coach John Thompson III is in doubt. It’s even gotten to a point where former players are afraid to publicly address the elephant in the room.
“Everyone knows a change needs to be made,” one former player said. “But no one will dare stand up and say it.”
While everyone knows a change should be made, someone should say something sooner rather than later.
Georgetown is 14-16 this season and losers of four straight for the second time this season. It’s been a forgettable season that included two high points with wins over Oregon and Syracuse during non-conference play.
But once again, this season isn’t the only reason why a change could be in the near future. It’s really the last 10 years that are in indicator of why Thompson III may be out of a job soon.
As pointed out by ESPN, over the last decade Georgetown, only has three wins in the NCAA Tournament and they aren’t against big time opponents: Maryland-Baltimore County, Belmont, and Eastern Washington doesn’t exactly resemble a who’s who of college basketball.
The list of losses in the tournament over the last decade is depressing and long for the Hoyas:
2016 – Didn’t make the tournament
2015 – #4 seed, lost to #5 seed Utah in second round
2014 – Didn’t make the tournament
2013 – #2 seed, lost to #15 seed Florida Gulf Coast in first round
2012 – #3 seed, lost to #11 seed North Carolina State in second round
2011 – #6 seed, lost to #11 seed VCU in first round
2010 – #3 seed, lost to #14 seed Ohio in first round
2009 – Didn’t make the tournament
2008 – #2 seed, lost to #10 seed Davidson in second round
2007 – #2 seed, lost to #1 seed Ohio State in Final Four
As you can see, over the last decade, Georgetown has made it out of the Round of 32 once, and that was 10 years ago when they made it to the Final Four. During JT3’s 13-year tenure as head coach dating back to the 2004-2005 season, the Hoyas have made it out of the Round of 32 just twice, in 2006 (Sweet Sixteen) and 2007 (Final Four).
But since those back-to-back runs, Georgetown has really struggled.
“Everyone is scared to death,” another ex-player said.
John Thompson III was a welcome addition to the program when he first came in and his first couple seasons were great. But once again, since then, it’s been anything but happy in the nation’s capital.
ESPN spoke with a total of four former players about JT3, and none would go on the record about the need for a change and why they’re not talking publicly.
“Loyalty and fear,” one told ESPN on why they weren’t willing to attach their name to anything. “Fear of Big John and where you stand. You don’t mess with him.”
“I’m still scared of him, and I’m a grown man now,” added another.
Not only does this look bad for Thompson III, but it also looks bad for the program. Imagine trying to recruit right now?
JT3’s father, “Big John,” is 75-years old and still very much around the program. He led the Hoyas to three Final Fours and a National Championship during his tenure at the helm of the team. To say his son isn’t filling his shoes is an understatement.
However because of the family’s history at the school, letting go of Thompson III won’t be easy. Georgetown released a statement from the younger Thompson about his status recently:
“First and foremost, our fans are terrific and have been terrific,” he said. “They’ve experienced some good times with us, and now, with the stretch we are having, I understand their frustration. There is no one more frustrated than I am. We are accustomed to winning. I know that our players and staff are working hard and playing hard. No one cares more about this program and its tradition than I do.”
Just because nobody cares more about the program and tradition more than you do means you should keep the job, especially when former players are “calling for your head.”
“I love the school, and he’s a really, really good man,” one former Hoya said of JT3. “But he’s just not getting it done.”
“How many more years are they going to give him of not making the tournament?” asked one former player.
Outside of the team’s poor performance in the tournament and regular season, their recruiting hasn’t gone well either. From 2012-2014, Georgetown successfully recruited six players in ESPN’s Top 100. Three of those six transferred.
There are five former Georgetown players in the NBA, but JT3 only recruited three of them in Greg Monroe, Otto Porter, and Hollis Thompson.
“He still tries to recruit high-level guys, regardless of the fit,” one player said. “He needs high-skilled guys, not necessarily the top talent. Obviously, some of the guys fit well — but most of them don’t.”
The Hoyas have so far signed only one Top 100 recruit in this year’s class: #33 Tremont Waters, a point guard from Connecticut. According to ESPN, three other players are considering the Hoyas in this year’s class, none of which are among the players left in the Top 100.
“It’s embarrassing,” one former player said. “And something needs to be done.”
