Georgetown's woes under sixth-year coach Patrick Ewing hit a bleak new milestone Wednesday when the Hoyas suffered a record 25th consecutive Big East loss, surpassing DePaul's previous record during the 2010-11 season. The 73-57 home defeat against Villanova drops the Hoyas to 5-11 (0-5 Big East), adding to a historically brutal stretch that traces all the way back to March 2, 2021 against Xavier -- the team's last regular-season league win.
The record-setting defeat merely adds to the mounting pressure on Ewing, who is now 73-95 (26-68) during his coaching stint at the school where he once starred. The Hoyas have just one NCAA Tournament appearance under Ewing's watch -- a 23-point first-round loss to Colorado in 2021, which ended a late-season rally by virtue of a Big East Tournament title.
With a handful of transfers on the roster, there was hope this year's team could spark a turnaround for the program. But that spark hasn't come. Georgetown entered Wednesday's game ranked No. 242 in the NET with nonconference losses to Loyola Marymount and American derailing the campaign before December arrived.
The problems have been too numerous to count, but defense has been the most obvious issue this season. Georgetown ranks No. 280 in defensive efficiency, per KenPom. A 3-point percentage of just 32.6% hasn't helped things, either, and the Hoyas hit just 4 of 20 looks from beyond the arc against Villanova. The game was tied 35-35 at halftime, but Georgetown shot just 21.4% from the floor as a team in the second half.
Announced attendance for the game at Capital One Arena was 7,203 for the 20,356-seat facility. One sign held by a fan at the game, which surfaced on social media, read "The few of us left deserve change." How or when that change will come is a curious proposition for Georgetown because of Ewing's status in program lore.
We salute you, @theotherTA! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/YmpT6Jhtz7
— Hilltop Hoops (@HilltopHoops_) January 4, 2023
Ewing's player credentials are unrivaled. The 11-time NBA All-Star and Hall of Fame member was the Most Outstanding Player of the Hoyas' 1984 national title-winning team. Ewing was also a three-time All-American for the program, two-time Big East Player of the Year and widely regarded as the program's greatest player of all time. However, his results as a coach have left plenty to be desired. After a winless 2021-22 Big East campaign and a bleak beginning to this season, Ewing's tenure has reached a new low.
