It wasn’t that long ago that there was optimism for Georgetown’s long-suffering fans, who haven’t seen a championship since Ewing’s playing days.
In addition to winning the Big East tournament last season, Ewing also pulled in a top-20 recruiting class, according to 247Sports rankings, highlighted by the five-star wing Aminu Mohammed.
But the Hoyas lost their top four scorers from last year’s N.C.A.A. tournament team, including the big man Qudus Wahab, who transferred to Maryland, where he was averaging 7.9 points and 5.7 rebounds through Sunday.
As a team, Georgetown ranks last in the Big East in field goal percentage and points allowed per game and near the bottom in scoring.
“It’s just tough when you don’t have a lot of returning players that played last year,” said Donald Carey, a graduate student guard who is the team’s second-leading scorer this year after being its fifth-leading scorer last season.
He continued: “The chemistry wasn’t there exactly; the same chemistry and momentum wasn’t there because it was just me and Dante that played heavy minutes that are returning,” referring to the sophomore point guard Dante Harris, who is averaging 12.3 points, 4.2 assists and 2.6 turnovers per game.
Carey scored 17 points when the Hoyas lost to Colorado in the first round of the 2021 N.C.A.A. tournament, but unless Georgetown pulls off a miracle and wins the Big East tournament, he won’t get to taste March Madness again.