Hoyas Basketball: Ewing, Team Make Statement in Gavitt Tipoff Games

The Georgetown Hoyas basketball team and head coach Patrick Ewing made a big statement in the Gavitt Tipoff Games against Illinois.

While the bulk of the Gavitt Tipoff Games will be played tonight and tomorrow, the first night of the event was extremely entertaining. The reason, if you’re wondering, is because the Georgetown-Illinois game was the best college basketball game I’ve seen so far this season. Complete with back-and-forth action and lead changes, the Hoyas outlasted the Fighting Illini for an 88-80 win in front of 15,000 screaming orange fans.

As exciting as it was, the win should also be considered a benchmark on Patrick Ewing’s head coaching career. He took his young team on the road to play in a ridiculously tough atmosphere and they actually won. Let’s not forget this is a program that went just 5-13 in the Big East last year. Even more, he proved his worth as a recruiter. The three most impactful players from their win over Illinois — James Akinjo, Mac McClung and Josh LeBlanc — are all freshman and guys that were brought in exclusively during the Ewing era. Last season, as the team struggled, folks wondered if things would change when he brought “his guys” in; finally, we are seeing that, yes, things are changing in Georgetown under Ewing.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Ewing noted what everyone watching on FS1 saw for themselves: this team has HEART.

“Heart. We have heart. That was a hard-fought game,” Ewing said via The Washington Post. “We could have easily given up, but they kept on fighting.

The Georgetown Hoyas basketball program, now a perfect 3-0 on the season, will travel to Montego Bay for their next two games (Loyola Marymount on November 16th and South Florida on November 18th). Both games will be aired nationally on CBS Sports Network.

READ: MR. BELDING WILL BE AT GEORGE MASON HOOPS GAME

Georgetown has now moved up to No. 62 on KenPom.

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