When he re-entered the game against Pittsburgh on Feb. 24 with less than seven minutes remaining, Georgetown forward Patrick Ewing Jr.’s stat line was unimpressive: zero points, two rebounds, two blocks and three turnovers.
In one play two minutes later, he rendered stats irrelevant.
With the Hoyas and Panthers tied, 49-49, and 4:51 to play, Ewing slid into the path of Pitt guard Levance Fields at the top of the key, drew an offensive foul and turned the tide in favor of Georgetown for good. The Hoyas closed the game with 12-2 run to take over first place in the Big East.
It may have been a risky play. But Ewing is not about holding back.
“Patrick helped us win games last year sitting on the bench,” said Hoyas coach John Thompson III after the 61-53 win over the Panthers. “And now, that energy, that enthusiasm is out on the floor — when he stays focused. Because he’s emotional and you’ve got to take the positive and the negative that comes along with that. As the year’s progressed, it’s been a lot more positive than negative — the energy, the hustle, the toughness he brings to the court is contagious.”
Ewing is averaging more than 24 minutes for the Hoyas (23-6) in the last three games after hovering around 12 much of the season. He’s scored in double-figures in the last two games, including 12 points and just one turnover in a season-high 28 minutes against Connecticut.
“It’s been about confidence throughout the whole season,” said Ewing. “Early in the year, I’d pass up a lot of shots, and my teammates — Jessie [Sapp] and Jonathan [Wallace] — they’d get mad at me. ‘Pat, man, you were wide open. Why’d you pass the shot up?’”
The son of arguably the program’s most important alum is still prone to reckless fouls and turnovers. And his emotions nearly got him in deep trouble after an ill-advised shove of West Virginia’s Joe Alexander right in front of Mountaineers coach John Beilein.
But he’s also capable of hurting opponents with timely shooting from 3-point range (14-for-28 this season) and with put backs, thanks to his lengthy 6-foot-8 frame.
“Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad,” said Sapp of Ewing’s animated persona. “He’s learning when to do it and when not to be so emotional at times. It’s been working out. [Against Pitt] he took a charge, got real emotional and fired the team up. That was a big point of the game.”
