Georgetown Basketball

The Georgetown Hoyas landed an impact player for the 2021 class with the commitment of Aminu Mohammed.

The shooting guard announced his decision Monday:

The Washington, D.C., native is a 5-star recruit and the No. 16 overall player in the class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

Mohammed has excellent athleticism, helping him to attack the paint and consistently finish at the rim. He has a good enough handle to create opportunities for himself and others, allowing him to play on the ball at the next level.

At 6'5", his strength manifested on both ends of the court. It's helped him to dominate at the high school level for Greenwood, causing headaches for opposing coaches.

"You can't stop him, and it is unrealistic for me to expect my guys to stop him," Purdy coach Ryan Stokes said of Mohammed, per Jared Lankford of the Monett Times.

His high level of play got the attention of numerous college coaches, but he decided to play for the Hoyas.

Mohammed has the chance to make an early impact with his new team before potentially moving on to the NBA within the next couple of years.

Several Black college basketball head coaches are set to honor the late John Thompson by wearing a towel over their right shoulder during their season openers.

Myron Medcalf of ESPN reported some coaches will carry out the gesture throughout the 2020-21 season. None of the coaches who are participating have been publicly identified.

"We've talked about the ways to honor him and his legacy," one head coach said. "I'll have [a towel] every game."

Thompson died Aug. 30, three days shy of his 79th birthday.

The iconic Georgetown coach wore a towel draped over his right shoulder throughout his career, leading the Hoyas to three Final Four appearances and the 1984 national championship. Georgetown made the NCAA tournament 14 consecutive seasons from 1979 to 1992 and reached the Dance 20 times overall in Thompson's tenure.

Beyond his coaching acumen, Thompson was also known as a fiercely protective father figure to his players and a champion of racial justice. Allen Iverson credited Thompson for saving his life by taking a chance on him at Georgetown.

Numerous other players and coaches have pointed to Thompson as an inspiration, for both his success on the court and his grace off it.

Ryan Mutombo, the son of Basketball Hall of Fame center Dikembe Mutombo, committed to play college basketball at Georgetown.

Mutombo is a 4-star prospect and the 80th-ranked player in the 2021 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He's also listed as the 14th-best center and the No. 4 player coming out of Georgia among next year's incoming group.

The Atlanta native already features an impressive combination of size (6'11", 235 lbs) and athleticism, the same attributes that helped make his dad an NBA star, but he's also been working to expand his play to fit the modern game. It's helped elevate his long-term outlook.

"The next step for me in college is definitely to become at least a 35-percent three-point shooter," he told 247Sports' Evan Daniels in June. "That's the next step for me, and I think that's going to take my game to the next level I think."

Mutombo put together a strong junior season at both ends of the floor, and then he watched as the scholarship offers from Power 5 programs started to roll in.

"I'm assuming the offers came from schools watching my games from this year," he told Rivals' Dan McDonald in April. "Now that everybody is stuck in quarantine [because of COVID-19] and not able to go out, the coaches are starting to watch film this from this year."

He's also worked to add more strength to his frame, which is usually a multiyear process for seven-foot post players who grew at a rapid rate throughout high school:

The entire development package made the center one of the fastest-rising prospects in the 2021 class.

Mutombo's biggest initial impact with the Hoyas, his father's alma mater, figures to come defensively. His ability to block and alter shots has already reached a near-NBA level, and the weight gain will go a long way in helping him contend with collegiate post players.

The other areas of his game are still in progress, which may make him more of a two-year project for Patrick Ewing at Georgetown than a one-and-done prospect. That said, he's showcased all the tools to eventually become a lottery pick in the NBA draft if his progress continues at its recent rate.

Allen Iverson, Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning and other Georgetown alumni served as the pallbearers at the funeral for legendary Hoyas coach John Thompson Jr. on Wednesday, per NBC Sports. 

In Thompson's 27 years as Georgetown's head coach, he won 596 games, reached the NCAA tournament 20 times, won a national championship in the 1983-84 season, reached three Final Fours and coached a number of future NBA Hall of Famers, including Iverson, Ewing, Mutombo and Mourning.

In total, 26 of his former players reached the NBA. 

In guiding the Hoyas to the national title in 1984, Thompson became the first Black head coach to win an NCAA men's basketball championship.

The Hall of Famer died in late August at the age of 78.

"We are heartbroken to share the news of the passing of our father, John Thompson, Jr," his family said at the time in a statement. "Our father was an inspiration to many and devoted his life to developing young people not simply on, but most importantly, off the basketball court. He is revered as a historic shepherd of the sport, dedicated to the welfare of his community above all else."

Georgetown men's basketball coach Patrick Ewing said on Friday that he'll try to make sure the legacy of John Thompson, the Hoyas' former coach who died Sunday at the age of 78, lives on within the program.

The 11-time NBA All-Star, who played under Thompson, returned to his alma mater to take over the coaching staff in April 2017.

"His legacy will always live on," Ewing told reporters. "Through me, through Alonzo (Mourning), through Dikembe (Mutombo), through all of the people he's coached. He has done a great job of teaching us not only to be great athletes but also great human beings. Now it's my role, my responsibility to keep doing those things to the kids I'm teaching."

The 58-year-old explained he recently visited Thompson when he returned home from a hospital stay, but he didn't know it'd be the last time they would meet.

"I was able to go over there the Friday before he passed," Ewing said. "We sat and talked and just laughed. I didn't know it was going to be goodbye because I was planning to go back. Then I got the text late on Sunday that he had passed."

The Jamaica native added: "His teachings continue to guide me. I will definitely miss the opportunity to pick up a phone and call him with whatever questions I might have. Not only just coaching but also my life."

Ewing added the Hoyas will explore trying to add Thompson's name on its basketball court at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., and they will probably wear a patch on their jerseys during the 2020-21 season in remembrance of the Hall of Fame coach.

Thompson, who played professionally with the Boston Celtics and won two NBA titles, took over the Georgetown program in 1972. He transformed the Hoyas into a national powerhouse.

The program reached new heights during Ewing's college career from 1981 through 1985, reaching the national championship game three times in four years and winning the 1984 title.

Thompson, who stepped down in 1999, was there three years ago when Ewing returned to campus to take over as head coach.

"Great job," Thompson told Ewing during an embrace. "Great job."

The program is in different hands, but Georgetown basketball has long maintained Thompson's imprint, and Ewing will work to make sure that doesn't change.

Legendary Georgetown men's basketball coach John Thompson died Monday, according to ESPN's Myron Medcalf.  

He was 78.

No cause of death was made public. Thompson retired from Nike's Board of Directors in May, a position he had held since 1991.

A center drafted in the third round by the Boston Celtics in 1964, Thompson won two NBA championships during a brief two-year professional career before moving into coaching. He dominated at St. Anthony High School in Washington, D.C., from 1966-1972 before being hired at Georgetown at just 31 years old—a move that would stabilize the next three decades of Hoyas basketball.

A mediocre program with little history of postseason success before Thompson's arrival, Georgetown became a juggernaut after joining the Big East in 1979. With Thompson recruiting and developing an assembly line of dominant big men that included Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo, the Hoyas became a consistent fixture, making deep runs to the NCAA tournament.

In 1984, Ewing and Thompson led Georgetown to the program's first and only national championship. Thompson became the first Black head coach to win a national title. Georgetown also reached the championship game two other times in Thompson's tenure, in 1982 and 1985.

While Thompson's success was more limited on the floor in the 1990s, he was also instrumental in turning around the life of Allen Iverson after bringing him to Georgetown in 1994. Iverson had lost nearly every scholarship offer after he was given a 15-year prison sentence after an incident at a bowling alley. He served four months in prison before being granted clemency; his conviction was later overturned. 

"I want to thank Coach Thompson ... for saving my life," Iverson said during his Hall of Fame acceptance speech. "For giving me the opportunity. I was recruited by every school in the country for football and basketball. And an incident happened in high school, and all that was taken away. No other teams, no other schools were recruiting me anymore. My mom went to Georgetown and begged him to give me a chance. And he did."

Michael Jordan, who made the game-winning shot for North Carolina against Thompson's Georgetown team in the 1982 national championship game, released a statement on Thompson's death, via Marc Stein of the New York Times:

Duke's Mike Krzyzewski also released a statement, saying he will miss Thompson "dearly."

An imposing 6'10" man, Thompson was known for his fiery temper, no-nonsense attitude and loyalty to his players. While it wouldn't be a surprise to see Thompson angrily chastising his players on the court, he was just as protective of them off it.

When some Georgetown players, including Mourning, befriended dangerous drug kingpin Rayful Edmond in the 1980s, Thompson brought Edmond into his office and demanded he stay away from his players. Edmond is believed to have never had contact with Georgetown players again after that meeting.

Thompson resigned from coaching midway through the 1998-99 season, concluding his career with a 596–239 record. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999, just nine months after his retirement from coaching.

Georgetown men's basketball coach Patrick Ewing says he is doing "much better" after being diagnosed with COVID-19 but cautioned people to take the virus "seriously."

"I'm doing better. ... Just still taking it a day at a time," Ewing told John Fanta of the Big East Conference on Thursday (h/t Adam Zagoria of Forbes). "For those folks who are not taking this coronavirus seriously, please do."

Ewing was hospitalized because of complications from COVID-19 last month.

He told Fanta:

"I don't really even know how I caught it, but I did. And I'm doing much better today than I was. ... Everyone's experience is different. My older daughters had it, who lived in New York. They lost their taste, sense of smell. Mine, I had the chills, I had high temperature, shortness of breath. Of course, you feel crappy, you don't feel yourself. But I'm just happy that I'm better, and I say thank you to all the people at Georgetown University Hospital [who] took care of me."

Ewing is heading into his fourth season as Georgetown coach. The Hoyas are 49-46 under the Hall of Fame center, who won the 1984 national title at the school. Ewing said he advocates continued social distancing. 

"Just be safe," he said. "Don't take it for granted. Just continue to practice social distancing. Wear your mask, wash your hands, do all the things that everyone is telling you to do. Even with doing all that, you still might get it."

Former New York Knicks great and current Georgetown men's basketball head coach Patrick Ewing announced Friday that he has tested positive for COVID-19:

Ewing, 57, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 after a decorated basketball career that included a national championship with Georgetown, two NBA Finals appearances with the Knicks, 11 All-Star Game appearances and a gold medal with the 1992 United States Olympic men's basketball team.

After his playing days ended in 2002, Ewing served the Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic as an assistant coach until 2017, when he became Georgetown's head coach.

Ewing's history at Georgetown dates back to 1981, when he stepped foot on campus as a freshman. He averaged 15.3 points and 9.2 rebounds during his four seasons with the Hoyas, who reached the NCAA tournament finals in three of those campaigns, winning once in 1984 over Houston.

The Knicks took the three-time All-American and 1985 National College Player of the Year with the first overall selection in the 1985 NBA draft. Ewing led the Knicks to the playoffs in all but two of his seasons in New York, with his tenure there ending in 2000.

Per Scott Gleeson of USA Today, Ewing is among many current and former athletes and coaches who have tested positive for COVID-19, including Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz, Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller, Knicks owner James Dolan and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton.

As of Friday afternoon, the World Health Organization reported that over 4.99 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 worldwide and that over 327,800 people have died.

Georgetown guard Mac McClung will withdraw from the 2020 NBA draft but will also enter the transfer portal, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

"It was a number of different events that made me feel I had no choice but to transfer from Georgetown," McClung said. "I really wanted to stay, but things throughout my career made me realize that I couldn't.

"I'm looking for a place I can call home. A place I can be a part of a family and help them succeed."

The sophomore averaged 15.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in 2019-20, but a foot injury limited him to just 21 appearances. 

McClung declared for the NBA draft after the season, but his coach, Patrick Ewing, claimed he was set to return for his junior year:

"Mac McClung and Jamorko Pickett decided to test the waters and they told me that both of them will be coming back," Ewing said.

However, agent Daniel Hazan clarified afterward that "Mac has not given anyone at the school such indications," via Ben Standig of The Athletic.

"The podcast with Andy Katz was not the deciding factor to my decision to transfer," McClung said. "I think it affected my predraft process and seemed to confuse a lot of teams."

The 6'2" player will now become one of the most sought-after transfers on the market after proving to be a dangerous scorer throughout his two years at Georgetown. He scored at least 20 points in seven different games last season with a high of 33 against Oklahoma State.

Though his efficiency has been an issue, he improved his three-point shooting from 27.7 percent as a freshman to 32.3 last year. With his impressive athleticism, McClung possesses a lot of upside for whichever team he plays for next. 

Mac McClung's future remains up in the air. 

On Tuesday, Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing told Fox Sports' Andy Katz that McClung will withdraw from the 2020 NBA draft and return to the nation's capital for one more season:

"Mac McClung and Jamorko Pickett decided to test the waters and they told me that both of them will be coming back," Ewing said (h/t Garrett Stepien of 247Sports). "... Mac and Jamorko, they're also a significant part of our team, and we're definitely happy that they're coming back and we're looking for a better year."

However, agent Daniel Hazan—who has been advising McClung—reiterated the 20-year-old hasn't made a firm decision just yet. 

"Though Patrick Ewing made comments that Mac would return next season, Mac has not given anyone at the school such indications," Hazan said, according to The Athletic's Ben Standig. 

The Hoyas struggled to a 15-17 record this past season while a foot injury held McClung to just 21 games.

He showcased his talent when on the court, however, averaging 15.7 points with 1.4 steals per game. The athletic player also improved his outside shooting, making 32.3 percent of three-point shots as a sophomore after making 27.7 percent as a freshman.

With seven 20-point games during the year, including a 33-point effort in a win over Oklahoma State, it's clear he is a dangerous scorer when at his best.

McClung still understood there was value in declaring for the draft even if he did end up returning to school.

"I am looking forward to getting feedback from NBA teams, as well as give NBA teams an opportunity to get to know me on a more personal level," he told Jonathan Givony of ESPN in March.

Spending at least another year at the college level could help McClung round out his game while becoming a better prospect for the 2021 draft, if he ultimately decides to return to the Big East.