Bill Marsh wrote:billyjack wrote:I'm still hoping JT3 stays on with the Hoyas, though I realize that's not the most popular opinion.
Looked at some numbers...
In games decided by 6 points or less (2 possession games) over the last 4 years:
2017 - Georgetown is 5-9 (including 0-2 in OT).
2016 - Georgetown is 3-10 (including 0-2 in OT).
2015 - Georgetown is 11-6 (including 3-1 in OT).
2014 - Georgetown is 4-4 (including 1-1 in OT).
In games decided by 2 points or less over the last 4 years:
2017 - Georgetown is 0-4 (including 0-2 in OT).
2016 - Georgetown is 1-4 (including 0-2 in OT).
2015 - Georgetown is 4-2 (including 3-1 in OT).
2014 - Georgetown is 1-2 (including 1-1 in OT).
Also, in games decided by 7 or more points:
2017 - Georgetown is 9-7.
2016 - Georgetown is 12-8.
2015 - Georgetown is 11-5.
2014 - Georgetown is 14-11.
In 2015, the Hoyas were 4 minutes away from a Sweet-16.
So looking at the last two years...
Games decided by 6 or less, Georgetown is 8-19.
Games decided by 2 or less, Georgetown is 1-8.
It's not like they're not competitive. This isn't Keno Davis or something losing by 35 every game. Why are they losing close games so much? Coaching? Luck? In 2015 they were 11-6 in close games... did the Hoyas' roster have more seniors? Just thought I'd toss this out there and see what people think. The concerning thing to me is how attendance has fallen so much.
Billy Jack, I agree with you. All of the criticisms of JT III ignore his years of regular season success and focus almost entirely on a string of postseason failures. The result of a single game each year is simply not the measure of how well a coach has done his job that year. He's taken his team to the tournament 8 times. That's a good record.
While not really comparable, I am reminded of the criticism that Jay Wright received when he went 6 years without getting past the first weekend. He missed the tournament entirely one year with a losing record. When things hit their low point with that 13-19 season, 13th in the OBE, their were murmurs that the game had passed him by, that maybe it was time for Villanova to think about making a change. Thank God they didn't. Things never got as bad as they have at Georgetown, but the dynamic and the lack of patience by fans was similar.
I think that coaches should be evaluated based on how well they contribute to the overall development of their players. These are educational institutions after all. The record and the performance of their teams is important, but it shouldn't be the only thing. Jim Calhoun should have retired long before he did. By the end of his career, he was an embarrassment, an old, cranky curmudgeon who publicly humiliated players and was holding onto his job based on past results, not current performance. It was a shame. I know nothing about JT III aside from what I see on TV. But if he's a positive influence on young men, then he should remain even if he's not consistently successful - unless he becomes consistently unsuccessful.
Whether Georgetown retain or fire JT3 is fine with me, as I don't care what another program does with a respective coach. But, I can certainly see why most of their fans would rather part with him versus retaining him.
He started out red hot like a bullet out of a pistol. That's including his first season, when he had a team that was predicted to finish at the bottom of the conference, only to have them on the NCAA bubble (due to a late season collapse) and play well in the NIT (they were a game away from going to NYC). The following season, he slightly improved, per the regular season record, but you could clearly see the program was ascending. They advanced to the conference semifinals game, and was leading throughout until Syracuse rallied late and hit the game-winner in the closing seconds.
They ended up in Ohio (Dayton) in the NCAA's and faced a highly-ranked, Ohio State team, in the 2nd round, with a large, Buckeye contingent in attendance. I remember watching that particular game with a couple of friends who are Hoya fans. I just knew they was going to lose. The Hoyas ended up spanking Ohio State, and played eventual champion, Florida (in the Sweet 16), in a close game and had a chance to win it late before a missed three-pointer helped the Gators secure the win.
The following season (2006-2007) is when they started to look like they could be on to something. 30-7 overall and 13-3 in the conference. Of course, their Final Four season. Although, they made the Final Four, I do recall Jeff Green traveling prior to his game winning shot against Vandy in the Sweet 16. Maybe, if the refs didn't swallow their whistles, then it may seem easier for some others to dismiss JT3 of his duties.
The 2007-2008 season was also a fantastic season for JT3 and the Hoyas (28-6 overall and 15-3 in conference play). They once again played in the conference finals, only to get handled by Pitt (whom they beat a season earlier in the conference finals). This is the NCAA's when Stephen Curry became a household name. It began with Gonzaga in the first round, but it was his display against Georgetown in the 2nd round, and down 17 points. Davidson rallied and sent Georgetown packing. Frankly, that was somewhat the beginning of the end for JT3.
JT3 has been to five NCAA tournaments since that particular game against Davidson, but only two wins. Those wins are against Belmont and Eastern Washington. They've been blown out in the 1st round to the likes of Ohio, VCU, and Florida Gulf Coast. I mean literally ran off the floor, as if they didn't belong on the court with those teams. Their other loss where they were favored was to 11th seeded NC State in the 2nd round. The only loss I'd concede was their NCAA tournament loss to Utah two seasons ago.
There has been a slight descension with his teams in the past few seasons, although he did finish in 1st place in the Big East in 2012-2013. Otto Porter carried that group, and they did play good defense for the most part. Outside of that particular season, you can see the program slightly tailing off. These past two seasons has been in play for a few seasons, IMO.
Since, starting off 4-1 in the conference last season, JT3 is 8-22. That's more than likely to be 8-23 after Saturday's game against Villanova. He's went from having solid (or better) regular seasons and tournament success to solid (or better) regular seasons to poor tournament results to poor regular season play and no tournament results. There's a pattern that probably shouldn't be ignored.
Don't forget they lost to Radford, UNC-Asheville, and Monmouth (in a rout) last season. They was also on the ropes against UNC-Wilmington and Charlotte a season ago. They also was getting waxed by Arkansas State, earlier this season, before making a run and losing by six. A pattern.
Although, I don't care one way or the other, but I think he'll be back for another season. I'm sure that probably won't sit well with many, Georgetown fans.