Frustrating Times at Georgetown: Hoya Fans Pass Around Blame

Even before Georgetown’s blowout loss to Virginia Commonwealth was complete, one of my colleagues was on Facebook suggesting the Hoyas would be better off without coach John Thompson III.

The co-worker is a frustrated Georgetown fan — and for good reason. Last Friday’s double-digit defeat was the second in two years to a double-digit seeded opponent in the NCAA Tournament’s first round. And it’s the third-straight time the Hoyas were bounced by a team seeded 10 or higher. Clearly, it’s been downhill since a trip to the Final Four.

But is the coach to blame for the recent failures? Yes, to a certain extent. But Hoyas fans should hearken back to the Craig Esherick era to see how good they have it now.
Thompson clearly bet incorrectly on locals Chris Wright and Austin Freeman, who didn’t win an NCAA Tournament game without Roy Hibbert and Jonathan Wallace — holdovers from the Final Four run — by their side.

Still, upsets are a big part of March Madness. It’s also worth noting that Stephen Curry was making his star turn in leading Davidson’s Goliath-sized upset three years ago, and VCU seems to have found magic this year.

Being in the wrong spot at the wrong time doesn’t hold up as an excuse, though. March is the measure of success in college basketball. And Thompson should know his honeymoon period is now over.

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