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Well, rumors on the internet are rampant, but I was holding out until something concrete came out. We all know that Coach Hewitt has been looking at trying to land another big-man. Well rumors are there is one headed our way - although he would have to sit out next season. We are talking Patrick Ewing Jr - son of senior - the old Hoya. Junior has been playing for Indiana and it is official now that he will be transferring. Here was another news story...
First, at this point this is only a rumor. Just thought I would tell you a little about the guy.....
A 6-8, 215-pound forward, Ewing started five of the 29 games in which he played as a sophomore. His 4.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game average included season and career-highs of 15 points against Minnesota on Feb. 12, 2005. He grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in two games as a freshman in 2003-04, a year in which the Marietta, Ga., native posted 2.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
Why is he leaving?
Ewing, the son of former NBA All-Star center and current Houston Rocket coach Patrick Ewing, Sr., said that while he appreciates the opportunity he was given at Indiana, he would like to pursue other options where he can earn more playing time.
"I would like to thank Coach Davis for the chance to play at a storied program like Indiana, and I appreciate how Coach Davis and the other coaches worked with me both on and off the court," Ewing, Jr., said. "I've spent a lot of time with my family and given this decision a lot of thought, and I feel it is in my best interests to pursue my education and basketball career at another school."
Bottom-line with IU is that they have a deep front-court and some new blood coming in. It's a numbers game and he is the odd man out....
Here's the biography from the IU site. He's about 6'8" 220lb. He's currently a sophomore and after sitting out a year should have two years of eligibility....... Scout.com ranked him as the 75th best player in his class. Rivals ranked him the 97th best and the 25th best in the southeast........ His recruiting was interesting. His dad wanted him to go to GeorgeTown (of course), but junior didn't waiver much and stuck with the Hoosiers. He was pursued by schools like Louisville, Memphis, Texas, Georgia, Clemson..... Ewing is VERY athletic and is known for his dunking ability (sound familiar). Old reports talked about his inside/outside game, but that never seemed to develop at IU... In terms of academics, I don't know, other than in high school he claimed to have a GPA in the range of 2.0. Of course, by now, that was a long time ago.
Why the link with GaTech? Well, he was born in Marietta and went to Marietta High School before transferring to National Christian Academy in Maryland. Played AAU ball with the Ga Stars...... So it's a "hometown" thing..... Add to that the need for some front-court depth and voila - instant rumor.
For more on Ewing, check out these links:
PLAYER TRANSFERS NOTHING NEW
He had yet to put up numbers that Dad did during his collegiate days at Georgetown or in the pros, but it was obvious there was some raw talent there that could make a contribution.
Still, it's hard to believe there wouldn't have been a spot in the IU program for Ewing. He brought enthusiasm to the game, something that some of the IU players really lacked this year. No, he wouldn't have been a starter, but he would have been a valuable spark off the bench (I remember a guy by the name of Laskowski a few years back for IU who wasn't much of a starter but was a tremendous sixth man off the bench for the Hoosiers).
EWING DECIDES TO LEAVE
EWING LEAVING - WASHINGTON POST
(Coach Mike) Davis did not indicate where Ewing might be transferring.