The Master Of The Key

St. John's coach Lou Carnesecca has said, " Ewing doesn't just beat you, he tears you apart." Villanova coach Rollie Massimino says, "He's Bill Russell . That's the only comparison I could make."

Of all the school records Ewing has broken in his three-plus seasons at Georgetown , none is more illuminating than his 390 blocked shots, many of which ended up as fast-break layups for the Hoyas—what coaches call the four-point turnaround. The fear factor being what it is, at least as many shots have in a sense been blocked by the shooters themselves. The opposition's field-goal percentage when Ewing is on court is hard to nail down (he has averaged about 31 minutes per game), but Georgetown last season allowed only 39.5% of its opponents' shots to fall. And over a 16-minute stretch of the second half of the 53-40 blowout of Kentucky in last spring's NCAA semifinals, the Wildcats went 1 for 22. Michael Jackson , Georgetown 's junior guard, says, "Playing with Patrick was partly why I came to Georgetown . And he's better than I ever thought he could be."

Ewing has demonstrated the ability to shoot jump hooks, reverse dunks, jumpers, baseline finger rolls—a virtuosic offensive repertoire he and the Hoyas have seldom needed. "People don't realize that Patrick can do whatever he wants in a game," says Jarvis. "He prefers defense." Says George Raveling , who assisted coach Bob Knight on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team, "Patrick showed us he could adapt to any role. He buries his shot facing the basket, but he has no ego about it. He's not smiling and hand slapping—that's a man who takes his work seriously. The first sign of intelligence is silence. Where'd that 'dumb' rap come from?"

In 1980, Jarvis was determined to keep the Ewing recruiting circus under control. So he sent out to 150 Division I schools the so-called Ewing Letter, which promulgated rules for recruiting Patrick and listed his academic and athletic requirements. The letter explained in detail that because of his culturally poor background Ewing might need daily tutoring, remedial instruction, tapes of lectures and other special educational considerations. The Ewing Letter predictably left people around the country wondering: What, is he that dumb? (Ford says she once told Ewing , "Patrick, you don't have to be the tallest dummy in the world.") During the heat of the 1981 state championship game against Boston College High, the opposing fans chanted, " Ewing can't read!" That taunt followed Ewing into college competition.

"The enmity is based on a sad misunderstanding of a superb athlete," wrote Howard Husock in last May's Boston Observer. In 1981 Husock had won a New England Emmy for a PBS documentary entitled Patrick Ewing and an American Dream. "And make no mistake about it: It is also based on race."

"It wasn't a bad thing for Patrick to have the image of John Thompson to look up to," says Jarvis. "A center. Russell 's friend. A great coach. And a black man."

In his recruiting, Thompson made no visits to the Ewing home until Feb. 2, 1981, the day Patrick signed with Georgetown . "[Dorothy and I] sat at a table," says Thompson . "I just remember her looking at me and not batting an eye. You talk about intimidation. She asked about his social life, and I said I wasn't responsible for his social life, that if Patrick couldn't find a social outlet in D.C., that was his problem. She said, 'Funny man.' I asked her to sign. She looked at me and said, ' Mr. Thompson , you sign for land. You don't sign for people.' " Thompson was thrown somewhat, but a slow smile creased Dorothy's face. She asked Carl to sign.

Thompson returned to Cambridge the summer after Ewing , as a freshman, had done valorous battle in a losing cause against North Carolina 's Sam Perkins , James Worthy and Michael Jordan in the NCAA championship game. Thompson and Fenlon sat down with the Ewings to make sure they realized what riches Patrick might receive if he abandoned college and turned pro. "I went to educate them on the situation," says Thompson . "Instead, they educated me."

Thompson told the Ewings that Patrick's market value might be as high as $1 million a year. Dorothy's fist hit the table. "I want him to get his education!" she said. Carl took Thompson aside and told him he knew of people who dreamed of being rich, how he had once dreamed of this himself, how such dreams were not to be trusted. This was music to Thompson 's ears—for his own as well as for Patrick's sake. "Mrs. Ewing would not bargain with the fact she was Patrick Ewing 's mother," Thompson says, "and she would not let him bargain with being Patrick Ewing ."

It was around that time that the Ewings bought the house on Pleasant Street. Some eyebrows were raised. "Make no mistake," says Connie Jarvis. "That is Mrs. Ewing's house. Their savings made the payments."