A lot of things come to mind when you think of the Georgetown Hoyas. You think of former head coach John Thompson, the gray and blue uniforms, and the beast of the Big East.
Georgetown basketball and its rivalry with the Syracuse Orange was a must-see TV event back in the old days of the Big East. In the 1980s, Georgetown was the team you loved or the team you loved to hate, there was no in-between.
The Hoyas became a premier program in basketball under Thompson and several top athletes like Allen Iverson, Alonzo Mourning, and Patrick Ewing all wanted to be part of this great program. Today we honor those and other players as we present the 10 greatest Georgetown Hoyas of all time.
10. Greg Monroe, power forward
As a freshman, Greg Monroe made an immediate impact on the Hoyas. He averaged 12.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks in 31 minutes per game, all of which garnered him Big East Freshman of the Year. His sophomore season was even better. He was a third-team All-American and made first-team All-Big East, averaging 16.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.5 blocks in 34.2 minutes per game.
9. Roy Hibbert, center
Roy Hibbert continued the tradition of great Hoya big men like Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning. Hibbert was a second-team All-American and made first-team All-Big East twice during his time there. Hibbert was going to stay in school but changed his mind after the Hoyas lost to Steph Curry and Davidson in the NCAA Tournament.
8. David Wingate, shooting guard
David Wingate was part of the 1984 Hoyas team that won John Thompson’s sole national championship. As a freshman Wingate made the Big East All-Freshman team. In their championship season the following year, he led the team in steals and scored about 11 points per game but it was in the championship game against the Villanova Wildcats where he shined scoring leading the team with 16 points while winning the national championship.
7. Jeff Green, power forward
Jeff Green was one of the top high school prospects in his class and decided to play for John Thompson II. He had an immediate impact on his team. Green split the 2005 Big East Rookie of the Year along with Rudy Gay of Connecticut. In his sophomore year, he won Big East Player of the Year and was a second-team All-American. That same season, he was also the MVP of the Big East Tournament. His biggest accomplishment that season, however, was leading the Hoyas to the Final Four following their stunning comeback victory against the No. 1 seeded North Carolina Tar Heels.
6. Sleepy Floyd, point guard
Sleep Floyd just missed being on the Hoyas’ 1984 championship team, but he was a part of the team that started the Georgetown dynasty, leading the Hoyas to the championship game in 1982 where they lost to North Carolina by one point. Floyd was a two-time All-American and two-time Big East first-teamer.
5. Reggie Williams, shooting guard
Reggie Williams may be a forgotten name but he also was part of the 1984 national championship team. Williams was a two-time All-American, Big East Player of the Year, and two-time first-team All-Big East honoree. Williams was perhaps best known for his 19-point, seven-rebound performance in the national championship game against the Houston Cougars. He was named Most Valuable Player in that game. In his senior season, Williams led the Big East in scoring and led the team in rebounding, steals, and blocked shots.
4. Dikembe Mutombo, center
When Dikembe Mutombo arrived at Georgetown, he spoke no English. But Mutombo had no problem on the basketball court. During his first year of college basketball as a sophomore, he blocked 12 shots in a game. He would go on to be named Big East Defensive Player of the Year twice. He also was a third-team All-American and a first-team All-Big East selection. Mutombo went on to have a great NBA career, playing 18 seasons in the league.
3. Allen Iverson, shooting guard
If it wasn’t for the player at No. 1, Allen Iverson might be considered by many as the best player on this list. Iverson was an All-American, two-time Big East Player of the Year, Big East Rookie of the Year, and made the first and second All-Big East teams. Iverson ended his Hoyas career as the school’s all-time career scoring leader, averaging nearly 23 points per game.
2. Alonzo Mourning, center
Alonzo Mourning, along with Dikembe Mutombo, were beast in the middle for the Hoyas. While Mutombo was more of a force on the defensive end, Mourning was more of a scorer, although both he and Mutombo won Big East Defensive Player of the Year. In his freshman season, Zo averaged 13 points and seven rebounds per game while leading the nation in block shots and blocks per game. As he got older, his game got better and he collected numerous awards, including consensus First-Team All-American and Big East Conference Player of the Year in 1992. He was also named Big East Defensive Player of the Year for the third time in 1992.
1. Patrick Ewing, center
Patrick Ewing. When you think of Georgetown, his name usually comes to mind. While at Georgetown, Ewing was a national champion, three-time All-American, National Player of the Year, two-time Big East Player of the Year, four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, and the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. An interesting fact about Ewing is he almost committed to Dean Smith and North Carolina, but when a Klan rally was held close by, he declined. Ewing went on to have a Hall of Fame career in both college and the NBA.
