NCAA Basketball: Top 10 programs that can be called ‘Big Man U’
By Amaar Burton
4. NCAA Basketball “Big Man U” programs – Georgetown Hoyas
With the exception of Allen Iverson, the most popular and program-defining names in the history of Georgetown basketball have been big men. A lot of schools on this list are known for producing great players all over the court. Georgetown is known specifically for producing great big men.
Patrick Ewing is widely regarded as the Hoyas’ greatest player, and his homecoming in 2017 when he was hired as Georgetown’s head coach further cemented his place in Hilltop lore.
Ewing was college basketball’s national player of the year in 1985, the year after he led Georgetown to the 1984 national title. The 7-foot center averaged 15.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game in four seasons, winning Big East Defensive Player of the Year all four years and twice winning Big East Player of the Year. He was taken No. 1 in the 1985 draft and had a Hall of Fame pro career.
The Hoyas had a “Twin Towers” tandem a few years after Ewing, in the form of Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo. The eventual Hall of Fame centers were college teammates from 1988-91 before Mutombo was taken No. 4 in the 1991 NBA Draft. Mourning was taken No. 2 in the 1992 draft.
Mutombo was a two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year who later won four DPOYs in the NBA. In his senior season, he averaged 15.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per game.
Mourning was Big East Player of the Year as a senior in 1992, averaging 21.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 5.0 blocks per game. He was also a consensus first-team All-America and won his third Big East DPOY. Mourning led the nation in blocks as a freshman.
Ewing, Mutombo, and Mourning were all coached at Georgetown by John Thompson, the godfather of the Hoyas. Thompson was a 6’10” NBA center in his playing days and built his best G’town teams around great big men.
In the post-Thompson era, Georgetown continued to produce powerhouses in the paint.
Mike Sweetney was a two-time All-Big East power forward in 2002 and 2003, averaging 21.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in that stretch.
Power forward Jeff Green was Big East Player of the Year in 2007 and along with 7’2″ center Roy Hibbert, led the Hoyas to the 2007 Final Four. Green was the No. 5 pick in the NBA Draft that year, and Hibbert would earn All-America honors before he went pro in 2008.
Other notables: Greg Monroe, Othella Harrington, Jerome Williams, Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje, Henry Sims, Omer Yurtseven