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Georgetown Basketball: Top 10 players that played for John Thompson II

By Tristan Freeman

21 Mar 1996: Georgetown players (left to right) Allen Iverson, Aw Boubacar, Jerome Williams, and Jahidi White gather and talk during the Hoyas loss to the University of Massachusetts in Providence, Rhode Island. Mandatory Credit: Al Bello/ALLSPORT
21 Mar 1996: Georgetown players (left to right) Allen Iverson, Aw Boubacar, Jerome Williams, and Jahidi White gather and talk during the Hoyas loss to the University of Massachusetts in Providence, Rhode Island. Mandatory Credit: Al Bello/ALLSPORT /
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LANDOVER, MD – MARCH 8: John Thompson, head coach of the Georgetown Hoyas with Alonzo Mourning (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – MARCH 8: John Thompson, head coach of the Georgetown Hoyas with Alonzo Mourning (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

2. Alonzo Mourning (1989-92)

Career stats: 16.7 ppg, 8.6 rpg, and 3.5 bpg

One of the best big men ever on the defensive end, Mourning had a historic impact as a freshman. Besides averaging 13.1 ppg, the 6’10 center blocked a school and NCAA record five shots a game, including 11 in a triple-double effort against St. Leo in just his third college game.

The blocks took a dip in his next couple of seasons, as he had to slide over to power forward to make way for the 7’2 Mutombo. The adjustment wasn’t too bad in those two years, as Mourning averaged 16 ppg and 8.0 rpg while still blocking 2.4 shots a night. He still remained the best defender in the Big East, winning the title three times in his career.

Once Mutombo departed, Mourning went back to being the best center in all of college basketball, putting up absurd averages of 21.3 ppg, 10.7 rpg, and 5.0 bpg. He was the clear Big East Player of the Year and a consensus All-American, leading the Hoyas back again to the 1992 NCAA Tournament.

Mourning finished with over 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds while ending up as the all-time college leader in total blocks (NCAA doesn’t recognize Ewing’s numbers). But while he and Mutombo made for an incredible defensive duo, Mourning was at his best as a natural center.

Who knows how many more blocks he could’ve swatted, as well as how much more winning he would’ve had with a better surrounding cast of guards. But his incredible numbers combined with being a defensive juggernaut warranted a high spot on this list.

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