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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 – DECEMBER 15: John Thompson, head coach of the Georgetown Hoyas, and Dikembe Mutombo #55 (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 15: John Thompson, head coach of the Georgetown Hoyas, and Dikembe Mutombo #55 (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

8. Dikembe Mutombo (1989-91)

Career stats: 9.8 ppg 8.6 rpg and 3.7 bpg

The 7’2 center from the Congo can be considered one of the best frontcourt defenders in all of college basketball, especially during his time. Even with the language barrier once joining the program, Mutombo became bigger than everyone both on and off the court.

Even playing in limited minutes in his first year, Mutombo still managed to block 12 shots in a game, setting an NCAA record. He developed in due time as both an offensive player and rebounder, averaging a double-double and blocking over four shots in his final two seasons. That including going for 15.2 ppg, 12.2 rpg, and 4.7 bpg in 1991.

He had a number of big individual performances, including going for 32 points, 21 rebounds, and 11 blocks in a win over Hawaii-Loa. That was the program’s second-ever triple-double and there were countless other times where Mutombo was close when it came to double-digit blocks.

The two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year joining forces with another all-time great gave Georgetown one of the frontcourts by name in college basketball history. Unfortunately, the lack of help from the perimeter limited what the team could accomplish, failing to get past the Round of 32 in both of Mutombo’s prime years.

But even without the postseason success, the lovable giant became a Hall of Fame center in the NBA and a worldwide humanitarian back in Africa. Things could have worked out very differently had he not come to Georgetown and Coach Thompson, who developed the big man in a way to maximize his talents and allowed him to thrive as a human being.

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