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The Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball program represents Georgetown University in NCAA Division I men's intercollegiate basketball and the Big East Conference. Georgetown has competed in men's college basketball since 1907. The current head coach of the program is Patrick Ewing. Georgetown won the National Championship in 1984 and has made the Final Four on five occasions. They have won the Big East Conference tournament a record eight times, and have also won or shared the Big East regular season title ten times. They have appeared in the NCAA tournament 31 times and in the
National Invitation Tournament The National Invitational Tournament (NIT) is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Played at regional sites and traditionally at Madison Square Garden (Final Four) in New York City ...
13 times. The Hoyas historically have been well regarded not only for their team success, but also for generating players that have succeeded both on and off the court, producing NBA legends such as Patrick Ewing,
Dikembe Mutombo Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo (born June 25, 1966) is a Congolese-American former professional basketball player. Mutombo played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Outside basketball, he has becom ...
,
Alonzo Mourning Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. (born February 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who has served as vice president of player programs and development for the Miami Heat since June 2009. Mourning played most of his 15-year ...
, and
Allen Iverson Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iver ...
, as well as United States Congressman Henry Hyde and former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. A total of 7 former Hoya players or coaches are members of the
Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
.


History


Early years (1907–1943)

Founded in the fall of
1906 Events January–February * January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...
, the Georgetown men's basketball team played its first game on February 9, 1907, defeating the University of Virginia by a score of 22–11. In its first 60-some years, the program displayed only sporadic success. Until
McDonough Gymnasium McDonough Gymnasium, sometimes referred to as McDonough Arena when hosting a sports or entertainment event, is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Officially known as McDonough Memorial Gymnasium, it ope ...
opened on campus for the 1950–51 season, the team changed home courts frequently, playing on campus at Ryan Gymnasium and off campus at
McKinley Technology High School McKinley Technology High School is a public citywide 9th–12th grade high school in the District of Columbia Public Schools in Northeast Washington, D.C. The school, an offshoot of Central High School (now Cardozo Senior High School), originall ...
,
Uline Arena The Uline Arena, later renamed the Washington Coliseum, was an indoor arena in Washington, D.C. located at 1132, 1140, and 1146 3rd Street, Northeast, Washington, D.C. It was the site of one of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's inaugural balls ...
, and the National Guard Armory, as well as playing individual home games at the University of Maryland's
Ritchie Coliseum Ritchie Coliseum is a multipurpose athletics facility and music venue at the University of Maryland. It served as the home arena for the Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team from 1931 to 1955, and for its gymnastics, wrestling, and volleyba ...
and The Catholic University of America's Brookland Gymnasium, among others. The downtown locations of these venues was also influenced by the number of
Law School A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, ...
students who played on the team in this era. From 1918 through 1923, while on campus at Ryan Gymnasium, Georgetown managed a 52–0 home record under coach John O'Reilly. A large on-campus arena was proposed in 1927, but it was shelved during the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. The team recruited its first All-American, Ed Hargaden, in
1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...
. From
1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...
until
1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidden to ...
, the Hoyas played in the Eastern Intercollegiate Conference, and they were regular-season conference co-champions in 1939. In 1942, a Hoya went pro for the first time, when three seniors, Al Lujack,
Buddy O'Grady Francis David "Buddy" O'Grady (January 19, 1920 – February 19, 1992) was an American professional basketball player and coach. A 5'11" guard (basketball), guard from Georgetown University, O'Grady played professionally in the National Baske ...
, and
Dino Martin Patrick Donald "Dino" Martin (May 25, 1920 – July 24, 1999) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He coached the Boston College Eagles men's basketball team from 1953 to 1962. Martin was born in Newport, Rhode Island."Obitua ...
, were drafted professionally upon graduation. The next year the team, led by future congressman Henry Hyde, reached new heights and posted its first 20-win season ever, going 22–5 on the year. This success translated into a berth into the 1943 NCAA tournament, the school's first postseason appearance. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Hoyas made it all the way to the National Championship game, where they ultimately lost to Wyoming. Georgetown's coach of this squad, Elmer Ripley, was later inducted into the
Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
in 1973.


World War II and the lean years (1943–1972)

Coming off of the best season in school history, momentum was stalled as the program was suspended from 1943 to 1945 because of World War II. Following the hiatus the program struggled to find its footing, and it was rarely successful over the next three decades, only making two postseason appearances during this time period. In
1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito i ...
, former Baltimore Bullets player
Buddy Jeannette Harry Edward "Buddy" Jeannette (September 15, 1917 – March 11, 1998) was an American professional basketball player and coach. Jeannette was widely regarded as the premier backcourt player between 1938 and 1948. He was named to the First T ...
coached the team to its first
National Invitation Tournament The National Invitational Tournament (NIT) is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Played at regional sites and traditionally at Madison Square Garden (Final Four) in New York City ...
invitation, but the team lost in the first round to Louisville. Top players from this period include Tom O'Keefe, the first Hoya to reach 1,000 career points in 1949–50, and future National Football League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who graduated second in Hoya career rebounds in
1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...
. O'Keefe returned to coach the team from
1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...
until
1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...
. In
1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...
the school hired John "Jack" Magee, who had led
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
as a player to its first NCAA Tournament bid. Magee had some relative success early on, as he led the team to the
1970 NIT The 1970 National Invitation Tournament was the 1971 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition. It was unique in that coach Al McGuire of Marquette University, unhappy with his team's placement, turned down a bid to the NCAA tou ...
, just its third post-season appearance ever. However, the team lost to LSU in the first round. A losing season the subsequent year, followed up with a three-win season in 1971–72, the worst in school history, ultimately led to his dismissal. This was the last time a Hoyas head coach suffered back-to-back losing seasons for over 35 years.


John Thompson Jr. era (1972–1999)

John Thompson Jr., played two seasons with the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
before he achieved local notability coaching St. Anthony's High School in Washington, D.C. to several very successful seasons. Thompson was hired to coach Georgetown in 1972, and with recruits from St. Anthony's like Merlin Wilson, quickly and dramatically improved the team. Georgetown, while still independent, participated in the Eastern College Athletic Conference′s 1975 postseason ECAC South tournament, and after a 16–9 regular season found itself facing West Virginia in the conference tournament championship. Derrick Jackson's buzzer beater won Georgetown its first tournament championship, and a bid to the 1975 NCAA tournament. Georgetown repeated as ECAC South tournament champions the following year, beating George Washington University when
Craig Esherick Craig Robert Esherick (born November 1, 1956) is an American academic, lawyer, and former basketball coach who is currently an assistant professor of sport management for George Mason University and color commentator for college basketball gam ...
's buzzer beater sent the game to overtime, and as ECAC South-Upstate Tournament champions in the 1978-79 season, beating
Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
in Jim Boeheim's first game against the Hoyas as Syracuse's coach. Prior to the 1979–80 season, Georgetown joined with six other schools, Providence, St. John's,
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
, Seton Hall, Connecticut, and
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
to found a conference focused primarily on basketball. The Big East Conference provided Georgetown increased competition, and several of its longest rivalries. On February 13, 1980, in the final game at Manley Field House, Georgetown star Sleepy Floyd scored two last-second free-throws to snap No. 3 Syracuse's 57 game home winning streak, leading Coach Thompson to declare "Manley Field House is officially closed." They faced Syracuse again three weeks later in the first Big East tournament finals, winning 87–81. In the 1980 NCAA tournament, the team advanced to the Elite Eight, where they fell to the
Iowa Hawkeyes The Iowa Hawkeyes are the athletic teams that represent the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have varsity teams in 22 sports, 8 for men and 14 for women; a 15th women's sport will be added in 2023. The teams partici ...
on a last second foul call. The team moved its home arena in the 1981-82 season to the
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in Landover, Maryland to accommodate its growing fan base. It also marked the arrival of heralded recruit, Patrick Ewing, who became one of the first college players to start and star on a varsity team as a freshman. That year, Ewing led the Hoyas to their second Big East tournament title in school history, and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. In the tournament, the Hoyas advanced to their first Final Four since 1943, where they defeated the University of Louisville 50–46, to set up a showdown in the NCAA Final against the University of North Carolina. In one of the most star-studded championship games in NCAA history, Ewing was called for goaltending five times in the first half (later revealed to be intentional at the behest of coach Thompson), setting the tone for the Hoyas and making his presence felt. The Hoyas led by one point late in the game, but a jumpshot by future NBA superstar
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
gave North Carolina the lead. Georgetown still had a chance at winning the game in the final seconds, but Freddy Brown mistakenly threw a bad pass directly to opposing player James Worthy, and North Carolina won 63–62. For the
1982-83 season __NOTOC__ Year 198 (CXCVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sergius and Gallus (or, less frequently, year 951 ''Ab u ...
, Georgetown began the season as the No. 2 ranked team in the country. The early season included a highly anticipated matchup with No. 1 Virginia, and highly regarded center Ralph Sampson. Arenas nationwide jockeyed to host the matchup but Georgetown insisted on hosting it at the Capital Centre. WTBS won the rights to broadcast the game with a $550,000 bid, and it was billed as the "Game of the Decade". It became the first major college sports event telecasted exclusively on cable television. In the game, held on December 11, 1982, Virginias veteran team won, 68–63. The Hoyas went on to post a 22–10 record for the season and made another NCAA Tournament appearance, but were defeated in the second round of the tournament by Memphis State. This was the only season in Ewing's four-year Georgetown career where the team did not make it as least as far as the National Championship game. In the 1983-84 season Georgetown again won the Big East conference regular season title, and faced Syracuse for the Big East tournament championship. In a physical and tightly contested contest, Georgetown won 82–71 in overtime, securing their third tournament title in the first five years of the newly formed conference. In the NCAA tournament, the No. 1 seeded Hoyas ultimately advanced to the Final Four for the third time in school history to face Kentucky, a team which had never lost a national semifinal game and was led by the "Twin Towers," Sam Bowie and
Melvin Turpin Melvin Harrison Turpin (December 28, 1960 – July 8, 2010) was an American professional basketball player. He played five seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was an All-American college player at the University of Kentuc ...
. Georgetown was able to turn an early 12 point deficit into a 53–40 win to advance to the National Championship game. In the final, the Hoyas faced the University of Houston and future Hall of Fame center
Hakeem Olajuwon Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (; ; born January 21, 1963), nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian Americans, Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Ass ...
, who were making their second straight National Championship game appearance. Georgetown led comfortably throughout the final, and went on to an 84–75 victory, giving the school its first NCAA Championship in school history. Ewing was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, while Thompson became the first African American coach to win an NCAA Division I title. Freddy Brown, who made the key turnover in the title game two years prior, was given the chance to raise the trophy first. To begin the 1984-85 season, the defending champions opened the season as the No. 1 ranked team and won their first 18 games. On January 26, 1985, the
St. John's University St John's University may refer to: *St. John's University (New York City) **St. John's University School of Law **St. John's University (Italy) - Overseas Campus *College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, St. Joseph, Minnesota and Col ...
Redmen snapped the Hoyas' 29 game win streak (dating back to the prior season), in what was the first of an unprecedented four contests this season. Their next meeting on February 27, 1985, was one of the most anticipated games in college basketball history, with Georgetown and St. John's ranked No. 2 and No. 1 respectively. Coach Thompson entered
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
wearing a shirt under his blazer in the same sweater pattern as St. John's coach Lou Carnesecca, and as a result the game became known as "the sweater game." The Hoyas easily won the game 85–69, and then defeated the Redmen again just a few weeks later in the 1985 Big East tournament finals, capturing their fourth title in six years. The teams met one more time, after both advanced to the Final Four in the NCAA tournament. Again No. 1 Georgetown was victorious, easily handling St. John's 77–59. In the title game the Hoyas found themselves matched up with another conference rival in Villanova, whom they had beaten twice that season. An overwhelming favorite going into the game, Georgetown was upset by the Wildcats 66–64, who shot a record 78.6 percent (22 of 28) from the floor, denying Georgetown back-to-back titles. Ewing graduated, having helped his team to a 121–23 record in his four years, and was the first player in school history to be drafted with the first overall pick. Following the enormous heights of Ewing's four-year run, the program continued its success in the years that followed. Senior Reggie Williams led the Hoyas to both Big East regular season and tournament championships in the 1986–87 season. Freshman
Alonzo Mourning Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. (born February 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who has served as vice president of player programs and development for the Miami Heat since June 2009. Mourning played most of his 15-year ...
and sophomore
Dikembe Mutombo Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo (born June 25, 1966) is a Congolese-American former professional basketball player. Mutombo played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Outside basketball, he has becom ...
helped win both titles in the 1988–89 season. Mourning and Mutombo were both excellent shot blockers; Mourning led the nation in 1988–89, and fans created a "Rejection Row" section under the basket. They repeated both championships in the 1989–90 season and won the regular season title in the 1991-92 season. In the 1994–95 season, newcomer
Allen Iverson Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iver ...
won the Big East Rookie of the Year award. During his two years at Georgetown, Iverson scored a Georgetown-record 22.9
points per game Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by nu ...
. In 1995–96, he propelled the Hoyas to a major upset over the Connecticut Huskies during the season, but Georgetown later lost to the Huskies in the final seconds of that year's Big East tournament. In the NCAA tournament, the Hoyas came up one game short of the Final Four, losing to the University of Massachusetts, the top ranked team in the country. In the 1996–97 season, with an 11–7 conference record, the Hoyas won the regular season Big East 7 Division title for the second year in a row, but fell in the first round of the 1997 NCAA tournament. In December 1997, just after the beginning of the 1997-98 season, the team moved back into Washington, D.C. with the construction of a new arena, the
Verizon Center Verizon Center may refer to: * Verizon Center (Mankato, Minnesota), now Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center, a multi-purpose arena in Mankato, Minnesota * Verizon Center (Washington, D.C.), now Capital One Arena See also *Verizon Arena, now Sim ...
(originally MCI Center), in
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. The 1997-98 campaign ended in an overtime loss to Georgia Tech in the NIT. Thompson retired abruptly in the midst of the 1998–99 season on January 8, 1999, citing marriage problems, and was replaced by his assistant
Craig Esherick Craig Robert Esherick (born November 1, 1956) is an American academic, lawyer, and former basketball coach who is currently an assistant professor of sport management for George Mason University and color commentator for college basketball gam ...
. Under Thompson, 26 players were chosen in the NBA draft, eight in the first round, including two players selected first overall; Ewing by the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
in 1985 and Iverson by the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
in 1996. Over his 26½ seasons, Thompson's Hoyas went an impressive 596–239 (.714), running off a streak of 24 postseason appearances with 20 in the NCAA tournament and four in the NIT. He was honored as the National Coach of the Year three times during his career at Georgetown, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.


Craig Esherick era (1999–2004)

Craig Esherick Craig Robert Esherick (born November 1, 1956) is an American academic, lawyer, and former basketball coach who is currently an assistant professor of sport management for George Mason University and color commentator for college basketball gam ...
coached the Georgetown Hoyas basketball squad from January 1999 to March 2004. Esherick was a four-year player for the men's basketball team from 1974 to 1978 and then the lead assistant coach under John Thompson Jr. from 1981 to 1999. The team finished with a 15–15 record in his first season – going 8–10 after Thompson resigned and Esherick took over –before losing to Princeton in the first round of the
1999 NIT The 1999 National Invitation Tournament was the 1999 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition. Selected teams Below is a list of the 32 teams selected for the tournament.
. They improved in 1999-2000, going 19–15 and accepting an invitation to the 2000 NIT. After winning the first-round game in triple overtime over Virginia, the Hoyas lost in the second-round game to California. In 2000–01, led by future top NBA Draft pick Michael Sweetney, they made the NCAA tournament after finishing 23–7 in the regular season. In the opening round of the NCAA tournament the 7th-seeded Hoyas advanced past 10th-seeded Arkansas on a game-winning shot at the buzzer by Nat Burton. The Hoyas subsequently beat Hampton, and then lost to third-seeded Maryland in the Sweet Sixteen. In 2001–02, the Hoyas went 19–11, barely missing an NCAA tournament bid. The team rejected a bid to the
2002 NIT The 2002 National Invitation Tournament was the 2002 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition. Selected teams Below is a list of the 40 teams selected for the tournament.
bid because of travel-arrangement issues associated with the players' ability to attend classes, resulting in their first season without a postseason tournament since 1973-74. In 2002-03, the Hoyas finished the regular season with a 19–15 record, and accepted a bid to the 2003 NIT, where they made it to the final but lost to Big East rival St. John's. Sweetney was named a second-team All-American and was drafted with the ninth pick in the 2002 NBA draft by the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
. In Esherick's final season, 2003–04, the Hoyas struggled to a 13–15 overall record and a dismal 4–12 Big East record, and for the first time since the 1973–74 season received no invitation to either the NCAA tournament or the NIT. The 13 wins were the team's fewest since the 1973–74 season and Esherick was fired after 5½ seasons as head coach on March 15, 2004, five days after an opening-round loss in the Big East tournament to
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
. He had posted a 103–74 (.597) record during his tenure as head coach. Georgetown began a national search for a new coach after Esherick's firing that resulted in the hiring of John Thompson III.


John Thompson III era (2004–2017)

On April 21, 2004, John Thompson III was selected as the head coach of the Hoyas. The son of the legendary Hoyas coach took over the position after over a decade at Princeton University. The younger Thompson was a player for the Tigers from 1984 to 1988, was an assistant coach at Princeton from 1995 to 2000, and then took over as head coach at Princeton until his move to the Hoyas. Thompson's head coaching stint at Princeton was marked with success as he led the Tigers to three Ivy League titles, two NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT appearance. Thompson brought with him an adaptation of the
Princeton offense The Princeton offense is an offensive basketball strategy which emphasizes constant motion, back-door cuts, picks on and off the ball, and disciplined teamwork. It was used and perfected at Princeton University by Pete Carril, though its roots ...
as an offensive philosophy to Georgetown. He had learned it under the tutelage of legendary coach Pete Carril at Princeton and began to adjust the strategy to the more athletic players he would be coaching at Georgetown. Thompson III also immediately brought two new assistant coaches to Georgetown in Robert Burke and Kevin Broadus. Thompson inherited three players that Esherick had recruited: Jeff Green, Roy Hibbert, Tyler Crawford and RaMell Ross. He also brought with him a former Princeton recruit,
Jonathan Wallace Jonathan Lewis Wallace (born May 16, 1986) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Walter Tigers Tübingen of the Basketball Bundesliga. The 6'2" guard from Huntsville, Alabama played college basketball for Georget ...
and saw the return of two major contributors from the previous Georgetown team in
Brandon Bowman Brandon Kyle Bowman (born October 15, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who last played for Gießen 46ers of the Basketball Bundesliga. He played college basketball at Georgetown University where he played primarily at the small ...
, Ashanti Cook, and Darrel Owens. John Thompson III's first notable win with the team took place on January 21, 2006, in the 16th game of the 2005–06 season, when unranked Georgetown upset No. 1 Duke. This was Georgetown's first win over a No. 1 ranked team in 21 years. The 2006–07 season marked the centennial of Hoya hoops, which was celebrated by honoring some of the team's most famous alumni at the Georgetown- Marquette game on February 10, 2007. Led by juniors Green, Hibbert, Wallace,
Patrick Ewing Jr. Patrick Aloysius Ewing Jr. (born May 20, 1984) is a Jamaican–American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach and general manager of the Newfoundland Growlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). He is th ...
, the son of the Georgetown player from the elder Thompson era, the Hoyas won their first regular-season Big East Championship since 1992 and defeated Pittsburgh to win their first Big East tournament championship since 1989. Jeff Green was named the Big East Player of the Year and the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. In the NCAA tournament, the Hoyas beat North Carolina in the Regional Final when their defense caused North Carolina to suffer an improbable collapse in which UNC missed 22 of their final 23 field goal attempts. The Hoyas then advanced to the Final Four where they fell to an Ohio State team led by Greg Oden. The 2007–08 Hoyas finished with a regular season record of 27–5, and again won the conference regular season title. They lost to Pittsburgh in the Big East tournament championship game. They received a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, where they lost their second-round game. After the season, Roy Hibbert, Jonathan Wallace, and Patrick Ewing Jr. all graduated, while Vernon Macklin and Jeremiah Rivers both transferred from the school. The Hoyas began their 2008–09 season ranked No. 22 AP/No. 18 Coaches, however, college basketball's toughest strength of schedule eventually wore down a team that was also one of the youngest. The Hoyas were 7–11 in Big East play for a 12th-place finish, followed by a first-round loss in the Big East tournament. The Hoyas accepted a bid to the NIT, but lost in the first round to Baylor. In 2009–10, the team finished the season 23–11, and 10–8 in Big East play. They advanced to the championship game of the Big East tournament before losing to West Virginia. They received an at–large bid to the NCAA tournament, earning a No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region, where they were upset by No. 14 seed Ohio in the first round. Greg Monroe entered the NBA draft as a sophomore and was selected by the Detroit Pistons. The 2010–11 team was led by
Austin Freeman Austin Mambu Freeman, Jr. (born May 6, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for San Carlos of the Dominican Torneo de Baloncesto Superior (TBS). He played college basketball at Georgetown University. High school & college career F ...
and Chris Wright. The team scored multiple early wins over ranked teams, including an overtime win at No. 9 Missouri, but their stumbles at the end of the season coincided with Wright breaking his hand and missing three games. The team received an at-large bid as a No. 6 seed, but lost in their first game of the NCAA tournament to No. 11-seeded and eventual Final Four participant VCU. Prior to the 2011–12 season, the Hoyas made a goodwill trip to
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
for several matches with local teams.
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Joe Biden attended their first game, a win over the
Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons The Shanxi Loongs, also known as Shanxi SDIC Raptors Club or Shanxi Fenjiu Shares are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Taiyuan, Shanxi, which plays in the Northern Division of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The Shanxi Fen ...
. Their second game against the Bayi Rockets, however, ended in a brawl, causing the team to leave the court while Chinese fans threw garbage and debris. Georgetown won its final games, against the Liaoning Dinosaurs and the Taiwanese national team without incident. The Hoyas finished the season in fourth place in the Big East and received a bid to the NCAA tournament as a No. 3 seed in the Midwest. After a win in the second round, they were upset by No. 11-seeded NC State. The
2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
season saw the Hoyas as the top overall seed in the Big East tournament based on a tiebreaker, but lost in the semifinals. Georgetown received a bid as a No. 2 seed in the South bracket in the NCAA tournament, facing tournament newcomer Florida Gulf Coast University in the second round. Georgetown lost to the 15th-seeded Eagles 78–68, the seventh number two seed to lose to a 15 seed. It was the fourth consecutive season the Hoyas were eliminated by a double-digit seed in the NCAA tournament. The 2013–14 season was the team's first after Georgetown and six other schools left the original Big East Conference and joined
Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some a ...
, Creighton, and Xavier in forming the new Big East Conference – part of a major conference realignment in which several other teams moved to the
Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
from the old Big East and the old Big East became the American Athletic Conference. Like the previous year, the 2013–14 season started abroad, with the Hoyas playing in the
Armed Forces Classic The Armed Forces Classic is a college basketball event operated on a military boatcraft, televised on ESPN, that involves one or two games played in front of military members and their families. History The first game was held on November 9, 201 ...
at Camp Humphreys near Pyeongtaek, South Korea. After a 17–13 regular-season record followed by an upset in the first round of the Big East tournament at the hands of last-place DePaul, the team received a No. 4 seed in the NIT, losing in the second round to top-seeded Florida State. In 2014–15, the Hoyas rebounded from their previous season's performance. Ranked as high as No. 21 at times, they completed the regular season with a 20–7 record and a second-place finish in the Big East, and advanced to the semifinals of the Big East tournament before losing to Xavier. Ranked No. 22 in the country, they received a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament, but lost to Utah in the third round. The Hoyas under Thompson III struggled for the next two years. They began their 2015–16 season with a four-game exhibition trip to Italy and
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, and early in the regular season defeated No. 14
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
, but then staggered to a 15–18 finish. They failed to receive an invitation to either the NCAA tournament or the NIT for the first time since
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
and only the second time since
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
. During the 2016–17 season, Georgetown defeated three ranked teams—No. 13 Oregon, No. 16 Creighton, and No. 11
Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some a ...
—as well as their former Big East rivals
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
and Connecticut, but they finished ninth in the Big East with a 5–13 conference record—the most losses they had ever suffered in a season in either version of the Big East Conference—and lost to St. John's in the first round of the 2017 Big East tournament to finish 14–18. They missed both the NCAA tournament and the NIT for the second straight year, the first time they had missed the postseason in back-to-back seasons since 1974, and Thompson became the first Georgetown head coach to preside over consecutive losing seasons since John "Jack" Magee in 1970-71 and 1971-72. On March 23, 2017, Georgetown officials announced that Thompson had been fired.


Patrick Ewing era (2017–present)

On April 3, 2017, Georgetown University announced that it had hired Patrick Ewing, the school's most decorated player, as its head coach. In his four years as a player at Georgetown, Ewing led the Hoyas to three Big East championships, three Final Fours, and the 1984 National Championship. Prior to taking over as the program's head coach, Ewing had spent the previous thirteen years as an assistant coach in the NBA, working for four different franchises under the tutelage of coaches such as Jeff Van Gundy,
Stan Van Gundy Stanley Alan Van Gundy (born August 26, 1959) is an American former basketball coach who is a National Basketball Association (NBA) game analyst for TNT. Prior to TNT, Van Gundy was most recently the head coach for the New Orleans Pelicans of the ...
, and
Steve Clifford Steven Gerald Clifford (born September 17, 1961) is an American basketball coach who is the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has previously served as the head coach of the Orlando Magic. Early ...
. In 2017–18, Georgetown finished with a 15–15 record and 5–13 in the Big East. The Hoyas won the first eight games of Ewing's tenure, and finished their non-conference schedule with a 10–1 record, but struggled in conference play. The season ended with a 77–88 loss to St. John's in the first round of the Big East tournament. The team did not participate in any postseason tournament. In Ewing's second season, the 2018–19 team finished 19–12 and 9–9 in the Big East, in a four-way tie for third place in the conference, their highest finish since 2015. Signature wins included an 85–73 win against No. 17 Villanova, the defending national champions, and an 86–84 win at No. 16 Marquette on the final day of the regular season, denying the Golden Eagles a share of the conference title. At the conclusion of the conference schedule, Jesse Govan was named First Team All-Big East, James Akinjo was named Big East Freshman of the Year, and Mac McClung and Josh LeBlanc were named to the All-Big East Freshman Team. The Hoyas lost their first game in the 2019 Big East tournament to Seton Hall 57–73. They were selected to play in the 2019 NIT, their first postseason appearance since 2015, but dropped their first-round game 68–71 to
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
. The following season the 2019–20 Hoyas finished 15–17 and 5–13 in the Big East. In November, the team participated in the Empire Classic at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
in New York City where they beat No. 22 Texas 82–66, and moved to the final to face No. 1 Duke. Despite having a double digit lead in the first half vs Duke, the Hoyas ultimately fell 73–81. On December 2, 2020, Ewing announced that James Akinjo and Josh LeBlanc would transfer. Just over a week later, two more players in Galen Alexander and Myron Gardner, announced their intentions to transfer as well, leaving the Hoyas with only 9 scholarship players. In conference, wins over No. 19 Butler and No. 25 Creighton were highlights, but injuries and a thin roster saw the Hoyas lose their final 7 games, including a 62–75 loss in the opening round of the 2020 Big East tournament to St. John's. All postseason tournaments were subsequently cancelled due to COVID-19. The 2020–21 Hoyas finished the season 10–13 and 7–9 in the Big East. Before the season started, leading scorer Mac McClung announced his decision to transfer to Texas Tech. With the early departure of Omer Yurtseven, and the four midseason transfers from the prior year, the 2020–21 Hoyas consisted of eight new players (five freshmen and three transfers). Because of COVID-19 protocols, the team played all of its home games on campus at
McDonough Arena McDonough Gymnasium, sometimes referred to as McDonough Arena when hosting a sports or entertainment event, is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Officially known as McDonough Memorial Gymnasium, it ope ...
without fans. After a 69–74 loss at
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
, the team went on a 21-day pause due to COVID-19 protocols. After the hiatus, the team returned to win six of its next ten games, including a 86–79 win at No. 15 Creighton. The Hoyas 7–9 record led to an 8th-place finish in the conference. At the 2021 Big East tournament, the team won its first tournament game under Ewing, with a 68–49 victory over Marquette in the opening round, then followed that up with wins against top-seeded Villanova and Seton Hall, sending them to the title game where they defeated Creighton 73–48 for their first title since 2007, and the eighth in school history, extending their own conference record. The Hoyas earned a 12 seed in the NCAA tournament, where they lost their opening round game to Colorado 73–96. During the 2021-22 season, Ewing led the Hoyas to their worst Big East season ever. Georgetown lost all 19 Big East games they played that season.


Awards and honors

Naismith Player of the Year Award *1985 - Patrick Ewing Associated Press Player of the Year *1985 - Patrick Ewing Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament *1984 - Patrick Ewing Big East Player of the Year *1980 -
John Duren John Thomas Duren (born October 30, 1958) is an American retired professional basketball player. He was a 6'3" (191 cm) 195 lb (89 kg) point guard and played collegiately at Georgetown University from 1976 to 1980. Duren was selec ...
*1984 - Patrick Ewing *1985 - Patrick Ewing *1987 - Reggie Williams *1989 - Charles Smith *1992 -
Alonzo Mourning Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. (born February 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who has served as vice president of player programs and development for the Miami Heat since June 2009. Mourning played most of his 15-year ...
*2007 - Jeff Green *2013 - Otto Porter Big East Rookie of the Year *1981 - Fred Brown *1982 - Patrick Ewing *1993 - Othella Harrington *1995 -
Allen Iverson Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iver ...
*2005 - Jeff Green *2009 -
Greg Monroe Gregory Keith Monroe Jr. (born June 4, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Shanxi Loongs of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 2010 NBA draft with the seventh overall pic ...
*2019 - James Akinjo Big East Defensive Player of the Year *1982 - Patrick Ewing *1983 - Patrick Ewing *1984 - Patrick Ewing *1985 - Patrick Ewing *1989 -
Alonzo Mourning Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. (born February 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who has served as vice president of player programs and development for the Miami Heat since June 2009. Mourning played most of his 15-year ...
*1990 -
Alonzo Mourning Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. (born February 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who has served as vice president of player programs and development for the Miami Heat since June 2009. Mourning played most of his 15-year ...
&
Dikembe Mutombo Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo (born June 25, 1966) is a Congolese-American former professional basketball player. Mutombo played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Outside basketball, he has becom ...
*1991 -
Dikembe Mutombo Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo (born June 25, 1966) is a Congolese-American former professional basketball player. Mutombo played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Outside basketball, he has becom ...
*1992 -
Alonzo Mourning Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. (born February 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who has served as vice president of player programs and development for the Miami Heat since June 2009. Mourning played most of his 15-year ...
*1996 -
Allen Iverson Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iver ...
First Team All-American *1943 - John Mahnken *1982 - Eric "Sleepy" Floyd *1983 - Patrick Ewing *1984 - Patrick Ewing *1985 - Patrick Ewing *1987 - Reggie Williams *1992 -
Alonzo Mourning Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. (born February 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who has served as vice president of player programs and development for the Miami Heat since June 2009. Mourning played most of his 15-year ...
*1996 -
Allen Iverson Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iver ...
*2013 - Otto Porter Second Team All-American *1947 - Dan Kraus *1981 - Eric "Sleepy" Floyd *1982 - Patrick Ewing *1989 - Charles Smith *1990 -
Alonzo Mourning Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. (born February 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who has served as vice president of player programs and development for the Miami Heat since June 2009. Mourning played most of his 15-year ...
*2008 - Roy Hibbert Third Team All-American *1989 -
Alonzo Mourning Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. (born February 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who has served as vice president of player programs and development for the Miami Heat since June 2009. Mourning played most of his 15-year ...
*1991 -
Dikembe Mutombo Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo (born June 25, 1966) is a Congolese-American former professional basketball player. Mutombo played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Outside basketball, he has becom ...
*2007 - Jeff Green *2010 -
Greg Monroe Gregory Keith Monroe Jr. (born June 4, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Shanxi Loongs of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 2010 NBA draft with the seventh overall pic ...
Honorable Mention All-American *1934 - Ed Hargaden *1955 - Warren Buehler *1963 - Jim Barry *1980 -
John Duren John Thomas Duren (born October 30, 1958) is an American retired professional basketball player. He was a 6'3" (191 cm) 195 lb (89 kg) point guard and played collegiately at Georgetown University from 1976 to 1980. Duren was selec ...
&
Craig Shelton Craig Anthony Shelton (born May 1, 1957) is a retired American basketball player. He played in parts of two seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Shelton, a 6'7" small forward from Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., played ...
*1985 - Bill Martin *1986 - Reggie Williams *1988 - Perry McDonald *1990 - Mark Tillmon &
Dikembe Mutombo Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo (born June 25, 1966) is a Congolese-American former professional basketball player. Mutombo played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Outside basketball, he has becom ...
*1995 -
Allen Iverson Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iver ...
*1997 - Victor Page *2003 -
Mike Sweetney Michael Damien Sweetney (born October 25, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. He is now the assistant coach of the Yeshiva University Men's basketball team and head coach of the girls varsity basketball team at New York's R ...
*2011 -
Austin Freeman Austin Mambu Freeman, Jr. (born May 6, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for San Carlos of the Dominican Torneo de Baloncesto Superior (TBS). He played college basketball at Georgetown University. High school & college career F ...
National Coach of the Year *1982 -
John Thompson John Thompson may refer to: Academics * J. A. Thompson (1913–2002), Australian biblical scholar * John D. Thompson (1917–1992), nurse and professor at the Yale School of Public Health * John G. Thompson (born 1932), American mathematician * ...
*1985 -
John Thompson John Thompson may refer to: Academics * J. A. Thompson (1913–2002), Australian biblical scholar * John D. Thompson (1917–1992), nurse and professor at the Yale School of Public Health * John G. Thompson (born 1932), American mathematician * ...
*1987 -
John Thompson John Thompson may refer to: Academics * J. A. Thompson (1913–2002), Australian biblical scholar * John D. Thompson (1917–1992), nurse and professor at the Yale School of Public Health * John G. Thompson (born 1932), American mathematician * ...
Big East Coach of the Year *1980 -
John Thompson John Thompson may refer to: Academics * J. A. Thompson (1913–2002), Australian biblical scholar * John D. Thompson (1917–1992), nurse and professor at the Yale School of Public Health * John G. Thompson (born 1932), American mathematician * ...
*1987 -
John Thompson John Thompson may refer to: Academics * J. A. Thompson (1913–2002), Australian biblical scholar * John D. Thompson (1917–1992), nurse and professor at the Yale School of Public Health * John G. Thompson (born 1932), American mathematician * ...
*1992 -
John Thompson John Thompson may refer to: Academics * J. A. Thompson (1913–2002), Australian biblical scholar * John D. Thompson (1917–1992), nurse and professor at the Yale School of Public Health * John G. Thompson (born 1932), American mathematician * ...
*2013 - John Thompson III


Season-by-season results

Conference Championships: 11 * Eastern Intercollegiate Conference (1932-1939): 1 * Big East Conference (1979–2013): 10 * Big East Conference (2013–): 0 Conference tournament championships: 11 * ECAC Regional Tournaments: 3As an independent, Georgetown won three ECAC regional basketball tournaments, in 1975, 1976, and 1979. *
Big East Conference (1979–2013) The Big East Conference was a collegiate athletics conference that consisted of as many as 16 universities in the eastern half of the United States from 1979 to 2013. The conference's members participated in 24 NCAA sports. The conference had ...
: 7 * Big East Conference (2013–): 1 NCAA Tournament * Appearances: 31 * Final Four appearances: 5 * National runners-up: 3 * National championships: 1 * Overall record: 47–30 National Invitation Tournament * Appearances: 13 * Runners-up: 2 * Championships: 0 * Overall record: 15–14


Postseason history


NCAA tournament seeds

''The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.''


NCAA tournament results

The Hoyas have made 31 appearances in the
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as NCAA March Madness and commonly called March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 college basketball teams from ...
. They have a record of 47–30.


NIT results

The Hoyas have gone to the
National Invitation Tournament The National Invitational Tournament (NIT) is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Played at regional sites and traditionally at Madison Square Garden (Final Four) in New York City ...
13 times. They have a record of 15–14.


Coaches

* ''No coach'' (1906–1907) – student manager Lou Murray ran the team * Maurice Joyce (1907–1911) * James Colliflower (1911–1914, 1921–1922) * John D. O'Reilly (1914–1921, 1923–1927) * Jock Maloney (1922–1923) * Elmer Ripley (1927–1929, 1938–1943, 1946–1949) * Bill Dudak (1929–1930) * John T. Colrick (1930–1931) * Fred Mesmer (1931–1938) * ''Program suspended'' (1943–1945) due to World War II * Ken Engles (1945–1946) *
Buddy O'Grady Francis David "Buddy" O'Grady (January 19, 1920 – February 19, 1992) was an American professional basketball player and coach. A 5'11" guard (basketball), guard from Georgetown University, O'Grady played professionally in the National Baske ...
(1949–1952) *
Buddy Jeannette Harry Edward "Buddy" Jeannette (September 15, 1917 – March 11, 1998) was an American professional basketball player and coach. Jeannette was widely regarded as the premier backcourt player between 1938 and 1948. He was named to the First T ...
(1952–1956) * Tommy Nolan (1956–1960) *
Tommy O'Keefe Thomas Vincent O'Keefe (June 3, 1928 – October 18, 2015) was an American professional basketball player.John Thompson Jr. (1972–1999) *
Craig Esherick Craig Robert Esherick (born November 1, 1956) is an American academic, lawyer, and former basketball coach who is currently an assistant professor of sport management for George Mason University and color commentator for college basketball gam ...
(1999–2004) * John Thompson III (2004–2017) * Patrick Ewing (2017–present)


Traditions


Rivalries

Syracuse University Georgetown's biggest rival is
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
. The two schools have been playing each other since 1930, but their rivalry was solidified in the 1980s as the respective programs were the leading powers during the infancy of the newly formed Big East conference. In 1980, the first season of new conference, Georgetown famously ended Syracuse's 57-game home winning streak in the final game to played at Manley Field House before moving to the
Carrier Dome The JMA Wireless Dome, originally the Carrier Dome (1980–2022) and colloquially called "The Dome," or more recently "The JMA Dome," is a domed sports stadium in Syracuse, New York. Located on the campus of Syracuse University in the University ...
. After the win, Georgetown coach John Thompson declared, "Manley Field House is officially closed". Weeks later, the two schools met in the inaugural Big East Championship, with Georgetown prevailing 87–81. The teams met in four Big East tournament championship games during the 1980s, with Georgetown winning all four contests. The animosity between the programs was further extended when Syracuse announced their decision to leave the Big East effective in 2013 to join the ACC, forcing the split of "Catholic Seven" and the football-playing schools. This led to the creation of the reformed Big East Conference and the American Athletic Conference. However, Georgetown and Syracuse have continued to play each other in all but one of the years following their exit from the conference. The rivalry is currently renewed through the 2022–23 season. Villanova University As a fellow Catholic institution and conference foe, Villanova has been a natural rival for the Hoyas for many years. The schools are arguably two of the most successful programs among the group of teams that currently make up the Big East Conference. The rivalry is best known for the 1985 NCAA Championship Game where No. 8-seeded Villanova shocked the highly favored and top-ranked Hoyas 66–64, preventing Georgetown from winning back-to-back titles. Among current Big East Conference foes, Villanova has the most Final Four appearances (6) in the Big East. St. John's University Having first played each other in 1909, St. John's is one of Georgetown's oldest rivals. The two teams played off and on since that first contest until 1965, when they began annually scheduled games, and they only intensified when both programs became founding members of the Big East Conference in 1979. The rivalry was brought to national attention during the 1984-85 NCAA Division I men's basketball season when both programs were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 throughout the season and met on a total of four occasions, including the famous "Sweater Game" at Madison Square Garden, the 1985 Big East Championship, and the 1985 Final Four. The Hoyas won 3 of the 4 matchups that year. The rivalry gained renewed interest when both schools remained in the new Big East Conference following the many iterations of conference alignment. University of Connecticut An original member of the Big East, UConn and Georgetown battled for conference supremacy for multiple decades, until UConn left the conference to join the American Athletic Conference in 2013. One of the most intense periods for the rivalry was the 1995-1996 season where both teams found themselves ranked in the Top 5 throughout most of the year, led by stars
Allen Iverson Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iver ...
and Ray Allen respectively. During the regular season, Georgetown upset then ranked No. 3 UConn in Washington DC, but a few weeks later at Madison Square Garden, UConn prevailed in a classic Big East tournament Final 75–74, on a last second shot by Allen. UConn is the only team to match Georgetown's record of 10 Regular Season titles and is second behind the Hoyas in total conference tournament titles. The schools continued to play each other in their non-conference schedule, and have renewed their rivalry now that UConn has returned to the league in 2020.


Blue and gray

Georgetown's official colors are blue and gray. The colors were selected in 1876 by the Georgetown College Boat Club (the original crew team) in honor of Georgetown students and alumni who wore the Union blue and Confederate gray in the Civil War. A student committee declared blue and gray "as appropriate colors for the Boat Club and expressive of the feeling of unity between the Northern and Southern boys of the College", and recommended its adoption for the team. By the time the men's varsity basketball team was formed, the blue and gray colors were already widely adopted by the school. Presently, Georgetown is one of the few teams to wear gray as their primary home uniform color, as traditionally teams wear white uniforms at home (though the Hoyas do have a white alternate jersey that is worn on occasion). Fans are generally encouraged to wear gray to home games, and sellouts are referred to as a "gray out."


Kenner League

Each summer Georgetown University's
McDonough Gymnasium McDonough Gymnasium, sometimes referred to as McDonough Arena when hosting a sports or entertainment event, is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Officially known as McDonough Memorial Gymnasium, it ope ...
hosts the Kenner League. Named after one of the founders and first director of the Metropolitan Police Boys' and Girls' Club of Washington DC, the Kenner league is the only NCAA sanctioned summer league in Washington DC. Formed in 1982, the league allows Georgetown players to continue their development in an NCAA-structured environment, and to stay within view of watchful eyes on a college campus (even if the coaches were not allowed there by NCAA rules). From its humble beginnings, the Kenner legacy continued to build throughout the 1980s, with coverage in '' The Washington Post'' beginning around 1986, then a high school bracket following soon thereafter, and ultimately the arrival of "senior" teams featuring a mix of former Georgetown players, visiting NBA stars, and local hoop legends. Kenner continued to grow, with more fans making the trip weekly to the gymnasium for a series of weeknight and weekend games each summer. As new recruits arrived at Georgetown, following them at the Kenner League became a priority for fans. Many fans might think Georgetown runs the Kenner League, but it does not. The league is an independent effort, whose organizers must raise money from Nike and team sponsors to cover the cost of officials, jerseys, and other organizational costs, and maintain NCAA certification. As summer leagues go, Kenner is among the longest running of its kind. Since the league has been in existence, nearly 200 Georgetown players have played in the Kenner League. After nearly a two year break due to COVID-19, Kenner League returned in the summer of 2022.


Alumni

Otto Porter Jr. Alonzo Mourning The Hoyas have an excellent history of preparing players for the
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
. Two Hoyas were the
NBA first overall draft pick The National Basketball Association's first overall pick is the player who is selected first among all eligible draftees by a team during the annual National Basketball Association (NBA) draft. The first pick is awarded to the team that wins ...
s: Patrick Ewing in 1985 and
Allen Iverson Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iver ...
in 1996.
Alonzo Mourning Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. (born February 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who has served as vice president of player programs and development for the Miami Heat since June 2009. Mourning played most of his 15-year ...
was the second overall pick in the 1992 draft.
Dikembe Mutombo Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo (born June 25, 1966) is a Congolese-American former professional basketball player. Mutombo played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Outside basketball, he has becom ...
also was drafted in the first round, 4th overall Other alumni have gone undrafted, but entered the NBA later, such as Jaren Jackson in 1989 and Henry Sims and Chris Wright in 2013. Several Hoya basketball players are famous purely for their off-court accomplishments.
Brendan Gaughan William Brendan Gaughan (born July 10, 1975) is an American professional racing driver who has competed in off-road and stock cars. He is the grandson of Vegas gaming pioneer Jackie Gaughan and son of Michael Gaughan, a hotel and casino magnate. ...
, who walked onto the basketball squad, is a driver in NASCAR's
Truck Series The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck based stock cars. The series is one of th ...
and also raced one season in the Cup Series. James L. Jones, who played for the Hoyas in the mid-1960s before joining the Marine Corps, went on to become Commandant of the Marine Corps, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and President Obama's National Security Advisor. Paul Tagliabue, who played in the early 1960s and was one of the leading rebounders in school history, became Commissioner of the National Football League from 1989 to 2006 and later served as Georgetown's Chairman of the board of directors. Henry Hyde, who led Georgetown to its first national final, was elected a member of Congress from Illinois and Chairman of House Judiciary Committee. He received the nation's highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom. William Shea, who played in the 1920s, was the New York attorney who brought the New York Mets to the city. Shea Stadium, now demolished and replaced on-site by the Mets' current home of Citi Field, was named in his honor.


NBA draft picks


Basketball Hall of Fame inductees

* Elmer Ripley (coach) - inducted in 1973 *
Buddy Jeannette Harry Edward "Buddy" Jeannette (September 15, 1917 – March 11, 1998) was an American professional basketball player and coach. Jeannette was widely regarded as the premier backcourt player between 1938 and 1948. He was named to the First T ...
(coach) - inducted in 1994 (as a player) *
John Thompson John Thompson may refer to: Academics * J. A. Thompson (1913–2002), Australian biblical scholar * John D. Thompson (1917–1992), nurse and professor at the Yale School of Public Health * John G. Thompson (born 1932), American mathematician * ...
(coach) - inducted in 1999 * Patrick Ewing - inducted in 2008 *
Alonzo Mourning Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. (born February 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who has served as vice president of player programs and development for the Miami Heat since June 2009. Mourning played most of his 15-year ...
- inducted in 2014 *
Dikembe Mutombo Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo (born June 25, 1966) is a Congolese-American former professional basketball player. Mutombo played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Outside basketball, he has becom ...
- inducted in 2015 *
Allen Iverson Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iver ...
- inducted in 2016


See also

* Big East Conference * Georgetown Hoyas women's basketball * Georgetown Hoyas


Notes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Georgetown Hoyas Men's Basketball 1906 establishments in Washington, D.C. Basketball teams established in 1906