Big Man U

[BigMike]

There was a thread I can't find where some people thought we had some competition for Big Man U. Here's more support for us.


Years we had a NBA big man on our roster in recent history


72-73 - Wilson
73-74 - Wilson
74-75 - Wilson
75-76 - Wilson
76-77 - Shelton
77-78 - Shelton
78-79 - Shelton
79-80 - Shelton
81-82 - Ewing/Martin
82-83 - Ewing/Martin
83-84 - Ewing/Martin
84-85 - Ewing/Martin
85-86
86-87 - Gillery
87-88 - Gillery
88-89 - Zo/Mutombo
89-90 - Zo/Mutombo
90-91 - Zo/Mutombo
91-92 - Zo/Reid
92-93 - Harrington/Reid
93-94 - Harringon/Reid
94-95 - Harrington/Reid/White/JYD
95-96 - Harrington/White/JYD
96-97 - White
97-98 - White/Ruben
98-99 - Ruben
99-00 - Ruben
00-01 - Ruben/ Sweets
01-02 -Sweets
02-03 - Sweets
03-04 -
04-05 - Hibbert/Green
05-06 - Hibbert/Green
06-07 - Hibbert/green

These edits are making this list look better and better - keep them coming

[HeartAttackHoya]

mutombo = zo? if bowman can work his way to the league its a 20 year streak and running

[SFHoya99]

Despite his current occupation as a SF, Jeff's 6'9" and played C and PF for us. He should be there with Hibbert.

[strummer8526]

Mourning graduated in 3 or was he a transfer situation?

[Elvado]

Mourning played all four.

Dikembe played three and graduated with a year of eligibility left as he did not play as a frosh.

Ibelieve he was still a 5'9" point guard at that point.

[HoyaSinceBirth]

88-89, 89-90, 90-91 should read mutumbo/mourning
91-92 should read mourning.

[nodak89]

strummer85 said:

Mourning graduated in 3 or was he a transfer situation?

Details on Mutombo are here...

www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/d_mutombo.htm

[HoyaChris]

Jerome Williams was both a 4 in college and in the pros. Need to add for 94-95 and 95-96.

Craig Shelton was both a college and pro 4. Need to add for 76-7 through 79-80.

[CO_Hoya]

vadie said:

Dikembe played three and graduated with a year of eligibility left as he did not play as a frosh.

I don't think he had any eligibility left when he graduated. Don't know the details why, but seem to remember it having to do with low standardized test scores (Prop 48?), attributed to his limited English before enrolling.

[757hoyafan]

^ I think I read where Deke was already attending GU & Coach asked him to play...

[SSHoya]

From his bio when he spoke as a panelist at the GU 2006 Reunion:

Born in the capital city of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mutombo is the seventh of ten children born to Samuel and the late Biamba Marie Mutombo. He arrived in the United States in 1987 on an academic scholarship to attend Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. As a pre-med major, his dream was to become a medical doctor and return to the Congo to practice medicine. In his second year at Georgetown, Coach John Thompson invited the 7’2” Mutombo to try out for the university’s renowned basketball team. After joining the team, Mutombo re-directed his academic ambitions and graduated from Georgetown with dual degrees in Linguistics and Diplomacy. Mutombo is fluent in nine languages, including five African languages.

[inigo]

Um . . . GU learned of this very tall man from an SFS officer in Kinshasa. A basketball scholarship was arranged. When Dikembe arrived in the US, Coach Thompson met the plane. Dikembe knew five or six languages but he did not yet know enough English to take the SAT's so he was ineligible to play in his freshman year. He did have an interest in becoming a doctor but was never pre-med. He earned enough money in the NBA to build a hospital in Zaire.

[prhoya]

In 1987, we arrived as freshmen. Dikembe and Anthony Tucker (bust) were the most celebrated freshmen, Dike arrived as a redshirted "project" (that's what Thompson called him). Everyone in school was aware of Dikembe's status. Since he was not on the team, he played intramural basketball leading his team to the championship (obviously). Since dunking was not permitted, we fouled him like crazy.

He knows five or six languages like I know five or six languages, including Spanish, English, French, Italian and then Mexican and Argentinian. Kidding aside, I personally know he knows some basic Spanish.

[SirSaxa]

hoyachris said:

Jerome Williams was both a 4 in college and in the pros. Need to add for 94-95 and 95-96.

Craig Shelton was both a college and pro 4. Need to add for 76-7 through 79-80.

And We should add Merlin Wilson -- oK, not an NBA career (due to injuries), but he ESTABLISHED the JT-Pops tradition of Big Man U.

To quote, once again, from one of my favorite sources -- DFW's HoyaSaxa site --

MERLIN WILSON
Among the most prolific rebounders to wear the Blue and Gray, the development of Wilson foretold the rise of the big man at Georgetown and was instrumental in building the base that would later draw the great names of Ewing, Mourning, Mutombo, and others to patrol the pivot in later years.
Wilson was the area's top ranked recruit in 1972, a 6-8 center from St. Anthony's who led the Tonies to unprecedented success under its coach, John Thompson. Wilson followed Thompson to the Hilltop.......

In the modern era of Georgetown basketball, a player has collected 20 or more rebounds only 12 times in nearly 1,200 games. Alonzo Mourning and Mike Sweetney each topped 20 once. Dikembe Mutombo, twice. Merlin Wilson did it eight times......

Merlin Wilson graduated in 1976 as the school's fifth all time scorer and its all-time rebounder, helping lead the school to an then-unprecedented two straight NCAA berths. Owing to the change in freshman eligibility upon his arrival, Wilson became the first player ever to lead the team in rebounding four straight years. In the years since this accomplishment, only Patrick Ewing (1981-85) has matched this mark.

Following an 8th round selection by the NBA's Washington Bullets, Wilson played professionally for a number of years in Europe and South America. Had he remained healthy, there is no telling how dominant Wilson could have become for the Hoyas, but his efforts in the formative years of the Thompson era set in motion the tradition of low-post excellence enjoyed to this day.

[hoyasexy]

When Deke graduated, he exhausted his eligibility. That said, it was generally thought that if he applied for another year of eligibility (like Darrel Owens did, IIRC), he likely would have received it. That said, he graduated and was headed to the League, so no one (other than the student body) thought that he should stay.

[jerseyhoya34]

Owens in fact received the extra year and took graduate courses in theology or philosophy (don't remember which). I'm glad it worked out for him. I wonder what he's up to now. Last I heard he was working on post-Katrina development near his home in Louisiana.

[SFHoya99]

Owens - Theology.

I like the list, but the real reason we're Big Man U has less to do with consecutive years or number of NBA players -- schools like UNC, Arizona and UConn have similar runs in recent history.

However, none of them have THREE sure-fire Hall of Famers who played the Center position.

[grokamok]

Bill Martin needs to be added if we are including 4s as well as 5s: 81-82, 82-83, 83-84, 84-85.

As with Merlin Wilson, these players were drafted (and some of them also probably did not make a roster because of injuries - Dalton's knees, etc.)

Ed Hopkins 74-75, 75-76, 76-77, 77-78 (PF/C)
Al Dutch 75-76, 76-77, 77-78, 79-80 (PF/SF)
Mike Frazier 76-77, 77-78, 79-80, 80-81 (C)
Ed Spriggs 78-79, 79-80, 80-81, 81-82 (C) - GOTTA LOVE BIG ED!
Ralph Dalton 82-83, 83-84, 84-85, 85-86 (C/PF)

Also, add Don Reid to 91-92 (I liked how he developed later but seeing him, during his freshman year, often foul just as Mourning was about to block a shot makes me wonder how many 'Zo would have had that year).

[HoyaFanNY]

strummer85 said:

Mourning graduated in 3 or was he a transfer situation?

first, was this a serious question?

second, i think anthony tucker played for the bullets after graduating from wake. not sure if he qualifies as a 'big man' but he should join gillery on the 87-88 listing. also, john turner ('88-'89) was a first round pick in '91 by the rockets.

[lichoya68]

ok i think that inigo is wright deke spoke three million languages but couldnot do the english sat thing.. then he stayed all four years and did play three im pretty sure he and gu requested an extra year to play and the ncaa in its ultimate wisdom turned him down you know need to know english even if youre brillant and know seventy five other languages and yes he wanted to be a doctor.. and yes somebody told him you can be a doctor and help some people in your country OR you can be a pro athlete and help WITH YOU MONEY ALOT OF PEOPLE IN YOUR COUNTRY AND QUESS WHAT THE HOSPITAL HE BUILDT IS NOW IN HIS COUNTRY HELPING MANY MORE PEOPLE THAN HIS BEING A SINGLE DOC EVER COULD and i think thats the story ps gu should step up and give he and zo too honorary doctorates yup that be wright as both have been amazing contributors to their communites with money and time and promo there charity work yup two honoary degrees LETS MAKE DEKE THAT DOC AND ZO TOO GO HOYAS GREAT PEOPLE GREAT HOYAS ITS NOT ALL ABOUT BBALL FOLKS ITS MUCH MORE BBALL AINT BAD EITHER BUT MUCH MUCH MORE GO ZO GO DEKE