HoyaChris
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
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Post by HoyaChris on Jan 23, 2007 7:50:20 GMT -5
Be sure to check out DFW's writeup of Derrick Jackson from today's addition to the top 100 list. www.hoyabasketball.com/features/top100/d_jackson.htmIt would be hard to argue that Derrick was not the most consistent player to suit up for the Hoyas, at least consistent at a high level. In each of his four seasons as a guard he shot between 48.9% and 49.9% from the field and led the Hoyas in scoring for the last 3 1/2 seasons of his career. He graduated in 1978 as the school's career scoring leader.
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Post by RockawayHoya on Jan 23, 2007 10:06:49 GMT -5
More of a general statement that didn't warrant creating a new thread, but I have really enjoyed reading the writeups of our greatest players over the past few months and learning more about the history of GU basketball. As a relatively new Hoya fan, I have often heard "the names" over the past few years, but have not fully understood their excellence as players, their impact and their importance to GU basketball. Thanks to DFW not only for his writeup of Derrick Jackson (who I admittedly did not know much about), but countless other players. And thanks to the many other posters who have shared their thoughts and memories of GU players they have seen suit up over the years. In addition to making for great conversation and debate, you all have been a resource to many of us younger Hoya fans.
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hoyaLS05
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Post by hoyaLS05 on Jan 23, 2007 11:59:30 GMT -5
Ditto to Rockaway.
With some time to kill, I've tried to figure out the next eight guys and can only come up with seven. So I'm interested to finish the countdown (until we get to No. 1, that is, because there isn't too much mystery there).
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SFHoya99
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Post by SFHoya99 on Jan 23, 2007 12:11:35 GMT -5
Ewing, Mourning, Reggie, Allen, Sleepy, Big Sky, Ba Ba, and Jim Barry (8 30+ games and All-American).
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Post by sleepyjackson21 on Jan 23, 2007 12:12:09 GMT -5
Seven are no brainers. Duren, Shelton, Iverson, Mourning, Ewing, Reggie and Sleepy. That leaves one more and by process of elimination I'm going with Jim Barry. 4th in all time scoring average and the only other listed All-American candidate besides the above 7 not listed.
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SirSaxa
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Post by SirSaxa on Jan 23, 2007 14:06:13 GMT -5
Excellent write up on Derrick. The players who came to play for JT at GU in the 70's included some truly outstanding guys who built the program -- really, from nothing -- to the point where it exploded in the '80s when GU was arguably the #1 college team in America for that decade.
As GU became known as Big Man U, there were several outstanding guards as well, and they overlapped during their careers. The very best of this group -- in chronological order -- were Jonathan Smith, Derrick Jackson, Johnny Duren and Sleepy Floyd. Every one could take over a game if needed. Jonathan gave us athleticism and talent at guard that had probably never before been seen at GU. Derrick got us into the NCAAs for the first time in over 30 years. Johnny and Sleepy got us to the elite Eight and within 1 point of the Final Four (in 1980), and as a senior, Sleepy teamed with freshman Ewing to get us within one point of our first national championship.
There have been a lot of other great guards at GU of course, but those four -- to me --were the building blocks in the backcourt who were the keys to establishing the program in the JT era. Sometimes the focus on GU's big men makes it easy to forget the great guard tradition we have as well.
DFW -- congrats to you for doing this series on the 100 best. Really outstanding. Thank you.
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hoyarooter
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Post by hoyarooter on Jan 23, 2007 14:06:34 GMT -5
Those are clearly the eight. Anybody willing to speculate on the order? I say Ewing, Sleepy, Mourning, Reggie, Iverson, Barry, Duren, Shelton.
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Filo
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by Filo on Jan 23, 2007 16:12:51 GMT -5
Rooter - I would move Reggie to number 3 but otherwise agree.
Sirsaxa - Good post. I would also add Eric Smith to that list. Might not have had the stats, but he was a great team player.
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EasyEd
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Post by EasyEd on Jan 23, 2007 16:51:57 GMT -5
All of the eight mentioned deserve recognition but the top list is too far skewed toward the JTII era. For instance, I think John Manhken should have been top 5.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2007 16:54:16 GMT -5
All of the eight mentioned deserve recognition but the top list is too far skewed toward the JTII era. For instance, I think John Manhken should have been top 5. You kids think it's hard to get to the Verizon Center? John Manhken walked 5 miles to the gym every day, uphill both ways, in the snow, with no shoes. And he LIKED it!
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SFHoya99
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Post by SFHoya99 on Jan 23, 2007 19:45:07 GMT -5
All of the eight mentioned deserve recognition but the top list is too far skewed toward the JTII era. For instance, I think John Manhken should have been top 5. I think the Mahnken versus Iverson debate is a legit one, and I bet most people would expect the "time spend at Georgetown" issue to be solely an Iverson and later thing, but it isn't. Mahnken and Iverson's careers are very similar despite one being a 6'9" center and one being a 5'10" PG. Both wore #3. Both were First Team All Americans. Mahnken led his team to an NCAA Finals in an era where the NCAAs and NIT shared the glory. Iverson led his team to an Elite Eight in a much larger tournament and tougher era. Then Mahnken went off to war and Iverson to the pros. Both were pretty successful in the pros, I believe, as well.
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