Support The Daily Orange this holiday season! The money raised between now and the end of the year will go directly toward aiding our students. Donate today.

When it comes to Syracuse basketball, no opponent defines the Orange more than the Georgetown Hoyas. Though Georgetown is 291 miles from SU, that didn’t stop the two programs from forming a heated rivalry in the Big East.

The rivalry was born in 1980 when the Hoyas defeated the Orange in their first conference matchup. Overall, Syracuse is ahead in the series, winning 54 games to Georgetown’s 45. The frequency of its matchups has waned since SU left the Big East in 2013, but there hasn’t been any love lost in the 11 years since. The rivalry renews when the two teams meet at the JMA Wireless Dome Saturday.

To commemorate Syracuse’s 100th matchup against the Hoyas, here are the top 10 players from the historic rivalry.

1. Georgetown, C Patrick Ewing (1981-85)

Ewing is the only man who could sit atop this list. The imposing center led Georgetown to an NCAA Championship in 1984, was named the AP College Player of the Year as a senior and was a three-time All-American. He averaged 15.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game and was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year in all four years.

He also won eight of his 11 matchups against the Orange, averaging 18.0 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.3 blocks in those contests. Ewing was a dominant force on both ends of the court and became the first overall selection in the 1985 NBA Draft. Following a 17-year NBA career, Ewing was immortalized in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.

2. Syracuse, F Carmelo Anthony (2003)

Anthony only played for one year with the Orange, but one could argue he had the greatest true freshman campaign in NCAA history. In his lone year with SU, Anthony led the Orange to their only NCAA Championship, being named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. He averaged 22.2 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game, leading to an All-American selection.

He went undefeated in his three rivalry matchups, averaging 24.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists against the Hoyas. Anthony was one of the few SU players Georgetown couldn’t defeat. After completing a lengthy NBA career, primarily with the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets, he’ll certainly join Ewing in the Hall of Fame when he’s eligible in 2026.

3. Georgetown, G Allen Iverson (1994-96)

Iverson only played two seasons with Georgetown, but that was more than enough time to leave his mark on this rivalry. He split his four matchups against the Orange, averaging 21.5 points, 5.3 assists and 4.0 steals per game against SU.

Throughout his college career, Iverson averaged 23.0 points, 4.6 assists and 3.2 steals per game and was also named Big East Defensive Player of the Year in both seasons with the Hoyas. Similarly to Anthony and Ewing, Iverson was named an All-American in his final college season and embarked on a Hall of Fame career with the Philadelphia 76ers.

4. Georgetown, C Alonzo Mourning (1988-92)

Syracuse often defeated Mourning when they faced off, but he still caused the Orange plenty of trouble. Despite winning just three of 10 matchups, he averaged 18.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game against SU.

Mourning averaged 16.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game across his four seasons with Georgetown, earning two All-American selections in the process. After a lengthy NBA career primarily spent with the Miami Heat, Mourning became the second Georgetown player to earn a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

5. Syracuse, F Derrick Coleman (1986-90)

Coleman faces the possibility of being the first non-Hall of Famer on this list. Though he may not have had the NBA success of his peers, Coleman was a No. 1 overall pick for a reason, and he gave Georgetown several tough matchups throughout his four years.

Similarly to Mourning, he only won three of his 10 matchups in the rivalry, primarily due to the talent the Hoyas had. In his 10 games against Georgetown, Coleman averaged 15.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. He was honored as an All-American as a senior and claimed the Big East Player of the Year that season.

6. Syracuse, F Billy Owens (1988-91)

In an era where most college forwards weren’t proficient from 3, Owens was a marksman on the rare occasions he fired from deep. In his junior year with the Orange, he shot over 50% from the field and nearly 40% from beyond the arc.

That season, he also won the Big East Player of the Year, averaging 23.3 points per game en route to an All-American selection. Owens only played the Hoyas seven times, but he defeated them five times, averaging 18.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists against Georgetown.

7. Georgetown, F Reggie Williams (1983-87)

Williams’ place on this list is slightly inflated by the National Championship he won as a freshman while riding the coattails of Ewing. However, he’s still a great player and gave the Orange serious trouble following Ewing’s departure.

Across four years at Georgetown, Williams won nine of his 12 matchups against SU, averaging 16.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. As a senior with the Hoyas, Williams averaged a gaudy 23.6 points per game, capturing the Big East Player of the Year and earning an All-American spot.

8. Georgetown, C Dikembe Mutombo (1988-91)

After redshirting as a freshman with the Hoyas, Mutombo saw limited playing time as a sophomore, spending most of the season on the bench behind Mourning. But his defensive skills were evident, and it allowed him to force his way into the starting lineup as a junior.

In his final two seasons with the Hoyas, Mutombo averaged 13.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and 4.4 blocks per game, claiming the Big East Defensive Player of the Year both years. His prowess in the paint led to an 18-year NBA career, and in 2015, he became the third Hoya to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

9. Syracuse, G Dwayne “Pearl” Washington (1983-86)

Washington arguably played in the most difficult era in the history of this rivalry. In his first two years at Syracuse, he grappled with the dominance of Ewing, winning one of his first seven matchups against the Hoyas. As a junior, Washington had to battle with Williams, who was emerging as a No. 1 option at the time.

But despite the tough competition, Washington more than held his own against Georgetown. In nine games versus the Hoyas, he averaged 18.1 points, 4.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 52.8% from the field. He was an All-American in his sophomore year and was named to All-Big East teams in every season he spent at Syracuse.

10. Syracuse, G Lawrence Moten (1991-95)

Moten’s case is weakened by the fact that he didn’t earn as many accolades as some of his peers on this list despite four All-Big East selections to his name in his SU career. However, it’s difficult to find many players in this rivalry who scored more consistently than him.

In his time at Syracuse, Moten finished with a career average of 19.3 points per game, a mark only behind Iverson and Anthony among players on this list. He won five of his nine rivalry contests, averaging 17.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game against the Hoyas.

Published on December 12, 2024 at 1:14 am

mjpalmar@syr.edu | @mpalmarSU