Many college basketball programs refer to themselves as a family. Few, however, have family ties that run as deep as the Georgetown Hoyas'.
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In the 1980s and early 1990s, the Hoyas were one of the major forces in college basketball, helping the Big East put the power in power conference with legendary centers such as Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo — all of whom went on to have Hall of Fame NBA careers after leaving Georgetown.
But even with all of their professional success, their Georgetown roots obviously ran deep, because all three — arguably the best basketball players in school history — have sent their sons to play at their alma mater as well. The most recent second-generation Hoya is a junior on this year's team: 7-foot-2 Ryan Mutombo.
Ryan Mutombo Is Forging His Own Georgetown Legacy
Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
The younger Mutombo chose to stick around at Georgetown even after the coach who recruited him — Patrick Ewing — was fired this past offseason. Ewing and Dikembe were close friends, with Ryan referring to him as "Uncle Ewing" while growing up.
Mutombo was a four-star recruit when he signed with Ewing and the Hoyas. But he didn't get any special treatment from Uncle Ewing, and his famous name didn't get him playing time. Ewing was clear that Mutombo would have to earn it, and he put his prized freshman on the bench at times. Mutombo started just one game as a freshman and averaged just under 12 minutes a night.
He struggled to find a spot on the floor even more as a sophomore, appearing in just 12 games. This season, under new coach Ed Cooley, he has played in every game during the first two weeks, but his minutes have been sparse. His 11 minutes against Rutgers were a season high.
Two other former Hoyas who know what Mutombo is going through would probably react with a knowing "welcome to the club."
That would be the Sons of Hoya Legends Club, and it's a place where minutes can be sparse and taunts from fans on the road can be sharp.
"Fans will say things like, 'Your daddy's better,'" Pat Ewing Jr. told the New York Times back in 2007. "They think I don't know that already?"
Ewing started his career at Indiana but transferred after his sophomore season, when another son of a Hoya legend took over the program.
John Thompson III, son of the Hall of Fame Georgetown coach, began coaching the Hoyas in 2005-06 season, which Ewing sat out under transfer rules.
Ewing was a 6-foot-8 forward, unlike his father, who was a giant of a man in the post. He averaged 5.1 points per game and 3.1 rebounds in his two seasons with the Hoyas.
Trey Mourning was the next second-generation prospect to try to fill the big shoes of his father at Georgetown. Like the younger Ewing, he wasn't as tall as his dad, standing 6-foot-9 and playing forward. In three seasons under Thompson III, he never averaged more than 6.2 minutes per game and was ready to transfer for his senior season.
That's when Ewing took over as coach. Like Mutombo, Mourning grew up calling him "Uncle," and he decided to stay with the Hoyas for his final year. Ewing promised him he'd play if he earned the time, and he averaged 17.7 minutes as a senior, scoring 6.3 points per game with 3.8 rebounds.
Now, Mutombo is trying to find his way at the school his dad helped make famous. Of the three sons, he's closest in size to his dad; but so far, that hasn't translated to big minutes.
If he can carve out a role, he could move up the Sons of Hoya Legends scoring list:
1. Pat Ewing Jr. - 356
2. Trey Mourning - 201
3. Ryan Mutombo - 172
Of course, even if he does, someone is sure to point out that the three fathers combined for 5,131 Georgetown points. It's just the price of being in the club.
