It was a Monday night in April of 1984. Two of the premier big men in the world of college basketball were going head to head for the National Championship. It was the first time that Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon met on the court, starting a rivalry that would continue for over a decade into the NBA.

In Olajuwon’s final game as an amateur, he was bested by Ewing and the Hoyas. Like many times in his career at Georgetown, the numbers for Ewing were not spectacular in the NCAA Final (10 points, 4-8 FG, 9 rebounds), but the impact that Ewing had on the game and on his teammates was immeasurable. Ewing’s presence on the floor automatically opened opportunities for teammates like David Wingate (16 points) and Michael Jackson (11 points).

Ewing was a junior in 1984, but in the championship game it was a pair of freshman who stole the show. Michael Graham stormed on to the national scene during the Hoyas’ tournament run with an intimidating style that the country was not ready for – neither on the court nor in their living rooms. Graham was ferocious and powerful, and had no problems leaving any and all opponents in his wake. He finished the championship game with 14 points on 7-9 shooting. The other freshman in that game was at the other end of the personality spectrum, mild-mannered and soft spoken. But Reggie Williams was no less prepared to demolish opponents. In the semifinal against Kentucky, Williams scored 2 points, going 1 for 7 from the field. Somehow he was able to shake off the poor effort from two days earlier to become the most valuable player of the 1984 National Championship. Williams scored a team-high 19 points (9-18 FG) and grabbed 9 rebounds.

It’s hard to believe that it has been 25 years since the Hoyas won the National Championship. A lot has changed in Georgetown Basketball since then, and on an anniversary like this one, it is good to reflect, remember, and revere. There are some quality NCAA programs that might never win a National Championship, and there are others that don’t understand or appreciate it when they do. Everything in sports is so fragile that all Hoya fans should be grateful to Patrick Ewing and company for their accomplishment 25 years ago. The best team doesn’t always win the title, as they showed the following year, but thanks to that team no one can ever take away the crowning achievement of Georgetown Athletics.