In the fall of 1986, four freshmen basketball players began their careers at Georgetown University. That was an important time in Georgetown Basketball history. The previous March, four long-time Hoyas had ended their historic careers: Ralph Dalton, David Wingate, Michael Jackson, and Horace Broadnax had all been major contributors on the NCAA National Championship team two years earlier. Two of those players left school among the all-time greats - Wingate ended his career as the third all-time leading scorer, and Jackson was Georgetown’s all-time leader in assists after his four seasons. There was a cloud of doubt at the start of the 1986-87 season, and in many ways the future of Georgetown Basketball depended on those four freshmen.

In the fall of 2004, four freshmen basketball players began their careers at Georgetown University. That was an important time in Georgetown Basketball history. The previous March had marked the worst season in over thirty years, the coach had been unceremoniously fired, and the program ran a serious risk of losing all connection to the glory of the past. There was a cloud of doubt at the start of the 2004-05 season, and in many ways the future of Georgetown Basketball depended on those four freshmen.

In 1986 the freshmen were Mark Tillmon, Dwayne Bryant, Sam Jefferson, and Anthony Allen. In 2004 the freshmen were Jeff Green, Roy Hibbert, Jonathan Wallace, and Tyler Crawford. There are a number of striking similarities between the two classes, from their abilities, to their personalities, to their legacy.

Both groups had some of the best Hoyas ever. Mark Tillmon is arguably the best pure shooter the program has ever known, and Dwayne Bryant is easily one of the best Hoya point guards; Jeff Green, Jon Wallace, and Roy Hibbert will all be mentioned as one of the top players ever at their respective positions.

Both groups bridged vital gaps in the history of Georgetown. In 1986, Georgetown needed to show that there was life after Patrick Ewing. Only one player remained from the 1984 Championship team, and that precious trophy was beginning to get a little dusty. Without Tillmon and Bryant, it’s hard to know if Georgetown would have been able to keep it’s head above water. In 2004, the Hoyas really ran the risk of falling off the map of college basketball. Coach Thompson deserves credit for helping to turn things in the right direction, but without the perseverance and strength of his first freshman class, the change could not have taken place so quickly.

Both groups established their own success. Tillmon, Bryant, Jefferson, and Allen won two Big East Tournament Championships during their careers, and went to the Elite Eight twice as well. As juniors, that class became the first to win a Big East Championship on a team without any players who appeared in a Final Four. Basically, their success was not reliant on the greats of the past. Green, Hibbert, Wallace, and Crawford (and Ewing Jr. by this point) won the Big East Championship during their junior season. That Championship marked the first time Georgetown reclaimed the crown jewel of the Big East since 1989, which amazingly was the very same tournament in which Tillmon et al. were victorious. In winning that tournament, those players did something that Allen Iverson, Othella Harrington, Mike Sweetney, Joey Brown, Kevin Braswell, and Robert Churchwell never managed to do. Those juniors led the Hoyas to the Final Four for the first time in over 20 years, a feat that even Alonzo Mourning never managed to achieve.

And unfortunately, both groups had unbefitting ends to their careers. In 1990, when those freshmen from 1986 entered the NCAA Tournament, they were knocked out in the second round in an upset. Foul trouble plagued the big men for Georgetown, and the #6 seed Xavier Musketeers defeated the #3 Georgetown Hoyas in the Midwest region. 18 years later, another upset in the Midwest regional brought down the curtain on another remarkable and historic senior class.

The frustration and sadness from the defeat to Davidson will eventually fade, but not the positive impact these players had on their University’s basketball program. The seed that was planted in the fall of 1986 provided benefits that were reaped for years to come. Similarly, the fall of 2004 marked not only a new chapter in Georgetown Basketball, but also the continuation of the incredible success the program has now known for four decades. Whatever heights the Hoyas reach in the upcoming years, Jeff Green, Roy Hibbert, Jonathan Wallace, and Tyler Crawford are responsible for helping them get off the ground in the first place.