GW Hoops / Want To See (Arguably) The Best Freshman In The Country?

**Posted by Gwmayhem** 8/09/2022 10:21 am

Not to get our hopes up since they've bailed on us in the past, but the University of South Carolina is scheduled to play at Smith Center this season. No date has been made official but the Gamecocks will be playing at Georgetown on Dec. 3 so a Dec. 1 or Dec. 5 date seems somewhat logical.

The reason for this post though is to point out the GG Jackson, the nation's top (or top 2) high school player will be playing for South Carolina. At 6' 9" (and only 17 years old), Ricky will have his work cut out for him. Jackson had originally committed to UNC, then reportedly blew up this summer, and decided to reclassify so that he could play college ball this upcoming season rather than wait another year. UNC did not have a scholarship for him (yes, I would have thought they might find a way) and Jackson, a South Carolinian, committed to Lamont Paris and the Gamecocks.

This also begs for this question....who was the best player to ever play GW at the Smith Center? The obvious answer at the time would have to be Ralph Sampson but when factoring an entire career, maybe there are some better choices. I haven't put a lot of thought into this but here are some names off the cuff:

David West
James Posey
Marcus Camby
Scott Skiles
Malcolm Brogdon
Eric "Sleepy" Floyd
Mark Macon
Aaron McKie
Eddie Jones
Jameer Nelson, Jr
Dorian Finney-Smith
Vin Baker

Lots of others I am sure I am missing....

**Posted by GW0509** 8/09/2022 11:02 am

Funny, I was just making the connection in my head last night that GG Jackson would be coming to Smith Center.

Not "best" but my most memorable visitor had to be Tacko Fall. Just him sitting on the bench was a sight to behold, never mind him lumbering up and down the court.

**Posted by GW Alum Abroad** 8/09/2022 11:26 am

Did Sleepy Floyd ever play at the Smith Center?
Your list is missing Lamar Odom and Dennis Scott.
Also missing Sue Wicks (three-time All American) and Candace Parker.
Dr J (correctly not listed) played a charity game at the Smith Center but never played GW at the Smith Center when at umASS (he was in the ABA by the time the Smith Center opened).

Last edited by GW Alum Abroad (8/09/2022 11:31 am)

**Posted by GWRising** 8/09/2022 1:26 pm

A few others that come to mind based on pro careers ...

Jordan Crawford
Delonte West
Obi Toppin
Rick Brunson
Rasual Butler
Mike James
Cuttino Mobley
Norm Nixon
Rory Sparrow

**Posted by Gwmayhem** 8/09/2022 1:58 pm

Yes, I thought of Tacko Fall, but he's obviously not the best to ever oppose us at Smith Center. Agree that he was the most unusual.

Sleepy Floyd played at GW in 1980, the game that Georgetown won in double overtime. Odom and Scott are both good choices. I was not missing any women players unless any are the best among all of the young men who've played. Sorry if that's sexist but it's a true statement.

Some of Rising's names popped into my mind but again, I'm looking for the best. That's not Delonte West who wasn't the best on his own team or Rick Brunson or Jordan Crawford (who wsas not the best in his own family) or Rory Sparrow (who may have been the most clutch player but not the best). I also thought of Sam Clancy and James Bailey (from Sparrow's era) but again, not the best.

Part of this exercise may also boil down to how we're defining one's career. No question that Sampson was the best college player ever to play in Smith Center. When also factoring a pro career, the answer is far less obvious.

**Posted by Thomas** 8/09/2022 2:44 pm

DeAndre Bembry
Bones Hyland
Jeremy Lin
Honorable mention: Mo Alie-Cox, because he's in the midst of a somewhat productive NFL career as a tight end.

I guess GW lucked into this one because BCS schools with a 1-and-done/lottery pick rarely come to the Smith Center. The high-profile non-conference stars(Dennis Scott, Ralph Sampson, Scott Skiles, Sleepy Floyd, Finney-Smith..did he play an NIT game at Smith Center?) came to Smith Center before the BCS schools became cowardly or because the player was from the area, I assume that's the reason Georgia Tech/Dennis Scott came to play at Smith Center?

GW Alum Abroad, Tennessee(Candace Parker) played at Smith Center! Was this a regular season game against GW? Or part of a tournament? Even though, I don't really follow the women's team closely, I was watching GW during the years C.Parker played(mid to late 2000's) and have no recollection of this.

**Posted by BM** 8/09/2022 2:49 pm

Danny Manning
Scott Skiles (not best, but among toughest)

**Posted by GW Alum Abroad** 8/09/2022 5:50 pm

Thomas wrote:
GW Alum Abroad, Tennessee(Candace Parker) played at Smith Center! Was this a regular season game against GW? Or part of a tournament? Even though, I don't really follow the women's team closely, I was watching GW during the years C.Parker played(mid to late 2000's) and have no recollection of this.

Pat Sumitt played Joe´s teams several times in the regular season, including a visit to the Smith Center in 2005-06. Teams played twice that year (later in the 2nd round of the NCAA´s), Parker´s frosh season. Officially, over 3,200 showed up for the Monday game at the Smith Center, and I doubt Barry had to make up that attendance figure.

https://geowash_ftp.sidearmsports.com/custompages/sports/w-baskbl/stats/2005-2006/gw-tenn.html

**Posted by Mike King's Shoulder** 8/10/2022 6:21 am

Brogdon (UVa.) became a pretty highly paid NBA player

**Posted by Free Quebec** 8/10/2022 6:34 pm

Vin Baker was a 4 time NBA All-Star. I remember him coming here with Hartford. He’s got to be in contention.

That said, I still think Shawnta Rogers is the best player to ever play in the Smith Center - he just didn’t get to play in the NBA because at the end of Muggsy Bogies’ and Spud Webbs’ careers, the league soured in little guys.

**Posted by AT Hiker** 8/10/2022 9:12 pm

I agree with Free Quebec that Shawnta was the best GW player ever. However, Marcus Camby may get a slight edge over Rogers.

**Posted by Gwmayhem** 8/11/2022 9:53 am

Sorry, but no to this. Shawnta was arguably the most exciting and the most remarkable player to ever play at Smith Center. Best player for his size? No question. But the best player overall? Not a player who shot under 40% from the floor for his career and whose career Assist to Turnover ratio was less than 2:1. Not to mention opponents easily being able to shoot over him. Hate to be a killjoy because I loved watching him play as much as anyone, but the best ever to play (one game or more) at Smith Center? Can't support that choice.

**Posted by jf** 8/11/2022 10:15 am

Must point out, as always, while Camby was quite impressive in college and flourished in the pros, he was at times, shaking in his sneakers whenever Alexander Koul stepped on the court.

**Posted by Long Suffering Fan** 8/11/2022 6:17 pm

Gwmayhem wrote:
Sorry, but no to this. Shawnta was arguably the most exciting and the most remarkable player to ever play at Smith Center. Best player for his size? No question. But the best player overall? Not a player who shot under 40% from the floor for his career and whose career Assist to Turnover ratio was less than 2:1. Not to mention opponents easily being able to shoot over him. Hate to be a killjoy because I loved watching him play as much as anyone, but the best ever to play (one game or more) at Smith Center? Can't support that choice.

Shawnta may have not been the best, but in my half century, I would put him in the top 3 (other candidates being Mike Hall, Pato, Yinka, Yuta and Mike Brown. But I would not hold Shawnta's poor shooting numbers against him as he was also a defensive wiz and changed the game more than any other single player I have seen at GW.

**Posted by DC Native** 8/11/2022 10:39 pm

Shawnta was ranked the second best player in GW MBB history a few years ago, behind only Joe Holup (who never played at the Smitty):

https://gwsports.com/sports/2018/7/23/sports-m-baskbl-spec-rel-MBB-100-html.aspx

**Posted by DC Native** 8/11/2022 10:44 pm

Best non-GW players I remember seeing play at the Smitty were Marcus Camby and Aaron McKie.

**Posted by Gwmayhem** 8/12/2022 10:47 am

This appeared to be coming off the rails a bit until DC Native's post put us back on track. My question was who was the best player to ever play at the Smith Center. While you may believe the answer is a former or (God help you) current GW player, I'd say there's a far better case to be made that the (admittedly subjective) answer involves one of our opponents.

**Posted by ppeck56** 8/12/2022 9:07 pm

I vaguely remeber seeing Ralph Sampson play at the Smith center in 1982. He only went on to win three Naismith awards.

**Posted by Gwmayhem** 8/15/2022 9:54 am

ppeck56 wrote:
I vaguely remeber seeing Ralph Sampson play at the Smith center in 1982. He only went on to win three Naismith awards.

Yes, I alluded early on to the notion that if this question were only being asked within the prism of a college basketball career, Sampson would win and there would not be a close second. However, when factoring an entire career, the answer may not be so clear-cut.