To celebrate SLAM’s 30th anniversary, we’re spotlighting the 30 most influential men’s college teams from our past 30 years. Stats, records and chips aren’t the main factor here, it’s all about their contribution to the game’s cultural fabric.
For the next 30 days—Monday through Friday— we’ll be unveiling the full list here. We’ve also got an exclusive retro collegiate collection, out now, that pays homage to each squad’s threads. Shop here.
It’s impossible to reference the most impactful college teams without including Allen Iverson and the Georgetown Hoyas. We’ve got a storied history with Bubba Chuck, which started in ‘96 with Issue No. 9 when SLAM Shakespearean Scoop Jackson lobbied for the first of AI’s eventual 15 covers. Led by the infamous John Thompson, Hoya Paranoia was synonymous with the iconic kente cloth-stitched threads and high expectations, entering the season with a Top Five preseason ranking. With AI returning for his sophomore campaign in ‘95, the basketball ecosystem gravitated to Washington D.C. And outside the nation’s capital, everybody wanted to be down with the Hoyas. Replica Nike unis, baggy gray and navy sweat suits. Georgetown was more than a basketball powerhouse; it was a culture—a culture led by Allen Iverson, a simply unstoppable force.
The 6-foot phenom left every crowd in awe with his signature cross, unmatched rhythm and smooth jumper. Jumpstops were his specialty, buckets were his major while studying at the College of Next Up. Back in ‘96, Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson put it plainly; “I’ve been to three calf shows, nine horse ropings–I even saw Elvis once. But I ain’t never seen anyone do what Iverson does. We doubled him, trapped him and he broke it.”
Big East Freshman of the Year and Big East Defensive Player of the Year just last season. Nobody could punk, mess or even dream of stopping the Hampton, VA native. 25 points and 3.4 steals per, Iverson’s craftiness was unparalleled. Down low, Othea Harrington continued the program’s well-earned reputation as a big-man factory, dominating the Big East boards alongside Jerome Williams.
In the fast break, freshman sensation Victor Page truly shined. The 6 ‘3 backcourt complement was thrown more lobs than spot-up threes as he and Iverson skied to the rims for constant highlight connections. One-handed cross-court bounce passes, no look dots and emphatic hammers—just another day at the office.
The phrase ‘look good, play good’ might be overused, but it was a decree regarding the Hoyas of ‘96. From the debut of the Terminators back in ‘85 to the inclusion of kente patterns in ‘93, John Thompson’s chess-like approach to visual excellence was singular. While grey and navy may have been the base for the most popular uniform in college basketball, Thompson’s decided to throw one more into the mix—the heralded sleek all-black threads. Decades later, the trio of hues continue to spark the influence of the 95-96 Hoyas.
Finishing the season with a 29-8 record while refusing to fall out of the Top 14, the Hoyas stamped their ticket to the big dance despite falling to UConn in the Big East Tournament championship. After receiving a No. 2 seed in the East region, Iverson went berserk, exploding for nearly 28 points and two steals per game throughout March as Georgetown marched to the Georgia Dome for the Elite Eight.
Despite falling to Marcus Camby and Massachusetts, the 95-96 Georgetown Hoyas remain one of the most impactful teams in collegiate history, period. We’d implore you to find a team whose threads have remained relevant for over three decades. The fabric of Georgetown’s prominence may have been initially stitched by Thompson and Patrick Ewing, but the immortalization of the Hoyas was cemented with AI and the ‘96 squad.
Photos via Getty Images.
