Jeff Green, Georgetown University

Jeff Green's athletic accomplishments at Georgetown have been fairly well documented.  He came to the school as an unheralded recruit, only joining Georgetown after Gary Williams wouldn't let him come to Maryland.  He left three years later as the most accomplished player of John Thompson III's tenure on the Hilltop.  He won the Big East Player of the Year, led Georgetown to the Final Four, and was the #5 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

JTIII's hybrid "Princetown" offense never looked prettier than when #32 was running the point forward.  Thinking back on those 2004-2007 Georgetown teams with Green manning the top of the key, Jonathan Wallace swishing threes from the corner, Patrick Ewing Jr. throwing down dunks, and Roy Hibbert's drop stepping his way to layups brings a tear to my eye.  Those teams brought Georgetown back to national prominence and set the stage for the program's ascent to a perennial top 20 team.

More about Jeff Green after The Jump.

Yet, Jeff's accomplishments on the basketball court are equaled by his giving nature off the court.  He has participated in multiple charity games this summer alongside other NBA players, including Kevin Durant's recent game in Oklahoma City.  He spent some of his summer at Kenner League mentoring Georgetown's young freshmen and is seen as a big brother in their eyes.  He and fellow former Hoya Greg Monroe spent an afternoon shooting hoops with Wounded Warriors at the White House.

Most importantly, Jeff made a promise to his coaching staff and family that he would get his degree from Georgetown even though he left after his junior year.  He has spent every summer since 2007 working towards that degree, and has been in classes this fall while the NBA has been locked out.  For a program that is famous for its coaches showcasing deflated basketballs to signify life after basketball, Jeff's commitment to education is all the more relevant.  He has been the perfect embodiment of the program John Thompson III has run at Georgetown and has set an example for players that follow in his footsteps.  In 2010, Greg Monroe left Georgetown after his sophomore year to go to the NBA.  Just like Jeff, he was back on campus this summer working towards his degree.  As Georgetown moves into trying times with conference realignment, it is nice to know that education will still be an important piece of the basketball team, and we have Jeff Green's example to thank for part of that. 

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