Eric "Sleepy" Floyd

Eric "Sleepy" Floyd (CAS '82) played for the Hoyas men's basketball team from 1978-1982. Floyd, a guard, helped lead the Hoyas to an Elite Eight appearance his sophomore year and the national championship game during his senior year. A 1st-round pick in the 1982 NBA Draft, Floyd had a 13-year NBA career.

Georgetown (1978-82)

Floyd came to Georgetown in 1978, recruited by legendary coach John Thompson Jr.1 Floyd made an immediate impact as a freshman, leading the Hoyas in scoring2. As a sophomore, Floyd broke Georgetown's single-season points record3, averaging 18.7 points and 3 assists per game4. He helped lead the Hoyas to the Elite Eight that season and scored 31 points in a one-point loss to Iowa5. 

Floyd continued to excel in his junior season, averaging 19 points per game and leading the Hoyas in scoring for the third consecutive season6. He also broke his scoring record from the previous season7. Georgetown lost to James Madison in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the only first-round exit in Floyd's college career. Floyd remained a key player and the leading scorer on Georgetown's 1981-82 team, again breaking his single-season points record8. Bolstered by the arrival of freshman center Patrick Ewing, the Hoyas had an experienced roster9 and reached the national championship game, where they faced North Carolina. Floyd scored 18 points in an agonizing 63-62 loss to North Carolina, ending his outstanding college career10. He led Georgetown in scoring for four consecutive seasons11 and set the school's career points record12.

NBA career

The New Jersey Nets selected Floyd with the 13th overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft13. However, Floyd would appear in only 43 games with the Nets, as he was traded to the Golden State Warriors in February of his rookie season14. Floyd saw a substantial increase in playing time with Golden State and became a full-time starter in the 1983-84 season15. Floyd was a strong contributor for the Warriors, averaging at least 16.8 points per game from 1983 onward16.

Floyd's 1986-87 season was his best season statistically, as he averaged 18.8 points and 10.3 assists per game, and he was rewarded with an All-Star appearance17. Floyd led the Warriors to the playoffs later that season, defeating the Utah Jazz 3-2 in the first round but falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals18. 

Floyd began the 1987-88 season with the Warriors, but was traded to the Houston Rockets in December 198719. He remained a solid contributor in Houston and made four consecutive playoff appearances with the Rockets, all of which resulted in first-round exits20. Floyd's last season as a regular starter came in 1989-90, though he remained a solid rotation player for Houston over the next three seasons21. In 1993, the Rockets finally got past the first round of the playoffs with a series win over the Los Angeles Clippers; they went on to lose to the Seattle SuperSonics in the Western Conference Semifinals22.

Houton released Floyd prior to the 1993-94 season, so he signed with the San Antonio Spurs23. His final playoff appearance came that season with San Antonio, a 3-1 first-round loss to the Utah Jazz24. Floyd returned to the Nets for his final NBA season, appearing in 48 games25. 

Legacy

Floyd is often considered one of the best players in Georgetown history. While the program's rise is often attributed to Patrick Ewing's arrival, Floyd played a significant role in making Georgetown an elite program prior to Ewing's time on the Hilltop. He was a key player on the 1979-80 Elite Eight team, which lost to Iowa by a single point. As a senior, Floyd also played a pivotal role on the Hoyas' run to the 1982 national championship game, the first of Georgetown's three title game appearances under Thompson. Floyd went on to a strong NBA career; his 13 seasons in the league featured an All-Star appearance and numerous playoff appearances. He still holds Georgetown's career points record26.

• 1Thompson, John with Jesse Washington. "I Came As A Shadow." Holt Paperbacks, 2022, p. 132.
• 2Thompson, John with Jesse Washington. "I Came As A Shadow." Holt Paperbacks, 2022, p. 132.
• 3HoyaBasketball.com, Individual Records: Points, Season. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/scoring_leaders_2.htm.
• 4Basketball-Reference.com, Sleepy Floyd. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/floydsl01.html.
• 5Thompson, John with Jesse Washington. "I Came As A Shadow." Holt Paperbacks, 2022, p. 142.
• 6HoyaBasketball.com, Individual Records: Annual Leaders, Points. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/scoring_leaders_25.htm.
• 7HoyaBasketball.com, Individual Records: Points, Season. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/scoring_leaders_2.htm.
• 8HoyaBasketball.com, Individual Records: Points, Season. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/scoring_leaders_2.htm.
• 9Thompson, John with Jesse Washington. "I Came As A Shadow." Holt Paperbacks, 2022, p. 150-152.
• 10Latham, Bill et al. "Hoyas Fall In Superdome Thriller, 63-62." The Hoya. 2 April 1982.
• 11HoyaBasketball.com, Individual Records: Annual Leaders, Points. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/scoring_leaders_25.htm.
• 12HoyaBasketball.com, Individual Records: Points, Career. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/scoring_leaders_3.htm.
• 13Basketball-Reference.com, Sleepy Floyd. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/floydsl01.html.
• 14Basketball-Reference.com, Sleepy Floyd. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/floydsl01.html.
• 15Basketball-Reference.com, Sleepy Floyd. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/floydsl01.html.
• 16Basketball-Reference.com, Sleepy Floyd. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/floydsl01.html.
• 17Basketball-Reference.com, Sleepy Floyd. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/floydsl01.html.
• 18Basketball-Reference.com, Sleepy Floyd. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/floydsl01.html.
• 19Basketball-Reference.com, Sleepy Floyd. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/floydsl01.html.
• 20Basketball-Reference.com, Sleepy Floyd. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/floydsl01.html.
• 21Basketball-Reference.com, Sleepy Floyd. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/floydsl01.html.
• 22Basketball-Reference.com, Sleepy Floyd. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/floydsl01.html.
• 23Basketball-Reference.com, Sleepy Floyd. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/floydsl01.html.
• 24Basketball-Reference.com, Sleepy Floyd. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/floydsl01.html.
• 25Basketball-Reference.com, Sleepy Floyd. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/floydsl01.html.
• 26HoyaBasketball.com, Individual Records: Points, Career. https://www.hoyabasketball.com/records/scoring_leaders_3.htm.