John Thompson, Jr. coached the Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team from 1972 to 1999. Hired off of a brutal 3-23 season, Thompson promptly turned the Hoyas around and built Georgetown into an elite program. Thompson reached three Final Fours at Georgetown and coached four NBA Hall of Famers. He remains the only Georgetown basketball coach to win a national title. 

The Georgetown Women's Basketball Team was originally started as a part of the Women's Athletic Association 1968. In 1970, they notably switched from women's to men's rules. Only beginning in 1974 did the team become a varsity sport. Since they joined the Big East in 1983, the team has gone on to four appearances in the NCAA March Madness tournament and two Sweet Sixteen appearances as well as eight appearances in the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).

Patrick Ewing (CAS '85) coached the Georgetown men's basketball team from 2017-2023 after an outstanding playing career that included a national title in 1984. Ewing, a center, is often considered the greatest player in program history — including by his coach, John Thompson Jr.

Craig Esherick (MSB '78, L '82) coached the Hoyas men's basketball team from 1999-2004. Esherick played guard for the Hoyas from 1974-78 and was an assistant coach during Georgetown's 1984 season. 

Reggie Williams (CAS '87) played for the Hoyas men's basketball team from 1983-1987. Williams played a pivotal role in the dominant Georgetown teams of the mid-80s and led the Hoyas to the Elite Eight in 1987. Picked fourth overall in the 1987 NBA Draft, he had a decade-long NBA career.