• THE GEORGETOWN BASKETBALL HISTORY PROJECT

Frank Hollendoner (1964-1967)
 

Georgetown's tallest and most prominent recruit in the pre-Thompson era, Frank Hollendoner fell victim to a number of injuries that dampened what would have been a sterling college career.

Outside of Lew Alcindor, two years his junior, there may not have been a more prized high school center prospect in the 1960's. "Big Frank" averaged 33 points and 20 rebounds a game at St. Patrick HS in Chicago, earning all-state and All-America honors many times over. By the time a college decision was due, Hollendoner had 143 scholarship offers--an amazing total, given that there were only 178 teams in what is now Division I. Ultimately, he chose Georgetown--not for its spacious gym nor its training facilities, but for a purely academic reason--its mathematics program.

The effects of his high school career led to an unfortunate circumstance--torn cartilage in his knee required surgery before he could even join the freshman team. Hollendoner sat out almost his entire freshman season and joined the 1964-65 varsity as an unproven quantity. Fans were excited to see Hollendoner open the season with 19 points off the bench against Loyola, followed by 17 against Canisius, an 18 point, 18 rebound game against Delaware and 18 versus George Washington. Hollendoner saw reduced time down the stretch, but scored a season high 24 points and 17 rebounds in a loss to St. Joseph's before injuries reduced him to spot duty thereafter.

The injury bug struck Hollendoner again the next season, as The HOYA reported he suffered an eye injury prior to the start of the 1965-66 season. Hollendoner returned to action, but knee problems continued to limit his time in games. Still, when he was healthy, Hollendoner could be dominating. Against NYU, he set a school record by scoring 29 points in a single half, and ended the season with consecutive 28 point games. He finished the season averaging 11.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

For his senior season, Hollendoner was counted upon to be the main option in the middle. Fouls limited his effectiveness in many games, but Hollendoner was a major force in a 22 point effort over Purdue, along with a 15 point, 15 rebound effort versus Navy. For the season, Hollendoner shot an incredible 69% for the season for an 11.1 average, but his play was often limited due to fouls.

Following graduation, the 6-11 Hollendoner passed on two pro basketball offers to pursue an MBA at Stanford. A former managing director of a London-based securities firm, Hollendoner retired in the in his early 40s and spent much of his later years in Sweden and the English countryside of Wiltshire.

Season GP GS Min FG FGA % 3FG 3GA % FT FTA % Off Reb Avg PF Ast Blk Stl Pts Avg
1964-65 22 74 133 55.6 36 61 59.0 123 5.6 184 8.3
1965-66 22 103 174 59.2 43 69 62.3 148 6.7 249 11.4
1966-67 21 99 145 69.1 58 83 69.8 172 8.2 256 11.1
Totals 65 276 452 61.0 137 213 64.3 443 6.8 689 10.6