Hall of Fame coach Al McGuire often said that the best thing about freshmen was that they would become sophomores. In the case of Georgetown's Mike Stokes, his sophomore year turned sour, and with it, a promising college career.

The entrance to the John R. Thompson Intercollegiate Athletic Center lists the names of John Thompson's initial recruiting class: Wilson, Smith, Lynn, Brooks, and Long. The display failed to note Stokes, an all-Met guard from St. John's whose bookish, horn-rimmed glasses looked more from 1962 than 1972. But he was, in Thompson's own words, the best pure shooter he had on that team, and Stokes was a playmaker when the public prejudices about what Georgetown guards are supposed to look like had not yet taken hold.

Stokes led the team in scoring in their first exhibition game, and was a streaky shooter who could come up with some big games: 21 against Rutgers, 20 against Holy Cross, and 18 against Loyola. "Mike is an excellent shooter," said Thompson. "He's very aggressive and definitely contributes more than just scoring for this team." At season's end, Stokes finished third in scoring behind Jon Smith and Merlin Wilson, and was already tracking for a 1,000 point career with a 9.0 points per game average.

Sophomore year was a disaster for Stokes. He lost his shooting touch from the start of the season, and left the team after just five games with a 1 for 18 (.056) shooting mark. His departure received no coverage in the local papers, and even The HOYA gave it scant coverage, merely noting that Stokes was "no longer on the team". Stokes left school after the fall semester.

Any information on Mr. Stokes, then or now, is appreciated.