Georgetown Basketball: What Is a Hoya, Anyway?

The Georgetown Hoyas, 14-2 and #9 AP Men's NCAA Basketball team look like they are one of the strongest teams in the country.

We know everything about Roy Hibbert, Jonathan Wallace, and John Thompson III, but do we even know what a Hoya is?

According to Georgetown's Athletic Department Website, many years ago, when all students were required to take Greek and Latin, the athletic teams were nicknamed "The Stonewalls."

Rumor has it that one clever student chanted "Hoya Saxa!" which translates to "What Rocks!"  The cheer grew and students began to consistently yell "Hoya Saxa! Hoya Saxa!" Eventually, the "Saxa" was dropped and the cheer evolved to "Hoya!"

The name proved popular and all Georgetown teams were named "The Hoyas."

No, a Hoya is not a bulldog. It is not any animal, mascot, or creature of any sort. Hoya actually means "what."

So, if you ever ask: What is a Hoya? That's your answer. What? What. A Hoya is what.

With the college basketball season more than halfway over, the Georgetown Whats prove to be one of the elite teams in the NCAA and may pull off a Final Four repeat.

Let's go Whats!