Georgetown basketball is bringing new faces to the program following an unfruitful season. Last year, the Hoyas finished last in the Big East with a 6-14 conference record. However, head coach Ed Cooley and the team had an unexpected run in the conference tournament. Georgetown upset No. 6 DePaul and No. 3 Villanova before meeting No. 2 UConn in the semifinals and falling 67-51.
Despite the underwhelming season, Cooley and his staff have improved the roster with seven returners, six transfers, and three freshmen. Currently, preseason polls predict the Hoyas to finish near the bottom of the conference at No. 10. However, Cooley spoke to CBS’s Matt Norlander in an interview about the early predictions: “That tells you a lot about the moving pieces with Georgetown, given we haven’t had the success I wanted out the gate, and hopefully this’ll be a year to flip that narrative.”
So far, the team has found early success, dominating both exhibition games by stomping Wake Forest 94-77 and George Washington 76-68. The Hoyas also won their season opener against Loyola Maryland, 80-58, and the team looks to carry this momentum through the rest of the year.
Georgetown’s Key Players Who’ve Dominated So Far
The Hoyas’ biggest improvement so far has been returning center Vincent Iwuchukwu. Last season, Iwuchukwu came off the bench for the Hoyas and averaged a modest 11 points and six rebounds per game. After dealing with eligibility concerns this off-season, the fifth-year senior returned to the Hoyas and shone in the season opener with 21 points, nine rebounds, and a block. After the win, coach Cooley gave Iwuchukwu the game ball.
Another key player is Kansas transfer Elmarko Jackson. The junior combo guard saw limited action in his two seasons with the Jayhawks, but now he has an increased role with the Hoyas. Against Wake Forest, Jackson scored 11 points while making four of his seven field-goal attempts. In his first start in a season opener, Jackson didn’t disappoint, scoring 14 points and adding three assists. So far, he’s a consistent scorer for Georgetown and can go a long way with limited shots.
Another key transfer is Jaland Lowe, who missed time last year at Kentucky after a right shoulder dislocation. As a sophomore, Lowe saw success in Pittsburgh as the leading scorer at 16.8 points per game and a Third-Team All-ACC selection. The fourth-year guard is seen as the Hoyas’ primary ball handler who dished out ten assists in the exhibition win over Wake Forest. Against George Washington, he led the team in scoring with 19 points, then followed up with an efficient 23 points and five three-pointers in the win over Loyola Maryland.
Lowe is looking to put his name back on notice as the Hoyas’ go-to scorer and bounce back from the shoulder injury.
Hoyas Add Bench Pieces to Improve Depth
One major bench asset is Charleston transfer Chol Machot. The seven-foot rim protector led the CAA in blocks last season with a stunning 2.5 per game, and he won Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He also made his offensive presence felt in the paint, averaging 8.9 points.
Machot made an impact in the Georgetown opener with seven points and a block in 18 minutes. Another addition to the bench is FAU transfer Josiah Parker. The sophomore forward comes off a solid year, averaging 9.6 points per game while shooting an amazing 50% from the field.
Three key freshmen for the Hoyas are four-star Justin Caldwell and two of Brazil’s finest, Gabriel Landeriea and Pedro Paste. Both Landeriea and Paste missed off-season workouts because they played with Brazil’s national teams.
All in all, Ed Cooley and the Hoyas look new and improved this season. The fourth-year head coach is still searching for his first winning season and can hopefully revive Georgetown’s winning culture this year.
