Not too many people noticed Julian Vaughn when he first came to Georgetown. A sophomore transfer from Florida State, Vaughn seemed to just slide into the Hoyas’ roster, his presence lost in the transfer of frontcourt power from Roy Hibbert (COL ’08) to Greg Monroe.

Yet now that both Georgetown big men are wearing NBA uniforms, Vaughn, in his senior season, has been one of the biggest factors in Georgetown’s success this season. Averaging nine points and leading the team with six rebounds and two blocks per game, the 6-foot-9 player has become the Hoyas biggest frontcourt factor.

Just look at the numbers in Georgetown’s most important wins this year. At Villanova, Vaughn nailed all seven of his free throws in a three-minute span to keep the Blue and Gray out in front of the surging Wildcats. Against Providence, he scored 14 points and grabbed 11 boards.

He had another double-double — 15 points, 10 boards — at Memphis to bring Georgetown to an 11-1 nonconference record. Then the icing on the cake: his 12 points and eight rebounds at Syracuse, including a backdoor pass to guard Jason Clark to put the Hoyas up six and eventually win the game.

This season, Vaughn has proven himself an apt defensive rebounder, and his offense has picked up tremendously in league play. His hook shot — with either hand — has made him an offensive presence that most Big East teams were not counting on the Hoyas having. He has become that fourth, vital piece that could make Georgetown a Final-Four team.

Call it maturity. Call it senior leadership. Call it work ethic. Vaughn, perhaps more than any other starter, has shown the biggest improvement in his years on the Hilltop. Even when Chris Wright’s hand broke against Cincinnati on Wednesday night, it was really Vaughn’s difficult offensive night — 1-for-9 from the field, his hook shots just not falling — that kept Georgetown from pulling even with the Bearcats.

What’s most impressive is how Vaughn arrived on the Hilltop. Back in 2007, the Virginia native was part of the nation’s No. 1 high school basketball team — Oak Hill Academy. He still holds two school records for rebounds, including the single-game record of 31. He played alongside Chris Wright and Austin Freeman, not to mention Duke point guard Nolan Smith and Minnesota Timberwolves’ forward Michael Beasley, on D.C. Assault’s AAU basketball team. He was a prospect that a lot of teams knew about.

That included the Hoyas. After family issues caused Vaughn to want to move closer to home, the power forward left Florida State — where he played in 34 games his freshman season — and opted to come to Georgetown. He obtained a waiver from the NCAA and was able to play immediately. Since then, he has only gotten better, improving his rebounding and scoring numbers each season. “Jules,” as he’s nicknamed by Head Coach John Thompson III, has completed the journey. From transfer student to a senior pillar in the frontcourt, Julian Vaughn has truly earned a place on Georgetown’s vaunted list of big men.