After sophomore center Julius Halaifonua’s sudden departure and senior center Vince Iwuchukwu’s entrance into the transfer portal, the Georgetown University men’s basketball team needed big men. On April 24, Head Coach Ed Cooley partially filled this gap, successfully recruiting Chol Machot, the reigning CAA Defensive Player of the Year, according to On3’s Jamie Shaw. 

Machot, a 7-foot, 200-pound center, is On3’s No. 138 player and No. 15 center in the transfer portal. Machot originally committed to Mississippi State University in 2023 before transferring to Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW), an NJCAA program, for the following season, 2024-25. That year, he averaged 11.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. He was named to the All-Citrus first team and set an FSW single-season record with 70 blocks. 

At the close of the season, Machot entered the portal again, moving up to play Division I basketball for the College of Charleston. He hit the ground running, playing 32 games and starting 15. 

Machot averaged 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds a game last season and ended the 2025-26 season with 79 total blocks, the 10th most in NCAA Division 1. 

After announcing his intent to enter the portal March 18, Machot was recruited by many other high-major programs, including Syracuse University, Virginia Tech University and Big East rival the University of Connecticut. Machot took an on-campus visit to Georgetown April 22.

Despite securing Machot’s signature, Cooley still has work to do. He will need to recruit another center and must add heavily to the forward position, where Georgetown has only two scholarship players rostered, sophomore Caleb Williams and incoming first-year Justin Caldwell.