Just 11 days after the Georgetown University men’s basketball team’s season ended, junior guard KJ Lewis told On3 that he intends to enter the transfer portal.
Lewis’ departure, first reported on March 24, marks the first roster change at the start of a critical offseason for the Hoyas as they enter year four of Head Coach Ed Cooley’s rebuild.
Lewis, who was named to the all-Big East third team March 8, led the Hoyas in scoring this season, averaging 14.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game before he suffered an ankle injury in February.
Before transferring to Georgetown last year, Lewis played for the University of Arizona, where he averaged 6.1 points as a first-year and 10.8 points as a sophomore. A versatile guard, his transfer to Georgetown was viewed as a key addition to the Hoyas’ roster.
Students and fans are responding to Lewis’ announcement with both appreciation for his impact and concern about Georgetown basketball’s future.
Nicole Hogge (SON ’27), vice president of Hoya Blue, said Lewis had a strong influence on the program.
“While we are disappointed to see that KJ Lewis has entered the transfer portal, Hoya Blue is grateful for the year KJ has spent at Georgetown,” Hogge wrote to The Hoya. “He was a great addition to the team, to the program and truly embodied the Georgetown spirit.”
Others pointed to Lewis’ on-court impact this season.
Michael Hassner (SFS ’28), assistant conductor and manager for the Georgetown University Pep Band, said Lewis was a key two-way player for the Hoyas.
“I think he was really great for Georgetown, and a force on both offense and defense,” Hassner wrote to The Hoya.
At the same time, Hassner noted that Georgetown showed signs of growth without Lewis after he sustained a season-ending left ankle injury Feb. 24. In his absence, the No. 11 seed Hoyas upset the Big East tournament’s No. 6 seed DePaul University and No. 3 seed Villanova University.
This stretch of play contributed to a complex response from fans that considered both Lewis’ individual skill and the possibility of the Hoyas succeeding without him.
Still, some students expressed concern about how increased roster turnover affects fan engagement, an issue that has plagued the Hoyas for years — this season, home games averaged a reported attendance of 5,862. Meanwhile, from 2005 to 2013, reported home game attendance consistently averaged over 10,000.
Briana Sparacino (SFS ’25, GRD ’26), a former Hoya Blue board member, said continuously rotating rosters makes the team harder to connect with.
“I think constantly having a changing roster, where from year to year, you’re seeing your star players leave the team, it kind of discourages students to really feel dedicated to their program if their star players aren’t feeling that same dedication,” Sparacino told The Hoya.
Lewis’ departure reflects a broader challenge facing college basketball in the past few years. The rotation of players through the transfer portal is not an issue isolated to Georgetown. Between the 2019-2020 and 2023-2024 seasons, men’s basketball transfer portal entries increased 78.24%.
Mike Fahy (SFS ’27) said, while disheartening, Lewis’ decision didn’t come as a shock.
“It’s obviously disappointing as a Hoya fan to see such a great player leave the program,” Fahy wrote to The Hoya. “But I wouldn’t say that I’m completely surprised by the move, given the propensity of transfers in college basketball right now.”
With the transfer portal officially opening April 7, Cooley will need to explore all available options to fill the gap in production left by Lewis’ departure. The roster makeup is further complicated by uncertainty surrounding senior center Vince Iwuchukwu, who will need the NCAA to grant an eligibility waiver to return for another season.
Some fans expressed confidence in Georgetown’s staff based on previous transfer portal recruits.
“His portal track record is great with Peavy last year and KJ this year, so I have faith in the results of the next few months,” Hassner added.
Others, including Sparacino, said there is a need for greater program success to drive player retention.
“Maybe we could start winning, that would be huge,” Sparacino said. “If we started winning, people wouldn’t leave.”
Despite clear uncertainty facing Georgetown’s roster, Fahy said he recognizes that offseason roster revitalizations are possible in modern college basketball.
“In the current college basketball environment, teams can undergo quick turnarounds with one successful offseason,” Fahy said.
