The leaves beginning to fall and the colors around campus changing from a vibrant green to an autumnal orange can only mean one thing: another season of Hoya hoops is on the horizon.
Last season marked Head Coach Ed Cooley’s first donning the blue and gray and it began with a bang. Georgetown University trounced the Le Moyne College Dolphins, 94-57. Five players scored double-digit figures and the Hoyas never found themselves trailing, building palpable excitement for the season to come.
However, all positive momentum was halted just four days later, as the Holy Cross Crusaders downed the Hoyas with a go-ahead three-pointer in the last minute of play to win 68-67. What followed was a discouraging showing in the nonconference slate, playing bad teams too closely and failing to compete with better teams. Georgetown proceeded to finish 2-18 in Big East play, with both wins coming against a miserable DePaul University team by a combined 4 points.
Since the disappointments of last season, Cooley has revamped the roster, successfully recruiting the No. 12 first-year class and No. 23 transfer class according to 247Sports.
The first-year class is headlined by four-star big men Thomas Sorber and Julius Halaifonua and four-star wing Kayvaun Mulready.
Sorber hails from Trenton, N.J., and attended Archbishop Ryan High School in Philadelphia, Pa. At 6-foot-10 and 255 pounds, Sorber’s presence will be known in the post, as his long levers make him an exceptional rebounder and rim protector. He is also known for his soft touch, passing ability and ability to create space for his teammates and find them for open looks such as in the Philadelphia Catholic League high school championship in February. Sorber is ranked second on On3’s list of Big East impact freshmen.
Halaifonua, a New Zealand native, comes from the National Basketball Association Global Academy in Australia. The Hoyas secured his commitment very late in the recruiting cycle, as Halaifonua reclassified from the class of 2025 and chose Georgetown on Aug. 5. At a hulking 7 feet and 270 pounds, Halaifonua is extremely strong. His talents on the court include a high basketball IQ and an impressive shooting touch that could see him step out from the block to space the floor.
Mulready, On3’s ninth-ranked impact freshman, attended Worcester Academy in Worcester, Mass., and flipped from a previous commitment to Providence College to follow Cooley to the Hilltop. The wing is known for his athleticism and energy, serving him especially well on the defensive end. His quick hands and aggressive playing style will allow him to pester opponents with the ball in their hands, as he excels at turning defense into offense by running the floor, and his toughness should play well in the Big East, a conference known for its physicality.
Cooley also embraced the transfer portal, bringing in four players who should have an immediate impact for the Hoyas.
Sophomore point guard Malik Mack returns home after a breakout freshman year at Harvard University. Despite his small stature at 6-foot 2, the Oxon Hill, Md., native has developed a craftiness to his game that allows him to create space off the dribble. He controls the pace of the game, able to run the floor and relentlessly defend while simultaneously slowing down the offense. Mack’s arrival will also allow junior guard Jayden Epps to play off the ball more, taking some of the responsibility to score off his shoulders and potentially getting him more open looks. Mack was named to the Bob Cousy point guard of the year preseason watchlist as one of the best college point guards in the nation.
Versatile graduate forward Micah Peavy is the other standout transfer recruit. Georgetown will be Peavy’s third team, as he was a starter at Texas Tech University in his freshman season before playing pivotal minutes for a Texas Christian University team that made the tournament in all three seasons of his tenure. Peavy’s primary objective is to defend. His athleticism and size allows him to stay with the ball at all times, guarding all positions effectively. His motor is nonstop and his veteran presence and leadership should serve this young Georgetown team well.
The two other transfers both arrive with Power 5 conference experience. Sophomore guard Curtis Williams Jr. comes from Louisville University and sophomore forward Jordan Burks from the University of Kentucky.
Epps, named to the preseason all-Big East third team, is the most prominent returner for Cooley. After putting his scoring abilities on display throughout last season, attacking the rim and shooting the deep ball, Epps is poised to be a clear star for the Hoyas.
However, last year made clear that Epps couldn’t carry the Hoyas to wins on his own — particularly later into games. He would begin to make bad shot decisions when his teammates weren’t scoring and his exhaustion would show. This season’s roster additions should take the pressure off Epps, especially if the team finds chemistry early in the season and gives him more off-ball time.
As for the schedule, Georgetown’s nonconference slate is rather underwhelming. The Hoyas will open their season Nov. 6 with a matchup against Lehigh University. In an exciting and unexpected turn of events, both that game and the Nov. 26 game against Wagner College will be played on campus at McDonough Arena. Georgetown will also face University of Notre Dame again after defeating them in overtime last season. They end their nonconference schedule with their Big 12-Big East Battle matchup against West Virginia University Dec. 6, then travel to Syracuse to take on the rival Orange Dec. 14, two solid tests before Big East play.
Georgetown was selected to finish ninth in the Big East coaches’ poll, ahead of Seton Hall University and DePaul. However, the prominent college basketball analytics archive KenPom appears rather optimistic about the Hoyas, ranking them 88th in the country, between West Virginia and Oklahoma State. KenPom ranks the Georgetown offense as 48th in the country, between Grand Canyon and Boise State.
Georgetown’s preparation for the upcoming season has been very encouraging thus far. In preseason matches, the Hoyas first beat University of Maryland, 68-64. Although the final score was close, attendees reported that Georgetown controlled much of the game. Mack led the way with a 19-point, 5-rebound and 5-assist effort. The team then defeated University of Virginia 66-55 just a week after legendary head coach Tony Bennett announced his retirement. Peavy and Mack combined for 39 points, while Sorber contributed 10 points and 9 rebounds.
This year feels crucial for the future of Georgetown basketball; Cooley must improve upon last season to progress toward achieving his goal of bringing Georgetown basketball back to prominence. With a reloaded team, he will look to do just that.